Mastering the Web of Online Video Integration: A Bird’s-Eye View

Before online video had even come into play, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, like most child stars, started their empire on the screen. Their charming presence as Michelle on Full House led to eight seasons, the launch of their own production company, Dualstar Entertainment Group, a massive fan club, and a fashion line. This web of fame and product sales unfolded in the same way as most TV pop culture trends: It began with a compelling story, and through strategic action with other Hollywood and brand leaders, it evolved into much more.

As marketers enter the third quarter of 2015, it’s difficult to go anywhere without hearing about the importance of video. Just as Full House converted throngs of young girls into Mary-Kate and Ashley followers, visual stories impact us in a way that written content cannot. A recent report by Animoto found that 73 percent of people are more likely to buy a product after having watched a video about it. In addition to sparking action, video can also strengthen the customer’s affinity to a brand, as the same study stated that 58 percent of respondents consider brands that produce video content to be more trustworthy.

However, a lot needs to happen behind the scenes to ensure that the online video is integrated with the brand’s marketing strategy, guided by business goals, and rooted in the needs and desires of the target audience. Just as the Olsen web did not weave itself, marketers will not benefit from video unless they ensure that they are integrating the content across channels and using valuable audience data.

Here are five integration categories that marketers should consider:

1. Brand Integration: It goes without saying that brands need to integrate their videos, but the debate on what platform to choose remains–YouTube, Vimeo, or a third-party hosting service? At Skyword, we find that in order to own your video content and the data behind it, it’s better to pull a third-party hosting service into the equation such as Brightcove, Kaltura, or Wistia. These services allow you to have full ownership of your content and give you the ability to customize the look and feel of your videos. When it comes to brand integration, there’s no exact answer. You need to find a strategy that works for you and stick to it.

2. Content Strategy Integration: Since video production is expensive and time consuming—and oftentimes involves many stakeholders—it’s easy for the final product to morph into its own beast. Throughout the creation process, do not lose sight of the video’s purpose and its role within the overall content strategy. Keep the discussions going on how the story will evolve over time. In a world where people are hungry for the next story, and nine out of 10 Americans claim to be binge watchers, the process is never over.

3. Audience Integration: Videos give marketers a way to collect audience data that was never possible before. In a recap of a recent Forrester Wave Report, Tyler Lessard, chief marketing officer at Vidyard, stresses the importance of using online video to access a wide range of customer insights, not just views. “Cumulative viewing data on your videos is interesting to see what’s trending, but it doesn’t help you mine insights on your leads or evaluate what particular content is leading to conversions,” Lessard said in a recent post. By integrating video analytics into your marketing automation and customer relationship management systems, sales and marketing teams can work more strategically to nurture prospects.

4. Social Integration: As Skyword’s Steve Armenti asked: “If people can’t find, consume, and react to our stories, then what’s the point of telling them in the first place?” In order for consumers to find the video, it needs to come across their social path, which is why all social platforms–from Facebook to YouTube to Instagram, are amping up user experience when it comes to video. Choose the channels that matter most to your audience. In some cases, consider keeping these videos in a shorter format, allowing for easy viewing and sharing. Videos should always lead the viewer to another level of the brand experience, such as a microsite, video channel, or blog post.

5. Search Integration: Just like other forms of content, the key to making your content more visible is ensuring it’s mapped out for search. SEO video best practices don’t differ from other types of content. Know your topic and what your audience is searching for, and create content that can fill those gaps. Evy Wilkins of Search Engine Watch provides a plethora of tips for strengthening video search rankings, from focusing on long-tail keywords, populating hidden tags on the HTML tags of your landing pages, to including the video’s transcription on the pages where the video is hosted.

We’re at the beginning stages of a post-television world, said Randall Rothenberg, CEO of Interactive Advertising Bureau, more than a year ago. He went on to say that digital video is the culmination of television as we have always known it and the beginning stages of the post-television world: It stirs all of the magic of regular programming but can reach much farther, dig much deeper, and blend much more seamlessly into our daily lives.

By creating video that easily travels through channels and devices, and while maintaining the core brand message, marketers will be able to create their own empires that audiences gather around and engage with.

Interested in creating original, engaging video at scale? Learn more about Skyword Video.