How to Create a Video Marketing Strategy That Drives Results

3 steps to reach your ideal customer with video content

Is video part of your marketing strategy? If not, it has to be! Why? Well, consumers are now comfortable with being marketed through video, and many now expect it from brands they know and trust.

I know it took me a while to get comfortable with videos, especially the ones that required getting in front of the camera! But there are many ways videos can be made, so if you’re camera shy, fear not, you don’t need to be a video star to get started.

The truth is, having a well-written product description, an attractive paid ad, or a fancy landing page is no longer enough for a large portion of your target audience. According to a recent Wyzowl survey, 84% of respondents said they were convinced to buy a product or service by watching a branded video.

Now, maybe you are nodding that yes, it does focus on video marketing. That’s great! But do you have a strategy based on your ideal customer profile, or are you just releasing content in the hope that something sticks?

According to CISCO, video traffic will be 82% of all global consumer internet traffic by 2021.

Here are some benefits of video marketing to convince you even more that a carefully crafted plan is worth it:

• You can raise awareness about your product or service.
• It is a smart way to engage / entertain your target audience on your website / social media
• It helps to clearly explain your product or service to people.
• You contribute to customer retention by offering valuable tips and advice.

It’s time to turn sixteen for the opportunity to use this essential, yet often overlooked marketing tactic.

Here are three steps to creating a video marketing strategy that increases engagement, leads, and sales.

1. Choose your channels.

Not all brands should create YouTube videos, nor should all small business owners put videos on their website home page.

For example, I found that Twitter is the best platform to share our blogs and articles, but Facebook is the ideal place to connect with my target audience through videos. Could creating Facebook Live videos be your ticket to the hearts of your customers?

To give you an idea of ​​which platforms might be the best for your small business, here’s a quick breakdown:

• YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world (after Google, which owns it). You will find a wide variety of industries and topics on this platform.
• Twitter is generally used more as a news site than a social media site, and content has always been heavily consumed on mobile devices.
• LinkedIn is a great place to share more professional stuff. LInkedIn claims that people say it is 3 times more reliable in delivering valuable content, compared to other social platforms.
• Faccebook: According to Facebook, there were more than 3.5 billion live streams in 2018. Since 2016, Facebook Live streams have doubled every year.
• Snapchat is growing rapidly and is generally associated with a younger user base (think millennials).
• TikTok is also considered a platform for young people; statistics show that approximately 50% of the world’s audience is under 34 years old; 26% are between 18 and 24 years old.

So where is your ideal customer hanging out?

2. Plan your content carefully.

I’m not telling you that every word has to be written, or that you can’t make an impromptu Facebook Live to respond to a current event.

But before recording your message, ask yourself a few questions. Will this footage add value to your client’s life? Does it represent the voice, tone and mission of your brand? Is it being succinctly explained and providing a clear call to action?

To find the answers to these questions, always go back to your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). This will tell you who your target audience is, from their age group and occupation, to their lifestyle and pain points.

As part of determining your ideal customer profile, you probably created buyer personas as part of your initial branding strategy. If you haven’t built brand personalities to define your ideal target market, contact us to find out how we can help you.

And it’s not just about what you say, but how long it takes you to say it. A big part of your video marketing strategy will be determining the length of your content. For example, research shows that Instagram videos should be around 30 seconds long and YouTube around two minutes. BuzzSumo found that the best performing Facebook Lives last 15-20 minutes.

If you create a calendar and plan your time in advance, using this tactic will be easier and more effective. You won’t be hunting for ideas at the last minute or filming things that don’t resonate with your target audience.

3. Test it and test it repeatedly!

Many small business owners are intimidated by the idea of ​​recording content to share with their clients.

But you don’t need a big budget, fancy gear, or a movie star look to be successful. What you do need is the ability and willingness to listen to your customers.

Just like you would with a display ad campaign or landing page, you need to analyze your data to find out what works and what doesn’t. You can see the performance of a campaign by measuring things like:

• Commitment errors: This measures the interaction someone had with your content, including how long they looked at it and whether or not they skipped it.
• Reproduction rate: This is the percentage of visitors who actually clicked play and started watching.
• Sharing socially: This shows how many people are sharing your footage on social platforms.

A / B testing can be a valuable way to look at things like what works best at what time of day, which channels are best for specific content, and which length your target audience prefers.

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READ: Your 2020 Guide on How to Get the Most Out of Video Marketing

In recent years, we have seen a massive increase in video content appearing online, and there is no sign that it is slowing down.

From creating webinars to placing short clips in emails, a video marketing strategy is a must if you want to truly engage with your audience to improve brand awareness and increase leads and sales. Here are three trends for 2020 and beyond.

Read more on our website.

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Video marketing has gone from being enjoyable to essential. It is well worth your time and effort to create engaging and engaging images that will keep your customers coming back for more.

But no matter what comes to mind, remember that today’s customers deserve and demand empathy-based marketing. Learn more about empathic content marketing here and happy filming!