I’m a believer. I never was, but since I’ve started to create small chunks of video content in recent months to engage audiences about our services, I’m starting to see that video content is the way forward for affiliates to invest in.
To do it right, your video content needs to be engaging and it needs to be in the right format for the channels that you are using. Some of the biggest operators and affiliates are utilising channels like YouTube and Twitch to encourage conversions and get results.
I’ve been exploring video more over the past few months and will be releasing some content and interviews about how to make it great over the course of the next few weeks. I am going to start with taking a look at the best video formats to use for your site and brand.
MP4
If you are looking for a video format that is going to support a variety of platforms and devices, then MP4 is where you need to start. This format can store audio files, text, video files and even still images. The great thing about this format is that it keeps the file size small without impacting on the quality.
In terms of cross-platform video content stored in formats like this, brands like Paddy Power are constantly creating engaging content that gets conversions. You can utilise these tools too.
MOV
While MOV was developed by Apple and is designed for QuickTime Player, this format is still compatible with Windows. When using this format for your marketing strategy, I suggest that you take note of the file size that is associated with high-quality content. It is, however, still a good format that you can rely on.
WMV
Another cross-platform format that you can use for video files and content is WMV which was developed by Microsoft but is compatible with Apple devices. This is similar to MOV but has its own advantages.
This format contains a large quantity of video and audio information in smaller storage. It’s what makes WMV an ideal format for streaming videos over the Internet and it is compatible with all the Windows–powered devices.
It also is supported by older applications, old versions of Microsoft PowerPoint. So when you are thinking about device usage in your audience, think about using this one to cover a wide reach.
FLV
Did you know that YouTube has over 1 billion users, and that 6 billion hours of video are viewed on this site every month? A lot of the video content that you will find on YouTube from big brands like Sun Bingo use FLV because of how versatile it is as a file format.
YouTube is becoming increasingly useful for affiliate marketing and if you aren’t on there already then now is the time. It is important to note, however, that FLV is not compatible with a lot of iOS devices.
AVI
AVI is one of the oldest video formats but it remains extremely useful across a variety of platforms and it is one that you should take note of. AVI is compatible with plenty of browsers and operating systems and big sites like Twitch accept files of this kind. You need to make sure that you are utilising tools like Twitch to reach a wider audience and keep looking out for the next big thing.
AVCHD
Finally, if you are creating high-end content with digital camcorders then you need to know about AVCHD. This format can store high-quality footage in a small file size too. Looking towards the future – this format also can store 3D footage which might just be the next thing in affiliate marketing.
Make sure that you are using the best format for your video content in order to engage your customers and build your portal. Watch out for our next edition of #WeSpeakAffiliate with an experienced video content streamer who shares his insights on how best to create and use video content in the casinos industry.
