Content marketing is an inextricable part of every successful digital marketing strategy, but it’s important to note that content comes in many forms nowadays. While it is important that you keep dishing out quality written content regularly, nowadays it’s more important than ever before to invest in video marketing to engage and inspire your audiences.
Whether you are trying to generate new leads, boost brand awareness and visibility, elevate your standing on social media or make your website more engaging to the modern consumer, producing quality videos will help you achieve numerous marketing and sales goals. That said, it’s not just about making a video on your smartphone and posting it online, it’s about careful planning, preparation, and execution that will ensure the highest level of engagement.
Let’s talk about the best tips you can use to take your video marketing to the next level and build your brand online.
Know your audience and what they like
First things first, to prepare and execute a winning video marketing strategy, you have to know exactly whom you’re talking to, what your audience likes and dislikes, and you need to identify the best video trends in your industry. Basically, your strategy starts with meticulous market, audience, and competitor research.
You can start by analysing some of the most engaging and successful video formats, tips, and tricks used by popular social media influencers, YouTubers, and brands. Consider the videos outside of your niche as well that boast high engagement rates and high view counts.
Once you have a better understanding of what the modern online audience likes in general, it’s time to dig deeper and analyse the trends in your industry. Take a look at your competitors and how their videos are doing across various online platforms.
Check if your online audience is sharing and interacting with these videos, and compile data based on their comments and engagement levels. You now have a clear understanding of what your audience wants to see, allowing you to start creating some truly impactful videos.
Focus on providing clarity from the start
Your videos need to have a clear focus, so dragging them on and on without getting to the point is a big no in modern video marketing. The modern customer is impatient and wants to extract the true purpose and value from each video as quickly as possible, which means that they won’t stick around if you’re not clear, concise, and value-drives from the start.
So, what does this look like in practice? For one, you need to begin your videos with a short intro explaining what the video is about, and most importantly, what the viewer will gain by watching it. This is your hook.
Once they’re hooked, you can move into a brand presentation where you can mention your brand as organically as possible, and then dive straight into the subject matter. To ensure your video is engaging from the start, allocate no more than 10-15 seconds for the intro and have a clear timetable for every section, keeping the messaging as clear as possible.
Make your videos look professional
Nowadays, it’s not enough to just grab your smartphone and start shooting. Modern online audiences are accustomed to a high level of quality in video production and editing, so it’s important to stay on top of the trends. For one, it’s important that you shoot and edit your videos professionally to create an authoritative, quality brand image that will engage and inspire your audiences.
After all, high video quality gives credibility to your brand, and people will start coming back for more. Once you’ve shot your video with your smartphone or DSLR, you want to use a feature-rich video editor that has all the filters, templates, and editing tools you need to make the video stand out in a crowded market.
Use storytelling to your advantage
Keep in mind that no matter how well you shoot and edit your videos, you won’t be able to maximize the potential of the content without storytelling and value-driven narratives. If you want your videos to truly engage your online audience, then you need to weave the right values and messages into the narrative that resonate with their hearts and minds.
For example, if your customers are committed to sustainability and green practices, then it’s important to emphasize the efforts your brand is making towards sustainability in your videos. It’s not about selling people a product or a service, it’s about creating a deeper connection with them based on values and trust – which will ultimately generate leads and boost conversions.
Inspire people to take action
On a final note, don’t forget to integrate calls to action seamlessly into your videos to guide the viewer towards a positive outcome. Don’t blatantly promote your products or solutions, instead, inspire them to learn more about the topic you covered or any related topics by visiting one of your landing pages or an informative blog post on your site.
You can also ask them to subscribe to your social media and YouTube channels, to comment on your videos, and share them with someone they think can benefit from your story. There are many calls to action you can and should use in your videos, just make sure they are subtle and lead the customer naturally into the next stage of their journey.
Over to you
Video marketing is one of the most powerful content formats at your disposal, so make sure to invest in this powerful marketing tactic going forward. With these tips in mind, you can create better videos that your audience will love – videos that will take your brand to new heights of success.
