Use of Video for Affiliate Marketing In 2022

Hi, Everyone...

Today I wanted to emphasize the importance of video marketing in your affiliate marketing efforts. Content is the king as I have heard so often, but there are different formats the content can be presented through.

Now Is The Time!

As we approach 2022 (next week!), you likely are preparing for the new year and your content and marketing plans for the next 3 months. If this is you, congratulations! You are ahead of the game (many are not!).

This short post will walk through how video is more important than ever, how to plan your workflow, and get past some of the barriers we all put in front of ourselves when it comes to using video in our marketing, etc.

I highly recommend that you consider adding video to any element of your business that could benefit, and indeed, there are many areas where it would complement whatever it is that you are doing now.

If you are new to the game or a seasoned marketer, video can work in your favor. Quite naturally, there are some marketers that will take to creating this sort of media and some that will not.

Let me explain why I think we all should use more video..

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Why Video?

Some content formats work better than others for your audience. There are audiences that will not read any further than the headline and byline no matter how engaging they may be.

The attention span people have on average keeps going down as each new version of the "smartphones" are introduced.

Kind of an oxymoron, but that is the fact these days. Something of an indicator too of where we are heading as a society too, unfortunately..

In any case...

Keeping it simple, easy to get through, and digestible/absorbable makes sense for these individuals. They are also ones that are buying online too, with their cards all set to whip out and use with the pay apps they have on the phones they use.

Other Considerations...

- Additionally, it depends on the goals you may have for the content. In most instances, the video will be a positive for your mix of content. People appreciate the video format, they are used to it, they want it easy and fast.

- The subject you are creating content around also matters - Is the content a review, is it explainer content, or perhaps it is a "how-to" walk-through of a program or a service type of content?

In all use cases above, a related video might be just the trick to get more traffic, more subscribers, more retention, more click-through rates (CTR), and more conversions. It does require some planning to make that happen...

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Getting Over Shyness...

Many marketers still avoid using video due to their unwillingness to appear in front of a camera. Fair enough.

Did you know that some of the most successful YouTube Channel owners NEVER appear in front of a camera, yet they are doing very well?

If you plan well and use some of the freely available resources out there, you can easily prepare videos that include only images, slides, and CTAs (call to action).

These types of videos will work for many situations.

Think about Canva (graphics), think of OpenShot (video editing software), use Google Slides (slide creation tool), and try Audacity (audio recording). All tools that can be used to build your videos.

In all cases above - think "free" too!.

Yes, all these tools can be used at no cost to build your videos. There are paid programs out there, but especially starting out, free is good (enough).

Did you notice the one item I left off? A camera!

Yes with the above tools you can create to your heart's content, and no need at all to appear in front of any camera, period!

There ARE other considerations, however...

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Do The Homework...

To get the best result with those free tools, you definitely want to do some keyword research, plus research the competition, look at what they are doing, and see what is trending on YouTube or elsewhere where you want to post or have the video posted.

Sounds like article marketing?

As with article or review post content marketing, this research is going to make sure that you are targeting subjects and phrases that people are searching for.

You also will not waste time creating content that you have no chance competing for (as with article marketing there are some phrases you literally have no chance of ranking for)...

But!

SEO for videos is actually less complicated than blog article SEO I find, it is pretty basic. Thumbnails, title, descriptions, tags, keywords/phrases in the title, in the description, and etc. all can be completed quite quickly.

The SEO portion can be fleshed out as you do your research. Make notes of keywords, the tags, the video descriptions, the thumbnails, any comments, and even the tone of the content as you do your research.

What approach was used that makes the video work for viewers? What did they miss? How can you build on what they have created?

This is all done as you collate the research results and create the storyboard and script for your video.

This whole process sounds quite easy (or not - but it is easy) but it can be hard to pack a lot of information into a small segment of time.

That is the beauty of video, however (I think). More engaging than an infographic, a video will keep viewers' attention (if planned and edited properly).

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Getting Over The "It Is Too Much Work" Wall

Been there, done that. It can be easy to just throw your hands up in the air and declare that this is all just too much work.

Today that is no longer true.

There are plenty of free tools out there to plan a script, create slides, record a voiceover (audio), and splice it all together fairly quickly.

At that point, the next step is building a production workflow or system becomes important. You have the tools, you have the ideas, now it is planning how to use the content and the tools to get your video done and published.

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My Experiences

I am no expert by any means but I do have an opinion!.

Here is my feeling on using video for your marketing/business:

"It is essential. You are missing out on a major source of free traffic if you ignore video.

Even if not fully competent (who is?), the way to get better is to do it.

Again and again.

Remember: Even a bad video is better than no video."

I Suggest Drill Down Training

Many likely would like to get some specific training on the free tools I mentioned in this short post and to get that I recommend looking here within the WA platform and on YouTube.

There is a plethora of training on all the tools mentioned, and likely you will find other tools that can help you as well.

Plus if you are looking for training on the video creation process, what equipment you need to set up a home studio, and other tips, you will find that on YouTube as well.

Example:

On our channel, we have developed a library of curated videos addressing business model subjects and some core competency subjects.

There are more channels that do the same, so if you can find one, it may make the learning curve easier...

Do the search as you do for Google and I am sure that you will get results...

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Wrapping Up...

I like to use video, and I like combining formats.

As not everyone consumes one kind of content, combining an article with a congruent video can help you attract more people and keep them longer on your pages.

My time-on-site numbers have gone up over the months and years where I use video.

I even try to get a little SEO juice by taking care of the metrics as I create and publish the videos.

Likely, it will do the same for you.

Not only that, you are capturing a segment of the target audience that you might otherwise miss out on as they will not read an entire article or review.

They may not pay any attention to the article, but they will watch the video.

So I urge all to consider getting the training you need, the tools you need and taking the time to see how video can fit into your marketing plans for 2022.

Best of Luck, Stay Safe, and Have a Great New Year!

Cheers!

Coach Dave : )