Ten Video Marketing Tips You Need to Learn

Ten Video Marketing Tips You Need to Learn

So you have decided that video marketing is the way to go and with sites like Tik-Tok and Youtube growing all the time now is the perfect time to get into video marketing and learn some of the strategies big businesses use to make money from this form of media. So if you are just starting out on the road to video marketing, these tips are for you…

1. Define the ultimate aim of the video.

Whether your business is using online video for marketing, training or internal communications the key to effective video communications is knowing what you want to achieve with it. Is it increasing sales, saving money by cutting waste, improving employee engagement, raising customer satisfaction levels or something different? Make sure both you and the agency who are making your video are clear on what the objectives are. It’s rewarding to produce something creative that everyone is proud of but an effective video should also achieve its set objectives.

2. Be clear about your audience – who are you aiming the video at?

Be clear about your audience – who are you aiming the video at? In the same way, television programmes are made for different audiences, business videos should be approached in the same way. To take an extreme example from TV, – BBC 1’s Newsround and BBC 2’s Newsnight are both news programmes, but they are aimed at completely different audiences (one is for 6 to 14 year old children, the other is for sophisticated adult audiences who want more depth to their news). The whole tone of the programmes is different – different presenters, sets, writing style, content, music and stories. The programme-makers have clearly defined the demographic of their audience and tailored the programme to suit that audience. To be effective, business video communications should do the same.

3. Match the tone of the video to your brand

The style, tone and professionalism of your video speak volumes about your business. In the same way, you invest in your company with professional-looking business cards, websites or offices, make sure your video reflects your brand. A professional, well-polished video says the same about your brand. An edgy, irreverent video would reflect different brand values. Think about what you want your video to say about your company and talk through with your agency what brand values need to come across in your video

4. What’s in it for the audience?

Why will your audience watch your video? If you’re marketing to a younger audience then a funny or clever video that they can pass on to their friends may get their attention (e.g. -a fun viral that makes them smile and also makes your company name stick in their head for all the right reasons). For an internal video aimed at a highly skilled and professional sales team then best practice tips from colleagues which help them to smash their sales targets and earn more commission may be far more appropriate. Your target audience will only watch if there’s something in it for them – make sure there is.

5. Keep the video short

People’s attention span is far shorter than it was 10 years ago and attention time for video online is shorter than that of watching TV or other media – people want their information quick and concise. It does depend on exactly what you’re trying to achieve with your videos (see 1 above) but in general, 3 minutes of video online is a long time. Don’t use 100 words to get your point across if you can say it just as well with 10. Similarly with video – don’t use 5 minutes if 1 is more powerful.

Ten Video Marketing Tips You Need to Learn

6. No more than 3 key messages

Video is a great medium for communicating short, snappy messages, demonstrating something visually that would be difficult to do in words or to get across the passion of a contributor. Video is NOT a good medium for communicating lots of facts or detail.. Think about what you want the audience to remember after watching your video. A good rule of thumb, (however long the video) is to ask ‘what are the 3 key messages I want to get across?’. (3 is the maximum – but it could be less). Make sure you’re clear about these and concentrate on communicating these. Don’t try and cram in too many messages or information – the audience won’t remember.

7. Avoid corporate or management speak at all costs

You and your closest colleagues may understand when you talk about the need to ‘consolidate our blue sky thinking and some focus on granularity around our forward thinking SME position’ but you’ll lose the majority of the audience very quickly. The best communicators are those that can explain a complicated subject in a way that everybody understands and can relate to. It is important to understand who your audience are (2 above) so you can match the tone to suit them, but even CEO’s and senior managers prefer plain English. Remember – No Bull!

8. Be organized and plan well ahead

Not only does this make the production process go much more smoothly and avoid confusion, but being organized and efficient with scripts and logistics can save a lot of money on the budget and generate a lot better end product. Even quite involved films can be turned around incredibly quickly if needs be but as a rule of thumb allow a month from commissioning to delivery. Diaries of contributors like senior managers or well-known presenters can be very busy so it’s a good idea to get filming dates confirmed with them as early as possible. Videos that need to go through several layers of sign-off at each stage (e.g. for corporates or larger companies) can make the production process longer – so allow for this as well.

9. Make sure you promote the video

Making the most wonderful, creative and inspiring video is worthless if nobody sees it – make sure you get the video seen by as many of your target audience as possible. If it’s for an internal audience (e.g. for training or internal communication) then make sure that senior managers get behind the project and encourage and allocate their people time to watch. For external films make sure the film is easy to find. For instance, make sure it’s in a prominent place on your website (not hidden several layers down). For video marketing campaigns, videos can be embedded in an e-mail or sent as a link to a target audience. For video virals make sure they are professionally seeded by a company that specialises in this area – this will massively help increase the audience.

10. Measure whether the video has achieved its objective

Once you have set your specific objectives/the desired outcome for the video make sure you measure the effect it has had. This means taking a before and after measurement to analyse if the video has made any difference. For an internal audience, online measurement and feedback forms can monitor who is watching and get valuable information on the impact and effectiveness of the video. For an external-facing video, hits online can be easily measured to find out the size of the audience. For both internal and external audiences changes in behaviour or increases in sales can and should be measured. An effective video should cost you nothing as it will more than pay for itself in the long run in either savings or increased sales.

If you have any other tips for growing a business with video marketing do let us know in the comments below! 

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