As a creative agency, we realize that we are in the weeds of details regarding the world of video. We live and we breathe this stuff, down to minute details. We truly believe in its effectiveness, for large and small companies alike. Regardless of your organization, we know that video marketing has a role in meeting your goals.
We also recognize, however, that the world of video and video marketing can be very overwhelming. If you are new or have little experience using this medium, it is natural to not know where to begin.
This isn’t a reason for panic, though. Just like when you entered kindergarten and the new world it contained, video creation and marketing will soon become second nature. You’ll start asking yourself questions like “how can I move this content to video?”.
But…where to begin?
We’re glad you asked. We believe in this medium, so we’ve compiled 4 ways to get started with video marketing.
Be “In the Know”
The first step is simple: understanding what video marketing is and what it is not.
Video marketing is the process of creating and distributing videos in order to achieve an organization’s goal. The “video” portion refers to a wide variety of video content – everything from short TikTok style ads to longform explainer videos. The “marketing” portion means that your videos are in pursuit of a goal: raise awareness of your brand, increase website traffic, generate leads, or even create sales.
On the other hand, video marketing is not a “catch-all” strategy. Just as a billboard advertisement has unique pros and cons, so does video marketing. An effective video marketing campaign involves strategy and intentional decision-making on what to include, what to highlight, and how to communicate your content. Simply taking any and all content and “turning it into a video” won’t be effective – only a headache.
Define Your Strategy
Once you understand what video marketing is and its potential benefits, the next step is to create a strategy.
What is strategy, though? In our words, strategy is the art of getting from where your organization is to where you want your organization to be.
In the same way, when we consider video marketing, we need to think through your current marketing setup and your goals. How familiar are you with video? What do you want to be in 3 months? 6 months? or 2 years?
To start, begin by thinking about what you want to achieve with your video. Do you want to increase brand awareness? Drive traffic to your website? Generate leads? Make sales? Once you know your goal, you can begin to think about who your target audience is. Remember, without a strategy, it will be difficult to measure the success of your video marketing campaign.
Seek Quality
Nothing is more frustrating than seeing a blurry photo or poorly-edited video. You immediately scroll on and pay no more attention to the content. Low-quality visuals are a turnoff for many viewers, so we want to focus on quality content.
Having quality content does not mean that you have to have top-of-the-line equipment, though. Instead, focus on the basics:
- Ensure the subject is in focus.
- Set up lighting from the front, not the back.
- Capture content in the correct orientation.
- Eliminate any distractions from the camera.
- Store any content in an easily-retrievable library.
We recommend that you focus on quality over quantity. To effectively show of your product, demonstrate how your services work, or share customer testimonials, the medium is the message.
Be Realistic
Rome wasn’t built in a day. Your video marketing operation won’t be either.
As you are working through your strategy and creating quality content, focus on sustainability. If this means you release one video a week for eight weeks, great! This will be much more effective than one video per day, but only for one week. The world of video marketing is a marathon, not a sprint.
Also – a pro-tip – don’t immediately compare yourself and your organization to companies that have done this for years. They were once a beginner, too.
Progress is the goal.
What should you do next?
Get started.
Now that you know what video marketing is, you can create a strategy. Once you have a strategy, you can create content. Once you have content, you can begin posting.
But it requires that you get started.
Still overwhelmed, or unsure of where to start? We’d love to help. Drop us a line, and we’ll talk through your organization’s video marketing plan together.
