Thanks to the rise of social media, faster broadband and dedicated portals like YouTube, the popularity of video-based internet content has never been greater.
But it's not just consumers who are using video to share their clips on hobby demos or friends experiencing humorous falls – brands are getting in on the act too. In fact, video is so prevalent that companies not using this form of media are likely to be in the minority and risk getting left behind.
Video's widespread use in marketing
According to ReelSEO's Video Marketing Survey and Business Trends Report published in 2013, 93 percent of marketers now use video in their campaigns, while 84 percent utilize it for website marketing.
They work too – 84 percent confirmed that video was having a positive impact on their business. Furthermore, a Visual.ly infographic discovered that 60 per cent of consumers prefer watching video over reading text, plus they remember the content more. In the case of videos sent via email, it could increase click-through rates by an enormous 96 percent.
Another statistic from Cisco suggests that video will account for 69 percent of all consumer internet traffic by 2017.
Why do people like videos? Simply because they can add value quickly. Humans are hard-wired to prefer looking at faces, they can pick up on emotions through clips, videos are quickly shareable, they're concise – the question should probably be why would we not like them.
Getting video content right
So, we know videos are essential. However, it unfortunately isn't enough for brands to simply set up a camcorder and start talking. There's lots of competition out there and if your video isn't as good, doesn't look professional or isn't suitable for the market you're targeting, the chances are your viewers will turn it off and look elsewhere.
And one of those points is key if you're hoping to send your video out internationally – it has to be suitable for the markets in its target nations.
Not only will the content need to be translated into the appropriate languages, but it must be optimized to suit their culture too. Videos have to look as though they've been created especially for their viewers.
For example, a cartoon pig could be funny in the western world but very offensive in other regions and so another character would need to be created in videos broadcast there. Similarly, a name used in an on-screen animation could unwittingly promote laughter in some countries if it corresponds with local colloquialisms.
Clearly, correct translation of the text you intend to broadcast is only part of the localization process.
Other essential points to check off your video list include:
• Having a specific message to convey, rather than wasting video time waffling
• Potentially using humor to get points across, as funny clips tend to be most likely to 'go viral'
• Offering something of value, such as a lesson in, for example, guitar-playing or applying spray-paint
• Being consistent and regular with video uploads
• Ensuring high production quality
Get specialists in to help
EQHO's video team has more than 20 years of experience in delivering localized multimedia content, whether it's tutorials, short films or advertisements.
We have also worked with an array of brands across a variety of sectors, so why not check us out before you take your first foray into international video production and marketing?
