When it comes to developing marketing content to execute your marketing strategy, you have options. You can go with blogs, emails, infographics, podcasts, photos, print material, in-person meetings, or even cold calls.?
However there is one form of content that has proven to be much more effective than just about any other form of content. That form of content is video. There are several reasons why video is such an effective marketing tool. Most of those reasons focus, rightfully so, on what the consumer likes. After all, the consumer is the reason you are marketing your business in the first place.?
However, there is another reason why video marketing should be a part of your marketing strategy. This reason is practical in nature: it has become much easier and cheaper to produce and publish content. Advances in technology have given us hardware like smartphones and tablets to record videos. Social media sites like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook allow us to share the content to a large audience. Most of this can be done on a small or no budget.?
In short, there really is no reason why you shouldn?t be using video to promote your business. If you are unsure where to begin, let?s examine how you can get started with video marketing.
Understand Your Why
There are plenty of statistical reasons for why you should include video marketing as part of your overall marketing strategy. (See above video for a breakdown of some of these numbers.) But doing something because you should is not enough when it comes to marketing your business.?
To be successful in your video marketing efforts, you want to understand why, aside from the numbers, that you want to include video as part of your content marketing strategy. Look back at your marketing goals and determine how the use of video marketing can help you achieve those goals. Understand your target audience, who your best customers are, and what problems are you addressing. Clearly state where you want the videos to direct viewers to take action in terms of contacting you or purchasing your products/services.?
Decide What Types Of Video
Depending on how you break it down, there are many types of video that you could produce to promote yourself and your business. For simplicity sake, let?s focus on four popular types of video:
- Product/Service – These videos promote a certain product or service. Very much like a TV commercial.?
- Educational – These videos provide value for your audience by giving them knowledge about your industry. They position yourself and your company as experts and a source of trust.?
- Brand – These videos go to establishing who your company is and what you stand for. They could be videos that show your community involvement, partnerships with other local businesses, or maybe your participation in charity.?
- Behind The Scenes – These videos are an offshoot of the brand videos. They give your audience a peek at the people who make up the brand. They help develop a deeper connection with your audience by allowing them to see what happens behind the scenes.?
Again, you can break the above videos into small categories or even add a few. The point is, that there is really no wrong answer here. You want to help yourself out by understanding what types of videos you want to create and how you will do it. Do you want short Instagram-style videos or longer videos that you will publish to YouTube and share via your other marketing channels.?
Understanding your goals and your why will go a long way to helping you answer these questions.
Determine Your Process
Do yourself a huge favor and outline a process to help you produce and publish your videos. It will take a little trial-and-error, but you want to take time to detail a workflow that will allow you to efficiently produce this type of marketing content.?
Think about how often you are going to record and publish videos, the equipment you will use (more on this below),? the topics you will cover, and who will help you get everything done. Once you have a process outlined, work and refine it until you have something that will allow you to produce video content in the most efficient way possible.?
Setup Your Recording Space
Whether you are recording your videos indoors or outdoors, take time to consider the space that you will be using. Will you need a background or lighting? Will it allow for good sound??
If you are going to be recording videos on a regular basis try, to arrange your recording space so there is minimal setup for each time you record. This will allow you to record your videos easily and effectively.?
Organize Your Resources
As alluded to in the intro, we are lucky to live in an era where technology is allowing us to create video content on a relatively small budget. In most cases all you need is a smart phone. However you may need a tripod or stand to hold the video. You may also look into getting lighting and a microphone.?
Whatever the case might be, organize your resources so that you have everything you need to record your video. This may include a background and even editing software.?
Start Recording!
If you are not used to being on camera, this can be the hardest step. I have worked with some excellent public speakers that struggle with being on camera. We are used to speaking with an actual person, so not having that live feedback to play off of can be difficult.?
The best way around this, is to just start recording. Get used to speaking and looking into the camera. Get used to seeing and hearing yourself in the video. Soon you won?t think about how weird the process might feel. You will be able to focus on putting out the best content that represents you and your business.?
Bonus: Have Fun and Be Authentic
Do not forget to have fun. Remember video marketing is a unique way for you to connect to your audience. Let them see how much you care about doing good work and how much you truly love what you do. Let them see the real you. That level of authenticity is rare, but it is something people seek out and tend to follow.?
Video marketing should be part of a well-rounded approach to content marketing. It is a valuable marketing tool that can help you grow your audience, get your audience to better understand your business and your unique value proposition, and most importantly, motivate your audience to take action. The hardest part is getting started. The above steps will help you take a thoughtful approach so you get the most of the time, money, and effort you put into video marketing.?
