If you’re new to content marketing, you're also likely a beginner when it comes to video marketing, a growing form of content production for SMEs.
Video marketing can take many forms, from recorded video, to webinar, to social media clips, to live videos… the list goes on, but it’s growing in consumption.
Social media and video viewing are the two most popular online activities. (Source: Smart Insights)
It’s particularly a ‘boom time’ for video consumption on social media, with the launch of IGTV by Instagram in 2017 and the roll-out of ‘Stories’ on various platforms (Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn), following the success of Snapchat’s video-led function.
Tweets with videos get over six times as many retweets as tweets with photos. (Source: Wochit)
But why should you use live video?
- It allows a real, human connection with your team or brand ambassador
- It’s an easier form of communication and can often evoke more trust between the company and its clients
- It allows you to deepen your marketing toolkit, allowing you to widen your reach and use more options for marketing your products and services
- Get genuine feedback and open up communications with users when publishing live video on social media
Now all that’s left to do, is create your first video marketing campaign!
Conduct research
It’s always recommended to think carefully before you invest time and effort into any new marketing technique, and video marketing is no different.
Take the time to research your industry’s efforts with video marketing - have any others in our industry seen reward from video marketing? Enquire within your network about others’ efforts with video marketing - it can help inspire collaborative work or help you (and others) avoid a costly mistake.
You must also consider whether it is right for your audience! Consult your buyer personas and make a rational decision on whether they’d really benefit from, or engage with, your video content. Why not interview some of your trusted clients about the kinds of marketing they want from you?
Create a video marketing strategy
What content format are you going to adopt? Is it one-person talking to the camera about the latest industry innovations, announcements or research? Will it be a one- or two- person ‘to-camera’ piece about your latest products and services, perhaps demonstrating your innovation? Will you have a variety of episodes with a mix of content? If you’re hoping to interview others from inside or outside your company, how will this be decided and how feasible is it?
Consider the budget and particularly the cost of resource you will need to commit to this, particularly if you decide to invest in a professional videographer to support you with such a project.
Commit to a consistent and pre-planned amount of episodes for ‘season one’ and then make a rational decision about committing to any more based on the feedback and learning curve you will inevitably find yourself on.
Camera-ready? Get the right tools!
Most smartphones are clever enough now that you can conduct high-quality, professional videos for nothing! Take care when setting up your video to consider lighting, noise levels and backgrounds when choosing a recording location. If you have a relatively new smartphone you should be able to get someone to record you using the phone’s standard camera and microphone functionality. You may need to invest in a tripod (it doesn’t need to be a high-end one) to ensure a steady video is recorded.
After that, it’s easy to upload to your cloud storage, email or social media accounts all on your phone.
If you’d like to edit your video you can download free video editing footage online or invest in a programme such as Adobe Premiere.
Is it time to ‘dive in’?
If your company is anxious about video marketing and still unsure about venturing into it, don’t forget if your successes are from promotional mail campaigns or digital marketing, focus on them! You don’t need to - and should never - ‘jump ship’ to a new technique just because it’s ‘trending’ - conduct careful research and seek professional advice from a trusted marketing agency or your network connections.
