You already understand the benefits of video marketing for your business. Videos leveraged as part of your web marketing and PR plan can boost brand awareness and increase online traffic, significantly outperforming static media.
So, if you make a video of a raccoon throwing a biodegradable bottle, will your customer base instantly grow? Maybe! (Especially if you sell biodegradable bottles.) But only if you’ve strategized ahead of time.
Then how do you decide what video to make? Before breaking out the cameras, it’s important to have a strong foundation, rooted in strategy. Start by asking yourself the following questions:
Who is your audience?
Your business solves a problem for a customer, your audience. Sometimes your tastes and interests align with your audience. But sometimes they don’t. It’s important to remember that this content is for them, not you, so nothing is more important than knowing who your audience is before making a video.
Your audience is made up of your current (and future) customer base. If you haven’t already, review your current customers, or hypothesize your new customers. What is their age range? What do they do with their free time? What do they like and dislike? Answers to questions like these can influence your messaging, style, and strategy for your videos.
For example, if your customers are environmentally-conscious millennials, they may respond to a fast-paced, heartfelt message. (If you’re stumbling on what media can connect with your audience, we can help.)
What is your goal?
You know who you’re trying to reach — But what are you trying to tell them? After you’ve defined your audience, determine the goal of your video. After seeing your video, ideally, what is the next step you’d want an audience member to take? Does your video help them take that step? Your goal can also be a metric to measure the success of your video.
Some common goals include:
Increasing brand awareness
Offering promotion or sale
Boosting engagement
Growing email list
Think of the goal as your story guide. If your goal is to make environmentally-conscious millennials aware of your business, you’ll focus on making them want to learn more by the end of your video.
What video type(s) will you use?
If defining your audience and your goal are the keys to messaging, choosing the type of video to produce will further refine pacing, placement, and metrics for your video.
Types of videos include:
Brand story video
Social video
Ad video
Each of these video types has its online “home.” Brand story videos are most often on a website homepage. Social videos — you guessed it — are on social media. Ad videos may interrupt a YouTube binge.
Each video type has its own specs, tone, and ideal use, so it’s important to choose your video type carefully. Learn more about video types here.
Strategy drives excellent production. When your video is true to your audience, pursues your goal, and leverages the video type, any combination of answers to the above questions can lead to a successful video campaign.
(Cue the raccoon!)