Use multimedia early and often
This post is part of a series celebrating SmartSign’s 15th Anniversary. In 15 posts, we reflect on lessons learned, good experiences, and company-wide changes that brought us to this milestone of success. You can view the entire series here.
B2B companies are increasingly testing the waters of incorporating images, infographics, videos, and more into their marketing content. The amount of online content is becoming more and more overwhelming to consumers, resulting in shortened attention spans and a need for eye-catching material. SmartSign is not immune to joining the growing multimedia trend by way of videos, photos, quizzes, and live chats.
As a signage company, SmartSign relies heavily on the use of images in its efforts to appeal to customers. SmartSign co-founder and CEO Blair Brewster put it simply: “Multimedia makes our products come alive.”
“Customers love to see someone holding the sign or seeing the sign in a real application. Tags and signs are not just two-dimensional. For example, they have a backside and texture. Videos and photos give a sense of scale, show a level of craftsmanship and point out the quality of our products.” Brewster added.
Multimedia can be a tricky concept to master. Not all companies will get it right on the first try. Figuring out which multimedia components are most attractive to customers is an experiential process, which, when done successfully, can help businesses target specific audiences and increase long-term brand visibility.
Brewster urged companies to start incorporating multimedia early, explaining: “Start early with video tutorials and multimedia components. Videos will take trial and error. There is a learning curve, and it’s better to learn when the audience is small. As the audience grows, your technique will improve.”
No matter what your content starts as, it can always be repurposed in different ways. These days, with free hosting sites such as YouTube, Vimeo, and Flickr, anyone can be an aspiring filmmaker or photographer.
Regardless of your business’ industry or niche, adding multimedia flair can spice up less exciting content. Don’t underestimate the power of a captivating image or piece of video, as they have the potential to go viral. Additionally, don’t forget the power of sharing multimedia on social media, which allows your audience to share the content with their followers. According to Track Social, Facebook posts that include images garner 120 percent more engagement than plain text updates.
Multimedia’s bottom line is obvious to Brewster: “Photos and video sell.”
