• by Dan Roche , November 5, 2013

While the holiday season is a time to spend with family and friends, it is also a prime opportunity for companies to reach their customers. As the number of online videos produced and viewed increases and the use of video capabilities on social media platforms like Instagram and Vine grows, online video continues to be an ideal format to engage with customers.  

If your company is considering an online video as part of its holiday marketing campaign, here are five things to keep in mind in the video development process:  

• Thank you – You can’t go wrong with creating an online video that offers your appreciation to your customers and thanks them for their business and continued loyalty. Note: ensure that your thank you video captures the spirit of the holiday season without referring to a specific holiday (e.g., Christmas, Chanukah). 

• Special Promotions – Everyone loves a coupon or special offer, so creating a video that details a holiday promotion will certainly attract customer interest. Design a video that includes an interactive element (e.g., directs customers to visit a particular URL, encourages them to look for clues), and you’ve extended the range of your online video, and, in turn, hopefully encouraged additional sales. 

• Customer Event – An online video can also be used to promote in-store or locally-held events. The video can be used as a teaser to generate interest and encourage customers to attend (e.g., prizes given at the event, first 100 people win). 

• Cross Promotion – To complement your company’s product offerings, use the online video opportunity as a way to cross promote with another company. You’ll not only have your customers viewing the video, but the customers of the business you choose to partner with for the holiday season as well.  This is also a budget-friendly way to split the costs of the online video with another company. 

Partnering with a charity is another way to reach customers and show goodwill during the holiday season. Try sponsoring a charity event and then create a video to promote the cause or showcase a “behind-the-scenes look” of your employees at the event. Both are great ways to indirectly promote your business and instill goodwill among audiences. 

• Mobile optimization – One of the most important elements of your online video (or even your company website) should be mobile optimization. As smartphone and tablet use rises, information shared must have the ability to be viewed on any device. Otherwise, you are alienating customers who cannot view your video. 

Online videos can be an excellent resource for interacting with your customers and are typically more compelling than other marketing materials. Keep it short and sweet so your messaging doesn’t get lost in a lengthy video, and it is more likely to be watched and shared with family and friends. Aside from being shared, an online video will also drive customers to visit your website, your store, or at least learn more about your product or service. 

Cheers to a happy holiday season!