It’s no secret that the way we do business today is far more dynamic and advanced than the way we did business even just ten years ago. The professional world has skyrocketed far beyond basic printed text when it comes to marketing; there are increasingly more outlets surfacing that allow us to tell the world about our products and services, and taking advantage of these resources can help any brand amplify its presence.

Multimedia production–the use of various digital canvases such as text, audio, animation, photography, video, etc.–allows business owners to present their companies in an engaging and modern light, helping them to stand out from competitors and make a more powerful impact when attracting their prospective clients.

Podcasts, company introduction videos, whiteboard videos, and digital advertisements are all excellent ways to use multimedia to your brand’s advantage. If you’re still unsure of whether or not this type of digital marketing is for you, here are a few reasons why multimedia production will push your brand forward in 2016 and beyond:

Create More Share-Worthy Posts and Linkable Assets

Share-worthy posts are exactly what they sound like; they’re posts on social media platforms that get many shares, likes, favorites, etc. The more popular that a post is the more eyes that will come across it. This is an excellent way to create a larger audience and expose more users to your company.

If you’re only posting quick tweets and Facebook updates that alert users of your promotions, however, chances are that you’re not getting much advantageous attention on social media. This is where multimedia can make a tremendous, beneficial dent.

It’s estimated that videos are over 1000% times more likely to get shared than text or links. That is a monumental number, and to further prove the point, just take a look at your own social media accounts; how many of your friends share videos compared to how many share text-based posts?

Similarly, creating engaging podcasts or whiteboard videos that share useful insight or how-to-style advice is an excellent way to develop linkable assets for your website. Simply put, linkable assets are items on your website that visitors are likely to refer other users to–these tend to be items that help educate or enlighten users on a particular topic or resource in your industry. For SEO purposes, the more links you acquire that point back to your website from other relevant, high-quality websites, the higher your rankings in search engines will be.    

Increase Your ROI

If you can introduce your products or services to a potential customer with an eye-catching explanatory video, you’ll have a greater chance at converting that person into an actual paying customer.

Users want to be informed in a straightforward, easy-to-follow way, but they also want to be entertained. Videos and animations are becoming popular ways for businesses to demonstrate the value of their offerings while simultaneously providing the viewer with a captivating experience.  

According to recent video marketing statistics, over 50% of marketers agree that video provides the best return on investment when compared with any other type of content. At the rate that users are gravitating towards visually-engaging pieces (and based on the fact that the average user spends 5.5 hours per day viewing video content), we can logically predict that this percentage will continue to grow in 2016.

Appeal to a Broader Range of Potential Clients

The greater the variety of marketing tactics that you use, the broader your client base will become. Not all customers are swayed the same way, and experimenting with multiple platforms is a solid tactic to help diversify your audience and expand your brand awareness.

For instance, some users are interested in industry-based debates and discussions, and organizing a weekly or monthly podcast could help draw in these viewers while also establishing your authority in the industry.

Likewise, other prospective clients may be more interested in actionable advice, so developing several video tutorials to go along with your products or services would lead to more conversions among this group.

The point is that by broadening your marketing strategies, you’ll naturally widen your customer base as well as deepen your relationship with existing consumers.

Build a Stronger Brand Identity

Developing a recognizable, reputable public image is an important part of any company’s success. For example, solid PR and carefully cultivated credibility are why consumers are willing to pay more for Cheerios when the generic counterparts taste pretty much the exact same. In today’s world, multimedia can play an integral role in helping you strengthen your brand’s identity.

A brand identity helps potential customers answer the following questions:

• What does this company offer?
• Why should I trust this brand?
• Why should I choose this brand over other providers?
• How can I relate to this brand?

Multimedia production can help consumers answer these questions by:

• displaying your products and services in an enticing, attractive manner
• showcasing your industry experience with powerful infographics and educational podcasts/videos, leading to increased trust from your target client base
• helping you stand out from other leading industry professionals by making your advertisements more engaging and interactive
• cultivating a unique personality for your brand that consumers will come to know you by (Think company welcome videos, virtual mission statements, meet-the-team photos, etc.)

Increase Efficiency Within Your Internal Company Workings

Multimedia production isn’t just for your consumers; it can also significantly help make the inner workings of your company run more smoothly and efficiently.

For example, demonstrative photos and interactive training videos can dramatically streamline the learning process for new employees. This is also a boost for your bottom line, as you’ll save both money and time by simplifying the training of your staff.

Print-based company manuals can be, quite honestly, fairly dull, resulting in a decrease in information retention. The more dimensional and compelling your training process is, the more quickly new members of your team will pick up on the ins and outs of what’s expected of them. After all, who doesn’t learn better when they’re actually engaged with the subject-at-hand?

Closing Up

At the end of the day, multimedia production is the most effective way to get the word out about your company; traditional marketing tactics are still effective, but you’ll go much further with your brand if you’re willing to get a bit more innovative and creative with your efforts. The numbers don’t lie, and it’s quite transparent that the only way to push your brand forward into the future is to effectively mix and match various digital elements. That being said, get inspired, have fun, and let the whole world see and hear why your brand is the prime option to go with.  

Glenda McCarthy-Gaspar is the CEO of Proforma SI, a print, promotional, and graphic communications marketing company, and she has over 15 years of sales/marketing experience. She currently lives with her husband and two golden retrievers and has three grown children who have kids of their own.