Video content can grab people’s attention like no other media format. However, it’s not as simple as just piecing together footage and music and calling it a day. If you want to stand out among your competition, you have to have clear goals, a proven approach, and a talented team.
Fortunately, any brand can create an effective video marketing strategy. These tips will help you incorporate video into your online marketing, even if you’re just getting started.
Start with Clear Video Campaign Goals
Video is such a powerful marketing tool that it’s tempting to jump right in and use it to engage your target audience. Unfortunately, that can lead to unfocused campaigns that don’t accomplish much.
Instead, outline a plan for each campaign. Clearly identify your purpose, your target audience, and what action you want the viewer to take. You also need to clarify which stage of the marketing funnel will be your focus. For example, you might create videos that focus on brand and product awareness for upper-funnel customers, but detailed how-to videos for people who are closer to making a purchasing decision.
Choose the Right Platforms
Where will you publish your videos? Whether you choose YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, you should keep in mind that each platform attracts a slightly different demographic. Consider your audience and the goals you’ve set, and then choose the platforms where you will receive the biggest ROI.
Remember that you aren’t locked into a single platform. For example, you may focus on TikTok if you choose to leverage a recent trend you’ve seen on that platform. But later, you can repurpose that content for Facebook Reels or YouTube Shorts. Your mileage on this may vary, however. Some trends are born and die on a specific platform without ever expanding to another platform, so you risk making irrelevant content if you blindly copy and paste every video across multiple platforms.
Before publishing your content, be aware that each platform has different video dimensions and specifications. Keep this in mind when making your content!
Take Time to Establish a Video Production Plan
Without a good plan, video production can quickly go wrong, resulting in missed deadlines or extra money spent on fixing mistakes that could have easily been avoided. Consider creating a checklist that contains all the important elements of successful video production.
This might include:
- Writing and editing a script
- Finding a location or securing a studio
- Obtaining permits
- Gathering any necessary equipment
- Blocking and storyboarding
- Scheduling
For every step of the process, make sure you incorporate accountability and quality control to ensure the team stays on target.
Know Your Production Capabilities
You may be tempted to handle the video making process in-house. After all, no one understands your brand or products better than you, and you might be able to save money on professional production services.
However, in-house productions only succeed when you have the necessary equipment, talent, and resources. Otherwise, you run the risk of making costly mistakes. Be realistic about what you can accomplish on your own and whether it would be better to hire a professional team.
Don’t Ignore Post-Production
There’s no feeling quite like calling it a wrap on your video shoot. Enjoy that feeling, but get ready for the real work to begin again.
It’s said that every video is made in the edit, and this is often true. Here is where an editor will assemble your video, add animations or music, and ensure your final product is ready for public consumption. It’s important to note that a good editor can make your video shine, while a poor one can doom it to irrelevancy. Even if you hire the best talent to shoot the video, do not skimp out on the edit.
Pay Close Attention to Video Marketing Analytics
Don’t just post your video and hope it takes off; come up with a plan when it comes to promoting your video. Ensure you’ve tagged your video with the right metadata, share it on social media, link it in your marketing videos, and otherwise get the word out.
Once your video’s out there, however, don’t just start work on the next one. Keep a close eye on your video’s analytics to measure the success of your campaign. Once you’ve gathered enough performance data, you’ll have a pretty clear idea of what worked well and what didn’t. Then, you can incorporate that knowledge into your future video campaigns.
Don’t Be Intimidated by Video Marketing
While there’s definitely a learning curve to video marketing, the results are absolutely worthwhile. Video can increase traffic to your website, boost sales, and increase brand awareness. As long as you start with a clear plan and execute it thoughtfully with a talented team, you can achieve your campaign goals.
