Video marketing is an incredibly effective strategy for educating current and prospective clients, generating leads, and converting customers. Video production is more cost-effective and easier to accomplish than ever—today, you can shoot high-quality, 4K video using your smartphone. Brands need a video marketing strategy — this idea isn’t new. What has changed is how important video has become on every platform and channel.
What is video marketing?
Video marketing is using videos to promote and market your product or service, increase engagement on your digital and social channels, educate your consumers and customers, and reach your audience with a new medium. It’s an important aspect of your digital marketing strategy and/or inbound marketing strategy, and includes anything from short clips and trailers, to stories, reels, commercials, tours, live videos, and more.
The importance of video marketing
As the technology needed to create quality videos becomes more accessible to the average person, it’s become more popular with marketers. But that’s not the only reason video is a dominant form of marketing communication today.
First, there was the rise of smartphone technology that made watching videos easier and more convenient. Fast forward to 2022, and audiences are spending an average of 19 hours a week watching videos online. Ignoring video marketing is no longer an option for brands who want to excel.
Viewers often find that video marketing is more engaging – however, short clips tend to perform better as attention spans decrease. Think of the entire TikTok experience as well as Instagram stories and reels.
Longer videos still have value, and are useful for showcasing in-depth services or explainers. This type of video often performs best on social channels such as Facebook, YouTube, or even located within a Vimeo link on your website under the Services or Blog section.
Video marketing is great for educating and building trust
While 91.9% of users are content to watch any type of video at all, 31.3% want how-to videos and another 29.8% want educational videos.
Explainer videos have seen tremendous success. As well as being the most common goal of a marketing video, an overwhelming majority of people (96%) report watching explainer videos to learn more about a product, with 88% being swayed to make a purchase.
The product doesn’t have to be physical, either. More than three quarters (78%) of people say they’ve been convinced to purchase an app or piece of software because of a video.
How to create a video marketing strategy
Before you set up, record, or edit anything, start with a video marketing strategy. Why? Because every decision made during the video creation process will point back to your video’s purpose and what action you’d like your audience to complete after watching it.
Without a clear objective, you’ll find yourself in a whirlwind of re-shooting, re-framing, and editing, wasting a lot of precious time.
1. Choose your target audience and find out where they spend their time
The popularity of video and user-generated video content means that you need to target a specific audience with each video. If you don’t already have strong buyer personas, start creating them now. If you already have a set of buyer personas, make sure to update your personas to include the most recent video research. Consider your objectives with the video you’re creating.
2. Set a timeline and budget for your video
Think of video as a shorter, quicker, and less expensive version of your favorite film. While a video needs fewer resources to succeed, it can still be a time-consuming and expensive process. The process can be as simple as short clips filmed on an iPhone, or collaborations with a professional crew.
Create a clear timeline for every step of the process and plan for occasional delays. Even a small video production relies on the skills of many different people. You want to make sure that even with unexpected challenges and changes you can still deliver your video on time.
3. Choose the best platform to distribute your video
Before you start making your video, think about where you’re going to broadcast it. YouTube SEO is becoming as important as website SEO. Think about what people on that platform are looking for. You’ll also want to consider:
- Average view time
- Size and sound limitations
- Communities
- Budget
- Promotion
While videos are often used for advertising, a video doesn’t just promote itself. Some platforms have built-in vehicles for promotion, while others will need you to put in some time and effort to get more eyes on your video content. This list of video platforms can help you decide what platform is best for your video campaign.
Should you create videos to suit each platform? Yes and no. It really depends on your desired goal. If you are looking to expand your team, you may want to create a video that showcases the open positions, work culture and environment. This video may be posted on various social media channels with a CTA to the job description. However, it may excel on platforms such as Linkedin or Twitter where the demographic reflects that of your target audience.
4. Develop messaging and choose the right types of video for your personas
It’s important to communicate a message with your videos. If you’re not sure where to start, use one of these examples of marketing videos to inspire your video strategy. If you’re not sure what kind of message is best for customers at different stages in the buyer journey, align your video messages with the flywheel.
Universal videos may include collections, promos, client stories or case studies, behind the scenes peeks, tours, or unique content created by your marketing team. This content paired with the correct CTA and outlined goals can create a substantial amount of engagement.
5. Decide which metrics you want to track and how you will measure success
Before you dive into production, you need to define your video goals and find the best metrics to help you understand whether you’ve accomplished those goals. Choose several key performance indicators that correspond with your video goals. This list of metrics is a good place to start if you’re not sure where to start with tracking your video marketing.
Is video marketing essential for your business? How can you effectively create and use video marketing for your business?
Video marketing is an effective way to utilize content to convey various messages or objectives that you would like to communicate to your consumers. It offers an engaging, shareable way in which to quickly convey a message to consumers. Not only that, it can create a stronger customer relationship, as it is more personal and contributes to your brand’s personality.
The continued rise of video as a marketing tool seems inexorable. Nearly nine out of ten people reported wanting to see more videos from brands in 2021, making video an excellent tool for lead generation and brand awareness. Video marketing can be completed with various budgets, so long as you set clear objectives and goals ahead of time. Those who’ll reap the most benefits of a video marketing strategy are those who can find a way to utilize video marketing content in several ways or across various platforms.
If you want to increase or develop your online video presence, Campfire Digital Marketing can create a video marketing strategy for your business. Our team can also make personalized recommendations about other aspects of digital marketing based on your needs, goals and budget. Please contact us today to get started.