A study done by Personify Corp shows that video will account for over 80% of all internet traffic by 2025. That is a staggering statistic that shows there are great opportunities for businesses that leverage videos in their marketing strategies.
With video marketing being a relatively new strategy for many businesses, many owners do not know how to leverage and use it to get the excellent marketing results and returns on investment that they are looking for. In this article, we cover everything you need to know to start using video marketing in your business and marketing campaigns.
What is Video Marketing?
Video marketing is a strategy that uses video as the primary type of content for marketing purposes. It is a part of the larger digital marketing topic and has become very popular in recent years due to its many benefits.
Businesses are using video marketing to promote products and services, increase brand awareness, reach new customers on social media and explain what their products do to potential customers.
Crafting a Video Marketing Strategy
Like any other marketing strategy, businesses need a strategy to ensure their video marketing efforts produce the desired results. Creating one starts with outlining the strategy’s goals and objectives. This entails answering the question, “What do you want to achieve at the end of the campaign?”
Every business is different so the answer to this question will be, too. Many business owners cite being able to market their products more effectively, increasing visitor engagement, decreasing their marketing costs, and increasing their returns on investment as their marketing efforts.
Decide On The Types of Content
One of the best things about video marketing is that it lets you use different types of video content depending on your business needs. Businesses can create:
- Brand videos – These are storytelling videos also used to build brand awareness. They showcase a business’ culture, values, and mission. Businesses also use them to create an emotional connection with their audience that leads to the latter wanting to learn more about the business
- Product videos – These are videos used to showcase different products and services. They can be short previews or longer in-depth videos showing their features, benefits and use cases. They are further divided into explainer, tutorial, and product demonstration videos.
- How-to or educational videos – These provide valuable tips, information, and tutorials that would otherwise not fit in a product video. They can also help position the brand as an authority in its field.
- Social media videos – Shorter, punchier videos designed for social media. Their main aim is driving engagement, building awareness, and getting conversations started.
- Customer testimonials – Every business should be utilising social proof as part of their marketing. Customer testimonials can provide this social proof and additional information for people considering the business’ products and services.
Establishing a Budget
Now that you have a plan and know what videos to create, it is time to create a budget. Different videos cost different amounts due to the amount of work that goes into them. Shorter social media videos might not need as much work as longer explainer videos, meaning they do not cost the same to produce.
If you are on a limited budget, choose the types of videos that will have the most impact and create those. You can always create other types of videos in the future as your budget allows. Also, longer, evergreen videos tend to perform better and provide a better return on investment, so focus on those if you have a limited budget.
Timeline and Distribution
Where and how often will you post your videos? The answer to this question will depend on the types of videos you will create. Shorter videos will go on social media., while longer ones are better suited for platforms like YouTube and your website. If you decide to embed the videos on your website, use a video CDN to improve load times and user experience, especially for longer videos and large video files.
You have the freedom to experiment with different distribution platforms to see where your content works best. For example, you might find that the shorter videos you earmarked for social media are much better on YouTube shorts.
Next, you need to know when to post. This will, again, depend on the type of video and the platforms you use. You do not have to struggle with this because numerous platforms and tools can tell you the best time to post on social media.
Use their recommendations as suggestions and experiment with time variations to find ones that work best for your business, audience, and content types.
How to Create Compelling Video Content
Your goals and objectives should guide you on what content will work eBay for your business, but you should know of additional tips that will help you create the best videos possible.
Crucially, keep the video the right length, no more or less. Make your videos as concise as possible because no one likes run-on videos. People have also become very impatient, especially on social media, so they expect punchier, information-heavy videos. This is not to say you cannot experiment with lighter topics or light-hearted videos.
The second tip is to use narrative structure to your advantage. Researching online will reveal different structures, but consider starting with one that utilises a hook, problem, solution, and call to action. This structure helps you hit all four important points while keeping your video punchy and to the point.
Get a professional to shoot your videos. If you do not have access to one, do not worry. Smartphone cameras have become so good in recent years that you can shoot professional-grade footage on them.
Just remember to check the lighting, audio, and visuals to ensure the video looks professional.
Getting started with video marketing is not as challenging as many people imagine. If you have a good structure, know what you want to create, and know how to make it, you can develop compelling video content in a few minutes to a few hours. Ensure it aligns with your goals and objectives and your audience is interested in the content or topic.
