5 Steps for Revamping Your Video Plan (Part 1)
Video remains the undisputed champion for conveying your brand's message, and educating your audiences in ways that text and static images simply cannot.
With an ongoing and upward growth trend and increased ROI year over year, marketers continue revamping their video content strategies to appeal to new audiences and personas. Furthermore, the power of video provides an unmatched ability to “wow” and immerse audiences with engaging visuals and persuasive storytelling.
These upward trends cannot be ignored. And, as a direct result, video marketing content from brands will no longer include just direct selling. Brand awareness and value to the consumer will also decide how your video marketing strategies will be built.
Today, the market is saturated with visual storytelling ranging from highly impactful to completely forgettable. So, how do you stay ahead of the curve to ensure your messaging stands out from the rest? Strategy and long-term planning are just some of the keys to successful video marketing. In the first of this two-part blog series, we'll look at five ways you can holistically reevaluate and revamp your approach to video marketing. In part two, we'll explore how to execute your plan with professional production. Follow along to get started on your proactive communications journey.
With an ongoing and upward growth trend and increased ROI year over year, marketers continue revamping their video content strategies to appeal to new audiences and personas.
Step #1: Map Out Your Content Calendar
Do you know that there are 244.4 million digital video content viewers in the United States alone and that video accounts for 82.5% of all web traffic in 2023? That’s two-thirds of the US population watching online videos on various devices and platforms. Which poses the question - out of that 244.4 million, how many are decision-makers? I don’t have the exact number, but what it does mean is that video content has the enormous potential to not only reach but influence millions of decision-making consumers in the US market. With these kinds of numbers, you don’t want to miss the mark and consistency is key. Establish and maintain an active posting calendar. Map out a schedule for when you’re going to publish content – and stick to it. Figuring out the exact content can come later, but as we will learn in part two of this blog series, high-end video can take several weeks to months to produce, so having a general idea for messaging will help. Plan at least three to six months out for maximum preparedness – a year would be even better.
Establish and maintain an active posting calendar. Map out a schedule for when you’re going to publish content – and stick to it.
Step #2: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions. What Type of Content Should You Develop
Your schedule has been nailed down, now it’s time to choose what kind of content you’re going to produce. From short video clips and social posts to longer explainer pieces and client/expert interviews, you’ll have options to choose from. You can even “wow” your audience with augmented and/or virtual (AR/VR) experiences. Any type of content you choose ultimately depends on your target audience and end goals. For example, if your audience is primarily prospective buyers, your content type might be more formal compared to a training video for internal staff. If you’re posting externally, thought leadership is always a solid option as it gives you an edge in the market as not just a visual expert but also allows you to engage with current clients and provides ongoing education.
Any type of content you choose ultimately depends on your target audience and end goals.
Step #3: Set Your Target and Define Goal(s)
For videos to convert to sales, include calls to action (CTAs) in all your content. Decide what action you want the viewer to take after watching—and then ask them to do it. For example, prospects near the top of the sales funnel could be offered links to more thought leadership pieces, while consumers who are ready to purchase could be directed to a product page or case study. Nearly 100% of consumers have watched an explainer video to learn more about a business’s products, but if they have no idea what to do next, you’ve wasted an opportunity. A professional video producer can help ensure your CTAs are incorporated correctly on various video hosting platforms.
For videos to convert to sales, include calls to action (CTAs) in all your content.
Step #4: Getting Your Message Out - Define Your Distribution Strategy
Where and when you post your video is just as important as what your video is about. You could host videos on your website—and you should, since 62% of people find a landing page with video more interesting than a static image—but that’s not where consumers are actively searching for help. Video hosting services, like YouTube and social media sites, are not only optimized for streaming content, but they’re also where many consumers spend their time. Facebook alone had nearly 3 billion users as of July 2023, and other social media platforms aren’t far behind.
Where and when you post your video is just as important as what your video is about.
Even better: many hosting services allow you to embed the same videos on your own site, combining the benefits of rich media with optimized streaming. And speed matters—nearly 40% of visitors will leave a site after only five seconds of load time, so make sure your website is optimized for video. Beyond websites, you can also use your video links in emails, blogs, and pay-per-click advertisements. With many free external hosting services, distributing your video on an optimized platform is also a no-brainer.
Step #5: Execution
You’ve done the pre-planning, and now it’s time to execute—but this critical step shouldn’t be rushed. To ensure you have enough time to produce a high-quality piece of content, work backward from the deadline on your content calendar, adding in extra time in pre-production for longer or more substantial pieces. For example, a longer marquee video will take much more time to produce than a 30-second client testimonial. And if you’re incorporating AR/VR, the pre-production alone can take up to four times longer. When the day of the video shoot arrives, you should have finalized the script, honed your story, and designed your content supplements.
To ensure you have enough time to produce a high-quality piece of content, work backward from the deadline on your content calendar.
OUTSOURCE EXPERTISE
As videos become more prevalent in the market, customer expectations rise—and so, does the investment of time and resources it takes to bring high-quality videos to life. Stagedge's team of creative experts takes the pressure off, making production seamless while ensuring your videos get delivered on time and with the intended messaging. Take a look at our creative services offerings, and stay tuned for part two, where we discuss the actual production process.