You know the importance of on-brand and eye-catching imagery already. Whether you use branded photos from a recent shoot or you’re using our collections of chic stock photos, your site, feed, and marketing assets look great.
But there is so much chatter online about how Instagram is prioritizing video and how video is becoming increasingly popular. Especially if you’re just starting out or trying to grow your business, you might not have the time or resources to make videos all the time. And… the video you create might not exactly be “expert.”
If you’re wondering how in the world you’ll incorporate video into your business’s marketing strategy, you’re in luck. We’re now offering stock video inside our Styled Stock Society membership. How can you use stock video to boost your reach and engagement? Read on.
First: What’s stock video?
Stock video is pretty much like stock photos — they’re styled and shot by professionals. Stock video can sometimes be a bit “cheesy,” just like other stock photos you might find on public sites. But good stock video will share diverse backgrounds, people, and activities.
Stock video is also fairly short, with about 10-15 seconds of video.
Next up, let’s talk about how to use stock video, and how to overcome your concerns that “it’s not you” on the video.
How to use stock video well
If you’re worried about using stock video, don’t. We’ve got 4 awesome ways to use this new tool to make your business stand out even more online.
1. Your website
Did you know you have about 5 seconds before people lose interest in your site? That means that you need to make sure your copy grabs their attention, but it also helps to have a video or something that can catch their eye and keep them on the page.
Use video as your site header or just above the fold can do just that. Simply embed a stock video into the header or as close to the top as possible.
Of course, you’ll want to make sure that it automatically starts playing — and you can even set it to loop. Just keep in mind: you don’t need to add music. Nobody loves it when one of their internet tabs starts making noise and they can’t figure out how to stop it.
2. Your recorded video
If you create YouTube videos or record videos to upload to IGTV or Facebook, you know that sometimes you want to have more footage than just you talking at the camera. Of course, you’re not a professional videographer, so “extra footage” is just a bit too “extra” right now.
The solution? B-roll stock video. B-roll is essentially just additional video footage that’s mixed in with the main shot. For example, you can use B-roll that fits the topic, such as discussing the benefits of water with a video of someone pouring a glass of water.
You can also use B-roll to just engage people and keep them watching. Most people start to get distracted in just a few seconds if something new isn’t presented to them. That’s why stock video as B-roll can be a huge help to your video marketing efforts.
3. Reels and TikTok
Want the reach that Reels and TikTok offer, but don’t want to dance on camera every day, pointing at things? You can still create this kind of short-form video content using stock video. Find a video that aligns with your topic, or that induces the emotion you’re going for. Then you can upload that video to your Instagram or TikTok app and add text, trending audio, etc.
4. Video ads
Do you want to grow your reach to new audiences? Facebook and Instagram ads can be incredibly effective. And while we’re not exactly ad experts, we do know that movement is the best way to catch someone’s eye in the feed as they scroll. Stock video is a great way to differentiate your ads from others while also complying with Facebook’s ad restrictions. Since they don’t have audio, you don’t have to worry about flagged words or phrases and you can pair approved audio (or use NO audio) with the video.
Simply choose a stock video that matches the content or tone you’re going for — and that has enough motion to catch the eye. You don’t want to use super slow-motion video because the whole point is to stop the scroll!
Get stock video and SO much more
Now that you know how much stock video can help you stand out online, let’s talk about how you can get access to an ever-increasing library of it!
At Styled Stock Society, we’ve added new bonus stock videos as a benefit to our members. Just like with our stock photos, Canva templates, and marketing resources, everything we create is designed to make it easier for you to grow your business. If you want to add video to your website, social strategy, and more, our membership is here for you!
Join Styled Stock Society today and start to stand out more, with videos, photos, and templates that make your life easier.
