Did you know that 51.9% of marketers say video content provides the best ROI? Imagine promoting your video to millions… getting more views, likes and subscribers.

Video marketing is a powerful way to build relationships and brand awareness with prospects. If you’re not already using video in your marketing, it’s time to start.

So to help you get started, here are the best video marketing practices to keep in mind and implement in 2018:

1) Plan before recording

Don’t just improvise and ramble when recording. It is important to have a clear message that you want to share. Create bullet points that you want to convey. You can even tape them to the wall to keep you on track.

So practice it. don’t read. The more conversational you are, the more connected your audience will feel.

2) Hook Them Fast

Just like headlines are important for articles and email marketing, opening hooks are key to grabbing the attention of your viewers.

You have 10 seconds to capture the attention of your audience. What question can you ask to attract them? How can you make them curious or curious to know more?

3) Give First

If you create your video with the sentiment “I want them to buy” it will send out bad vibes. First think about how you can share value.

What can you teach them? How can you make them feel entertained? What inspiration can you provide?

4) Facts tell, stories sell

No one can resist a good story. Try to think of a story that illustrates the point you want to make. It helps viewers relate to you and engages them on an emotional level.

5) Call to action

Ask viewers to take action at the end of the video. Do you want them to buy, subscribe or like and share?

6) SEO optimization

Use keywords in your video title, description, and tags that will help you rank better on YouTube and Google. Create an attractive title that uses keywords and sounds natural.

If you have posted the video on your website, creating a sitemap tells search engine bots that you have a video hosted on your website and it will drive more organic traffic.

Video marketing is fast becoming the future of content marketing. I hope you’ll take the plunge this year to make video marketing an important addition to your promotional toolbox. Do it carefully and methodically for the best results.