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Category: For Businesses

May 11 2023

Exploring the Rise of YouTube Podcasts: A 2023 Trend to Watch Out For

by Team illusto
8 min

In recent years, podcasting has taken the world by storm, becoming a popular medium for entertainment, education, and information. Every day, millions of people around the globe tune in to their favorite shows to enjoy their favorite podcasts. This increased popularity has led to a continuous boom in the podcast industry.

But now, a new trend is emerging: YouTube podcasts. As we enter 2023, YouTube podcasts are becoming increasingly popular, with more and more content creators opting to use the platform to create and share their audio content in a video format.

In this blog, we will explore the rise of YouTube podcasts and the many benefits of this format. We’ll also take a look at how you can create and edit YouTube podcast videos. So, whether you’re a content creator looking to expand your reach or a fan of podcasts curious about this new trend, keep reading to find out everything you need to know about YouTube podcasts!

What are YouTube Podcasts?

YouTube podcasts, also known as video podcasts or vodcasts, are a new podcast format that blends the traditional audio format with video elements. Essentially, YouTube podcasts are video versions of classic podcasts, where the podcast hosts record themselves talking and incorporate visuals such as slides, images, and video footage to complement their discussion.

Unlike traditional audio podcasts, YouTube podcasts offer viewers a more dynamic and interactive experience. With the added visual element, podcast hosts can engage their audience in a more engaging way, enhancing their storytelling and allowing viewers to see their expressions and body language, bringing a more personal touch to the content.

One of the key advantages of YouTube podcasts is the ability to reach a wider audience through the use of video and visuals. Video content is more shareable and has a higher chance of going viral, making it easier for podcasts to gain exposure and attract new viewers. Additionally, YouTube podcasts can also increase engagement with existing listeners by providing a more immersive and interactive experience.

Overall, YouTube podcasts offer an exciting new medium for podcasters to expand their reach and connect with audiences in a more engaging way. With the added visual component, creators can take their podcasts to the next level and provide their fans with an even richer listening experience.

Click here to learn about YouTube Podcasts in a jiffy!

Why are YouTube Podcasts Gaining Popularity? 

YouTube podcasts are gaining immense popularity for several reasons. First and foremost, the rise of video content consumption has created a demand for more engaging and visual content. The addition of video to the traditional audio podcast format has brought a new level of immersion and engagement for listeners, making YouTube podcasts an attractive alternative to traditional audio-only podcasts.

You must have heard about popular YouTube podcasts, such as “The Joe Rogan Experience” and “H3 Podcast,” which have further contributed to the rise of this trend. With their long-form content, engaging hosts, and diverse topics, these podcasts have helped to bring the medium into the mainstream and popularized it among a wider audience.

But why have these podcasts become so popular? Let’s look at some of the key reasons behind the popularity of YouTube podcasts.

#1 It’s a walk in the park

The ease of use of YouTube podcasts is a big element in their success. One of the major benefits of this medium is that listeners can access information from a variety of devices, such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop PCs. Its adaptability allows audiences to consume material whenever and wherever they desire, making it ideal for listening on the go during commutes, workouts, or other activities.

YouTube podcasts are also ideal for people who prefer a more flexible listening experience. Listeners can pause, rewind, or fast-forward through the information at their leisure, allowing them to personalize their listening experience. This convenience ensures that listeners never miss essential information and that they may immediately catch up on missed content.

#2 Choose whatever you like 

Whether it’s spirituality, food, sports, or history – YouTube podcasts cover it all. The variety of content available on YouTube podcasts contributes significantly to their growing popularity. Podcasts that appeal to specific interests, such as sports, politics, news, pop culture, technology, or any other topic imaginable, are easily found and subscribed to by listeners. Given the wealth of information available, there is always something fresh and fascinating to find, and producers may reach specialized audiences that traditional media may not have reached.

Furthermore, YouTube podcasts are frequently produced by experts in their disciplines, giving audiences unique and insightful viewpoints on a wide range of topics. Listeners can learn from and interact with passionate and educated people about their fields of interest, giving them a better understanding.

#3 It’s easy to get hooked

Let’s be honest! We all get hooked while listening to a good YT podcast. Their engaging format is one of the primary aspects fueling their attraction. The conversational nature of YouTube podcasts, in particular, has proven particularly efficient at capturing and holding listeners’ attention. YouTube podcasts, as opposed to traditional forms of media such as news broadcasts or university lectures, provide a more casual and authentic delivery of information.

Another significant advantage of podcasting is that it frequently contains discussions, debates, and interviews, resulting in a more intimate and entertaining listening experience. Listeners can hear authentic dialogues between specialists and feel as though they are listening in on a private conversation between friends. This can help to keep the listener’s attention by making the topic more engaging and relatable. Overall, the conversational format of YouTube podcasts has shown to be quite beneficial for engaging viewers and providing information in a more relaxed and real manner.

#4 Entering the space is hassle-free

One of the most significant advantages of YouTube podcasts is their low entry barrier, making them accessible to a wide range of content creators. Compared to other forms of media like television or film, producing a podcast requires minimal equipment and technical expertise. All that’s needed is a basic recording setup and an internet connection to upload the content. For instance, creators can simply create and edit their video podcasts on illusto’s video editor for free.

This ease of production has led to a proliferation of podcasts on a wide range of topics, from niche interests to mainstream news and culture. Overall, the low barrier to entry for YouTube podcasts has democratized the world of media and given a voice to a diverse range of creators. This accessibility has also allowed for a wider variety of topics to be covered, providing listeners with a greater range of choices and fostering a more inclusive and diverse media landscape.

Also Read: TIPS AND TRICKS FOR STARTING A YOUTUBE CHANNEL FOR ANY BUSINESS

#5 The classic long-form content 

In recent times, we have all moved to prefer shorter content. But long-form content has its own charm. One of the primary benefits of YouTube podcasts is the capacity to produce longer-form content, which can range from 30 minutes to more than an hour. This expanded format provides listeners with a more immersive experience, allowing them to go deeper into issues and obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.

Podcasts enable a more in-depth exploration of complicated subjects. This expanded style is especially effective for discussing complex subjects since it provides for more nuanced conversation as well as the opportunity to examine diverse perspectives and viewpoints. Furthermore, YouTube podcasts’ longer-form style fosters a more casual and conversational ambiance, which can make the information more interesting and relevant.

How Can Brands Utilize YouTube Podcasts for Marketing?

In today’s digital age, brands are constantly looking for new ways to connect with their audience and build a loyal following. One increasingly popular method is the use of YouTube podcasts as a marketing tool. By creating compelling and engaging podcasts, brands can connect with their audience on a deeper level while also building trust and loyalty.

In this section, we’ll explore how brands can utilize YouTube podcasts as a marketing tool and provide examples of successful brand campaigns using this format. 

Promote products and services.

While podcasts are primarily designed to educate and entertain, brands can also use them to promote their products and services. By subtly integrating product or service mentions into their podcasts, brands can showcase their offerings in a natural, non-intrusive way. 

Increase Brand Awareness

YouTube podcasts can increase brand awareness by providing a platform for you to showcase your brand’s values, products, or services. This can help you reach new audiences who may have yet to learn about your brand.

Collaborate with industry influencers.

YouTube podcasts present an excellent opportunity for brands to collaborate with industry influencers. Brands can invite influencers to be guest speakers on their podcasts or sponsor podcasts hosted by influencers. By partnering with influencers, brands can tap into their audience and expand their reach while providing value to their listeners.

Build a community

Podcasts allow brands to build a community of followers who share their interests and values. By consistently producing content that educates, entertains, and engages its audience, brands can attract loyal followers who are likely to become brand ambassadors. Brands can encourage their podcast listeners to share their content with their network or participate in social media discussions.

How Can You Create and Edit YouTube Podcasts using illusto?

illusto is a powerful tool that can help you create and edit engaging YouTube podcast videos. With its user-friendly interface and a range of advanced features, illusto is an excellent choice for both beginners and experienced creators.

One of the key benefits of illusto is its intuitive design, which makes it easy to create visually appealing videos. The tool comes with a wide range of stock assets, filters, stickers, effects, and other design elements that can help you to create a professional-looking video in no time. Additionally, illusto provides you with the flexibility to customize your video to your liking with its wide range of editing tools.

Here are some tips and tricks on how to use illusto to create engaging and visually appealing YouTube podcasts:

– Start with a Clear Idea: Before you begin recording, make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to convey in your video. Create a rough script, with bullet points and key ideas, so you can stay on track during recording and editing.

– Record your Podcast: Once you have a clear idea, start recording your podcast. Record in a quiet and comfortable environment, and ensure you have a high-quality microphone to capture clear audio.

– Import Your Video and Audio: Import your podcast video and audio and any images you want to include into illusto’s workspace.

– Edit them: Use illusto’s built-in video and audio editing tools to trim your video and remove any background noise or unwanted sounds. You can also add transitions or effects to your audio to make it more engaging. Add images, graphics, and text to create an engaging visual component to your podcast.

– Export and Publish: Once you’re happy with your video, export it and upload it to your YouTube channel.

Check out our YouTube channel for in-depth and detailed tutorials on how to edit your videos on illusto and how to leverage the different features on the platform.

Overall, illusto helps in creating engaging and visually appealing YouTube podcasts. With its intuitive interface and powerful features, it can help you to create professional-looking videos in no time. By following these tips and tricks, you can take advantage of illusto’s capabilities and create videos that will engage and entertain your audience.

Also Read: HOW TO CREATE YOUR FIRST YOUTUBE VIDEO?

Final Words

YouTube podcasts have spawned a new generation of content makers and listeners, providing a more immersive and engaging experience than traditional media. Creating visually stunning and interesting videos has never been easier with illusto.

As YouTube podcasts gain popularity, there has never been a better moment to get into this exciting medium and start generating your own content. With illusto, you can use the most up-to-date tools and techniques to create interesting and visually appealing video podcasts that will captivate your audience’s attention.

So whether you’re an experienced content creator or just starting out, don’t hesitate to explore the world of YouTube podcasting and try out illusto for yourself. With its powerful features and user-friendly interface, you’ll be well on your way to creating high-quality content that will keep your audience coming back for more.

Sign up on illusto, and get started today.

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Social Media, Tips and Tricks

Bring Your Ideas To Life

May 11 2023

The Ultimate Guide To Creating A Social Media Campaign

by Team illusto
5 min

It is nearly impossible to not have a social media campaign in this day and age. In fact, it is almost a necessity today. According to Review 42, 90% of marketers have said that social media marketing has increased exposure for their business while 75% said that it has increased traffic.

According to Oberlo, users spend an average of 2 hours and 22 minutes on social media on a daily basis. That’s more than enough time for your brand to go out there and market yourself.

Let’s take a look at the why and how of creating social media campaigns.

What is a social media campaign?

A social media campaign is a strategically focused marketing effort that is executed by a team with specific goals and desired outcomes that can be measured over a period of time.

Usually, a campaign is aimed at reinforcing information about the brand, its product/products, and services through at least one social media platform.

Why should you create a social media campaign?

There are many reasons why you should create a social media campaign, including to:

  1. Improve brand awareness

Unless you’re a big MNC like Adidas or Puma, you likely have a relatively small budget within which your marketing, advertising, and everything else are included. Having a small budget should push you to get creative and make the most out of what you have. Social media networks allow brands the space to carve out their unique voice and style in order that customers – both existing and potential – can benefit from it while benefiting your brand at the same time.

Improving brand awareness has been seen to bring in great returns. For instance, it has been noted that 91% of marketers say they noticed an increase in brand visibility by spending a few hours on social media every week. This could be through social media videos, posts, or ads.

  1. Boost web traffic

Social media is one of the most effective platforms to boost website traffic. Linking your website in your posts, videos, and profile will help to guide users to it where they can see for themselves what your brand is about. Potential customers will find it very convenient to access your website from your social media handles quickly as compared to having to look for it themselves.

You could also add particular landing pages or URLs to your stories on various social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and so on.

  1. Drive sales

One of the main reasons for brands to create and execute social media campaigns is for the reason of conversions and sales. In order to be able to see an increase in sales, you need to be focused on getting your existing and potential customers excited about your products and services. When you can do this, you will likely see a boost in your sales and new customers. Marketing videos are among the many types of content that you can create to drive sales.

  1. Connect with your audience

Building your brand will always involve engaging with your audience and customers at some point, and if it doesn’t, are you even building a customer-centric brand? Engaging and connecting with your audience is extremely important when it comes to brand growth. It is only when your audience knows and trusts you that it can actually be a part of your greater goals. Social media campaigns are an excellent way to portray your brand as well as to connect with your audience.

How to create a social media campaign?

Your social media campaigns should always be strategy oriented. Remember to create content that is focused on your target audience and supports your campaign goals. Using mixed formats is always recommended, i.e. images, videos, text, live streams, and so on. 

Now that you know the importance of social media campaigns, here are the steps you can follow to create and execute a social media campaign with efficiency:

  1. Know your goals

This is probably one of the most important steps before going any further. Deciding your goals and your campaign goals along with your team will help you to get a better understanding of the campaign and guide you with your next steps. Your goals could vary on a large spectrum, from promoting an event to increasing brand awareness. The question is what your team aims to achieve with a particular campaign – both short-term and long-term. 

Defining your campaign goals earlier on will bring clarity to everyone in the team and help you to work towards a target together for more effective results.

  1. Identify your target audience

The small secret to a successful campaign is to have it resonate with the right audience. This is why it is important to know your target audience from the get-go. Identifying your audience, their likes and dislikes, and their interests and needs, will help you to serve them better as well as structure your campaign more effectively. Ultimately, your social media campaign should encourage engagement and a better connection with your target audience.

  1. Decide on your social media platforms

Every social media has one or more unique features that set it apart from the others. Creating a good social media campaign involves planning your content for one or more specific social media platforms. Once you have identified your target audience, you should look at the social media platforms that this target audience specifically uses on a regular basis. Focusing your efforts on particular socials will help you to create and direct content that is especially relevant to them. A short video on Instagram will require something different from a post on Twitter. Understand the purpose of each social media platform as well as your target audience’s preferences.

  1. Create a content calendar

Creating a weekly or monthly content calendar is always a good idea. Planning ahead of time when and how you will post your content in the upcoming week and month is helpful in organizing and spacing content, while also being on top of things well in advance. Decide on what days and what times of the day you wish to post content on various social media platforms. Additionally, the outline or script of your content, creating custom templates, deciding on what creative copies your brand will utilize, and so on should be put into your content calendar.

  1. Schedule your content

Once you have a content calendar, it will make it easier for you to schedule content and posts. Planning is always important if you wish to work in an organized manner. Scheduling your content is one of the last steps in your social media campaign, wherein you take your content and your content calendar and bring everything together with an efficient scheduling tool.

Check out our other blog – Video Ads and Their Role in Marketing Campaigns 

  1. Manage and monitor your campaign

Most people forget that social media is not something that you work on once and then leave to do its thing. If you leave your social media unattended to do its things, you will never actually make any progress or reach your goals. In order for your social media campaign to run smoothly and bring you results, you need to be the one steering the ship. Regularly monitoring and managing your social media profiles is important, irrespective of whether you’re doing it yourself or using social media management tools to help you. 

  1. Track your results

Social media is one of the ever-changing things today, and it only makes sense for you to keep changing along with it. Understand how platforms work, plan your content, and launch your strategy. But it doesn’t end there; constantly keeping track of your campaigns is essential to figuring out what works and what doesn’t. Maybe something that you thought might work has actually been a fail once executed. Or something that has been working so far suddenly doesn’t. Track and analyze your performance and adapt accordingly. For instance, if you’re using Facebook video ads as a part of your social media campaign, it is possible to track and analyze data and feedback received.

Some tips to keep in mind to enhance your social media campaigns include using social media management tools, scheduling tools, leveraging influencers, and using paid advertising. Creating and posting content on a vast spectrum, from Instagram videos to Facebook ads is something that will keep things interesting too. These are some of the m

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Social Media, Tips and Tricks

Bring Your Ideas To Life

May 11 2023

10 Creative Video Ideas To Help Your Brand Grow On Instagram

by Team illusto
6 min

Instagram has been growing in popularity for a few years now, and if you ask anyone, they’d agree that it has become the ‘in’ thing today. [Instagram is the new ‘in thing’ these days, and it has been for a few years now.] With younger generations flocking to the platform at an increasingly large rate, Instagram has now become one of the social media platforms that you cannot help being on. Did you know that about 70% of Instagram users are below 34 years? 

If you’re a brand looking to grow awareness and leads, you guessed it – Instagram is the place to be.

According to Zippia, about 95 million photos and videos are posted on Instagram every day. While this is a huge number, believe it or not, it is still possible to stand apart from the crowd and make your brand presence known.

However, in order to get noticed as a brand, you need to create the best video content that you can.

If you’re looking to get started with posting video content on Instagram, we have put together a list of the various video types that you can explore and upload on the platform.

Types of Instagram videos

As of today, there are a few types of videos but just these few can be quite engaging. Here is the list:

  1. Instagram Feed Video

As the name suggests, an Instagram feed video is the video that you upload or post on your main feed. This video shows up on your followers’ feeds and stays on your profile. Although, there is an option to archive and unarchive it once uploaded. Instagram feed videos can be made and edited on Instagram video editors like illusto.

  1. Instagram Stories

Instagram stories can either be in the form of photos or videos. Videos can be a maximum of 15 seconds in order to be posted as a single story. Instagram stories also disappear after 24 hours of posting, but they remain in your stories archive. These videos aren’t displayed on your followers’ feeds, but appear as a circle around your profile picture, on the top of the app.

Check out our other blog- 20+ tips to grow your brand using Instagram story ads!

  1. Instagram Live

Similar to other social media platforms, you can go on a live stream on Instagram. Instagram Live is also displayed in the same place that your Instagram stories are. Once your live stream ends, life will vanish. However, there is also an option to add it to your story, whereas similar to stories, it will vanish after 24 hours of posting.

  1. IGTV

IGTV came out in 2018 and stands for Instagram TV. IGTV has a separate app and is also accessible and integrated within the main Instagram app. An IGTV video can be anywhere between 15 seconds and 10 minutes. If you have a verified account, your IGTV video can go up to 30 minutes too. Unlike Instagram Live, IGTV videos are not live but are pre-recorded. IGTV also remains on your channel unless deleted.

  1. Instagram Reels 

Instagram reels are definitely known by one and all. Arguably the most popular video format on Instagram’s platform, reels have taken over the social world by storm. Reels were inspired by TikTok and have grown to become a huge hit. Videos and video clips anywhere between 15 to 90 seconds, recorded either directly on the Instagram camera or pre-saved in the photo gallery can be posted as reels.

  1. Instagram Video Ads

Instagram video ads are video advertisements that are paid for in order to be shown to a decided target audience. These videos usually have a call to action wherein your Instagram profile or website is linked for viewers to know more or buy. Some brands get ads made through an ad maker.

10 creative video ideas for Instagram

Now that you know everything there is to know about the various types of Instagram videos, here is a list of a variety of popular and interesting video ideas that you can use to bring your brand to the forefront.

  1. Product tutorials and demos

The kind of video content that flourishes on a platform like Instagram is short-form video content. Create video demonstrations and tutorials on your product and how your customers and potential converts can use your product in both traditional and unique ways. Get creative and use captions, music, and so on to add more to your product tutorial videos. You could either make these videos in the Instagram feed format, the reel format, or even the stories format.

  1. User testimonials

User testimonials are always a yes when it comes to growing your brand. Request satisfied and happy customers to speak of their experiences with your brand. Social proofing is one of the best ways to build brand trust and awareness. So, don’t shy away from getting customers to talk about your brand in front of a camera. User-generated content actually has a 4.5% higher rate of conversion.

  1. Topicals and moment marketing videos

As the name suggests, moment marketing videos are usually based on a particular topic that is trending or happening in the world or around you at a given moment. Making sure your topical videos are relevant to your audience as well as timely will greatly increase your chances of getting noticed. These can be turned into fun reels, stories, video ads, and so on. You could even get on a live stream and discuss a topic and how your brand is doing in regards to it.

  1. Sneak peeks

Sneak peeks or teasing your products is a great way to get your customers and followers excited about something. Simply showing a glimpse of a design or a part of the product will keep your audience interested and on their toes. Adding a “coming soon” along with a potential date or time will keep your audience waiting in anticipation and might even help your new product get a better turnout.

  1. Influencer collaborations

Get higher engagement and more views by collaborating with influencers in your niche. Influencers already have a platform of their own and fans and followers who adore and appreciate them. By collaborating with them, you are giving your brand a chance to get noticed by a whole new audience and potentially bring in more sales and customers you.

  1. Brand videos

Brand videos are a nice way to put your brand out there – your core values, your motivations, current products and services, your plans for the future, and everything else about your brand. Painting a picture of what your brand is all about and where it plans to go with its customers is a good way to build awareness and interest in it.

  1. Behind-the-scenes videos

Behind-the-scenes videos are a great way to harness customer support and trust. Showing a not-so-perfect but more human side to your business and your work will always help customers trust what you do more. Footage of your brand’s culture, various processes, and the team can be shared in various video formats and in different ways such as a time-lapse or a transition video.

  1. Trending video ideas

Hopping on the latest Instagram trends is a sure-shot way to jump on the bandwagon and get yourself in there. While some trends last a few months, others are there for a season, and others are universal and can be done all year long. Instagram trends are pretty addictive and always fun, so even though it’s similar videos using the same songs or the same transitions, audiences actually seem to enjoy it nonetheless. Get illusto as your personal video ads editor today.

  1. A run-through of your products/services

A product tour is a great idea to showcase your line of products and different themes, all put into a single video. Your audience will get a bird’s eye view of your product range, which will in turn help them to gain more awareness as well as engage more. This run-through can either permanently stay on your profile in the form of a feed video, or it can only be there for a shorter duration of 24 hours through stories. With the highlights feature, it’s also possible to organize your stories and leave them on your profile for more than a day.

  1. Limited time offers

Introducing limited-time offers and discounts through fun videos will keep your audience on its toes. Done well through videos and various features like music, GIFs, stickers, and so on, your audience will know that they need to hurry up and grab a product before it’s too late. Build excitement, urgency, and engagement through these videos.

Finally, a few helpful tips that we would suggest to grow your brand on Instagram is to keep it simple but keep it trendy. Keep up with the latest trends and features entering the Insta-space and adapt accordingly. Using hashtags and captions are some ways to boost engagement too. Just remember, Instagram is catering to younger audiences, and what they want is quick, fun, and easy to digest, so, just give them that!

Tags:
Social Media, Tips and Tricks

Bring Your Ideas To Life

May 11 2023

20+ Tips To Grow Your Brand Using Instagram Story Ads

by Team illusto
6 min

Instagram is more popular than ever today, with a reported 2 billion monthly active users on the platform. Being the fifth most visited website in the world, irrespective of being behind FaceBook and Twitter, Instagram has a huge user base around the world.

If you’re looking for a reliable social media platform to grow your brand today, Instagram is the place for you to be.

In this blog, we are going to discuss Instagram story ads and how to grow your brand through them.

What are Instagram story ads?

If you are a regular Instagram user, you must be familiar with the concept of Instagram stories. Instagram Stories ads work on the same concept as stories and can go up to 15 seconds. These stories ads appear in between the regular stories of your users and give your brand an opportunity to grab attention in a mere 15 seconds. And they can be in the form of photos, videos, or infographics and are in vertical format.

According to Statista, the net advertising revenue of Instagram stories worldwide was expected to amount to $11.43 billion in 2021 and reach $20.03 billion in 2023.

The Benefits of Instagram Stories Ads

Here are a few benefits of leveraging Instagram’s Stories ads:

– Increased brand awareness

– Higher reach

– Potential new customers

– More engagement

– Increased web traffic

20+ Instagram Story Ads ideas (Tips?) for Instagram

There are a number of case studies that prove the success of businesses that use Instagram Stories ads in various avenues. An example of this is a noted 41% increase in product page views for businesses that use the stories ads.

Here is a list of tips that you can pay attention to in order to get the best results and returns from your Instagram Stories Ads:

  1. Keep your target audience in mind

It may be tempting to create a one-size-fits-all template for your stories ads, but we would recommend not to. Instead, decide who your target audience is and do your best to serve them only. Keep a note of the gender, age group, demography and so on that you wish to target and work with that.

  1. Keep the spotlight on your product

Yes, we know this sounds pretty basic and obvious. But you’d be surprised to know that a lot of brands actually fail to do this. In creating an appealing story, don’t forget what really matters – your product no matter how appealing your story is, if your product isn’t front and center, you’ve lost.

  1. Create your ads for stories

Rather than using the same ads, templates, visuals, etc from your website or feed to fit into your story ad, create ads purely for your stories. Creating images and video content, especially for Instagram stories ads will ensure greater authenticity.

  1. Minimum text

Using minimal text is key when it comes to 15-second ads because come on, do you want your audience getting confused as to what your ad, product, or brand is all about? Absolutely not! You want them to leave with a clear message in mind, and that will only happen once you give out a clear message in the first place. Use minimal text with one or two concepts at max.

  1. Catchy music

This tip applies to pretty much any video on Instagram these days, but that’s because it works! Using catchy or trending music will not only make your audience stop to watch what your ad is all about, but it might also keep them humming the tune long after they’ve gotten off the app.

  1. Stickers! Yes, stickers!

We don’t think this one needs any explanation. Maybe the question to ask isn’t why stickers but who doesn’t love stickers?

  1. Use an interactive element

Making your stories engaging and interactive is a huge boon for your brand. Everyone has heard of the phrase ‘customer is king’. It’s time to put that into action by adding interactive elements in your story ads that will make your customers feel like they’re the main guy. 

  1. Make it creative

Today, the word creative has endless meanings. It could translate to audio, video, stickers, GIFs, memes… the list goes on. Get your creative caps on and get to work! Using a good Instagram video maker is key.

  1. Make it relatable

Making your stories ads relatable could look different for each brand. Maybe you could partner with another brand that you know your audiences connect with. Or your video script could be created in such a way that it speaks to your target audience.

  1. Use a single call to action

Rather than creating a passive story, including a call to action is always important if you want people to click through and flood your page or website. However, to prevent your audiences from getting confused, it is important to include a single and clear call to action in one story.

  1. Include contact information 

Including your contact information such as contact numbers, website links or other social media handles will help you track your conversion rates more accurately. Plus, you provide your audience with a chance to contact you to know more about your brand and product, which brings in more transparency.

  1. Make them participate

Instagram stories ads wherein a viewer can participate are successful. It could be as simple as an interactive poll, a mini quiz, or a ‘say yes or no’, but it will make your viewers feel like they matter and their answer matters too.

  1. Customized creatives

Customizing your creatives and designs can make a huge difference if done right. If your creatives are designed and targeted right, you will bring in much more returns in the form of conversions and sales.

  1. Keep it simple 

Some of the most successful ads out there aren’t very loud or ‘too much’. They’re simple and they get their message across creatively. That’s it!

  1. Paint your product as the solution to your customer’s needs

This is one of the older tricks in the book, but ensuring your customers know that you are the best solution to their needs is key. Once you’ve positioned your service or product as the solution, you have also ensured a higher chance of success for your ad campaign.

  1. Use a theme

If you want to increase brand awareness and recall, you must have continuity in your ads. In order to achieve this, you can pick a theme… and stick to it! Using a theme or a connecting storyline across your ads will help to increase brand recall in many ways.

  1. Show your products in action

Seeing a product in action is exciting. Showcase what your product can do, how it can be used, and what your viewers can expect if they choose to buy and use it.

  1. Partner with influencers and creators

When your stories ads have the familiar and popular faces of influencers, creators, or celebrities promoting your products, there is a higher chance that the audience will be more intrigued to know more about them. Familiar faces also help to increase connection with the viewer sitting on the other end of the screen.

  1. Add incentives like discounts and offer codes

Have you met anyone who doesn’t care about discounts? Well, we have not. By offering a simple incentive, you can get your viewers to take action on your stories. It could be a simple offer code for getting a new person to download the brand app or a discount on their first/next purchase etc.

  1. Take advantage of the full screen

Instagram Stories ads are posted in the vertical format and typically take over the whole mobile screen. So, take advantage of that! Use the space to show more, add more, or show less in a way that feels like more! Turn to illusto as your official Instagram video editor.

  1. Design with a clear view of your brand and brand message

Remember that no matter what your story ad is about, your brand needs to stand out. A viewer should instantly know that this is your brand and not any other. Using a list of colors and themes will help in brand recall and make your brand recognizable.

  1. Hook your audience within the first 2-5 seconds

Consider this: it’s a mere 15-second story and by the time you’ve got the audience’s attention, the story ends and they go on to watch the next one. No! Your goal should always be to hook your audience within the first few seconds of the story ad itself. Using engaging visuals and bold text will help with this.

  1. Include motion

The human eye is attracted to motion, and Instagram stories are a great place to leverage this to portray your product. You could always use static images, but video content is in a league of its own. Using a reliable video ads maker will help you in your story ads.

  1. Test, test, and test

When was testing something ever bad? Never, we suppose. Testing your ad campaigns is crucial to understanding what works for your brand and what does not. And also, what works with the ads you’ve already put out, and what you might need to change up for the future?

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Bring Your Ideas To Life

May 11 2023

How To Set Up A Content Creation Process For Your Team

by Team illusto
5 min

Simply put, content creation is the process of planning and creating effective, useful, and accessible content that will play a vital role in attracting and keeping your audience engaged.

It is important to properly understand the content creation process in order to effectively reach your target audience as well as build a strong and trusted relationship with them.

Not only that, but content creation is one of the most inherent marketing practices. For any business and marketer, the customer is king. And therefore, attracting potential new customers and retaining existing customers is one of the highest priorities. 

In addition to this, the right content creation process also helps to generate value for your company. While almost 40% of marketers say that content marketing is an important part of their marketing strategy, 81% admit that their company views content as a business strategy.

All that being said, creating content is not the easiest thing in the world. It can be quite challenging to develop content that will resonate and stay relevant to your audience. In fact, according to a Hubspot report, creating engaging content is one of the biggest challenges faced by content creators and marketers today.

To regularly create content that is high quality, consistent, and meets the needs of your target audience, setting up a good content creation process for your team is important.

Here are some steps that can be taken to set up a content creation process for the team:

  1. Define your goals and target audience

Defining your goals is essential to starting off the content creation process. Knowing your goals and who your target audience is will seriously help you move forward in your content creation process more efficiently. In order to create relevant, valuable, and inspiring content that also meets your business needs, this step is crucial. 

  1. Create a strategy

At the very basic level, you must thoroughly brainstorm, develop ideas, have a look at your competitors, and so on. Some businesses hire or work with a content strategist for this. Creating a content strategy is important, as it will include a list of clear goals, a guide to brand style, a competitor analysis, an editorial calendar, and anything else that you or your content strategist thinks is necessary to shape the content creation process.

  1. Build a plan

Next up is to outline the kind of content you want to create and put out, the topics that will be covered, and how this content will be promoted and distributed. This is the step wherein the content manager works with the content strategist to make daily decisions about what, how, when, and why certain content must be written or created. It is necessary for the content manager to use SEO and keyword research to find topics and ways to improve traffic. Additionally, identifying topics that will work for different content formats is necessary.

Side Tip: 

Creating a content calendar that will outline when and where content will be published. This will help you to stay organized and put out content consistently.

  1. Create content

Your content could include a wide variety of content types, including blogs, long-form videos, short-form videos, infographics, press releases, e-mails, e-books, and so on. Content creation is the main reason that you need to set up your content creation process in the first place. The type and quality of content being published and posted should meet certain standards that are decided by the content team and which align with the goals of the brand as well. Illusto is a great tool to help you on your content creation journey. It’s free, easy to use, DIY, and super fun!

  1. Assign roles and responsibilities

What goes hand-in-hand with content creation is the hand (or hands) behind the content. Content creators are the people who make everything come to life. You will either require specialists to work at each step of the process – including content writers, graphic designers, video producers, photographers, and so on, or one or two people who can work at multiple levels by themselves to create content.

These specialists can either work in-house or be outsourced. They can be divided into digital, communications and PR, and visual. The digital team is focused on writing blogs, scripts, e-books, and other informative content. The communications and PR team will stick to emails, press releases, sales material, and so on. Finally, the visual group, as the name suggests, will focus on images, videos, GIFs, and other visual elements required to make your content stand apart from the crowd and competition.

  1. Develop a style guide

A style guide is or rather should be an important component of any marketing strategy. It is a document that outlines and provides guidelines for how your brand should be presented from a linguistic and graphic perspective. 

A style guide will outline the voice, tone, and style of your content and your brand. It helps to make sure that your content is consistent and reflects the true spirit of your brand.

  1. Review the content

Reviewing content is important, and this is one of the reasons why an editor is necessary. It is said that an editor can make a writer’s good work great. Different from a content manager, a content editor will strictly look at written content and similarly, an art director or coordinator will look at visual content, reviewing designs, photos, and so on.

At this stage, the person will look through the content and correct mistakes, suggest necessary revisions, and do the job of a coach. For instance, if a writer is struggling with a certain piece, an editor might be able to give suggestions and offer guidance to move ahead.

  1. Promote your content

It is always a good idea to have a person who is responsible for posting, publishing, and pushing out content on the web. A digital marketing specialist is usually the one appointed to fulfill this role. After publishing, when your content is live, the marketing team should keep a promotion strategy in place. This might include the paid, earned, shared, and owned aspects of the content – also known as the PESO model. 

Sponsored ads, social media posts promotion, and so on fall under paid. Media pitches would fall under earned, responding to messages, comments, and so on would be shared, and anything originally produced by the brand like blogs, websites, newsletters, and so on come under owned content.

Pro Tip:

Researching and using the latest tools and technologies to broaden your horizons and help your content creation process is key. 

  1. Measure and evaluate results and data

Once your content is published, it is important to measure, analyze and evaluate its performance. This will help you to identify and understand what works and what needs improvement. Measuring your content is seen to be most effective when it’s designated to those who will use the results to change up or improve your content strategy. Either the content strategist or a content analyst will do this job effectively.

This part affects everyone on the team and will heavily impact what content you create, push out, promote, and so on.

Even if you have a small content team, it is always important to think about these levels involved in content creation in order to come up with adequate measures and effective content that will help you bring in more customers and sustain existing ones, all while building your brand.

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May 11 2023

10 Video Marketing Trends To Know About In 2023

by Team illusto
5 min

Over the past decade, video marketing has become one of the most potent trends to take over the marketing sphere. Why? Well, maybe because there are about 3.1 billion digital video viewers globally!

And since everyone knows that the customer is king, it is only obvious that brands will evolve and adapt to changing times and changing customer needs to push out more relevant content. And they’re not disappointed either! A study shows that there was a favorable ROI recorded by 87% of video marketers.

In fact, in 2023, online video is expected to account for about 82.5% of all web traffic, thus making it the most popular content on the internet.

There are various studies out there to prove the importance of video marketing, but a particular study done by Wyzowl found that with its use as a marketing tool, video remains a “key priority” for businesses. Marketers are more positive about the ROI on video with 92% of the marketers being interviewed saying that they got a good return on investment in video content.

10 Video marketing trends for 2023

Now that we clearly understand how inevitable video content and video marketing are today, here are some video marketing trends for you to incorporate into your content marketing strategy in 2023:

  1. Interactive videos

Interactive videos have become a more and more prominent trend in recent years, and help bring in more viewership and audience engagement. Interactive videos create 66% more engagement and 44% longer viewing time. Now, what makes a video interactive can be several different things. It could include a clickable link for more information or to subscribe, quizzes and surveys that can be responded to, branching storylines, ‘click and explore’ options, interactive questionnaires, and so on.

Similar article: 7 proven tips for creating engaging video content for small businesses

  1. Brand videos

Brand videos are part of a broader marketing campaign of a particular brand, made to raise brand awareness and bring in potential customers. Brand videos are capable of showcasing a lot in a short time – the message of the brand, its voice, tone, goals, and so on. Shedding light on the values, culture, and mission of the brand, these videos also have a storytelling element to them. 

Storytelling has always been an effective way to engage with audiences, and many brands are not shying away from telling their stories in video formats. Coca-Cola has a very heartwarming video (check it out here!) on brotherly love to advertise its products. It not only tells a story but also emotionally reels its audience to relate to the characters present in the video.

  1. Short-form videos

Speaking of reeling in your audience, another video trend that totally boomed during the pandemic and is still going very strong is short-form videos which came to us in the form of TikTok and Instagram reels. Today, even YouTube has adapted to this format and has introduced its new feature – YouTube Shorts. 

According to a study done at Vidyard, 56% of videos created by businesses today are two minutes or less. And the audience loves it. About 53% of videos that are about 90 seconds or less are watched to completion. Short-form videos are the future.

Check out our similar article – Why are short-form videos trumping long-form videos today?

  1. Live streams

More and more, live streaming has become an integral part of social media marketing. Interacting with customers in real-time to answer questions or just to have a chat is seen to be extremely encouraging for brand growth. Live streams had a huge breakthrough in 2020 when the pandemic shut down in-person events. 

Today users watch live videos for 3 times longer than pre-recorded videos on FaceBook. Live streams are a great way to reach your audience with your authentic self and promote your brand as a whole. 

  1. User-generated video content

Constantly generating marketing content regularly can get quite tiresome for marketers and businesses, and this is why user-generated content (UGC) is quickly running up the ranks to become an effective trend in video marketing. The reason why user-generated content is so effective is that as the name suggests, it is generated by users and therefore, becomes much easier to trust. According to Octoly, user-generated videos about a brand were viewed 10 times more than the official brand videos on YouTube! In another study, according to a Consumer Trust Index, 92% of customers trust user-generated content more than traditional advertising.

Apart from the factor of authenticity, UGC videos also act as proof of your product or service, while simultaneously building a community of users.

  1. Case studies and testimonials

Speaking of proof, case studies and testimonials add another dimension of trust in existing and potential customers when it comes to your product or service. 95% of shoppers read online reviews before making a purchase. And some ways to incorporate social proofing into your marketing strategy is through reviews, case studies, testimonials, UGC, and so on.

Using customer experiences to influence new customers is an extremely intelligent trend that has gained momentum. People are naturally more inclined to not only believe but also want to get involved with a brand when they see existing customers happy and satisfied with their experiences. Case studies and testimonial videos are a great way to take your brand forward.

  1. Expert and Q&A videos

These are the videos that will answer questions posed by consumers by providing informative insights. By bringing in experts, one also increases the credibility of the brand. Apart from building trust, Q&A videos help you in other areas such as ranking on YouTube or Google and adding value to your FAQ pages. It also helps you add variety to your platforms and the kind of content you put out.

Use illusto to spice up your Q&A videos today!

  1. How-to videos

A ‘How-to’ video is a step-by-step guide on how to reach a particular goal. This goal could be anything from applying a given make-up product to recording a meeting. How-to videos are actually among the top four content categories watched by YouTube users. A statistic from Google says that how-to videos earn the most attention of any content category on YouTube, even more than music clips or gaming videos. How-to videos are a very convenient way to educate your audience about your product or service. 

Click here to read up on one of our How-to blogs.

  1. Explainer/demo videos

Explainer videos are beneficial when it comes to demonstrating your product and its advantages to users. According to Wyzowl, 96% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service. There are various types of explainer videos including introductions, overviews, processes, tutorials, and so on. Very often, explainer videos can also utilize storytelling tactics to showcase a character finding solutions to a particular challenge through a product or service of your brand.

Demo videos go one step further than explainer videos and explain a product or service in more detail.

  1. 360-degree videos

360-degree videos sound cool – and they are! They are a much newer technology and extremely interactive, allowing businesses to build a better customer experience through virtual reality and other live features. Recent studies have shown that 65% of online users will watch and interact with 360-degree videos.

360-degree videos are great for music videos, live event marketing, employee training, promoting new products, and so much more. 

If you’re living in 2023, it is practically impossible for you to go about your marketing strategy without using at least one, if not all of these video marketing trends to boost brand awareness and engagement. The question is, are you doing it?

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May 11 2023

Video Ads And Their Role In Marketing Campaigns

by Team illusto
4 min

Using video marketing to tell your story is one of the most effective ways to connect with your audiences. Why? Because that’s what today’s audience is interested in – video content.

According to the data gathered by Statista, there were over 3 billion (3.37 billion to be precise) internet users that consumed video content in 2022. The average global video consumption in a day is estimated to be 84 minutes.

Additionally, according to Wyzowl, 91% of consumers want to see more and more online video content from brands.

If these statistics are not convincing enough, we can go on!

To cut a long story short, video content is the future, and the future is here and now. As a brand looking to create strong marketing campaigns that bring in good returns, video marketing – which may include YouTube videos, shorter videos on other social media platforms, live streams, customer testimonials, and video ads!

What is video advertising?

Video advertising is the promotional video content that plays either before, during, or after one has streamed content online. The term refers to specially curated video ads that may align with a particular brand or company’s marketing strategy as a whole.

Video ads have the potential of reaching millions and billions of people through a wide variety of video formats across various devices, channels, and platforms.

Video advertisements have become an increasingly popular part of modern marketing campaigns due to the rise in the consumption of video content.

What are the benefits of video ads to marketing campaigns today?

In today’s age, video ads offer a modern and interactive alternative to traditional forms of marketing including radio, billboards, and the printed word.

To understand the true potential of video ads, here is a list of reasons video ads are beneficial to marketing campaigns and strategies:

  1. Video tells a story

With every video, there’s a story. And for every story, there’s a viewer who relates to it. Videos help you connect with your audience in a manner that other marketing strategies cannot. As human beings, we are easily impressed by stories, especially when those stories have something in them that touches us. Through video ads, it is much easier to engage consumers as well as increase revenue.

An award-winning ad produced by Metro Trains in Melbourne, Australia showed a huge number of cute animated blobs meeting their doom due to unsafe behavior near trains. Not only has this ad won 5 grand prizes at the Cannes Lions festival, but it has over 170 views and has also been credited with reducing the number of accidents on metro trains by 20%!

  1. Shareability of video ads

Audiences are much more likely to share video ads as compared to boring old banners or posters. According to research, more than 700 videos are shared by Twitter users every minute! Video ads are typically short and sweet, relatable, and don’t ask much of you – all of which makes them extremely shareable. The more viewers share your video, the more chances it has to go viral. 

  1. Higher engagement

It’s pretty clear that video ads are way more engaging than text-based ads or static images on a page. In fact, there’s scientific research to back up why video is more effective than other forms of advertising. 65% of the population in the world is actually classified as ‘visual learners’, and about 90% of the information processed by our brains is visual! Video ads help to tell a story, and allow marketers to truly connect with their audiences on a deeper, emotional level. 

  1. Influences decisions and boosts revenue

According to studies, 88% of consumers are more likely to buy a product after watching a video. In effectively demonstrating the benefits of a product or service, video ads encourage viewers to take action. According to the findings of a survey done by Animoto, it was found that consumers prefer to watch a video over reading about a product or looking at photos to learn more about it.

By influencing decisions, video ads are a quick and effective way to also boost your revenue. Those who utilize video ads are likely to build revenue 49% faster as compared to those who don’t use video. For instance, Poo Pourri’s famous video ad has actually helped increase the company’s value from $10 million to $30 million since it went viral.

  1. Creates brand awareness

Video ads create lasting impressions on viewers. High-quality video ads are one of the best ways to create and sustain brand trust and awareness. According to studies, a customer’s chances of buying a product increase by 97% if they find its ad appealing. Additionally, even if they do not end up buying the product, their awareness of the brand greatly increases (by 139%).

  1. Versatile

Video ads are extremely versatile in terms of where and how they can be played and watched. They can be played across a wide variety of platforms – from YouTube to Instagram, and devices – from television to mobile phones and tablets. There is a video ad for everyone everywhere. This is one of the greatest benefits of video advertising. 

Get illusto – the coolest video ads maker to take your brand to the next level!

  1. Cost-friendly 

When it comes to the cost involved, video ads are extremely cost-effective and budget-friendly. Big platforms like YouTube and Google have a wide reach, and the video ads on such platforms stay in the search results for a long time. If your video content is engaging, this is extremely beneficial to your brand. Video ads are even shared across various social media platforms and thus have no boundaries as such. By spending the initial required amount, you can take your brand to the next level through video ads.

Use illusto to create video ads on youtube today!

  1. The impact is measurable

One of the most interesting benefits of video ads is that their data can be measured. The analytics of these video ads are easily found on multiple platforms. It’s possible to measure the results of every video advertisement in terms of views, likes, comments, shares, conversions, engagement, and other key metrics, allowing marketers to track their success and optimize their campaigns accordingly.

At the end of the day, for marketers, it’s all about ROIs and results. And on that note, here are some more interesting facts for you.

Video is actually reported to be a great medium for product information since about 97% of marketers have admitted to video having helped their users to gain a better understanding of their products and services. Also, video significantly helps in direct purchasing with 64% of consumers purchasing products directly after watching a video ad!

When done right, video ads can seriously help you develop a strong bond with both your existing as well as potential customers, and increase web traffic and engagement, thus generating leads and boosting sales. 

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Bring Your Ideas To Life

May 11 2023

Everything You Need To Know About Creating Marketing Videos For Your Brand

by Team illusto
5 min

Fun Fact: While some believe video entered the mainstream around 2010, others are sure that video came in through the launch of YouTube in 2005, which was then bought by Google in 2006.

Today, in 2023, creating marketing videos for businesses has become more important than ever. A brand can reach a whole new level through video marketing. Whether it’s raising brand awareness, creating value, or reaching more audiences, video marketing can help you do it all. And the good news is that it hasn’t only become inevitable, but it has also gradually become more cost-effective and easier to accomplish.

According to the data collected by Statista, there were about 3.37 billion internet users that were consuming video content in 2022. What’s crazier is that this number is set to increase by 2023, when it is believed to reach 3.5 billion.

Also, an estimated 82% of global internet traffic came from video in 2022. 

The stats don’t lie, and neither are we when we tell you that creating marketing videos for your brand is more important than ever today.

The importance of video marketing today

The video has become a staple of everyone’s internet diet and there’s no going back. In this fast-paced world, with technology at our fingertips and YouTube as our teacher, attention spans have gotten to an all-time low. Check out our other blog where we discuss why short-form videos are trumping long-form videos today!

We want more but we want it faster. The solution to this is clear: video.

Here’s a list of some reasons why video is king for brands today:

– It is a favorite among mobile users

– It improves SEO

– Video helps to boost conversions and sales

– It increases engagement

– Easily shareable

– Creates brand awareness

– Brings great ROIs

Check this out – Video Ads And Their Role In Marketing Campaigns

Types of marketing videos

While some video formats peak on certain platforms, others work better elsewhere. Here are the types of marketing videos that one can create for their brand:

1. How-to videos

2. Explainer videos

3. Demo videos

4. Brand videos

5. Interactive videos

6. Expert videos

7. Q&A videos

8. Event videos

9. Testimonial videos

10. Animated videos

11. Augmented reality videos

12. 360-degree videos

Check this out – 10 video marketing trends to know about in 2023

Creating a video marketing strategy

If you’re pumped to start creating videos right away, we’d say pause for a minute. Why? Because we don’t want you to dive into the world of video marketing without a strategy at hand first. Once you have a strategy, half the battle is already won.

Let’s take a look at a potentially good video marketing strategy.

  1. Identify and understand your target audience

Any good video marketing campaign or strategy should begin with thorough research. Understanding your audience, the kind of content they like, which platforms they are most likely to spend their time on, and so on. Identifying your target audience is key to understanding how to go about your strategy in a better, more effective manner. This will help you to tailor your videos to your audience’s tastes and preferences while promoting your brand. 

  1. Set your aims and goals

Settling objectives is never a bad idea. Deciding on your goals will not only guide your creative decisions but also make it easier to measure and analyze your video content through the same lens. The question is about what your brand wishes to achieve through the video content being put out – is it brand awareness, lead generation, driving traffic and sales, or all of them? Setting clear aims will help you and the team to narrow down your priorities and work in a more organized manner.

  1. Decide on a budget

Planning and project management will help you save both time and money on video creation. However, don’t make the mistake of assuming that just because you spent a lot of money on a particular video project, it will yield a good return. Plan out a budget and more importantly, stick to it. There’s no need to go overboard with funds if your video execution is not the best. Illusto is a free marketing video maker that can help you keep within your budget.

  1. Decide on your format/s

What kind of videos do you want to create for your brand? Is it informative videos that will educate your audience about your product or service, or is it brand videos that will focus on the message of your brand, or is it addressing your customer’s needs and queries through various video types like Q&A videos? Whatever your goals are, it is important to choose the most fitting format for your videos. Whatever you decide on should stick to your brand message without wavering.

  1. Create a good script

A well-written script might as well be the foundation of a successful video. Keeping your target audience and goals in mind, create a script that is concise, conversational, and interesting. Making it informative while also keeping it engaging is key. Using eye-catching visuals and storytelling methods will greatly help to enhance your script. Creating a well-knit script will help you how to make marketing videos.

  1. Use good-quality visuals

When it comes to video making, high-quality visuals are extremely important. Ensuring that your video is visually appealing and professional at the same time will help to make a good impression among your viewers. Don’t shy away from using animation, special effects, live-action footage, stickers, music, and so on to grab the attention of your audience.

  1. Optimize your videos for SEO

Using keywords, descriptions, tags and so on will greatly increase your chances of ranking higher and being seen by a larger audience. However, adhering to different strategies for different platforms is a good idea too. Depending on which channels you choose to post your videos on, making sure they are optimized to bring in the highest level of engagement is necessary. Each platform works slightly differently, and a subtle tweak can be the difference between your video breaking records or going unnoticed. For instance, short 60-90 second videos work better while YouTube caters to longer videos.

  1. Promote your video content

Once posted, promotion of your videos on various other platforms will help you gain more reach. Whether it is through social media, your website, email marketing, or other channels, don’t miss out on this crucial step. Although videos are built to advertise your brand, they don’t actually promote themselves. Taking, for instance, product videos for marketing, one has to promote them. The more visibility your video gets, the better it performs. 

  1. Measure, Test… and repeat

Arguably one of the most crucial parts of video marketing is measuring and analyzing your videos. Track your growth, find the best metrics, and so on to measure the success of your videos. It is important to not only measure the data derived from your videos but also to test as you go. Maybe what you thought might work doesn’t actually play out. Maybe something you thought of as trivial is actually what you needed to pay attention to. Some things that can be measured are engagement rate, view count, sharing, feedback or comments, etc. Make sure you constantly try and test the video content being pushed out, and adapt accordingly.

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Bring Your Ideas To Life

May 11 2023

10 Facebook Ads Ideas To Get More Leads And Engagement For Your Brand

by Team illusto
4 min

Despite its heavy competition, FaceBook’s usage and user base seems to keep on growing. According to recent research, in the third quarter of 2022, Facebook had more than 2.96 billion monthly active users, which made it the world’s largest online social network.

And if you aren’t leveraging the advertising arena on FaceBook yet, then you are truly missing out, because believe it or not, advertising on FaceBook is not dead. There are an estimated 60 million Facebook business pages, 93% of which are active. Also, 90% of social media marketers have used Facebook for advertising and showcasing their companies in 2022. 

This is huge!

Social media advertising is already a huge boon to businesses. According to Radd Interactive, Facebook’s market share for digital advertising is close to 20%, which makes it one of the single largest options for advertising. 

Now that we’ve given you plenty of stats to prove the pros of Facebook advertising, it’s pretty obvious that Facebook ads can be an effective way to generate leads and increase engagement for your brand.

Let’s take a look at a few different Facebook video ad ideas to get you started.

10 FaceBook Ad ideas that will take your brand to the next level

Facebook has an exciting variety of ad formats that you can use to make an impact in the social media space.

  1. Image and Video Ads

Image and video ads are the most basic form of advertising on Facebook. They’re easy to make and can be used to market a particular product or service. Image ads typically only include a single image that can be used in various placements, ad ratios, and ad types. Video ads are super easy to make and can be leveraged by even small businesses to broaden their reach. Keeping your videos short and concise, while making sure to start off with something attention-grabbing is one of the sure-shot ways to get high engagement.

Tips for image ads: Use illusto – a video maker for Facebook to create interesting and inviting ads.

  1. Local Awareness Ads

These ads are actually shown to users when they are in or around the geographical location of a particular product or service. Rather than targeting specific individuals, local awareness ads target locations, keeping privacy in mind. These ads are typically used to raise awareness, and a marketer can choose to maximize their impressions for the entire duration of a given campaign, set frequency controls, as well as decide the number of days in between each impression.

Local awareness ads were later also renamed Reach Ads in April 2017 since they maximize the number of people who view ads and how often.

  1. Event Ads

As the name suggests, an event ad is one that assists you to market FaceBook events to your target audience and market in order to help you grow the impact of a particular event.

You can vary or limit the geographical reach of your event ad based on the size and/or relevance of the event being promoted to the target audience in the same locality, city, state, and so on. You can promote online or in-person events through the event ads option.

  1. Carousel Ads

Carousel ads are usually great for introducing or portraying a wide range of products to your audience at once. Readers can browse multiple (up to ten) images and videos while having individual descriptions and links to click through. Additionally, the carousel ad feature can be used to tell a story or take your audience on a journey.

A type of carousel ad is a collection ad that takes user experience up another notch. They are more customizable than carousel ads and an avenue for users to scroll through a product lineup and even purchase directly from the ad itself.

  1. Testimonial Ads

Social proofing is one of the best ways to build brand trust with existing and potential customers. Testimonial ads will contain customer testimonials, reviews, and so on to reach a larger audience. This is extremely effective since these ads showcase a real person or organization that has worked with you or used your product/service, proving proof that it is good.

  1. Influencer Ads

The content produced or promoted by influencers has a very high chance of converting potential followers into loyal customers. Partnering with influencers or micro-influencers to promote your brand or product to their followers will be a good tactic for you to increase brand awareness, trust, and a larger audience.

  1. Offer Ads

Offer ads are a great way for both online and in-person stores to attract customers to their businesses. Through an offer ad, customers and users can redeem special offers on your products and services or get discounts and other promotions. Offer ads can be effectively used to incentivize consumers to take action due to limited-time offers or discounts.

  1. Messenger Ads

Messenger ads are those that are seen on the FaceBook Messenger tab. These are more personal and personalized ads since the messenger tab is a place for users to interact with family and friends. Users will be able to view your messenger ad among their other conversations and can easily tap and start a conversation with your brand. Through this, it is possible to answer questions and clear potential queries about your brand or product.

  1. Lead Ads

Lead ads are something that usually has a form attached in order to learn more about potential future customers. Lead ads can be used to collect contact information for further market research, promotions, collecting newsletter subscriptions, signing up for a trial product, and so on. These ads are relatively cost-effective and have a much higher potential of converting. Since they are designed for mobile devices, they are also easier to fill in. 

  1. Stories Ads

With the recent boom in mobile usage and features like stories coming up across social media platforms, story ads are definitely something that you don’t want to miss out on. These ads are only viewable on mobile devices and are full-screen vertical videos that pop up between the stories users view on the app. Often, brands also use Facebook video maker applications to create stories. These ads offer much more freedom to express and get creative, allowing you to use emojis, GIFs, special effects, and so on to add some extra jazz to your ad. 

Albeit not the only ad formats available on FaceBook, these are quite effective in promoting your brand and building a larger audience. Facebook offers a broad range of ad types to dabble in to reach copious numbers of people. In order to figure out the best ones for your brand, give them a try and analyze which ones perform better than others.

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Social Media, Tips and Tricks

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May 11 2023

Top 10 Marketing Strategies For Real Estate Marketing

by Team illusto
5 min

When did you last order or invest in something without checking it out online? If you’re someone who travels a lot or migrates from one city to another, you are no stranger to searching for real estate properties online. But since every other real estate professional and the agency is online, a real estate agent needs to adopt advanced marketing strategies to stand out in a cluttered market.

Why is marketing important to real estate professionals?

Marketing has always been essential to any business, but it is quite important to the real estate business today for agents to put their name out there, build a network of contacts, as well as attract a host of clients online.

Here is a list of reasons marketing can benefit real estate professionals:

1. Helps create brand awareness

2. Helps reach out to prospective clients

3. Helps to create credibility

It is important to have a strong real estate marketing strategy to tackle the industry head-on in this day and age. This blog discusses the top 10 tips and strategies to promote lands, homes, flats, shops, and other real estate products effectively in order to maximize real estate sales. Professionals leveraging the power of digital and video marketing can showcase their properties better, attract relevant clients, and convert customers at a faster pace. 

1. Create a strong online presence

With 289 million online buyers in India, creating a strong online presence is of utmost importance for demonstrating products to millions of people on the web. A website comes with numerous benefits, such as the ability to redirect customers from multiple online channels (Paid and organic), showcase customer testimonials for social proof, build credibility, and offer a personalized user experience. 

According to the National Association of Realtors, 99% of millennials begin their home research online, and 51% of home buyers found the house that they purchased online! This clearly shows the importance of building and sustaining a strong presence on the web. In fact, there are countless examples of successful people who have leveraged real estate marketing to build their brands. Josh Altman is one of the top real estate brokers in Los Angeles who has over a million followers on Instagram and regularly posts photos and videos of his work and personal life, which has helped him promote and grow his brand to the next level.

2. Leverage the power of social media

As per the survey conducted by the National Association of Realtors, about 97% of real estate agents use social media to promote their businesses. Social media has the power to help agents connect with relevant clients and attract potential customers. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are useful in creating a strong brand presence. The expansion of social media channels will also aid the development of a strong community of followers, who will become hot leads when the time is right to launch a new product. High-quality images and videos are your tickets to increasing engagement on social channels. Ryan Serhant – the infamous star from the television show Million Dollar Listing New York has put social media to good use, with over 2 million followers on Instagram where he regularly posts and engages with his audience.

Learn how to use illusto to produce eye-catching social media posts and videos that capture the attention of potential buyers, enhancing their visibility and reaching a larger audience.

3. Increase your video marketing budget

If you’re familiar with social media algorithms, you’re probably aware that reels and shorts are currently ranking higher than image-based content. This indicates that if you want to reach the maximum number of people and boost your marketing efficacy, you need to invest more in video marketing. Customers who wish to examine properties without leaving the comfort of their homes can view them virtually with a virtual tour. As per the National Association of Realtors, 54% of buyers won’t even consider a property if it doesn’t have a video/virtual tour. 

Create a fascinating virtual tour of your properties without any technical expertise with Illusto. Try Now, It’s Free!

4. Start listing on the property marketplace

The marketplace attracts higher traffic when compared to personal websites. There are many popular property marketplaces in India like Magicbricks, 99acres, and Housing.com. These marketplaces have a massive online presence that helps them in attracting millions of visitors every month. Google and NAR discovered that around 51% of home buyers found their purchased homes on the internet. Listing your property on these marketplaces will help you in tapping into this large pool of potential customers and increase the chance of selling.

5. Share emails with a list of potential clients

Email marketing is a personalized way of staying in touch with your audience and generating leads. As per Statists, there are more than 800 million active email users in India. Real estate businesses can leverage the power of email marketing to connect with potential customers as per their preferences. You can share updates related to properties, offers and promotions, industry updates, and more to keep your audience engaged. 

Pro tip: Before you start sending emails via email marketing campaigns, segment your lists based on factors such as preferred buying location, budget, and preference based on the type of property. This will help you in creating a relevant and personalized message.

6. Promote properties with influencer marketing campaigns

A recent report by the Advertising Standards Council of India revealed that about 70% of people are willing to buy products endorsed by social media influencers. This has also become a popular real estate marketing strategy for promoting properties. Real estate businesses can partner with influencers to build trust and credibility among their potential clients. 

A real estate developer partnered with Nikhil Chinapa to promote their property and create buzz around their latest project. This helped them in increasing brand awareness and reach a larger audience. 

7. Utilize drone footage and share area tours

Drone footage can be helpful when it comes to displaying a better perspective of the property you’re working with. By showing an aerial view of the property as well as its surroundings, you are able to create a much more immersive, engaging, and realistic viewing experience. In addition to this, you can create videos that also showcase the local area, along with its attractions, amenities, schools, hospitals, and so on for potential buyers to get a realistic picture of the neighborhood.

8. Upload testimonials and client reviews

There’s no better way of building trust with your potential audience than posting videos and written testimonials from satisfied clients on your website and social channels. A survey by the National Association of Realtors shows that 88% of property buyers trust online reviews and consider them at par with personal recommendations.

Use illusto to create customer testimonial videos with engaging captions to showcase your credibility among potential customers. Try It’s free!

9. Partner with businesses of similar interests

A study suggests that 42% of real estate agents have a preferred list of vendors to partner with them in selling their products. This will help businesses in increasing their visibility and close deals 2X faster. When you partner with those who have similar interests, you end up working together towards a shared goal.

10. Attend events and expos to promote new projects 

Events and property expos act as a valuable real estate marketing strategy in India, as businesses can generate leads instantly and get huge brand viability from thousands of visitors. A report by JLL highlights that real estate events increased by 200% in India between 2010-2019. Some of the most prominent expos in India include the India Real Estate Show and RE/MAX Conclave.

And here’s one bonus strategy – 

11. Create content that compels viewers to take action

You can attract potential buyers by creating unique and compelling content. A survey suggests that 80% of users prefer real estate businesses that have knowledge about the local market and everything related to the property industry. Creating unique content helps you stand out from the crowd and connect with potential audiences better.

Real estate marketing is constantly evolving, it’s no longer just a simple newspaper ad or a poster stuck on walls and vehicles. To succeed in a highly competitive marketplace, it’s important that you stay on top of the latest trends and strategies. Take your real estate marketing to the next level with a powerful video editing tool, Illusto. Create engaging videos, virtual tours, testimonials, and more to build your brand presence. The user-friendly interface will help you in creating eye-catching videos that drive leads and enhance conversions.

Tags:
Social Media, Tips and Tricks

Bring Your Ideas To Life