Video marketing can set your brand apart—but only if it’s supported by effective strategy.
In marketing, when it comes to positioning the brand, establishing trust, and capturing attention, video is unrivaled. In fact, video is the most consumable online content, accounting for 82% of all online traffic in 2022. The absorption that video demands sets brands who employ it effectively on a higher level. It shows audiences that you are serious about what you do, and you’re willing to invest your time into a production that will lay your proof of concept on the line. You’re giving an inside track on what you do visually, pulling back the curtain to show that what you do works.
As the man behind the camera capturing the inside workings of organizations, I often get the feeling that producing a video is a lot like showing your hand. You’re laying all the cards down on the table by demonstrating that you’re serious about the success of your brand. There’s a certain level of vulnerability there, but the audience respects that. It shows authenticity and realness.
Video also offers concrete strategic benefits to clients beyond those of other mediums. Right off the bench, an introduction video can introduce an organization’s brand, core benefits, and key differentiators in a tight 4–6-minute package with evergreen value. Video acts as a filter for those who are genuinely interested in your product. It provides that gate, because if they see what you offer through the video pitch and still choose to go to the next level, you know they’re a qualified lead.
If you’re considering introducing video into your marketing strategy, here’s where to start.
Video Marketing Strategy: Audience, intent, and distribution.
There are three fundamental questions any video marketing strategy must begin with: 1) Who is my audience? 2) What do I want to accomplish with this video? 3) How will I share my video with my audience?
Your video audience is the highest level of brand strategy. A good video speaks directly to the interests and needs of that audience. Many organizations have multiple audiences they need to speak to, so a video either needs to speak broadly while also communicating the core brand message, or multiple videos are needed to speak more specifically to the interests of each group.
Video strategy also looks at purpose. For a high-profile piece of content destined to live a long life, the video must have a strong message and a clear goal: to educate, to persuade, to evoke curiosity, or even to sell. Understanding the intent of the video is essential to measuring its success.
Finally, with the audience and intent in place, we consider distribution. Most videos can be cut and edited in multiple ways, making them viable for a range of distribution channels.
- A video on your home page, on a product or service page, or on a landing page anchors your brand story and provides compelling closing content for visitors already engaged with your message.
- Video can capture attention on social media, even on a platform notorious for short attention spans. On platforms such as LinkedIn, which is more lacking in video content than other channels, video has an even greater chance of capturing attention and setting a brand apart.
- While space is usually limited, sponsored content, promoted posts, and enhanced ad placements can all use portions of longer brand videos to make a point in a few seconds.
- Live events. Video can be a compelling way to open or close a presentation, giving your team a few minutes of polished presentation to lead off with or some parting food for thought. A video reel playing at a convention or trade show can also capture the attention of passersby and solidify your standing as a prestige player in their industry.
How build/create incorporates video into our marketing strategy.
If there’s one downside to video, it’s that putting together a prestigious brand piece takes time. Even smaller content pieces require significant production time to develop. That’s not a reason not to invest in video—that’s just a reason to do so thoughtfully and strategically.
At build/create, the value of working with our team on an annual retainer is that it gives us time to develop video alongside our blog article writing and other supporting deliverables. The long lead time up front for developing video can have a greater long-tail payoff. There are many types of video, and some needs are of greater priority than others. Here’s how we consider video pieces for our clients.
- Brand videos. This should be the priority for any brand that doesn’t yet have one. They are the quickest and most effective way to show your audience who you are and what you do. They’re best put together alongside your other branding efforts, and then redone with each major brand overhaul.
- Product and service videos. These can range from quick thirst videos to longer demonstrations of your capabilities. They are best used on social media or linked to specific landing pages or promotional campaigns.
- Video testimonials. These are the gold standard of social proof. A testimonial from a client who is willing to bear witness to your quality goes beyond any number of five-star Yelp! reviews. Even better, a video case study can act as a mini-documentary showing your ability to look at a client’s challenges and resolve them to their satisfaction.
- FAQ/Tutorials. These are generally the least polished and most accessible, but they’re also an area where too much of a DIY approach can lead your brand astray. Our focus in this area is on support work, where we help guide the content ideas and then polish the submissions we receive from clients to bring it up to a professional standard.
Video may be a lofty investment, but it bears a lot of fruit.
The most important aspect of video marketing is its longevity. Putting thoughtful strategy behind a video marketing piece can yield content that lasts for years. In part, this is because the amount of footage collected in a single shoot can be re-edited, repurposed, or reused for years to come on ads, websites, social media channels, live events, or as a soft introduction to clients.
Brands only need to plan for a video update when they’ve passed from one chapter of their business to the next and are ready for a comprehensive re-visioning of their presentation. Packaged with other major brand initiatives at this time, video can be the galvanizing force that breaks down the inertia of the old brand and builds momentum for the new.
If you’re ready to consider video as part of your marketing strategy, reach out. There’s nothing we enjoy more than taking a brand through our process and developing a prestige content piece that will tell your story and win you new business.