5 critcal video marketing questions for maximum results
Forbes says 65% of executives visit a company’s website and 39% call a vendor after viewing their video. Forrester reports that including video in an email leads to a 200-300% increase in click-through rate. 90% of users say that seeing a video about a product is helpful in the decision process.
It’s no wonder that many marketers and business owners feel the pressure to make every video they shoot an “awesome” one (what does that even mean?). They worry and get hung up about having the latest and greatest equipment, getting the technical aspects of lighting and sound correct, making sure the video production is slick, having it go viral and getting a zillion eyeballs, and much more. But all these things won’t matter if you’ve not considered these five critical areas in your video strategy and plan to ensure you’re getting tangible results for your investment of time and resources.
#1: WHY are you making the video in the first place?
Ensure that video is the best medium to get your message across and reach out to your audience; not because it’s the current hot trend. Identify the reason for the video, your key message and goal to help determine what type of video you should create. Make sure your message provides insight and value, is targeted and concise.
#2: WHO is the video intended for?
Consider who your target audience is; their demographics and psychographics and what makes them tick. Would they prefer watching videos to reading blogs, articles, case studies, etc.? Are they prolific social media users? Are they fans who will likely share the video and help it go viral? Understanding your buyer personas will provide insight to what type of video you should create, the tone your message should be created in and the channels you can market the video through.
#3: WHAT type of video should you create?
There is a myriad of video types to select from – product-focused, corporate overviews, demos, interviews, case studies, testimonials, training/webinars, talking head, and many more. Each has its own specific function and fulfils different needs. Selecting the right type showcases your message in the best light.
#4: WHERE should you distribute the video to gain maximum traction?
Having a good understanding of where your audience ‘lives’ will enable you to select the right mix of marketing channels as part of your multi-channel marketing approach. Don’t forget to have systems in place to measure results which will enable you to determine which channel brings more success and allow you to tweak the campaign to gain maximum ROI.
#5: WHEN should you release this video and is it timely and relevant?
When creating the content of the video, consider if it is time-sensitive or evergreen content. A Valentine’s Day offer would be time-sensitive, while a testimonial would be evergreen. Take care in selecting an appropriate date and time to release the video and take into consideration global, country and region-specific holidays and time zones.
The American Marketing Association defines Marketing as “the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.” When creating a marketing video, keep this in mind and take the time to craft a strong, effective and meaningful message that resonates with your audience and lead them to feel, think and act on the video the way you intended, to create value and greater brand trust.
Recently, Qantas turned their ‘Safety Video 2017’ from a typical inflight safety video into one filled with unexpected picturesque sights and sounds of Australia and its people; an excellent example of keeping the audience’s attention to the message with a clever play on words while fostering greater relevance, brand worth and authenticity.
Resources:
http://www.insivia.com/50-must-know-stats-about-video-marketing-2016/
