Video Marketing and Digital Marketing

Nowadays, brands cannot simply get by with just images and written content. Users find written content and images not enough as they are exposed to live streaming, augmented reality, interactive 360 videos and more. In the United States alone, digital video marketing is a $135 billion enterprise. It means that brands are putting value on video and invest in the distribution and creation of videos.

Just basing on this kind of growth alone, you will realize that you are already behind if you are not generating branded video content on a regular basis. According to TechCrunch, around 1 billion hours of YouTube videos are being viewed every day. This amazing statistic is not really surprising because videos have dominated the digital marketing space for some time now and are predicted to continue growing. This is the main reason why video marketing should be an integral part of your digital marketing strategy.

Types of Videos

There are a lot of different video types out there and part of generating a potent content marketing strategy is to have a concrete understanding of your goal before sitting down and making your video, or any kind of content. Consequently, you want to make sure that the kind of video as well as the channel fits the goal of the video. Here are some common types of videos:

1. Explainers

This type of video helps inform and educate people regarding your product and could be used together with instructions, customer service activities as well as whole lot of other applications.

2. Interviews

Interviews help motivate conversation between sides, or showcase an influencer or a very special guest. If you are making videos that feature guest experts, you can always recycle the video and promote it as a podcast.

3. Demo videos and product reviews

These videos can be generated by brand promoters in exchange for free services or products. If you can pinpoint people in your industry who want to enhance their social following, using product reviews and demo videos can be an amazing way of acquiring free advertising. Doing this can also help you to discover information regarding the product if the ones doing the video reviews have tons of comments and engagement. So, these types of videos could work like a market research.

4. Live videos

Live videos are the perfect way to be up close and personal with your audience. This works well with social channels in particular.

How to do a video marketing strategy

1. Begin with your video goals

The initial step in making your video marketing strategy is to outline the goals of your videos. In essence, you want to make a video for every stage of the marketing funnel. You will have to decide which stage is the most vital to target.

a. Awareness

In this stage, an opportunity or challenge is defined and the viewer becomes aware that they have a problem. Videos in this stage are aimed at attracting users and introducing your brand to a new audience.

b. Consideration

At this point the viewer is now considering how he or she is going to face the problem that they are faced with. They are researching, asking for recommendations, viewing product reviews, and trying to find good solutions.

c. Decision

The solution has almost been discovered and you want to remain clear-headed. Present your leads with proof of customer satisfaction and show why your product or service must be selected over your competition.

2. Look for your target audience

Now that you realize what stage of the marketing funnel you are going to be targeting, it is time to figure out who your target audience is. This is also a very important step. If you make a video without a certain audience in mind, the video is likely going to fail. Those who are supposed to watch will not be able to, and those who do watch it will not convert.

The key to knowing who your target audience is, is by developing your buyer’s persona. If you already have one then that is good. Creating a buyer’s persona or a few personas is usually done when a company is developing its products and services. The assumption is that the people you want to buy your product are also the people you want to reach with your video.

3. Find out what story you want to tell

Figuring out what story you want your video to tell could be both fun and difficult. You need four elements for your story. These are:

a. Protagonist with a goal – This person has to align with your target demographic

b. Conflict – This is the pain point of your customer

c. Quest – This is going to be how you introduce your service or product

d. Resolution – This is how your service or product solves the issue

These elements of your story should take the viewer on a journey. The journey should align with your brand mission.

4. Have creative requirements in mind

When you create your story, bear in mind the people who must approve your video. It could be your marketing department, your manager or your company’s founder. Also consider the time it will take to work on their feedback. Changes in scripting, messaging goals and other stuff can throw your production off.

5. Stick to your timeframe

When you are planning your whole production, from idea to actual video distribution, you must have a timeframe to follow. Actually, it would be better if you had multiple timelines. You must have an overall timeline, production timeline, distribution timeline, etc. Your timeline serves as your beacon, giving you an idea of how much you have done and what is there left to do.

6. Have a realistic budget

Money is king. Creative planning and strategy may be important but if you are realistic, you need the right budget. Without the right budget, it will be difficult to get what you really want. You need to plan for the resources and the money you need. Plan what you need to do in-house and what you might have to outsource to a production company.

Compare the prices of the things you need for your video. Ask industry experts about how much you will pay for a freelancer or a full-time employee. A lot of agencies would be more than happy to provide you with information about pricing. Some videos may be more expensive than others so make sure you have the right budget and be sure to research the prices.