So, What is Video Marketing?
Whether it’s for YouTube, TikTok, Reels or all of the above, video marketing means using video format as part of your content marketing efforts.
Video has come a long way. Gone are the days of super expensive, high-level productions. Today, you can get away with filming a world-class production with a ring-light and a phone.
However, what’s the point of having a good video if the strategy isn’t right?
Benefits of Using Videos
- Higher engagement – Video is easier to consume. No reading, no scrolling, just watching, which encourages the user to engage with it.
- Builds trust – No matter the type of videos you’re producing, putting a face or voice (or both) to a brand keeps users on your website or page for longer.
- Better understanding – Ideal for products or complex concepts, being able to verbally or physically showcase your explanations is easier for most people to understand
6 Step Checklist Before You Make Your Next Video
With platforms like TikTok and Reels changing the scope of video advertising and YouTube becoming more powerful as it grows, there are so many ways that you can incorporate your brand into a video – but it’s important that it fits with your brand.
There are six questions that you should ask yourself to ensure that the video you’ve got in mind is right:
- Is the message or content important for your viewers?
- What is the goal of this video?
- What do you want this video to do?
- How much time does this project take?
- What tools will I need?
- Has this concept been done before and can I learn from their mistakes?
How to Create a Video Content Marketing Strategy
Content marketing strategies are basically the plans you set in motion to get people to meet your objectives. Just like you would carefully plan a social media strategy or product roll out, your videos should also have their own plan.
Creating a proper brand awareness strategy for video marketing has a few steps:
Step 1: Identify your Video Goals
Why are you making this video? Do you want people to find out more about your business, buy a certain product or learn something new? Knowing why you’re making the videos helps you visualise how it should be structured.
Step 2: Know Your Audience
Who are you looking to attract to your business and what platforms are they watching your videos on? You might think that videos are just that – videos. However, it’s very important to ensure that your videos are:
- Talking to the right people
- Are promoted on the platforms that your audience uses
- Optimised for the right platforms (think ratios, length etc.)
For example – if you see an ad on Instagram that’s not in the correct ratio, that ad is going to stand out for all the wrong reasons – and so is the brand.
Step 3: Design Your Story
With the audience and video goal in mind, how are you going to get that point across? Just like any story writing, a good story always follows a journey:
- A main character with a goal that should align with your audience
- The main character has a pain point/issue that needs to be resolved
- Your main protagonist embarks on a journey which is how they discover your product
- The character has a revelation as your product solves their problem
Step 4: Establish Your Creative Requirements
Now that you know your story, audience and what platform you’re going to be publishing on, you must establish what you need. This includes hardware, advertising budget, platform regulations, outsourced professionals etc.
Whether you’re making the video yourself or outsourcing it, it’s important to know exactly what you need so that you can:
- Maintain your budget
- Have a realistic timeline
- Brief your team correctly
- Ensure that the video is optimised for the platform
Step 5: Put It Together
With your audience, goals and team at the ready, it’s time to put your video together.
Once the video is completed, some quick tips to optimise your video include:
- Create enticing video titles that peak your viewers interest and addresses their problem
- Include subtitles on your video for accessibility
- Ensure your messaging is consistent across platforms
- Have a clear call to action
Step 6: Measure & Analyse
Once your video is live be sure to measure how it performs. This means, going into the insights tab on your platform and reading the engagement, views, impressions, conversions and watch time.
If your video performed well, be sure to use a similar idea for your next one. If not, read through the comments and analyse what you could do better next time.
The Sky’s The Limit
By taking the time to plan your video marketing strategy, you can set up your brand for success to establish authority, drive sales and inspire action.
For more information on producing videos for digital or finding out videos are good for your brand, Dark Matter has a range of online courses, products or services to help you get the best for your business.
