Video Marketing Strategy: What Marketers Need to Know

Many marketing teams tremble when contemplating video production. They are intimidated by the medium and sometimes mistakenly think of it as a high-cost endeavor with low ROI.

But video is a necessary component in most content marketing strategies. By 2021, 82% of consumer internet traffic will be video, according to a recent Cisco study.

Know the most critical component of video marketing

Too many marketers drive up costs and diminish video’s overall value by falling into the trap of creating multiple one-off videos. Other marketers mistakenly believe if they put big dollars into a video project, it will be a big success.

An overarching strategy to guide video development is necessary to ensure that each video is simply a piece of the larger whole.

Key performance indicators should be identified in the strategy. KPIs also should be identified for each video to ensure that it connects to the strategy and serves its purpose, which often relates to the target audience’s stage in the process.

The strategy also should detail the primary distribution point for the video – TV, Facebook, YouTube, etc. That determination allows videos to be optimized in the creation stage. (More below on how to develop your strategy.)

Do a Q&A

To help craft your video strategy (and get executive buy-in), answer these seven questions:

1. Has your organization used video? Why or why not? Results?

2. What’s the purpose of the video strategy? Brand engagement, direct response? Something else? Multiple purposes?

3. How can video help explain and assist with audience pain points?

4. What is the short-term goal(s) of your video or video series?

5. What is the long-term goal(s) of your video marketing strategy?

6. How will you ensure message consistency within all videos, other marketing collateral, and your overall brand voice?

7. What mediums do you want to optimize for?

Pitch video to executives

Getting executive sign-off on video marketing can be challenging, but it can be done. Make the case that video is an essential medium for your marketing toolkit and needs to have its own line in the budget just like Facebook ads, magazine ads, direct mail efforts, and all the rest.

Detail the broad range of use for video – to build brand awareness, to show corporate responsibility, to promote, to entertain, to educate, etc.

Next, hit execs with hard facts. For instance, YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world. Facebook’s algorithm favors native-hosted video. Other helpful stats include:

• Video content was expected to consume 74% of online traffic in 2017 (KPBC).
• Visual content is 40 times more likely to be shared via social networks. (Buffer, 2014).
• 43% of consumers would like to see more video content from marketers (HubSpot).
• Marketers using video saw revenue grow 49% faster than those who were not (Aberdeen, 2015).
• 51.9% of marketing professionals in the world rate video as the content with the best ROI (Adobe, 2015).

It’s also important to sell the execs on your vision by sharing the goals – how much will it increase brand awareness, engagement, profitability, or product awareness?

Demonstrate how video content dovetails with your current marketing. To drive your point home, highlight existing assets – white papers, articles, blog posts, etc. – that can be transformed into a “snackable” video series.

Plan and strategize

Getting executives on board with video marketing is only part of the challenge. You still need to follow through, and that begins with planning and strategy. What should be involved?

KPIs

It’s vital to have two sets of KPIs – ones that apply to the video and those that apply to the overall video marketing strategy.

Production

Determine whether it’s better to create the video content in-house or to hire an agency to handle it. It’s tempting to go the in-house route as it’s generally seen as the most cost effective, but that can be a mistake. As Sophia Bernazzani writes, “Videos are hard to make – and it shows. The internet is populated with far too many slideshows and photos set to music that are masquerading as videos.”

Each video involves multiple dimensions – visuals, locations, performances, text, sound, music, motion, storytelling, editing, and more. You need people for an incredibly wide range of tasks and responsibilities, including:

• Set creation and decoration
• Scriptwriting
• Location scouting and management
• Equipment setup and prep
• Recording and digital organization for post
• Directing
• Video editing
• Special effects
• Management of the budget and timeline
• Scheduling
• Casting and coordination
• Talent management
• Acting
• Music, composing, and sound

If you don’t have in-house staff with the experience and skills necessary or who have access to the right equipment, then working with an agency is always the better decision.

Messaging

Nail the messaging in both your videos and your video marketing strategy. Consistency is key. You cannot afford to create a video with one message and contradict that message in another video. Consistent messaging also ensures that your videos align with your brand voice.

Budget

Too many marketers want to believe the Dollar Shave Club myth that they can achieve massive success for just pennies on the dollar. Sadly, that’s not the case. You need a medium-sized budget that allows for quality production and high amplification.

This is Allen Martinez speaking at SMX.

Measure and learn

You need to continually measure results, costs, and failures, and evolve your video strategy and implementation based on the lessons learned.

Don’t look at the analytics through a single lens, such as the time of viewing, CTR, video placement, etc. Video is a multidimensional asset that acts as a mini-funnel on its own and should be measured accordingly.

Conclusion

Video can be challenging and expensive. However, it is an ideal medium for expressing a dynamic message in a simple form and it far outstrips other media in terms of reach and performance. Don’t be afraid to test and learn with video but make certain you’re building the best team as you do.

Video is on the agenda for Content Marketing World Sept. 4-7 in Cleveland, Ohio. Will you be on the scene? Save with early-bird registration (ending May 31) and use code BLOG100 to save another $100. Register today. 

Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute