Many marketing experts consider video marketing an extremely crucial part of any business’s marketing strategy. About 86% of businesses say that video marketing yields an impressive return on investment for them. So, if you’re wondering if video marketing is the right strategy for your business, this fact should help ease your doubts. However, you need an effective plan to have a successful video marketing campaign. On the surface, video marketing seems pretty simple to do. You must record videos, include sound, and share them on your desired online platform, website, or social media page. But it’s more complicated than you think and requires a good strategy. Everyone can shoot a video to showcase their product or service, thanks to various smart devices and easily accessible tutorials. However, you will stand out when you have a solid video marketing plan. So, how do you go about creating an effective video marketing strategy? Here are a few tips to help you out.
Set a goal for your video marketing campaign
Like every other plan, you need to set a goal. What do you want your videos to accomplish? Is it to raise more awareness about your brand, drive sales, create a larger network, or create a fun personality with which your customers can engage? Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or not, you need a roadmap that spells out your goals and how you plan on getting there.Â
If you’re new to video marketing, most experts recommend creating a few goals to avoid overwhelming yourself or losing sight of the main aim of your marketing campaign. Your videos must also serve the purpose for which they were designed. For example, if your goal is to drive sales, it will inform you of the type of videos you will need to produce. Another factor you must consider when setting your goals is the different stages of video marketing, as each stage requires something different.Â
Having a goal or a series of goals in place will make it easier for you to measure the success of your marketing campaigns. However, before you embark on one, you must understand what you want, who you want to target, and what you expect in the end.Â
Identify the right target audience
Who do you want to attract with your videos? This tip is perhaps the most crucial because it is the driving factor for achieving your video marketing goals. How will you achieve them if you don’t know who you are communicating with? Without a clear idea of who the target audience of your videos is, you may end up spending a lot of money and time in vain.
There are many factors to consider when finding the right target audience, including knowing the type of video content they prefer, the best channels to find them on, and how they might react to your videos. Ensure that you conduct the appropriate research to help you better understand how to attract them.Â
Choose the best platforms for your videos
Almost every major social media platform has video posting and sharing features. Older sites like Facebook have multiple video options, whereas new ones like TikTok rely heavily on a single format. If you’re new to sharing videos on social media, it is advisable to get started by publishing videos on platforms that have large audiences. The three most popular options are Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. TikTok isn’t far behind and has gradually become the most preferred choice for video marketers in recent times. However, you can’t go wrong with these three, provided they are where you can reach your target group. Other platforms like YouTube, Pinterest and Twitter are just as amazing, depending on your video preferences and target audience.Â
Before choosing a platform, you must consider the type of videos you produce. For example, YouTube would be the best platform for posting tutorials. And you can categorize your videos into playlists.Â
Choose your video types
There are many videos out there, and yours can easily get lost if it has no reason or you’re not entirely sure what it serves for you and your target audience. One of the most important steps you have to take in your video marketing strategy is identifying the right type of video for your brand. You can choose to produce educational videos that are very informative and designed to create brand awareness, especially for new customers. This format takes on a slightly formal tone. Many other brands are also getting into the behind-the-scenes (BTS) videos, which give audiences a glimpse of their operations. It’s perfect for sharing little updates on upcoming products.Â
Other popular types include interviews and testimonials. People love watching themselves in videos, so why not include your customers? They are more likely to share their videos with their friends and family, which is a good way to promote your business and gain exposure. You can also use your channels to create entertaining videos that personify your brand and help build a community with your audience.Â
Include a call to action
Remember that the videos you produce are marketing tools and, as such, should persuade viewers to make a purchase or learn more about your business. You might have the right target group, but while they enjoy your videos, they might not know what to do after watching them. That could be a waste of time and money in video production! Do not forget to include calls to action in your videos whenever you produce them.Â
If you want viewers to follow you or check out your website, you must tell them in your videos. There are different ways to include them. If a person is speaking in your videos, they can instruct viewers to take action. You can also include texts throughout your video to prompt viewers. A call to action is very important and can be used to generate more potential sales.Â
Develop a content production plan
A good content production plan will help save time and money, as you would have a solid idea of the type of videos you would like to produce and a set budget. It also helps you know what type of services you will need to ensure you get the best videos. Would you want to work with an agency or production company? Will your video format require professional assistance? For example, would you need to work with animation studios to ensure you get the best designs and graphics? These are all important questions you must ask yourself.Â
Your content plan will also help you revise your strategies or include things you might have missed out on earlier. Treat it as a living document.Â
Optimize your videos with SEO strategies
It’s important to know what Google indexes your videos. So, when people search for your business, it will likely appear several times in one search. If you want to optimize your videos, ensure that you include important keywords related to your product or business in your video descriptions.Â
You can also include shorter links with a call to action to encourage visitors to check out your website. YouTube also has a fantastic tagging feature that helps determine how relevant your and other similar videos are. That means your video will always appear as a related video when viewers watch other similar ones.Â
Develop a schedule and promote your videos
Now that you know how to create videos, you must know when to schedule and promote them. Fortunately, some useful online resources provide you with publishing options for your videos, even if it is your first time. There’s more to simply sharing your videos on your desired platform. There’s a lot of planning and preparation that goes into it. One long video recording session could be split into multiple clips. It could form part of your marketing strategy to tell a story to your audience. When sharing your videos, you must be as creative as possible.Â
Evaluate your strategy regularly
You wouldn’t know your video strategy is working if you don’t monitor and evaluate it. Your analysis report should tell you how many views you received during a campaign, as well as the number of times it was watched, shared, liked, and commented on. Each platform has its metrics, so you must understand what they mean before you start sharing videos, some more detailed than others.Â
Regularly evaluating your videos will help you revise your strategy and make changes to improve later results. You must also remember that older videos will still be watched, especially if you have the right keywords and an evergreen topic. Your video will still be relevant five years from now.Â
Videos have proven that it is here to stay; the sooner you get on it, the better. Hopefully, this article will help you find the right inspiration your brand needs for its first or next video campaigns. Remember that you can use video marketing to tell a beautiful story about your business.