Marketing, at its most basic, involves connecting with people—and video is
a huge part of many successful campaigns.
What’s more, by 2019,
Cisco predicts that 80 percent of all consumer internet traffic will involve
video.
Here are 10 tips to help you get started with your video content strategy:
1. Educate yourself. Before you start thinking strategy,
you should understand the video production process. The best way to learn
is to watch videos. Look at competitors’ videos to see which content and
approach gain your attention. Marketing departments might understand the
value of video, but they probably don’t know where to start. Educating
yourself will give a clearer idea of the video that you want to produce.
2. Know your budget. The No. 1 question we’re asked is,
“How much for a video?” We respond by asking, “How much is a house?” The
latter answer depends on several factors such as location, number of rooms,
bathrooms, acreage. The same principles apply to video: length, shooting
locations and crew size all matter. Understanding what you expect to
receive and how much you want to spend will make collaborating with your
production company a lot smoother.
3. Set your goals. Unfortunately, many marketers and
companies base success on the virality of the video, which has a slim
chance of happening. Going viral takes luck. Focus on reaching your target
audience or telling your story uniquely to stand out you’re your
competition. Talking facts, telling a compelling story or engaging your
audience will help you devise the best strategy to reach your goals.
4. Identify your target audience. Creating a video in
order to repurpose it for different audiences is ineffective. We strongly
recommend creating several short videos that target specific people through
specific channels. Creating content to please everyone is a waste of money.
By putting together a plan and schedule, you will set yourself up for
success. Keep things short and sweet for specific audiences. Understand
where the video will be posted and how those viewers will consume content.
5. Figure out the right message. Sometimes companies have
an idea or reference that might not align with the tone they should be
conveying. For instance, a five-minute corporate video may not be the best
choice when a 3D animation video would be better suited. Reference videos
are by no means a bad thing, but it’s important to keep your brand message
and delivery in mind. Being innovative by creating new and original content
will help you stand out.
6. Find the right opportunities. Ask yourself: How will
video work with my current content strategy? How can I implement social
media? What pages on our website get high-volume traffic? Are those pages
converting leads? Let’s talk about specific video types:
- Brand videos (your flagship video, explaining who you are or what you do,
and posted prominently on your home page) - Video testimonials
- Video blogs
- Product videos (for promoting a new product while discussing how it
works) - Explainer videos
- Social media videos, 15–30 seconds each
- Television commercials
7. Hire the right company. Usually, marketers look for the
cheapest video company to produce their content. Instead, focus on the right company to showcase your brand. Do research to find one that
understands your market and can create robust content for your video
content strategy. You’re looking to build a relationship and partnership to
make your video content strategy successful.
8. Market your video content. Creating great content is
only part of the equation. The other is using the right platforms to
distribute it. Put your video on your website to increase your SEO efforts
and decrease bounce rates. If your content can provide value, pitch it to
publications and key online figures so they can share it. Post about your
new video on your blog, and send out an email to reach new and old contacts
alike. If your content is relevant and exciting, have your sales team send
it to potential clients. Include a call to action in your email signature
to help potential clients understand what your company does.
9. Measure success. The goal is to see an increase in
views, followers, shares, page views, website traffic, etc. Trust the hard
work that you have put in, and market it to see long-term benefits.
10. Follow up. Build on your success by continuing
research, adapting to trends and creating new ideas to make your brand
stand out. As with any content strategy, if you focus on consistently
putting out great, innovate, educational content (and making sure you
interact with everyone who is discussing it), you’ll see results in no
time.
Stanley Meytin is CEO and creative director for
True Film Production.
A version of this post first appeared on
BusinessCollective.
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