Four Best Tips for Starting a Video Marketing Campaign

They do; which is why it’s vital you start incorporating video content (in some way, shape or form to be discussed below) into your marketing strategy.

According to Hubspot, 64% of users are more likely to buy a product online, after watching a video.

Makes you think, huh? And with that, I’m here to tell you that you can do it. I promise. It doesn’t have to be as complicated as it seems. There are so many options available that once you start, you’ll be a regular in no time.

But before moving forward on the production, let’s focus for a minute on the video content strategy. Video marketing is one of the most effective forms of content for generating engagement in 2018; which in turn, hopefully, means conversions and new business for you.

So, make sure you develop a video strategy. Just like a business plan, you need a video marketing plan. This will help you to identify your goals, set a structured guideline to follow, zero in on your KPIs (key performance indicators) and allow you to re-assess the plan as needed.

There are four main objectives/rules to follow when building this plan.

1. Know why you are creating the video. What are your goals? Make sure you list ALL of them out. It’ll really help you focus on the direction of this video. Examples:

Drive traffic to your site
Increase conversion rate
Teach people how to use your product
Brand awareness

2. What’s the message? Make sure to end with a clear CTA so the viewer knows exactly what action to take once they are done watching.

“Make sure to Pin this”
“Share it on your Facebook!”
“Click on the URL to buy this product”

3. What type of video will you create: on-camera vs. off-camera? Evaluate which will be more effective for you to accomplish your goals:

On-camera – connects you to your audience, builds trust, allows you to speak exactly what you want to convey
Off-Camera – can use a bit more creativity, uses graphics/charts/diagrams to explain what is necessary, avoids putting your face on camera
You decided the plan that works best for YOUR business.
Deciding the content type for your video can be guided from the 2015 survey below:

4. What’s your distribution plan? Which platform will work best? Maybe all of them? It really depends on your business, right? That’s for you to figure out.

Examine the type of business you’re running
Pay attention to your audience and where they spend their time
Research the different platforms available (and there’s a lot!) First post it. You can use YouTube, Vimeo, MetaCafe, Veoh, Crackle, Screen Junkies – just Google it!
Then share it- on all social media including (but not limited to) Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Reddit, Medium, Facebook… and so many more.

Still with me? I hope so. This is an important step to ensure you are staying on track, focused and organized. It will only to help you in the future!

Now, let’s talk about video production. As mentioned previously, it ultimately breaks down to two types of video content: On-camera vs Off-camera.

On-Camera = Your face in front of the lens talking/teaching about your topic of choice and really getting personal with your audience. In this option, you may or may not become the next video marketing superstar who makes it big producing how-to videos about picking the best review scoring widget for your testimonials page. (But honestly, that’s not a bad thing! I’m looking at you ‘unnamed’ 27-year-old millionaire, making hair & makeup tutorials for YouTube)

But pretend for a second, you’re not that person.

That’s where we land on option #2 = Off-Camera video. In which, you’re potentially utilizing outside resources to create a digitally enhanced video with characters or images, and quite possibly music.

There are several tools to create a successful marketing video. Maybe even better than your face (is that possible?). They range from simple slideshows to talking cartoon characters, for real.

Let’s see some options:

- Powerpoint – you should know how to use this by now. But just in case – don’t worry, it’s easy. Powerpoint is a group of slides – you can add images, a little bit of design function and slight animation. It’s for the amateur user. Not a bad way to go if you really are just starting out. It will be an effective approach to conveying your message none-the-less.

- Prezi, VideoScribe, GoAnimate – these are some of the more creative options for beginners. *please note, none of these are free – at least beyond the trial period. Listen, they all allow some form of animation. You can use your own voice or type and they talk but ultimately it’s a how-to walkthrough, without actually having to be on camera.
- Animoto, Intro Designer, Stupeflix, Powtoon – all some of the most advanced animated video making but none-the-less, good for what you need. Animoto even lets you create straight from your iPhone!

Take some time and research the lot to see if any will fit your goals. All are worth your time and will help drive traffic to your website, increase engagement, and hopefully increase sales.