Video marketing is big business as corporations increasingly shift their budgets from TV ads to online content. In 2013, brands increased their video budgets by 65 percent as they realize the value of a video that enjoys numerous social media shares. In addition to the cost of brainstorming and producing an engaging video, businesses also have learned the importance of positioning that video to gain as many views as possible.
As a result of all of this discovery, several services have emerged that help businesses achieve their marketing goals. Not all services are identical, however, so it's important for organizations to look at each option before making a decision. Here are the most popular video marketing services.
In its short time on the market, Virool has wowed industry experts and the corporate world alike, attracting more than 30,000 businesses and $6.62 million in seed funding. The site's do-it-yourself platform gives Virool customers the ability to launch marketing campaigns for as little as $10, which opens up the service to small businesses on limited budgets. But the site isn't limited to small business use. In fact, Virool's customer base includes big names like Sony and Pepsi. When a business chooses Virool, videos can be placed on such large-scale platforms as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, as well as blogs on sites like MTV.com. Virool can also help businesses launch video campaigns on mobile apps for increased visibility.
With Sharethrough, businesses are expected to invest at least $75,000in a campaign. In return, companies get targeted advertising based on what their own customers are doing. Like Virool, Sharethrough has been successful in capturing the interest of investors, recently raising $17 million in its third round of funding. Unlike Virool, however, Sharethrough specializes in branding multiple types of content, including blogs and social media updates, in addition to video.
Giant Media was the agency behind the Matthew Broderick Ferris Bueller's Day Off ad that debuted during this year's Super Bowl. The agency knows campaigns, following results after a campaign is launched to determine the direction of future campaigns. Giant Media's pricing is determined by scaled media relative to paid media spend. Like Sharethrough, businesses won't have a do-it-yourself option with Giant Media, instead turning a campaign over to the firm's marketing experts. As a result, Giant Media tends to work primarily with large companies with generous advertising budgets.
"Video seeding" is the term Emerse uses for its video marketing efforts. On average, four out of every 100 Facebookers share the videos Emerse seeds on the site, which is a good ratio for social media sharing. Emerse deploys personalized campaigns on sites like Facebook and Twitter, reaching out to those users that are most likely to connect with each video. The company has worked with such big names as Nike, Burger King, and Coca-Cola, deploying campaigns that many users have seen.Emerse is also a full-service platform, with no do-it-yourself option available, so many SMBs often find the service is outside of their price range.
My Favorite Option
While all of these options are great for businesses, if your business is small or mid-sized, chances are your budget is limited. Virool lets small businesses and startups launch video marketing campaigns while they're growing, without having to wait for a large budget to be in place. Since this marketing can help a business reach their budget goals more quickly, this is a must for any new business.