Over the past few years, video has become an essential marketing tactic across digital channels. With autoplay on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, along with Google giving advertisers the ability to target viewers on YouTube based on their Google search history, you’ve probably noticed videos from brands and local businesses making up a large part of your everyday searching and scrolling.
It’s clear why video has become one of the most powerful forms of content for B2B and B2C companies alike – it’s resonating with customers:
- Half of the internet visits YouTube at least once a month, making YouTube the second most visited website in existence
- 50,000 years worth of product review videos have been watched online
- More than 50% of consumers said they want to see videos from brands
Video Marketing for Heavy Equipment Dealerships
Across industries, it’s clear that video resonates. Especially in the heavy equipment industry, video can be a powerful way to reach and engage your audience. In a study by Successful Farming, farmers said their primary social channel is YouTube, followed by Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter. In that same study, “44% of farmers said that they watch videos to acquire information on products and services for their farm and over 50% of farmers from the study said they are using YouTube every month."
If it’s not already, video should be an integrated part of your capital equipment marketing strategy. Here are our tips for getting the most from a heavy equipment video marketing strategy.
Focus on Quick Equipment Video Assets
Don’t let a lack of video stop you. Walk-arounds of new models, walk-arounds of used equipment, how-to videos for basic repairs, instructional videos for operation, and other videos can be easily filmed at your location with a smartphone. Machinery Pete and other trusted names in the industry can be great resources to look to for ideas and inspiration.
The quality of most phone cameras is more than adequate for video creation. And these types of videos don’t need to be overly polished or scripted. Viewers are looking for authenticity and honest insight. The more real and unedited these videos are, the more your audience will trust and appreciate them.
Maximize Video Marketing Opportunities
Once you’ve created video assets, you can use them across marketing channels to maximize your return. Here are a few ways to turn a single video into a variety of marketing opportunities:
- Upload videos to YouTube and create playlists that your salespeople and technicians can use and reference with customers
- Optimize YouTube videos and playlists for organic search using relevant keywords, tags, and closed captioning
- Share videos on your social media platforms by uploading to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for autoplay
- Add links to YouTube from your website, social media platforms, and email footers
- Embed videos in email campaigns and on your website
- Use video stills as images on your website and social media
- Create GIFs from videos for use in email marketing and social media
- Run video advertising campaigns (more on that below)
Want help developing a multi-channel marketing strategy that includes video? Get in touch.
Increase Brand Awareness with YouTube Advertising
Video advertising is a great way to increase brand awareness and reach. Whether you’re opening or acquiring a new location, or simply looking to reach a new industry or audience, video ads can quickly expand your reach and get you thousands of impressions. Similar to traditional ads on radio and TV that are designed to introduce your brand and keep it top-of-mind (but better!), video ads on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram help quickly get your brand name out there.
If you’re wondering why you shouldn’t just do radio and TV ads, platforms like YouTube are a much better investment thanks to their cost-per-view options. There are a variety of ad types on YouTube, but if you choose to run TrueView Ads you will only pay when viewers click on or watch the entirety of your ad. Compared to traditional advertising efforts, you’ll see higher ROI with this bidding strategy.
When you run TrueView In-Stream Ads, your video will be shown as a skippable ad before a video on YouTube. If you’ve watched YouTube before, you know that viewers are given the option to skip an ad after 5 seconds. The good news is, if viewers skip your video you don’t have to pay – even though they watched a full 5 seconds of your ad. You can fit a lot into 5 seconds of video, meaning viewers can at least be exposed to your brand name, logo, and 1-3 sentences of a voiceover before skipping. You can choose to run ads that are anywhere between 12 seconds and 6 minutes in length, but we recommend keeping your video around 30 seconds. That way you’ll only pay if a viewer watches the entire 30 seconds of your ad or clicks-through.
Cost-per-view will vary by campaign type and targeting, but views cost an average of $0.06 per click on YouTube, making YouTube one of the most cost-effective ways to create brand awareness.
Get Your Equipment Dealership Started with Video Marketing
As a heavy equipment industry expert, we are happy to discuss how to best integrate video with your existing marketing efforts. To continue the conversation, request a free digital analysis and get tailored recommendations for your dealership.
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