If you want to continually increase your cart value and boost online sales, it’s no longer optional for you to incorporate video into your ecommerce strategy. According to the results from our 2018 Video Marketing Survey , 76 percent of consumers report purchasing a product or service after viewing a video. As ecommerce video continues to play a major role in today’s customer life cycle, it’s more important than ever that brands understand how to use video assets to drive brand engagement and increase online sales.

Here’s a quick overview of the types of videos that will help you drive purchases—and tips on how to take your campaigns to the next level.

Create product demos and how-to videos

Today’s consumers want to be able to see your products in action before they click “add to cart.” Demos and how-to video content bring online customers closer to an in-person shopping experience, and empower them to make informed purchase decisions. Leverage this type of content to highlight the best, most desirable features and benefits of your products.

Launch video portals

Once you have published a handful of ecommerce videos, you can increase customer engagement even further by delivering interactive digital experiences through video portals. With Gallery , you can launch a branded portal in minutes—leveraging our suite of in-page layouts and easily implemented interactive elements. You can then embed these layouts in your email campaigns, blogs, landing pages, and websites.

Develop shoppable videos

Shoppable videos can be an extremely powerful tool for driving purchases. By adding calls-to-action and add-to-cart functionality, you can increase cart value and ultimately, convert more viewers into buyers. Companies around the world are seeing amazing results by adding this kind of interactivity into the mix. For example, Endeavour Drinks Group’s shoppable video campaign, Global Christmas Menu, empowered them to drive huge holiday sales. In fact, a whopping 41 percent of viewers used the video’s add-to-cart functionality.

Live stream events

Today, an increasing number of ecommerce brands are adding live streaming into their marketing mix. Whether you decide to live stream your fashion show like HUGO BOSS or create live versions of your product demos and how-to videos, live streaming empowers you to create an immersive video experience that will boost engagement. Once you have a few successful live streams under your belt, you can take your content to the next level by integrating shoppable elements into your live-streamed events.

Analyze video analytics

Make sure to track and measure the performance of your ecommerce videos so that you can understand the type of content that is resonating best with your audience—and which assets are worth your investment in production time and money. These analytics will help you uncover purchase behaviors that empower you to make strategic decisions to increase cart values.

Set up integrations

By integrating your videos with your marketing automation platform (MAP), you can generate and access detailed viewing analytics for individual shoppers. Once you have these metrics, you can score and segment prospects—and send personalized communications. Similarly, by integrating your ecommerce video analytics into your customer relationship management (CRM) system, you can develop a better understanding of what interests your customers and how they’re interacting with your content.

In today’s growing ecommerce marketplace, video is a powerful tool for cutting through the noise and engaging customers on a deep, personal level. By incorporating video into your strategy, you can get viewers closer an in-person shopping experience at home.

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The right video marketing strategy can build pipeline, increase your marketing ROI, and make you look like a Demand Gen genius. It might seem intimidating if you’re starting from scratch, but there are five steps that will give you a solid foundation. I’ve included a preview of each step below. I went into detail in a recent webinar ; check it out and you’ll have a strong foundation in video marketing strategy.

1. Define your goal

Like any other asset in your content library, videos can serve different goals, and the goal of each video will determine its format, length, call to action, and more. You should have a clear idea of your goal in mind before you even fill out a project brief. Watch the webinar to see this concept in action, with videos that serve each stage of the customer journey.

2. Align the video to your goals (and budget)

When you have a specific goal in mind, you can begin brainstorming concepts that serve the goal. It helps to have a framework in mind, so we keep a list of the most popular video types and which goals they serve most effectively.

When you have a concept in mind, you can continue with pre-production work like scripting, then production itself, and eventually post-production.

3. Create video experiences

Once you’ve wrapped production on a video, you may feel a sense of accomplishment—but the work is just beginning! Now it’s time to create a public-facing home for it that continues to serve your goal. Does the user experience of your video portal lend itself to conversion, if that’s your goal? Is your video interactive or personalized?

4. Maximize your distribution

The channels where you publish your video matter. Will your video live on YouTube, social media, your website, or in an email that drives to a landing page? Click through to the webinar to find out why I think it’s essential to use a blended distribution strategy.

5. Video is measurable. Measure it.

Your video is out there in the world, being watched by the public—congrats! But it turns out, your job still isn’t over. It’s time to measure the impact of your video—and we’re not talking about view count. Think conversions, pipeline development, and revenue attribution. Yes, it is every bit as possible to measure and optimize the impact of your video marketing as it is your nurture campaigns, SEM, and everything else. Check out the webinar to see our preferred video KPIs and the difference it can make when you start tracking them.

A robust video marketing strategy can have a real impact on your bottom line, and it’s not rocket science. It’s actually as easy as 1, 2, 3…4, 5.

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Scroll through any social network today and it is quickly apparent that social media—and maybe the internet as a whole—belongs to video. By 2022, research suggests that 82% of global internet traffic will come from video. Billions and billions of those video views are coming from social media. Everywhere you look, content that used to be shared in a blog post or text post is now being shared in video format. And it’s no wonder—videos perform better and are more engaging than text-only or image posts across all the major social networks.

So how do you get a slice of that engagement for your brand? We’ve done months of research on what makes some videos perform better than others, and we cover all the insights in our new Social Video Master Class eBook. Read on for a preview, and download the eBook to become a total pro.

Video on Twitter

Twitter is well-suited to audience awareness and engagement—especially if it relates to current events—so leverage brand stories and your most timely content. It’s also a fantastic network for brands who want to take a stand. Consider Gillette’s “We Believe” video ad —it generated 13 million views the first day it went live on Twitter, and was closing in on 30 million views within a week.

Video on Facebook

Facebook is home to a totally different type of video content than Twitter. Users engage with videos of their families, causes they support, cute animal videos, and carpool karaoke. Keep in mind the type of content you’ll be surrounded by in this context, and produce videos that are innately shareable, down-to-earth, and personal.

Video on LinkedIn

Video has taken LinkedIn by storm, and it’s a particularly valuable audience for B2B marketers. Think about it—45% of LinkedIn users are upper management, meaning they’re the decision-makers you want to target! Videos on this channel should provide professional value to the viewer: help them become better at their job in some way, whether it’s a video that shows them how to be a power user of your product, or a video that explains best practices in your industry.

Video on YouTube

You didn’t think we were going to skip YouTube, did you? YouTube is now the second-most trafficked website in the world after Google, and it’s an excellent tool for being discovered through search (no accident, considering it’s owned by the world’s largest search engine). Long-form content is a natural fit for YouTube, since the average viewer sticks around for over eight minutes . Aim for a friendly, conversational tone and consider putting some of your company’s most engaging personalities in front of the camera. It should be fun to watch!

Live streaming on social

Live streaming is the next frontier for social media marketers. Some key best practices that apply across the board are:

• Tailor your production level to the content. The most casual live streams can be just you and a mobile device. The most extreme involve broadcast-level set-ups.

• Engage your viewers with specific calls-to-action. Example: A simple “Hit ‘like’ if you agree” can send your reaction numbers sky-high with minimal effort.

• Stream for at least ten minutes. Most live streams pick up new audience members as they go, meaning you’ll miss out on viewers if you cut the stream short.

Want to become a true social video master? Download the Social Video Master Class eBook today.

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We’re a full week out since the end of NAB Show 2019 , and I wanted to share some thoughts on the highs—and lows—of this year’s edition.

Content—of course—remains key for broadcasters, streaming services, and studios all looking to leverage consumer’s relentless adoption of OTT. Panels about content—especially live content—were a constant. Latency, and the effort to reduce its impact was center stage.

This year has seen streaming of major sports events move into the mainstream. During the Super Bowl, an average of 2.6 million viewers per minute streamed the action, up from 2 million a year earlier on NBC.

Last month, NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament on CBS and Turner Sports set records for live streams and live hours consumed, 100 million and 24 million respectively, with the championship game setting records based on live uniques (albeit with a woeful latency reported of as much as a minute).

This week’s Masters featuring Tiger Woods? CBS saw more than one billion minutes of live streaming coverage.

Even Tiger’s Sunday victim, Francesco Molinari, who ended up tied for fifth after his Sunday stumble, is cashing in on the OTT gold mine, announcing a deal to produce a raft of content for GolfTV’s OTT service. There is no end to who can be a content supplier in the OTT Universe.

As to latency, for some viewers, it may just be a case of “who cares?” Avoid social media, launch the game on your favorite streaming service, and settle back to watch. There’s plenty of potential for improvement on the horizon. Amazon Prime Video exec BA Winston, during a discussion at the Streaming Summit, said it was aiming for latency “significantly” less than five seconds, similar to OTA broadcast. That’s far easier to achieve during low-demand events. For more popular games, the immediate tradeoff will be quality; faster delivery, for now, means it’ll be lower.

ATSC 3.0 vs. 5G

Also on the horizon: Next-gen mobile delivery, or 5G. Proponents say 5G could deliver content with less latency than OTA, especially of live feeds directly from an event. 5G was everywhere, as was the broadcast industry’s own next-gen delivery mechanism, ATSC 3.0, which Sinclair Broadcast Group Executive Chairman David Smith called critical.

“Our future depends on whether we can talk to every device in the market,” he said during a news conference, something ATSC 3.0 is designed to do. Its rapid deployment—Sinclair said the top 40 markets will have the technology available by 2020—is the launchpad, the life, of the broadcast industry.

But there’s a problem. A big one, actually.

While Android phones will be getting ATSC 3.0 chips, turning them into mobile TV sets—literally —smartphones and tablets from Apple aren’t set to be in the same wave, and may never be; the chips draw more power than Apple is willing to part with. Can ATSC 3.0, “next-gen TV technology,” succeed in reaching next-gen consumers, 45% of whom use iOS devices? Nope.

A number of panels talked about a mix of 5G and ATSC 3.0 delivery technologies, a hybrid of sorts. But “hybrid” often is just another way of saying “I’m not sure,” right? In this case, the benefits of 5G—and the global commitment to mobile—just seems to carry too much weight moving forward. 5G will win. It may take a few years, and it doesn’t mean ATSC 3.0 won’t see adoption, but the telcos have the early momentum.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning also made plenty of noise at the show, as they have for the past three years. High on the “need to have” list:

• Discovery and recommendation in a rapidly expanding universe of content as providers look to expand engagement and making their services sticky;

• Automation of production from encoding to delivery, getting content into consumers’ hands more quickly;

• Automated subtitles—and even translations—from audio to make content global; and

• Automating the collection of metadata.

Does VR have a place at the table?

Of course, there are only so many spotlights to go around, even in the three-ring circus that is the North, Central, and South halls at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

One former-bright light, Virtual Reality, was, virtually, absent this year. It’s looking more and more like VR may be falling into the same shadow as did 3D just a few years ago.

While the show floor did have examples of VR and AR, the buzz—except in the case of gaming and esports—was notably diminished. There wasn’t a single stand in South Hall that I could find with a row of seats upon which sat attendees wearing VR headsets and swiveling their heads about as they followed the action on their personal screen.

That’s really not too surprising. As a recent Parks Associates report pointed out, only eight percent of U.S. broadband households (HH) own VR headsets and just a quarter of those HHs say they’re even familiar with them.

Last year’s IBC may have been a bit of a predictor here, as the number of panels and presentations touting VR as a major technology of the future dropped by more than half. It seems the idea of draping a one-pound chunk of tech on your head and cutting yourself off from everyone around you may not be as appealing(?) as it initially seemed.

As far as Brightcove’s presence at the show, we received the Future Best of Show Award from TV Technology—for Brightcove Live —and used the opportunity to demo new formats that the solution takes in while streaming out to multiple platforms, including Facebook.

Stay tuned.

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If you’ve been following along with my vlogging journey this week, you’ll know that I’ve been lucky enough to spend the last few days in Las Vegas at the NAB Show —one of the biggest media events of the year.

While I was in Vegas, I created daily vlogs that give you a firsthand look into what it’s like to attend NAB. In part one , I shared my thoughts on the benefits of vlogging for marketers. And in part two , I gave you a behind-the-scenes look into how the Brightcove team powered the NAB live stream, and streamed our own live interviews directly to our Facebook page.

Check out my third (and final) NAB vlog to see me exploring the show floor to find affordable, easy-to-use video gear that doesn’t compromise on quality:

Now that you’ve had a chance to hear about some of the exciting technology that’s available in the video world today, let’s take a step back and go over some video production basics—and answer some questions that may be on your mind.

Should you produce your videos in house or outsource them?

Marketers around the world ask themselves this question every day. Of course, there’s no easy answer here. When making this decision, you have to keep a variety of different factors in mind and consider which of the following two scenarios you fall into:

• The one-and-done video project: This scenario applies if you’re creating a couple of basic, evergreen videos (such as a product demo), and you have a few team members who are willing to lend a hand when it comes to writing, directing, and producing the content. In this case, outsourcing your video production can be the right choice. This approach will ensure that your video content meets the desired quality—which means good lighting, clear audio, and an overall good viewing experience. And working with a vendor will help you get your project off the ground quickly.

• You’re all in on video: This scenario applies if your team has decided that video plays a huge role in your marketing initiatives, and you’re looking to expand upon your program to create a variety of different kinds of video assets. In this case, it’s worthwhile for you to bring your video production in house. If and when you do so, you’ll see the benefit from both a budget and management standpoint.

In either scenario, it’s important to remember that you don’t need to have unlimited time, a large production team, and a huge budget to make impactful videos. Take the pressure off your production process by identifying your budget from the get-go, focusing on telling an authentic story , and creating reusable content. By doing so, you can create exceptional brand videos—without a Hollywood budget and set.

What types of video equipment and resources do you need?

Depending on your video needs and production scale, you may want to invest in everything from DSLR cameras and photo lenses to LED lights and boom mics.

But at the most basic level, you’ll need to make sure you have access to the following six things if you’re looking to shoot videos in house :

• An empty room

• Camera, lighting, and sound equipment

• Seamless background paper

• A teleprompter

• A video professional

• Patience (After all, it’s important to keep experimenting and fine tuning your process to achieve the best results!)

If you’re interested in adding live video into the mix, check out our printable Live Streaming Checklist , which outlines all the specific tools you’ll need and the steps you should take to ensure your live stream runs smoothly. And watch the recording of our recent webinar: Let’s Talk Live: How to Build the Live Stream Experience Your Audience Wants .

Thanks again for tuning in to my NAB 2019 Vlog series this week! It’s been a privilege to record some sights and scenes from the show and share this content with you all. Be sure to check back on our blog next week for a post recapping some of the major themes of NAB 2019.

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As I mentioned in part one of my NAB 2019 Vlog Series , I’m currently attending this year’s NAB Show —one of the biggest and most exciting events in the media industry.

While I’m here, I’ll be creating daily vlogs that will give you a firsthand peek into what it’s like to attend NAB.

Check out my second NAB vlog for a behind-the-scenes look into how the Brightcove team is powering the NAB live stream—and streaming our own live interviews directly to the Brightcove Facebook account:

Now that you’ve seen what it’s like to live stream such a big industry event, let’s dive into the value of live video—and why your company should consider incorporating this type of content into your marketing strategy.

The power of live video

Whether you’re looking to promote a new product release or hoping to broadcast an important company meeting to your global team, live streaming can be a powerful tool to increase engagement and convey your messages in a faster, more effective way.

For top enterprise companies, using a combination of live video and video-on-demand (VOD) assets for marketing and sales initiatives can be a critical business differentiator. At the same time, internal live streams can be a powerful tool for improving corporate communications, workforce efficiency, and inter-team collaboration.

As an organization, you can also leverage external live videos to establish a sense of community among your audience. By pausing throughout your stream to answer viewer questions, you can show your customers that your brand is listening—and you can gain valuable insights into how to optimize your future content to meet their needs.

Increasing the reach of event content

Live streams of major industry shows like NAB give audiences around the world a chance to gain valuable, real-time insights from the comfort of their own homes or offices. This technology provides those who can’t make it to a particular event with the opportunity to be a part of the larger industry conversation—and hear about the latest and most exciting announcements as they’re happening.

On the brand side, running a live stream can take your event content to the next level. Whether you stream live videos directly to your social channels or a hosted site, these assets can be an engaging way to call attention to panels your organization is involved in, product announcements you’re making at the event, and more.

Brightcove Live

Are you ready to incorporate live streams into your marketing strategy? Brightcove’s industry-leading solution empowers you to quickly and easily live stream events with an intuitive interface. With Brightcove Live , you can deliver profitable, broadcast-level video content to audiences around the world—and bypass ad blockers using our one-of-a-kind server-side ad insertion (SSAI) technology. And now, you can leverage our Live to Social feature to stream your content directly to your social channels through a single platform. Check out our Brightcove Facebook this week to see this feature in action.

Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for the next post in our NAB 2019 Vlog Series! I’ll be talking to some of the biggest names in the industry to find out what gear you need to make great videos.

For more insights on getting started with live events, check out the recording of our recent webinar: Let’s Talk Live: How to Build the Live Stream Experience Your Audience Wants .

To view our Partner blog, click here