Launched in 2005, YouTube now stands as the second largest search engine after Google.

Almost 2.7 billion people use YouTube worldwide every month and 87.7% of those users access it on their mobile phones.

Owing to the large number of video content available on the platform, you want to ensure that yours stands out.

To make it happen, you need to master effective content creation tips, use fantastic lighting, and invest in powerful video editing software.

There are tons of editing tools on the market that promise amazing results. 

To help you cut through the noise, I’ve curated a list of the 4 best YouTube video editing software.

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, there’s something for you. Keep reading.

1. Movavi Video Editor

Top on the list is the Movavi Video Editor, one of the best YouTube video editing software for beginners.

It enables you to create compelling videos using advanced tools like audio correction, motion tracking, and chroma key without requiring any technical knowledge.

Additionally, you’ll find several ready-made YouTube intro videos and a large library of background music and audio clips.

Although the user interface is easy to navigate, Movavi still provides video tutorials to make you feel confident while editing.

Movavi runs on Windows (versions 7 to 11) and Mac OS X (10.15 or higher).

Key Features

• AI background remover: Replaces backgrounds without a green screen
• AI motion tracker: Sticks effects and images on moving objects
• Precise frame cuts: Makes cuts with precision and attention-grabbing montages in one click
• Color correction: Boosts colors so viewers can stay glued to your YouTube channel
• Overlay effect: Offers 13 blending modes to create professional-looking videos
• 4k resolution: Saves videos in ultra-high quality form
• YouTube Integration: Saves you time by sharing videos directly to YouTube

Pricing

Movavi offers a generous free plan and three paid plans with different sets of features. Here are the prices for various plans it offers:

• Free
• Video Editor: $49.95/year
• Video Editor + Effect Packs: $155.95/year
• Video Suite + Effect Packs: $94.95/year

Usability

Easy to use

Tool Level

Beginner/Intermediate

2. Adobe Premiere Pro

If you’re looking for the best YouTube video editing software that can transform a basic clip into a ready-to-upload video, Adobe Premiere Pro is your best bet. 

It integrates with all the apps in Adobe Creative Cloud to help you streamline your workflow.

Adobe Premiere Pro boasts an extensive range of features, from color correction tools and visual effects to collaboration tools for teams. 

Also, you can optimize the export settings to preserve the quality of your YouTube videos when you share them online. 

Although Premiere Pro is popular among professional video editors, follow the video steps for beginners provided on the platform to learn how to use it. All you need is a powerful computer and willingness to study the available tutorials.

The app is compatible with Windows (10 or later) and macOS Monterey (version 12 or later).

Key Features

• Text-based editing: Removes pauses with ease
• Project templates: Retains assets, colors, and branding across multiple projects
• Speech-to-text conversion: Automatically creates captions and transcripts in over 18 languages
• Auto reframe: Automatically detects and adjusts aspect ratios to easily upload videos to YouTube
• Adobe stock library: Offers access to stock video footage, photos, and over 75,000 audio tracks and remix the length to fit your video

Pricing

Adobe Premier Pro offers two paid plans. Here are the details:

• Premiere Pro: $29.99/month
• Creative Cloud All Apps: $59.99/month

Usability

Has a steep learning curve

Tool Level

Intermediate/Advanced

3. Shotcut

Available on Linux, Windows, and macOS, Shotcut is a comprehensive YouTube video editing software solution. 

It supports various video and audio files, including AVI, WAV, and MP4.

The video editing software is great for complex projects as it allows you to combine several audio, image, and video files into one video. 

Also, editing on the platform doesn’t follow a chronological order; you can make changes at any point.

Shotcut may not be the best editing tool for new content creators because of the learning curve. 

However, the platform has a video editing guide, including a community of Shotcut users who are willing to assist you.

Key Features

• Native timeline editing: Supports all video and audio formats, including 4k and 8k resolutions
• Cross-platform editing: Gives you the option to start a project on macOS and switch to Windows without hassles
• Video effects: Offers built-in effects like auto-rotate, white balancing, timeline fader, and 360° video filters, without installing any plugins
• Display and monitoring: Ability to preview videos in low resolution to improve the speed of real-time effects
• Keyframing: Option to define the start and finish points of effects along the video timeline such as transition, sound, and brightness or contrast

Pricing

 Shotcut is completely free to use as it’s an open-source software solution

Usability

It has a steep learning curve

Tool Level

Intermediate

4. Lightworks

If you’re looking to create the best videos in a short time, Lightworks is the way to go. 

It’s the best YouTube video editing software for beginners who are willing to learn video editing as they grow their YouTube channels.

Similar to Shotcut, the platform is loaded with all the tools you need to go from a beginner to a pro.

You can edit, color correct, add titles, and more using the drag-and-drop interface. 

Also, it’s compatible with YouTube video format and resolution for ease of uploading content.

All versions of Lightworks can work on Windows (8 and later), macOS (10.14 and later), and Linux.

Key Features

• Universal timeline: Accommodates video footage of any quality, size, or frame rate
• Flawless audio editing: Offers various audio effects and the option to sync with video for an immersive experience
• Visual effects: Offers a simplified suite of over 700 customizable motion graphics and titles for easy to advanced editing
• Easy export and share: Allows you to share videos on YouTube directly from the platform

Pricing

Here are the pricing plans offered by Lightworks.

• Free
• Create: $9.99/month
• Pro: $23.99/month

Usability

Easy to use

Tool Level

Beginners/Intermediate/Advanced

Pro Tip: According to Attrock guide, the best video maker can offer training resources for non-technical users. This is particularly designed for video marketers who have no high skills in video creation and editing.

Choosing the Best YouTube Video Editing Software

Getting the best YouTube video editing software shouldn’t cost a fortune. 

Platforms like Shotcut and Lightworks offer free tools for both beginners and expert editors.

However, if your YouTube channel is already monetized and you’re willing to spend money on a super-advanced tool, Premiere Pro will be ideal.

Lastly, if you’re ready to level up your video editing game, try Movavi today. You’ll save money while accessing advanced editing features.

The post Elevate Your YouTube Channel: Top 4 Video Editing Tools appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

As a dedicated digital marketer, you pour countless hours into gathering data, conducting market research, and fine-tuning your client’s marketing campaigns. Your goal is to develop extremely powerful strategies that engage with the target audience and deliver exceptional results. In this dynamic and ever-evolving landscape, one marketing tool has consistently risen above the rest: video marketing. 

In this blog, we will explore why video marketing has become an indispensable weapon in the digital marketer’s arsenal in 2023 and how it can effectively capture the attention and engagement of today’s consumers.

What is Video Marketing?

But what exactly is video marketing? Simply put, video marketing strategically uses visual content to promote products, raise brand awareness, and generate engagement. Unlike traditional marketing methods like blogs or infographics, videos leverage the strength of visual storytelling to captivate viewers and deliver compelling messages.

Statistics from Wyzowl reveal that an astounding 91% of businesses will be utilizing video marketing tools in 2023. This widespread adoption is driven by the immersive and engaging experience videos offer, making them more effective than text-based content. In an era of shrinking attention spans, videos provide concise and visually appealing ways to convey information.

Types of Video Marketing Every Business Need to Use

Now, let’s explore the various forms of video marketing and how they can bring significant benefits to your business:

Produce High-Quality Product Featuring Video

To start, a product video serves as a captivating medium to showcase the unique features and advantages of your product. By visually illustrating its functionality and emphasizing its value, a product video allows potential customers to grasp its capabilities and envision how it can enrich their lives.

Live Stream to Show You Care for Customers

Moving on to live videos, which encompass webinars and Q&As, they offer real-time interaction and engagement opportunities. Live video allows businesses to provide demonstrations, address queries, and gather feedback directly from viewers, fostering authenticity and establishing a stronger connection with the audience.

Tutorial/How-to Video to Explain Product Usage

Next, let’s delve into tutorial videos. These invaluable resources provide step-by-step instructions and practical guidance on using a product or accomplishing specific tasks. By offering clear and concise instructions, tutorial videos empower viewers to make the most of the product’s features, enhancing their satisfaction and minimizing potential obstacles.

Video Testimonials for Showing Trustworthiness

When done right, a compelling video testimonial can do wonders for selling your product. These testimonials cultivate trust and credibility by featuring satisfied customers who share their genuine experiences and opinions. Prospective customers can witness real individuals expressing their contentment, enabling them to make informed decisions and choose your product over competitors.

Social Media Videos to Reach Targeted Customers

Last but certainly not least, let’s discuss the power of social media videos. In this social media-driven era, where people spend significant time on various platforms, crafting engaging videos tailored to specific audiences can be an incredibly effective strategy. You may increase the reach and potency of your marketing campaigns by regularly sharing both sponsored and organic videos.

Social media videos are short and more catchy, so by simply producing those kinds of videos, you can get a targeted audience that engages with your service or products. And those short social media videos give you an advantage to embed on your website or pages; even you can embed your TikTok feed on your website.

Top 8 Reasons why Video Marketing is so Powerful in 2023

1. Amplifying Conversions and Driving Sales

Video marketing has a significant impact on driving conversions and increasing sales. In fact, a business’s landing page’s conversion rate can rise by an impressive 80% by including a product video.

Based on research findings, it has been determined that a substantial 74% of viewers exhibit a higher likelihood of making a purchase after watching an informative video that explains a product or service. Engaging viewers with visual content, videos effectively communicate the value of your offerings and motivate them to take action.

For instance, consider a clothing brand utilizing video to showcase its latest collection. Through visual presentations of designs, fabrics, and how the clothes fit on real models, potential customers can easily imagine themselves wearing the products. This visualization dramatically enhances the chances of converting a viewer into a customer.

2. Google Loves Videos

Videos play a crucial role in search engine optimization (SEO) by significantly impacting website rankings. Websites with integrated videos have a 53 times better probability of appearing in search engine results.

Furthermore, videos contribute to reducing bounce rates as they keep visitors engaged for longer durations. This prolonged engagement rate informs search engines that the content on your website is worth a while.

It is crucial to SEO-optimize your videos to maximize these benefits. The probability that your videos will appear in search results increases when relevant keywords are used in the videos’ descriptions, titles, and tags. This optimization enhances your online visibility, drives organic traffic to your website, and expands your reach to a broader audience.

Want to get certified in Content Marketing?

Leverage the tools and channels to predictably and profitably drive awareness, leads, sales, and referrals—EVERYTHING you need to know to become a true master of digital marketing.​ Click Here

Additionally, if you use videos on your sites or embed social media feeds, you need to be sure you’re using the right server.  Using a Linux VPS server for websites that embed videos offers numerous advantages.

Linux is known for its stability, security, and flexibility, making it an ideal choice for hosting multimedia content. With a VPS server, website owners have dedicated resources to ensure smooth video playback and faster loading times.

3. Building Trust & Raising Brand Recognition

Trust is the foundation for successful business relationships, and video marketing builds trust by establishing an emotional connection with the audience. Videos effectively engage viewers, evoke emotions, and contribute to the authenticity and credibility of your brand.

Video testimonials hold a particular influence in fostering trust. Customers tend to place more trust in the experiences shared by fellow customers rather than traditional sales pitches. Potential customers can see real people expressing their joy with your product or service by including video testimonials in your marketing strategy. This authentic feedback establishes trust and credibility, as viewers can see real people discussing their positive experiences. 

Video testimonials provide valuable social proof and can greatly influence decision-making, increasing customers’ likelihood of choosing your brand.

Imagine a scenario where a technology company features video testimonials from satisfied customers on its website. Seeing and hearing genuine users discuss how the product solved their problems and enhanced their lives instills confidence in potential buyers, making them more inclined to select that specific brand.

4. Higher Engagement and Retention Rates

Video marketing stands out with its ability to engage and retain viewers more effectively than other content formats. Nowadays, creating a YouTube channel is more highly preferred than starting a blog.

According to studies, people only retain 10% of information when reading text and 95% when watching a video. In videos, the storytelling, audio, and visual elements work together to draw in viewers and keep them interested throughout the content.

For instance, let’s consider a travel agency that creates a captivating video showcasing popular tourist destinations. The agency establishes an emotional connection by immersing viewers in breathtaking visuals of picturesque landscapes, cultural experiences, and local attractions. This connection not only enhances engagement but also ignites a desire in viewers to explore the agency’s offerings further.

5. Mobile-Friendly and On-the-Go Consumption

With the increasing use of smartphones, video marketing is perfectly suited for on-the-go consumption. By creating mobile-friendly videos, businesses can reach their audience anytime, anywhere.

Consider a food delivery service promoting its app through video marketing. By showcasing how users can easily order their favorite meals through the app and have them delivered to their doorstep, the video appeals to busy individuals who rely on mobile devices for convenience.

The visual demonstration of the app’s user-friendly interface and seamless ordering process encourages potential customers to download and use the service. And there are plenty of good platforms that make the video creation process easy and interesting for video marketers.

6. Personalized & Targeted Messaging

Videos offer the opportunity to deliver personalized and targeted messages to specific segments of your audience. Leveraging advanced analytics and data-driven insights, businesses can create customized videos tailored to individual preferences, interests, and demographics.

Think about a fashion retailer using personalized video recommendations based on their customers’ past purchases or browsing patterns. By showcasing products that align with each customer’s style preferences, the retailer provides a personalized shopping experience, enhancing customer satisfaction and increasing the likelihood of repeat purchases.

7. Everything is Easily Explained

Launching a new product or service can be challenging when it comes to explaining its features and benefits. Videos excel at simplifying complex concepts and making explanations more accessible. Research indicates that 96% of users have watched explainer videos to learn more about products or services.

For instance, suppose a software company introduces a new application that streamlines project management—creating an animated video demonstrating how the software works and highlighting its key features can effectively communicate its value to potential users. The visual representation simplifies the explanation and increases understanding, ultimately driving interest and adoption.

Want to get certified in Content Marketing?

Leverage the tools and channels to predictably and profitably drive awareness, leads, sales, and referrals—EVERYTHING you need to know to become a true master of digital marketing.​ Click Here

8. Fostering Social Sharing for Wider Reach

In the era of social media dominance, video marketing plays a crucial role in reaching and engaging with your target audience. A substantial number of social marketers, around 60%, employ video content to promote their brands, underscoring the significant impact of videos in social media marketing.

Creating engaging and captivating videos is crucial to promoting social sharing. By crafting videos that grab viewers’ attention and entertain them, you significantly increase the chances of your content going viral, thereby organically expanding your brand’s reach.

Imagine a sports equipment company creating a video showcasing jaw-dropping trick shots using their products. Viewers who find the video entertaining and impressive will likely share it with their friends, potentially sparking conversations and generating interest in the brand. 

Video marketing has emerged as a powerful and indispensable tool for businesses and marketers in 2023. And in the coming years, it will just continue to expand. So by leveraging the power of video, businesses can captivate their audience, raise brand awareness, and achieve their 2023 digital marketing goals effectively.

The post 8 Ways that Video Marketing is a Game-Changer for Digital Marketers in 2023 appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

In today’s overcrowded social media world, learning how to create viral short videos is a great idea.

Viral marketing videos spread fast online and get millions of likes, shares, comments, and views.

And that’s not all.

Short-form video is dubbed the most engaging type of in-feed social content by 66% of marketers.

No wonder, 33% of marketers plan to invest more in short-form video content than any other type of social media strategy in 2023.

Granted, short-form video is captivating, engaging, and boosts conversions.

However, learning how to create viral short videos that resonate well with your target audience is never an easy task.

Fret not, we’ll show you how to go about it and win big on social media.

But before that, here are a few things you need to understand.

What Makes a Video Go Viral on Social Media?

Creating viral videos on social media is the dream of every marketer—a powerful way to generate marketing leads.

Generally, videos go viral on social media when they connect with their audience, make them laugh, inform, teach, and persuade them.

Here are a few key elements of viral videos:

• They tell a story
• They aren’t promotional
• They connect with the emotions of your audience 
• They are relevant
• They make people laugh

How to Create Viral Short Videos for Social Media Step by Step

Follow these simple techniques to create short-form videos that generate more views in a shorter period.

1. Understand Your Target Viewers

Knowing your audience, including what they want (or don’t want) is vital when planning to create viral short videos for your social media marketing strategy.

In fact, understanding what resonates with them and motivates them to share your video can help to increase the number of views on your videos.

Start by creating a comprehensive avatar that represents your target audience. It’ll help you identify who your target viewers are, which social media platforms they use, what they do for fun, etc.

Here are some tips to help you:

• Create well-rounded social media personas
• Examine your social media analytics
• Use Google Analytics
• Engage with your audience to understand what video content they’d want to see 
• See the types of viral videos your competitors are creating 
• Analyze data from your customer service tool understand customer preferences and interests

Gathering all this information will help you understand what grabs your viewers’ attention and what video content they are searching for on social media.

Once you have this information, you’ll find it much easier to find viral content ideas.

2. Determine Your Video Marketing Goals

Learning how to create viral short videos for social media isn’t enough for a successful social media video marketing strategy. You also need to determine why you want your videos to go viral.

Even if your videos go viral, if you aren’t achieving anything with them, you’re wasting resources.Here are 5 goals you can accomplish with social media video marketing according to Sprout Social.

Of course, you could have different goals you want to achieve with your viral short videos including:

• Boosting brand awareness
• Increasing revenue and sales
• Sharing knowledge and educating your viewers
• Introducing the latest products
• Boosting customer service and loyalty 
• Increase your online following

Each goal will require you to create specific kinds of short videos for your audience.

Most importantly, your goals should align with your overall business goals.

3. Draft a Creative Video Content Brief

Prepare a thorough video content brief and storyboard. 

It’ll help you pin down the message you want to pass to your audience, the tone and length of your video, as well as the distribution channel. This will help you stay aligned with your goals. 

Here are important elements to include in your video content brief:

• Video title: The topic of your video. For instance, you could share event planning tips to market your event planning and management brand.
• Description: What you want to cover in the video.
• Vital items to include: Include anything specific you need to add to the video.
• Related content: List any related content you intend to include or use as reference for your videos.
• Competitors: The types of video content your competitors are creating that you want to outshine.
• Social media platforms: What channels do you plan to post your videos on—and what version is best for each channel?
• Video format: What video format do you intend to use?
• Keywords: To improve your video rankings on social media, you need to identify what keywords to target.
• Hashtags to include: They help to make your video discoverable by your audience.
• Call to action: What action do you want your audience to take after watching your videos?

4. Create a Compelling Concept

To create viral videos for social media, draft a top-notch, compelling video script to grab your viewers’ attention and ultimately achieve your goals.

You also need to brainstorm compelling content ideas to include in your script.

This will give your video a logical flow.

Remember that your video needs to cover your message in the shortest time possible.

Here are key pointers for creating viral short videos:

• Start with a hook: Grab your audience’s attention with a catchy opening. Here, you can use an interesting fact, joke, or memorable statement.
• Use effective video editing tools: Outstanding video edits are what will grab your audience’s attention. Use powerful video editing tools. Here is a post on video editing software by Attrock.
• Video additions: Include images, emojis, or other components that help to attract viewers.
• Keep the video short and to the point: According to a recent Vidyard Video in Business Benchmark Report, 62% of viewers say they will watch the whole business’ video if it’s less than 60 seconds long.

5. Tell a Story

Stories drive people to take action.

Besides, telling a story in your video is beneficial in many ways including:

• It humanizes your brand
• It makes your audience remember you
• It helps to build a community that resonates with your brand
• Stories sell better

Tell a compelling story in the shortest time possible by finding a universal context for your concept. This is a great starting point to grab attention.

Want to get certified in Content Marketing?

Leverage the tools and channels to predictably and profitably drive awareness, leads, sales, and referrals—EVERYTHING you need to know to become a true master of digital marketing.​ Click Here

The good news is that you can come up with your stories and use AI text-to-video generators to transform them into a series of captivating short video clips.

6. Pay Attention to Popular Trends

To create viral short videos for social media marketing, you need to understand what’s trending on the platforms you intend to use.

Remember that in some platforms like TikTok, new trends come up constantly.

To make your video go viral, you need to jump on a trend the moment it comes up. This will make your audience see you as a trendsetter.

Search for trending songs, hashtags, sounds and other elements that appear at the top of your Reels feed, TikTok trends, Twitter trending topics, etc.

Be sure to put your own spin on a trend in your content to remain unique.

Pro tip: Ensure your brand’s social media page has a professional profile picture that showcases your expertise and brand identity. You can use a profile picture maker to create stunning profile photos effortlessly.

Due to the benefits of going viral on social media, every marketer wants to create viral short videos. However, this is not an easy task to accomplish.

While there is no guarantee that your videos will go viral on social media, following these tips and guidelines can increase your chances.

The post 6 Tips on How to Create Viral Short Videos for Social Media appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

Video marketing is skyrocketing, and it’s time for you to get started! Atiba de Souza, of Client Attraction Pros, teaches us all how to get started in this booming market. His top tip? Get in front of a camera and start talking! Just do it!

Checklist Download

Extra Resources:

A Beginner’s Guide to Video Marketing for Small Business

5 Ways to Drive Traffic and Sales with Short Videos

The 1-Page Marketing Blueprint

The post 3 Video Steps for Beginners with Atiba de Souza [VIDEO] appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

As a small business owner, you are probably always looking for new ways to reach potential customers and grow your business. Chances are you’re utilizing one or more of the usual channels to try and attract new customers, but there’s probably 1 channel you’ve overlooked: TikTok. With over 1 billion monthly active users and growing, TikTok is a powerful platform that can help you engage and attract new customers. In this article, we’re going to explain more about how your small business can turn TikTok into a revenue-generating machine! 

What is TikTok?

TikTok is a short-form video app where users can share creative and entertaining videos. Most small business owners think that the only people making money on TikTok are influencers hawking the latest fad products. The reality is that no matter what product or service you offer, there’s real revenue to be generated on TikTok for your small business. 

What makes TikTok unique is its algorithm, which tailors content to each individual user based on their interests. There are numerous virality features that give you the chance to get in front of new audiences at cost-effective rates in comparison to other digital marketing channels such as Google, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. In fact, TikTok ads can be a fraction of the cost of Facebook ads despite being as effective or even more effective. 

Source

We recently surveyed consumers about their habits when patronizing a small business and found 33% of 18-29-year-olds reported to have supported a small business due to a TikTok ad they saw. 

We also surveyed small business owners to get a better sense for where they distributed content and found that 93% of them posted content to Facebook while only 60% posted to TikTok.

Given this discrepancy it’s clear there is a massive opportunity for small businesses to connect with a new generation of consumers and build a lasting brand as younger demographics enter the workforce and increase their purchasing power by interacting with them on TikTok.

How to Use TikTok

Like virtually every other social network, TikTok gives you an opportunity to engage other users organically and through paid ads. Whether you are selling products or delivering a service, properly utilizing TikTok can be an incredibly powerful channel for your small business.

DOWNLOAD: The TikTok Ad Set Up Guide. Learn how to quickly create 16 TikTok ads in the least amount of time possible. Click Here

Organic Posts

Organic posts are videos you create and post on TikTok without using any paid promotion. These posts can be on any topic within your business’ niche and it’s the best way to get started with using TikTok. You can have a content writer or copywriter script your organic posts or you can choose to do them unscripted if you have a personal brand. With organic posts, you can educate and entertain your audience in the hopes of making them aware your company exists….think of it as a wonderful introduction, where users can get a peek at your personality and interests.

@thefarmersdog

Even Regina George would have to admit that this is SO. FETCH.

♬ original sound – The Farmer’s Dog

In the example above, which has been viewed over 3.5 million times, you’ll notice that the video itself isn’t promotional in any way. The Farmer’s Dog sells healthy dog food, but the video itself has nothing to do with dog food. But if you hope to eventually convince dog owners to buy your dog food, what better way to make them aware you exist than by creating a video watched and loved by millions of dog owners?

Paid Ads

Organic posts are great, but it will likely take months before you build a meaningful audience. Businesses can bypass this by using TikTok’s paid ads. Paid ads on TikTok work similarly to other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. You create an ad and target a specific audience.

There are three types of paid ads on TikTok:

In-feed ads: In-feed ads appear in between users’ organic content. These ads can be up to 60 seconds long and are the most popular type of ad on TikTok. These ads allow you to add a CTA at the bottom of the ad and they also have a sponsored tag to let users know it’s an ad. These ads are great because they naturally blend in with the content users are already watching.

Source

Brand Takeovers: Brand takeovers are full-screen ads that appear when someone opens up their TikTok account. It’s the first video they see and it’s usually a 3-second image with a CTA. The CTA is generally something that entices users to follow a certain account or join a TikTok live stream.

Embedded Video Explainer of Brand Takeover

Spark ads: Spark ads enable businesses to promote their existing organic videos instead of creating new videos from scratch. After posting a number of videos, businesses can see which videos are performing best and they can use spark ads to promote those videos.

Source

Branded hashtag: A branded hashtag is a hashtag that you create and promote to get users to post videos using your hashtag. This is a great way to increase brand awareness and get user-generated content. Many of the top businesses use this and it can compound quickly to bring you thousands of views and clicks.

@charlidamelio share what you’re doing to stay positive right now by tagging @aerie and #aerierealpositivity #ad ♬ 100% Real Love – PopUpGirl

Above is a timely example of a hashtag challenge launched by Aerie showcasing users wearing their leggings while sharing something they are grateful for while in the midst of Covid lockdown. Their brand aims to empower all women to love their real selves, and what better way to inject some of that positivity into the TiKTok community than hosting what amounted to a massive gratitude exercise?

It’s worth noting, their challenge wasn’t around their product. They didn’t ask people to say what their favorite thing about their products were. They instead asked people to share in a positive experience, one their brand was able to engender. There’s a massive difference between those approaches, and one you need to understand if you want to effectively engage users on TikTok.

DOWNLOAD: The TikTok Ad Set Up Guide. Learn how to quickly create 16 TikTok ads in the least amount of time possible. Click Here

TikTok Ad Targeting

While TikTok doesn’t quite have the granularity present within Facebook Ads, it does provide you with various targeting methods to ensure you’re able to effectively reach the right audience you’ve identified in your TikTok marketing strategy.

Source

• Location: You can target ads to users in a specific city, state, country or region. This is great if you’re a brick-and-mortar business or if you’re targeting a specific market.

• Interest: You can target ads to users based on their interests. TikTok has a number of interests you can target including music, fashion, beauty, fitness and more.

• Behavior: You can target ads to users based on their behavior. This includes content they like, accounts they follow and even other ads they’ve interacted with.

Cost of Ads

TikTok ads start at $10 per CPM (per 1,000 views). The cost of ads can vary depending on the type of audience or niche you are targeting. For example, ads for the music niche are have much cheaper CPMs in comparison to ads in the finance niche. There are some minimum spend requirements by TikTok depending on the type of campaign you are running.

For example, TikTok requires a minimum of $50 per day at the campaign level and $20 per day at the ad group level. Ad costs can also vary depending on the type of ads you run. A brand takeover ad will likely cost much more than a branded hashtag. Additionally, TikTok ads are not as simple as just buying the cheapest type of ad. You need to select the best type of ad (e.g. brand takeover, in-feed ad, etc.) for your niche. It’s best to start with one type of ad for one persona and A/B test it against other ad formats.

TikTok Business Case Study: Buccal Fat Removal Chicago

Dr. Benjamin Caughlin runs a buccal fat removal & jawline sculpting clinic in Chicago and has amassed over 270,000 followers on TikTok. When businesses think of successful TikTok brands, a buccal fat removal clinic typically isn’t what comes to mind. Dr. Caughlin has leveraged TikTok’s viral sounds and trends to bring attention to his brand and services. He posts original content, stitched content and videos with popular sounds to garner attention from his audience and to position himself as the authority in his niche.

@manyfacesofchicago Sharpness is in and I have lots of tools #beforeandafter #goodbetterbest #contourtutorial #viral ♬ original sound – Ian Asher

His TikTok audience also drives traffic to his website. In fact, during a particularly active stretch in November and December of 2021, TikTok represented his largest source of appointments and revenue!

From the several thousand visitors who visit his website, roughly 50 of them convert into appointments and paying customers for his clinic. That doesn’t include visitors that submitted their contact form nor picked up the phone and called their office!

With the appointment bookings alone, TikTok generated over $200,000 in revenue for him in December of 2021. Since all of the traffic is organic, the only costs that go into TikTok as a marketing channel is the time spent making videos.

The best part of this is that the traffic from TikTok will only continue to increase as Dr. Caughlin builds his brand on TikTok. This is just one part of his clinic’s marketing strategy to generate organic leads for the business. As you can see below, TikTok continues to remain a large part of his overall TikTok marketing strategy.

TikTok is one of his fastest-growing marketing channels and he has only been publishing content for about 18 months. This is a great example of how you can add TikTok into your marketing strategy and leverage an organic audience to drive significant revenue.

Do’s & Don’ts

There are some guidelines you should follow when posting on TikTok to maximize your organic and paid reach. These guidelines will help you avoid things that can minimize your reach and increase your costs and effort to market to your audience. Most importantly, they’ll help ensure you can be an authentic presence within the TikTok community that other people enjoy engaging with!

Do: Post creative and entertaining videos that are relevant to your business.

Creativity and originality is what sets good TikTok accounts from great ones. Make sure to keep up with the latest trends and sounds on TikTok to maximize your organic reach.

@livportio our biggest video in 2021! thank u for all your support #smallbusiness #jewelry #cheating #relationship #storytime ♬ original sound – LIV PORTIO

Don’t: Post videos that are overtly sales-y or promotional.

Don’t pitch your products and services immediately. Instead, use TikTok as a top of the funnel platform to generate awareness for your brand. The more creative and entertaining your videos are, the more reach you’ll generate.

Do: Use TikTok’s algorithm to your advantage by creating content that your target audience will enjoy.

After you post for a few months on TikTok, revisit the videos that performed well and double down on them. This is what TikTok’s algorithm rewards you for, so do more of it and get more views on your content.

Don’t: Post videos that are not relevant to your business.

You can confuse your audience if you create a ton of non-related content to your niche. Be willing to experiment, but stay within your general niche (e.g. fitness, marketing, health).

Do: Use TikTok to drive traffic to your website or landing pages.

Make sure to add your links in your profile to capture the traffic you’re generating. Add your highest ROI pages in your profile bio and drive your audience to your offer.

Don’t: Post low-quality videos.

The TikTok algorithm favors high-quality videos with good production value. If you’re just starting out, make sure to invest in a decent camera or use your smartphone to make videos. The bar for high-resolution videos on TikTok is very high. Most iPhones are good enough to capture high-quality videos, but don’t use low-quality computers, phones or cameras to do your videos.

Do: Experiment with different types of content to see what works best for your business.

The best TikTok creators are ones who constantly experiment on the platform. There are many brands who’ve generated millions of views simply by riding the latest trends. The more you experiment, the more types of successful content you will find.

Growth marketer Zach Grove has seen that testing different hooks (i.e. the first 3 seconds of your video) is the best way to improve your Tik Tok creatives.

“Testing new attention-grabbing hooks—such as “Hey [your local city], check this out…” or “Tik Tok made me buy it: [your local city] edition”—is the best way to get traction and maximize your views. Make sure you’re always testing hooks to see what works for your niche”

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• Learn how How To Grow Your Small Business On TikTok
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• How To Launch Your First TikTok Ad & Achieve Profitability Within 30 Days
• Why You Should Hire A Full-Time TikTok Manager

Don’t: Be boring.

If you have a new account, you can’t afford to be boring. This doesn’t mean that you have to have the most crazy and engaging videos in the world; it just means you need to capture the audience’s attention. You can use hooks, images and other tactics to get your viewers to watch your videos.

Do: Use hashtags, challenges, and trends to get more views on your videos.

Hashtags, challenges and trends are one of the highest leverage points in your TikTok content marketing. Make sure to leverage these and allow users to promote on your behalf.

Don’t: Be inauthentic.

TikTok has by far the most tech-savvy user base out of all social media platforms. The engagement on the app is high because most users can spot inauthenticity from a mile away. If you’re not being genuine, your videos will perform poorly and you’ll have a hard time building an audience.

These are just a few guidelines you can use as you start your TikTok creator journey. The best way to learn is by experimenting and seeing what works for your business. Get started on TikTok today by posting content in your niche and leveraging TikTok’s features to maximize your organic reach and audience growth. To learn more about how you can use TikTok to grow your business, check out this blog post.

The post How to Grow Your Small Business On TikTok appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

SMS isn’t the first channel that springs to mind when marketing. But it’s actually an incredibly effective channel to use.

SMS has fantastic open rates, a brilliant response rate, and is great for customer engagement. However, it’s limited in terms of the more creative aspects of marketing (design, for example, or video)

When combined with email marketing, however, these limitations vanish. A blend of SMS and email marketing can result in engaging, successful customer journeys that lead straight to conversion.

Here, we’ll run through the reasons you should incorporate SMS into your email strategy. Then we’ll tell you our six top tips for merging SMS and email to dominate your market.

Advantages of SMS marketing

SMS marketing has a lot of very important advantages. By combining SMS with your email marketing, you can make the most of the following benefits:

Incredible open rates

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There’s an immediacy to SMS that can’t be ignored. We’re far more likely to drop everything and check a text message than we are to dive into our email inbox. Only a third of email marketing messages get opened, while nearly all texts are opened. 

The response rate for SMS is also fantastic. 45% of SMS marketing messages get a reply – and that figure rises when the recipient knows and trusts the sender.

Mobile-friendly

This may sound obvious – but SMS is very mobile-friendly! 

In this day and age, it’s vital for marketing to be mobile-friendly. People use their phones for everything, from taking notes to listening to audiobooks and even for creating royalty free podcast music.

However, types of mobile devices differ a lot. It’s almost impossible to optimize most types of content for every single sort of phone. 

For SMS, it’s different. Every phone – from the latest smartphone model to the most basic brick – can receive SMS. This makes SMS very accessible.

It also enables you to reach new audiences. It’s estimated that 3.5 billion people worldwide have internet access. That’s an impressive figure – but it does still leave some people out. However, 6.6 billion people worldwide have a mobile phone and can receive text messages. 

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So, by incorporating SMS into your marketing mix, you can open your messaging up to a far wider audience. 

Fast delivery

SMS is at its best when you need to get in touch with the customer quickly and reliably. SMS messages reach customers almost immediately. What’s more, with their excellent open rates, you can be sure that the customer will not just get your message quickly – they’ll also read it quickly.

This makes SMS great for sending important information, like delivery notices, news of service disruptions, and so on. 

Sometimes, getting in touch with the customer quickly is vital for a good customer experience. SMS is the way to do this.

Works brilliantly with other types of marketing

SMS is very versatile. You can use it to reinforce, extend, and enhance any other marketing channel.

Here, we’re going to be talking about how you can merge SMS with your email marketing, and we’ll be looking into things like the right tech you should use, including types of sales enablement tools. A lot of our tips can be adapted for other channels. So, keep an open mind!

6 ways to blend SMS with your email marketing

Hopefully, we’ve convinced you that merging SMS with your email marketing is a good idea! Now, let’s get into how you can merge the two channels to best effect.

1. Play to the strengths of SMS

The great thing about merging email and SMS is that each channel can do things that the other can’t. When used together, they make a perfect campaign. 

The major strengths of SMS are its delivery speed and its exceptional open rates. As a fast and reliable channel, SMS is great for things like:

• Building buzz about events
• Notifying about changes to service
• Sending delivery messages
• Sending passwords or password reset links
• Sending discount codes
• Getting feedback

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Here, for example, Adidas uses SMS to alert a customer about an impending delivery:

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And here, an airline uses SMS to alert a customer of a flight delay:

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What SMS is not great for is conveying a lot of information. It’s also pretty basic when it comes to things like design, creative content, and so on. This is where the combined talents of SMS and email marketing come into play.

For example, if you need your customer to absorb a lot of information quickly, you can combine SMS and email in a two-pronged approach. 

Take advantage of the immediacy and high open rate of text by sending your customer an SMS asking them to check their email (or maybe even linking them to the relevant information on your website!)

Or, think of your SMS as a subject line. Use it to grab attention and draw people into your email. Then put all that creative, long-form goodness into the email, safe in the knowledge that your open rates will be high.

This way, you can keep your customers up to date with the important info and drive up your email engagement rates while you’re at it.

1. Use each channel to build the other’s lists

Lead generation is a huge part of any marketer’s workload. And gaining subscribers through just one channel is a thankless task. 

However, when you combine SMS and email in your lead generation efforts, that job becomes a whole lot easier.

Text your SMS list and suggest that they subscribe to your email marketing. Adding an incentive like a discount or a freebie often helps. Given the high open and response rate of SMS, you can build up your email list via SMS very quickly.

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You can do the same with your email marketing. Send out a campaign encouraging customers to sign up to your SMS list. 

You can even promote your SMS list in your regular emails. Put a subscription link at the bottom of each email or in a box-out (whatever works best for your format).

2. Centralize your data

Every customer touchpoint is a potential source of great data. SMS is no different. By combining SMS and email marketing, you can gather plenty of data to analyze and draw insights from.

Whether you’re using an Azure data lakes system, a CRM, or a commercial DMP, your data will be at its best and most useful when it’s in one, easily-accessible place.

By centralizing your data, you make it accessible for teams across your organization. It’s easy to find, analyze, and use. 

A centralized database, in which data from every channel comes into a single location, helps you to see the bigger picture. You can draw broad insights from many different points on the customer journey rather than isolated insights from single points/channels.

Get the Digital Marketing Blueprint…

With a Customer Value Journey that strategically builds a relationship with new prospects and converts them into loyal, repeat customers. Click here

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A centralized database is also great for streamlining your data. Because everything is in one place, there’s no duplicate data bulking up your system.

1. Use the right tech

We’ve spoken above about centralizing your data. To do this properly, it’s worth shopping around for the platform or system that suits you. 

This doesn’t just apply to data, of course. Marketing is going through a tech revolution, and there’s some really exciting stuff out there. The right tech could have a huge impact on your SMS and your email marketing, allowing you to blend them in innovative ways.

For example, marketing AIs can curate and automate blended SMS and email customer journeys, releasing personalized texts and emails at the perfect time to nudge your customer to the next stage.

There are many different types of sales enablement tools that can help you to streamline, manage, and enhance your SMS strategy. From SMS automation to data-management platforms and CRMs to centralize your data, there’s plenty out there. Don’t be afraid to shop around for the right martech for you.

2. Keep it brief

We’ve spoken above about the comparative strengths of text and email. Long-form messaging is not a strength of SMS.

People will open your SMS quickly, but if they’re met with a wall of text on that tiny screen, they won’t stick around to read it. So, keep your texts brief. Provide the essential information as clearly and succinctly as possible.

If you’ve got a lot to say, use the SMS as an alert to get the customer’s attention and direct them elsewhere for more details, as Macy’s has done here:

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3. Be consistent with your messaging

Brand consistency is important across the board. If your brand’s voice or values differ from channel to channel, your customer will be confused. In order to build a relationship with your customer, you need to present a consistent persona at every point.

This can be tough with SMS. It’s hard to convey your brand’s personality in a few brief words. Having TOV (Tone of Voice) guidelines to hand can help. 

TOV guidelines are useful when coaching sales team. Moving forward, a TOV document will give salespeople and marketers a quick go-to guide when they’re not sure what wording to use.

Rule your market with a blend of SMS and email

Few things can grab a customer’s attention like SMS. By combining SMS and email marketing, you can build high-converting customer journeys and dominate your market.

Play to the strengths of each channel, and you’ll quickly find the leads flooding in and your conversion rate rising rapidly.

The post 6 Ways to Dominate Your Market by Merging SMS and Email Marketing appeared first on DigitalMarketer.