In the last few years, video marketing has become more and more popular, year over year. In 2017, video topped the list as the top digital marketing strategy. Your creative team likely created the video as a one-to-many awareness play. There was a lot of emphasis on expensive production, but very little analysis. In 2018, and 2019, video transformed from a video marketing statistic and tactic to a sole marketing strategy.
An effective video marketing strategy is a holistic approach to business. Producing video content should be conversational, actionable, and measurable for all teams. Video can be used for more than entertainment. Long are the days that videos were only shared in social media channels like a YouTube channel or Facebook page. It can now be used in marketing campaigns, plus also using videos in social media posts can heighten engagement.
Video has not only changed the way businesses market and customers shop but it’s also changed how salespeople interact with prospects and how customer service teams delight and support them. Video is extremely useful across the entire flywheel, not just for brand recognition. Video landing pages can increase conversion rates by more than 80%.
The mere mention of “video” within an email subject line will increase open rates by 19%. Customers also report that videos aid them in making buying decisions. Salespeople can use video to increase customer engagement throughout the whole buying process. Salespeople can also use backend analytics to help them identify and prioritize unresponsive leads.
What Kind of Video Should I Create?
Now it’s time for you to start thinking about the video you want to make. Each type of video is different and each has its pros and cons. Some may be more effective depending on your marketing goals. Others might work better if you are looking to save money long-term. There are others like you who have no idea what the difference is. We’ve broken down the most popular types and styles so that you can start the video-making process.
12 Types of Marketing Videos
Before you start filming, it is important to decide what type of video you want. This list will help you understand all your options.
Demo Video
Demo videos show how your product works, whether it’s showing how the software can be used, or unboxing and putting your product to the test. Understand how to use video in every phase of the buyer’s journey.
Brand Video
Often, brand videos are created as part of larger advertising campaigns. They showcase the company’s vision, mission, products, and services. Brand videos are intended to raise awareness about your company and intrigue and draw your target audience.
Event Video
Are you a business that hosts a round table discussion, conference, fundraiser, or another type of event? Make a highlight reel, or publish interesting interviews and presentations.
Expert Video Interviews
Interviews with thought leaders or internal experts in your industry are a great way of building trust with your target audience. Find influencers within your industry, regardless of whether they agree with you. Engage them in the conversation. This video is not just a superficial interview. It’s an in-depth conversation with an industry expert that offers concrete tips for creating viral content. Your audience will benefit from your hard work if you are flexible in your interviews.
Educational and How-To Video
Instructional videos can help you teach your audience something or give them the foundational knowledge that they need to understand your business and its solutions. These videos can be used by sales and service staff to help customers.
Explainer Video
This video helps your customers understand why you offer your product or service. Many explainer videos depict a fictional story of a core buyer who is facing a problem. The person solves the problem by buying or adopting the solution.
Animated Video
HubSpot produced the following video to promote the 2017 State of Inbound report’s key theme (intangible). Animation videos are a great way to convey complex concepts or explain abstract services or products. You can take this example:
Videos of Customer Testimonials and Case Studies
Prospects want to know that your product solves their problem. This can be demonstrated by creating case studies videos featuring your loyal customers. These people are your greatest advocates. These people are your best advocates.
Live Videos
Your viewers will get a behind-the-scenes look at your company through live video. You can also draw more viewers to live video than you can with video-on-demand. Live video has a higher engagement rate and a longer stream duration. Live-streaming allows viewers to view interviews, presentations, and events and encourages them to ask questions.
360deg and Virtual Reality Videos
360deg videos allow viewers to “scroll” around and see the content from all angles, as if they were standing in it. This video style, which is spherical in shape, allows viewers to live a specific event or location. Viewers can navigate and control virtual reality (VR), which allows them to experience the world from their perspective. These videos can be viewed using devices like Oculus Rift and Google Cardboard.
Augmented Reality (AR), Videos
This style video adds a digital layer to the current world. You can point your smartphone’s camera at your living space and AR will allow you to see what a couch looks like in that area. This is an example of how the IKEA Place app works.
Personalized Messages
Video can be an innovative way to carry on a conversation or to respond to someone via email, text, or phone. HubSpot Video and Loom allow you to capture important meetings or give personalized recommendations. These videos can create an unforgettable moment for your prospects that will help them move further down their buying journey.
Aside from the 12 types above, online videos can also be used in other forms like video ads, video blogs, product videos, and even hosting videos. Video marketing works on all social media platforms and can be an efficient marketing tool to gain internet traffic on your landing page.
How Do I Create a Video Marketing Strategy?
Video marketing strategies have been around for a long time. You wouldn’t make a Super Bowl commercial without doing research and strategizing. The same goes for digital marketing videos. Your video marketing strategy will guide you. It will include your budget, production schedule, conversion metrics, and timeline. This should be the first step in your video creation process. Before we get into the details, let’s take a look at the steps.
- Begin with your video goals
- Find your target audience
- Find the story that you are most passionate about
- Be creative
- Follow your schedule
- Be realistic about your budget
We’re sure you’re aware of where we are going. Now we’ll explain each step in detail.
Begin With Your Video Goals
Outlining the goals of your video is the first step to creating a video strategy. You should create videos for each stage of your marketing funnel. However, it’s important to first decide which stage you want to target. The viewer is made aware of a problem or challenge and can take action to solve it. This stage is where videos are used to attract viewers and introduce your brand or company to a new audience.
The next stage has the viewer thinking about how they will solve the problem. They are researching, looking for suggestions, reading product reviews, and trying out cost-effective solutions. You have almost found the solution and want to keep it top of mind. Show your prospect proof of customer satisfaction to show why you are better than your competitors. An awareness video is essential if you are looking to attract new customers to your brand. A consideration stage video is necessary to engage your audience.
A decision stage video is necessary if you are close to closing the sale or need to nurture prospects. A video can be created to delight customers who have purchased from you. Or an internal video to motivate employees or help them recruit.
Find Your Target Audience
Once you have identified the stage of your marketing funnel, it is time to identify who your target audience is. This is a critical step. If you don’t have a target audience, your video will be more likely to fail. It won’t be watched by those who don’t want to, and it won’t be seen by people who don’t care about it.
How do you identify your target audience? Your buyer persona is the key. Do you already have one? When a company develops its products or services, it is often necessary to create a buyer’s personality (or several). Presumably, those who want to purchase your product are the same people that you want to reach through your video.
Once you have your buyer’s persona, you will know who your target audience is. The following information is necessary to finalize your audience strategy:
- Your buyer will determine who your product or service is intended for.
- This will determine where your videos fit within the marketing funnel.
- This will help you determine where your target audience is located.
These three points will help you determine not only who your target audience are but also how to reach them.
Find the Story That You Are Most Passionate About
The most enjoyable and difficult part of creating a video is deciding what story to tell. These are the four main elements of your story.
- A protagonist with a goal – This person should be aligned with your target demographic.
- The pain point of your customer is conflict.
- Quest – This is how you will introduce your product/service.
- Solution – This describes how your product solves the problem.
These elements should lead the viewer on an emotional journey that aligns with your brand mission. As you write your story, think about the emotion you want to convey to your viewers. Are you hoping for them to have a good time? Do you want them to feel happy or inspired after they watch your video?
Write your script with emotion in mind. This will be communicated through everything, from the props and location to the colors and wardrobe.
Be Creative
When you are creating your story, think about the people who will be reviewing it (your manager, founder of your company, marketing department, etc.). Make sure you allow time to implement their feedback. You can have your entire production thrown off track by sudden changes in messaging, script writing, goals, or other elements. These changes are still all too common.
Follow Your Schedule
You should establish a timeline for your entire production. This will help you to plan everything from creative ideas to distribution. Multiple timelines are necessary: production timeline, distribution timeline, and overall timeline. Your timeline is your guide, helping you see how far you have come and what you still need to do.
Every member of your team must adhere to timelines. Your marketing department might have its own timeline, production may have theirs, and social media will have its own. Be a good sport, keep everyone updated about changes and completion dates, and be a good sport.
Be Realistic About Your Budget
Cash is the most important thing. While creativity and strategy are essential, let’s face it, they can be difficult to implement. It’s not easy to achieve exactly what you want without a budget. You should plan for the money you have available. You should plan what you will create in-house or outsource to video marketers. You can decide what you want to spend your money on and what you might save. Always shop around, not only literally but also metaphorically.
Ask industry experts what they charge for certain services such as sound editing, scripting, and social media distribution. Ask industry experts how much they charge for certain services (sound editing, scripting, social media distribution, etc.) and what you would expect to pay if you hired someone as a freelancer or full-time employee. Many agencies will gladly provide any information or refer you to a video marketing agency that can help you.
You might pay more for certain features or videos than others. Make sure to research all options before you decide on the type and method of creating it. After all, the video’s success depends on the first video, and you want your brand’s video to be a high-quality video with the key audience in mind.
What Are the Three Stages of Video Production?
You’re now ready to host the big event. You have a video strategy in place, you know your video goals, and you know the style and type of video that will help you reach them. The next step is to write the script, find the right agency, edit the video, and celebrate finally having a beautifully-crafted video that you are proud of. With the right partner, the entire production process should take approximately two months. However, be sure to allow more time for each stage so you don’t get behind.
1. Pre-Production
This stage encompasses all the planning you need to do for your video. It is the first and most crucial stage of producing your video since it sets the wheels in motion. During this stage, you should get feedback from all relevant team members about the video content, book and schedule a shoot, and define the video content. When you hire a production team or company, you’ll need to conduct all creative calls, approvals, and vetting here. During video pre-production, you should keep these steps in mind.
Creative Brainstorm
You should hold a creative brainstorming session before hiring a production company or producing your video yourself. In this step, you will be able to determine the story, characters, the plot, the messaging, and even the length and style of your video. When you have brainstormed everything you can think of, you can whittle them down and determine what might work and what might not work.
Script
Your next step should be scripting your video. Outline your dialogues, voice-overs, music, sound effects, visuals, and anything else that helps advance your story. If you cannot write your script yourself, it is possible to hire a freelance writer or agency to do it for you. Keep in mind that the average reader reads two words per second.
An ideal video should have 120 words per minute, 240 words per minute, and so on. But remember, your video doesn’t have to be filled with dialogue all the time. Silence and motion can sometimes tell just as well as narration. Decide what will most effectively convey your message.
Storyboard
Even though you sketched some visuals in your script, now it is time to complete the design! Storyboards aren’t required for every video, but they are helpful in determining the style and look of the video. They also help you make sure that everyone on set knows what shots to prioritize so your camera operators and project coordinators perform to the highest standard.
An excellent storyboard doesn’t require you to be an expert artist. Using stick figures to represent your characters can give your team some perspective and help you all understand the look and feel of the video.
Booking and Preparation
The official steps are now: hiring talent, hiring staff, scheduling timelines, and purchasing equipment and props. If you are handling this all yourself, it can become quite hectic. It’s important to have a contact person for all your actors, production assistants, and licenses. If you are filming in public places, it may be a good idea to hire an agency to help with all technical details. This stage is where documents are crucial.
Make sure everyone has access to the calendars, contacts sheets, script notes, and other documents. Be aware of deadlines and create reminders so you don’t forget any details. Pre-production setup is a full-time job. Make sure to balance your goals with your abilities.
2. Production
It’s not an easy task, but it is a great day. Production day can be chaotic and chaotic, or it can be organized and cool. When the video is complete, it’s ready to be released. It is a feeling of achievement. It’s exciting, but there are still many things you can do to make sure your video is as good as possible. This is why you and the production company with which you work must keep the following in mind.
Audio/Visual Quality
Audio and visuals are the two most important components of any video. You want both to meet your production standards. To get the best sound and image, you will need to test your equipment. Check all sound equipment (mics and booms, etc.) as well as your camera equipment. Make sure you match your storyboard and brand style with your shots if you are on set. You can also ask for photos and video chat to ensure your video is working as it should.
Lighting
Lighting can make all the difference in a high-quality, beautiful production or a poor, low-budget production. Lighting sets mood, lighting sets tone, and lighting set the overall look and feel of your production. Pay attention! This is why you should hire a professional to handle it. However, don’t forget about checking your photos and approving the overall look.
Styling
Another thing that can set the tone for your production is your lighting. The physical styling of your production includes makeup, wardrobe, props and set decorations. These items will convey the bulk of your story, no matter how big or small. These should be addressed during the creative planning stage. However, the details and purchases can be made later. The way your video looks can make or break your marketing campaign.
Extras
Extras can be tailored to your specific needs. You might find it helpful to have behind-the-scenes footage, quick photos, or other types of b-roll. Do it! You will benefit from any video marketing efforts that you create during production. This can increase your client’s long-term value and allow you to create more content for your blog that can be helpful to internet users.
Ask your agency what they can do if you are working with them. Raw video footage might be requested to allow you to continue editing and repackaging the video for future uses. Consider your needs and then see what you can do.
3. Post-Production
You don’t need to worry about post-production unless you are a production manager or creative director. It’s useful to be aware of what happens, but not necessary that you do anything. Post-production is primarily about video editing and graphic design.
This means that you will either have hired an experienced editor or agency or have given this work to the right people. Be aware of timelines and familiarize yourself with the post-production process. But don’t let this discourage you from completing all of it.
Visual Effects
Editing your video footage is an important part of post-production. This involves cutting and splicing your b-roll, interviews, and lifestyle footage together to create your story. It also involves changing other visual elements such as color and clarity to best convey the story you are trying to tell. This will affect the branding of your video. Remember that when you think about an Apple store, it’s not one with romantic lighting. So make sure your color edits reflect the creative vision.
Sound Effects
Your audio effects are just as important as your visual effects. Your audio effects include sound mixing, dialogue, narration, and music. A simple layer of ambient sound can make a video feel more professional than a poor-quality one. Professional audio mixing is essential to achieve the best sound levels, dialogue volume, Foley effects, and other aspects.
Graphic Effects
Graphic effects can be added to your branded videos in addition to visual editing. These elements include animation, text graphics, and fade-ins and outs. These elements tie together all of your branding efforts, so make sure you use them well and you will have a professional video that you are proud to show off.
Call To Action
You should know the call to action for your video. Your homepage URL, a click here button, thumbnails of other videos, social icons, or any other type of CTA can be included. Although these are technically graphic elements, they require more thought as you need to think about your video goals and the way you want viewers to achieve them. You can make your CTA as user-friendly as possible by thinking about how they will use it.
How Can Video Improve My SEO?
While video marketing offers many benefits, we are focusing on improving SEO. Marketers have found search engine optimization to be a valuable tool. 64 percent of people use search engines when they are ready to buy, while 71% visit an app or retailer website during the decision-making phase.
It is crucial that your website ranks high on search engine results pages (SERPs). How can you improve your business’s online presence? By making and posting videos online. Video is now being ranked higher in search engines’ results.
Videos are appearing in 55 percent of Google keyword searches. Videos not only help your website rank higher in relevant searches but also make your snippet (or actual result listing content), larger and more appealing. This means that searchers will see it sooner than other results.
How Does Video Improve My Website’s Ranking?
Search engines give preference to sites that have video content because they perform better than sites without it. Search engines are ultimately motivated to do a great job. If they see that a website has an engaging video that users appreciate, answering their questions and providing a positive overall experience they will reward it with a higher rank.
While there are many ways to improve your SEO, the most effective is video. Here are just a few benefits of video marketing:
- Increase your click-through rate. A video page can drive a 157 percent increase of organic traffic from SERPs.
- Your bounce rates can be reduced. Video pages are more popular than pages without video.
- Quality backlinks are essential. Higher quality content will result in more backlinks.
What Steps Can I Take to Improve My SEO?
There are many technical tips that you can use to improve your website’s SEO. However, one of the most important tips is to create high-quality content to educate and inform your viewers. What type of content is the most informative and educational? The answer would be, videos! Don’t forget to share your video if you have already made it. Video is by its nature extremely informative. However, the SEO boost it provides could be very beneficial in the long term.
Make Videos for Your Website
When it comes to publishing your videos, don’t forget your website. It can be used on any page that is relevant. For example, if you have a product video, embed it on your homepage. Include the video in your blog post about your product! Include the video if you have an FAQ page that answers questions about your product.
Integrate Your Video With Quality Content
Unfortunately, posting a video to a page that isn’t already blank won’t help your SEO. Your video should be embedded on a page with relevant and informative content. Search engine crawlers will be able to see that your site has both engaging multimedia and valuable information. Make sure that the content is related to the video. Sometimes, posting the transcript of the video can be very helpful.
Post Video Content Consistently
While one video is fine, more engaging videos are better. Although it may not be possible to post videos every day or for every initiative, if you have a major campaign or initiative that could really benefit from video, you should dedicate some resources to video production. Even overlaying text onto stock footage can make your website more engaging and attract more people via organic search.
Remember to Pay Attention to the Details
SEO is about quality content as well as technical details. Online video is no exception. Don’t forget to include the technical details necessary for crawlers to index your video content. These details include title, description, and tags. Annotations are also important. These items can be edited on most video hosting platforms.
Invest in Video Marketing For Your Small Business Today
If you’re looking for ways to dominate your competition, you need a video marketing strategy. Having a strong online presence is more important than ever, and videos are one of the best ways to make an impression on potential customers. Not sure where to start? We can help! Our team of experts will work with you to develop a video marketing strategy that fits your unique needs and helps you reach your business goals.
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