For marketing videos, planning makes all the difference
Author April LundyCategories Technology, Web + Online Marketing
Given the trend toward greater video content consumption online, you’re likely considering video as a greater portion of your marketing mix this year. Video can be effective, and budget-friendly, if you take the time up front to prepare your strategy and resources to get the most out of this effort.
Whether you’re hoping to make your marketing videos look like big-budget Hollywood productions, or needing something less grand, there are a few things that can help you make your videos more successful.
Think before you shoot
Spend some time really thinking about the look and feel of your video. This video may be the first impression a viewer has of your brand, so make sure it fits into your visual identity and brand personality.
Likewise, the content should fit your brand’s tone. Write a script and storyboard your ideas, making sure that what your video has to say isn’t going to be disjointed from your current materials or damage your reputation.
Make an ask
Be sure to end every video with a clear call to action, whether that’s to subscribe for more videos, to give you a call, or to make a purchase immediately. Don’t end with multiple messages - let the viewer know exactly what step you want him or her to take next.
Know your hosts
Choose a video hosting provider that aligns with your business needs.
- YouTube has a billion unique monthly visitors and has nearly 100 hours of video uploaded every minute. It’s certainly popular, and great for search engines, but your content may get lost in the shuffle - and you might find your brand content alongside other content that doesn’t fit with your company’s values or interests. Also, some corporate firewalls block YouTube, so check the capabilities of your intended audience.
- Vimeo offers a professional and scalable option for companies. With multiple account levels - Basic, Plus and Pro - you can choose something that fits your space, privacy and support needs.
- Businesses with heavy video content requirements may need a more robust, proprietary, solution such as Brightcove, Wistia, Sprout Video or LimeLight Orchestrate.
Promote your work
Once you have the content posted, promote it on your website, in your newsletter, in company email signatures, on your company’s social media pages - wherever you see an audience that can benefit from that content. Video is a great example of what we call “re-usable content” - once created it can be used on multiple marketing channels to promote your message.
If you take the time to plan how your video content will fit into your brand, where you will host it and how you will promote it, your video content will perform better and advance your brand.
With a love for design and a passion for technology this mother of four has never shied away from a day of hard work in either. After working in the IT field as a marketing director, she now works in the marketing field as Manager of Technology & Business Services for Savage. Just don't be fooled by her sweet nature, underneath lies the heart of a gamer, and the competition better watch out.
