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Wyzowl’s video marketing report found that 92% of marketers feel that video marketing gives them a good return on investment (ROI). Whether that’s in terms of brand awareness, engagement, or even bottom-funnel metrics like leads and sales — the popularity of videos is only expected to rise.
It’s a core part of successful marketing campaigns and has changed how companies connect with their clients, potential customers, and industry peers. But many companies still need to understand how this works and what they need to do to get started.
In this guide, we’ll explore the basics of video marketing and how you can make the most of it for your business.
Video content marketing is a marketing strategy where you use videos as a strategic tool to promote products, services, or brands. Its ability to retain a viewer’s attention offers an excellent approach to attracting and engaging your audience.
For instance, InContact, a contact center platform, adopted video for its marketing and sales strategy when it moved content production in-house. This helped them generate 1400 leads and double revenue in one year through engaging video.
It shows the impact of video, not just to create awareness but to offer tangible results aligned with your business goals.
There are several advantages of using video for content marketing:
Seventy-nine percent of people have said that watching a video has convinced them to buy software and applications. And it makes sense. Potential customers get to see your product in action without having to sign up or give information in exchange for a trial.
“Video is more engaging than photos. You’re able to convey a lot of information in a short amount of time while still keeping the interest of the user. You can explain the uses of your product with a product explainer video in a mere 30 seconds,” says Rachel Macfarlane, Content Marketing Strategist at Redfox Visual.
Also, it’s easier for your audience to connect with your content because it humanizes your brand. You’re marketing to humans, so putting an individual front and center works well.
Videos are also highly shareable content. Think about it. How often do you share text content versus video? Especially with platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
Because of the entertainment factor, entertaining videos have a higher likelihood of being shared amongst internet users. And even in B2B, it’s possible to create videos in a fun and entertaining way—as long as it’s in line with your brand’s messaging.
Here’s a video from Hootsuite that was a play on the “Game of Thrones” series—but about social media platforms. The video generated 1.3 million video views on YouTube and is still considered one of the most creative video campaigns.
A Game of Social Thrones
The most compelling element of a good video is the story it tells. And the better the story, the higher chances of engagement and video completion. It creates a sense of emotional resonance with your audience—as they get caught up in the message you’re trying to convey.
Combining a solid story with the right music and visuals triggers an emotional response that’s hard to ignore. It doesn’t have to be a sob story, but it should be one that’s aligned with your brand’s mission. This way, your audience is more likely to remember your message, develop trust, and become loyal customers.
Video platforms cater to mobile users because most users access the internet using their phones—64.6%, to be precise. And that number is set to rise as internet penetration rises.
Plus, users get a more distraction-free experience on their phones than other devices because video takes up most of the screen, drawing their attention in.
Google highly values videos—primarily when published on channels like Youtube, which falls under its purview. Creating and distributing video content using this channel could increase your brand’s awareness, as with the right search engine optimization (SEO) tricks, you can grab a spot on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Below, you can see how Canva, a graphic design software, can rank for competitive search terms like “how to create video content.” not just on YouTube but Google’s search engine too.
Source
Also, videos can increase the time users spend on your website, reducing bounce rates and signaling to search engines that your site offers valuable content. Higher engagement and longer visit durations improve SEO rankings and increase organic traffic.
Here’s a step-by-step process showing you how to create a video-led content strategy for your brand:
You go where your customers are—not where you think they are.
Michael Sorrentino, CEO of Sorrentino Media, says, “We choose the channel based on where the targeted audience is. For example, if you are trying to reach programmers, think of what they are watching that DOESN’T have to do with their work. Are they gamers? Try Twitch. Are they watching instructional videos? Try YouTube Shorts or TikTok.”
Spend time understanding who your audience is for this kind of content and where they hang out. This process automatically sets the channels in place.
For example, ClickUp knows its audience hangs out on channels like YouTube. So they created videos for each buyer persona which were also promoted as ads for the product. The video below garnered over 2 million views with positive feedback from their audience.
Involving the right stakeholders from the get-go is important as it helps you clarify the why and how behind the strategy. This can include involving individuals from different departments:
Sorrentino recommends starting with the “why” and then building a strategy around that reason. He says:
“We always have at least one in-depth conversation with the stakeholders to understand what they are trying to do, who they’re trying to reach, etc. From there, we’ll pitch a creative approach that will connect with the intended audience and make the message stick.”
For the creative pitch, here are a few questions you need to ask your team:
Next, identify the resources required for this approach and go from there:
Determine these needs and get an official sign-off from the finance team.
Next, think about the campaign you want to execute first. The best video marketing strategy is one that aligns with actual business goals.
For instance, if brand awareness is your goal, investing in a creative campaign that generates buzz is the best way to go. But if you need leads and sales, creating product/service-focused content should be your best bet.
Lambda Films did precisely that. When their client, the University of East Anglia (UEA), wanted to improve their recruitment results, they invested in a video campaign that marketed their capabilities. On YouTube alone, it received more than 300,000 impressions with an 87% view-through rate.
Ryan Stone, Creative Director at Lambda Films, notes, “To date, the film is the most effective piece of video advertising in UEA’s history. The video campaign significantly contributed to UEA’s 2018 recruitment results; UEA was one of only 3 UK Universities that year to achieve their recruitment KPI. It went on to win the 2019 Circle of Excellence Award at the annual CASE Awards (The Council for Advancement and Support of Education).”
This Is UEA from Lambda Films on Vimeo.
Not every video channel will be relevant for your business. As we said, where your target audience is present matters. So focus on channels where you’ve validated their presence. That could be LinkedIn, YouTube, or even TikTok—as long as you know they’re there, create a channel-specific strategy for each.
Also, remember that depending on the platform, there might be additional budgetary considerations too. For example, YouTube requires you to optimize for SEO, so hiring an SEO specialist is necessary.
One way to maximize your budget is to create long-form videos that fit channels like Twitch and Youtube and break them down into short-form formats supported by Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. This helps you repurpose and distribute the videos using multiple channels—maximizing your investment.
Identify which key performance indicators (KPIs) you’ll use to measure success. Some metrics include:
Stone recommends going as granular as possible and working backward from your ultimate goal.
“What is the KPI you are trying to achieve? If we take sales as an example, then next consider the sales funnel. While you will have customers at different stages of purchasing, you need content that covers the entire funnel and brings new customers on a journey from awareness to intent, and finally conversion. So consider a video that raises awareness of your product. This will be something general that speaks to a particular pain point of a prospective customer,” says Stone.
Build your marketing team after you know what kind of videos you need to create. Assess if you want to keep specific capabilities in-house, like strategy and creative direction. Based on that, begin looking for external contractors.
Here are a few critical roles within the video marketing team:
After you have everything in place, kickstart the project. Set a content calendar with production timelines so everyone knows what’s expected of them. Here are a few stages you can include:
Here’s how you can create videos that bring in leads and conversions:
If you have something interesting to say, it’s easier to hook the viewer and maintain their attention. It’s similar to watching an Instagram Reel or TikTok video. The first 3 to 5 seconds are meant to capture your attention while the rest of the video executes the story arc you’ve built.
Craft a story that resonates with your audience. You can do this by honing in on their pain points, current challenges, and future aspirations or presenting a compelling narrative. It humanizes your brand, communicates your value proposition, and conveys the message.
A study by GoodFirms confirms that a good script is the number one factor that helps you do that—so invest resources to create a strong story arc.
IBM, a technology provider and consulting partner, created a record-breaking video campaign to advertise its data storage capabilities—but not in the way you think. While the video has garnered 22 million views since its launch, it also made the Guinness Book of World Records the “World’s Smallest Stop-Motion Film.”
The video was created by moving magnified carbon monoxide atoms one at a time. The movie highlighted their expertise in atomic memory while providing a creative angle to attract viewers.
This step is a no-brainer when you consider that most of your videos will be distributed via social media channels and viewed on mobile devices. Create your videos in a way that they’re mobile-friendly and responsive.
Here are a few best practices for this:
An example of Patagonia’s film series that highlights customers and acts as a subtle way to showcase their products
Augmented reality (AR) is one of the newest marketing tools on the block—and offers your users an interactive and immersive experience. This is great for brands that sell products using e-commerce stores or need a product showcase.
Potential customers can have a look before purchasing, increasing the likelihood of making more accurate and satisfying purchases.
For instance, Matterport, a digital twin platform, allows retailers to create 3D walkthroughs of their properties and products. Using their camera and the Matterport app, they can record and upload videos with annotations, providing an accurate picture of the property and products. This improved engagement rates and also helped retailers launch new stores faster.
The main reason you’re creating these videos is to support your sales enablement strategy too. Work closely with sales and customer success teams to determine what issues are plaguing your buyers/customers and find exciting ways to answer those using videos. Some examples include:
Incorporate video into the post-purchase engagement strategy when closed deals are handed off to training or customer success departments. Most buyers have concerns about post-sales support, so this alleviates those concerns.
And if you need a robust content management system to store these assets, try Content Camel instead. With our tool, you can store and manage these assets in one place—ensuring everyone can access them when needed.
Like AR, other technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) can help you take your video marketing to the next level. There are several things it can help you with, such as:
For instance, Artsabers generated $1.1 million in revenue, a 28% increase in engagement rate, and a 26% increase in conversion rates using shoppable videos. They used AI to find positive reviews and then integrated those videos on their website and TikTok account—making the most of their investment.
Video marketing is a powerful tool for businesses to connect with their target audience, build brand awareness, and drive meaningful engagement.
The popularity of video marketing is already increasing as 70% of non-marketers plan on using video from 2023. Businesses that leverage this format will reap the rewards in the long run. It’s an excellent way to showcase your brand’s story while maintaining an authentic and emotional connection with your audience.
Plus, sales and marketing teams can align to create content that prospects want to see. The key is to start small, validate interest, and then scale so that your video marketing efforts are worthwhile and you can drill down into aspects that work for your brand.
And if you need a place to store the production and finalized assets, sign up for Content Camel for free today.
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Content Camel is a sales enablement tool used for sales content management. High-growth sales teams use our system to quickly find and share the right content for each specific sales situation and measure content use and effectiveness.