Your Video Marketing Guide: 7 Questions to Ask Yourself

The purpose of this article is to help you create your very own, personal video marketing guide.

Nowadays, video marketing has become a more prominent way to market products or services.

Gone are the days when brands spend so much on television exposure. Everyone is now turning to advertise on social media as it is cheaper and more effective in terms of conversion.

According to Google’s latest video trends report, 6 out of 10 people would rather watch videos online than watch television.

Furthermore, another 2019 report from HubSpot states that 90% of consumers say that video marketing has helped them make purchasing decisions.

With the immense impact that this marketing trend is making in terms of consumer behavior, it’s safe to say that businesses have seen the advantage of using video marketing to introduce their brand, product, or service.

However, with more and more businesses seeing its value and consistently putting out content to satisfy their audience, how will your video stand out?

Like in the days of tri-media (television, newspaper, and billboard), it is still highly important that you come up with your own media plan for social media marketing, especially when it comes to video marketing. The greatest commercials are catchy and memorable, so your videos should be the same. It’s so important that your ad hook the right viewers and grab their attention.

There’s no accurate formula in creating a successful video campaign.

However, it’s best to create content out there so that you will know what factors you need to consider.

What your audience expects from you, what your strengths are, what your weaknesses are.

And how you can distinguish yourself from your competitors.

So, how do you get started?

Here are 7 relevant questions that will serve as your guide when you come up with a video brand.

1. Who Are You Talking To?

The most important factor when creating a video on the internet is to know who you’re trying to sell your brand to.

This is the basis of what your video should be, what it will look like, and what your message should sound like.

If you don’t have a definite target audience, then you can expect a video that’s all over the place or an advertisement they will skip within or after 5 seconds.

You have to do your research on your target audience and study their behavior.

That way, not only will you get more views, but you will surely get conversions too.

2. What Is the Goal and Message of Your Video?

Generating leads shouldn’t be your primary goal. It is simply a means to an end.

What your video should focus on is creating an impact on your consumer, whether it’s through informing, adding a human aspect to your video, or influencing them through celebrity endorsements.

You need to create brand awareness and let it resonate with your specific audience.

So, think about it first — what do you want to say to the people you want to communicate with?

Like any other relationship, communication is key.

3. How Will You Go About Your Video?

Your video production process and video editing are also a crucial aspect of the output. If you don’t create quality content for your audience, it’s not going to be relevant to them.

So, how does quality content come to fruition? It starts with PLANNING.

This is where your idea of your target market comes in handy. When you are aware of their interests and what kind of videos they are watching. Then you’ll be able to come up with a concept of how it should look like.

The first step is to set aside a budget and create a script. Your video production has to be in line with your budget, of course.

Start small before taking that big leap in your video production. Know that you don’t have to go big or go home right off the bat.

Sometimes, high-quality, engaging content is not found merely in videos with big production values.

You can create something your consumers will love even with small production value.

Also, you don’t have to do the whole process alone. Having a creative team with you will surely help, especially in coming up with ideas that would create a video with an impact.

You also have to make sure that your video’s concept is in line with your company’s branding.

It has to have a distinct identity that can help your target audience easily. And determine your brand and how you want to be portrayed.

Once you’ve finalized all the factors that come into production, you should implement your vision.

As much as possible, you have to ensure that everything is in place and that every element stays in budget.

Otherwise, you’re going to leave your video half-baked.

From the filming to the video editing, make sure to clearly portray your message. Make it in a way that your audience can relate to or learn from.

Ensuring a high-quality output is important because this is what your audience will see.

This is what they will take in before they act out your message, whether they think it’s relevant to them.

4. What Appeal Should You Use When Presenting Your Message, Product, or Service to Your Audience?

When delivering the message to your audience, knowing what approach or concept to present to them is important.

Whether it should be a video that informs or tugs heartstrings, it would be best to consider something that coincides with your branding.

So, how do you determine what kind of video would best and clearly portray your message to your audience?

To help you figure that out, here are some of the approaches you can consider when creating video content:

Demonstration

This is usually used when showcasing a new product or service. Videos that present a demonstration of how a service or product will go is more straightforward.

It helps consumers be more informed about what they are about to purchase.

This is commonly used for businesses that advertise electronic appliances, phones, and the like. It highlights the benefits and specs of the product being presented.

Although using demonstrations as an approach can be an advantage, putting too much information can bore them.

Hence, make sure to add interesting visual elements and only present the key benefits in your video; that way, they won’t be bombarded with too much information.

Educational or How-Tos.

Like demonstrations, how-tos make great content for informing your audiences. This is especially useful for new, innovative products in the market. Or other industries that would like to show their process to their audience.

However, this type of approach also needs to be straightforward; otherwise, your audience is going to scroll through it and search for the next interesting video they can find.

Again, make sure to add visually appealing elements and deliver your information into bite-sized pieces in a way that the audience can still understand.

Expert Testimonials

This type of appeal is more favorable for those who want to show their credibility to their audience. Having an expert talk about the effectiveness of your product or service can also influence purchasing decisions.

Like any other informative video, you also have to make sure that it’s not droning or too sales-pitchy. It needs to be presented in a factual manner but should also have your consumer’s best interest at heart.

Customer Testimonials

It’s not only an expert’s opinion that matters but also the people who would actually purchase your product, so you can start creating memorable video testimonials.

Nothing is more influential than the word of mouth.

Even in the age before social media was created, people relied on word-of-mouth marketing to make purchasing decisions.

When a consumer’s opinion of your brand is either favorable or unsatisfactory, you can guarantee it will affect your target market’s view of your brand.

Also, keep in mind that when your target market sees more and more people patronizing your product or turning to your services, then people will join the bandwagon as well.

Celebrity Endorsement

In the age wherein pop culture is thriving, having a celebrity endorse your product will also help you gain the brand awareness you want.

It also helps to know which celebrity can relate closely with your audience or which celebrity they aspire to be.

So that they project the lifestyle they want while presenting your service or product as a part of that lifestyle.

Emotional Appeal

Making your video’s message more human will add to its appeal. Why? According to a study conducted by Antonio Damasio in his book called “Descartes’ Error,” emotion is a necessary factor in making decisions.

This includes deciding whether to buy things or not.

When we are presented with options, our emotions from previous experience will affect the way we choose products or services.

Know that your video can be one of these experiences.

What they feel during the time that they witness your message can affect the way they see your brand.

In a survey conducted by Unruly, ads with heavily emotional content are the ones with the most engagement.

This means that content which projects emotions, whether happy, funny, or sad, can resonate with your target market and encourage promotion or conversion.

Establishing your video’s appeal will make your message more cohesive and, at the same time, memorable.

So, when thinking about your video’s concept, make sure to really plan out what approach will resonate well with your audience or generate more interactions and promotions.

5. Where Should You Post Your Videos?

Did you know that a website is 53 times more likely to reach the front page of the Google search result if they have a video?

This is because adding a video to your website can increase its Search Engine Optimization, encouraging more and more people to click on your site; this, in turn, helps your website gain organic traffic.

But other than posting your video on your website, it is also crucial that it gets uploaded on social media platforms, which is where you can get more engagements.

So, which social media platforms should you be uploading your video on?

YouTube – Being one of the most prominent video streaming sites today, putting your video advertisements on this platform is a must.

As YouTube has become the second largest search engine and the most used website on the internet, you can have a clear idea of how you can benefit from using it.

Not only that but uploading your videos on YouTube is also FREE.

However, if you want to boost your advertisement’s reach, you can do so at cost-effective rates.

Facebook – The experts behind this giant social media platform itself said that an average of 2.23 billion people log in on Facebook every month — all the more reason to use this site to your advantage.

Although it has been dropped as the world’s most-visited website next to YouTube, it still holds a lot of traffic for businesses who wish to gain more and more consumers for their product or service.

Twitter – Approximately 326 million people use Twitter every month.

Although the number of monthly users is decreasing, the number of daily users is continuously increasing, making Twitter an ideal place for traffic.

This platform is where friendly customer engagement is common.

Twitter is becoming a platform where brands and celebrities are able to communicate closely with their audience, so businesses who wish to relate more to their consumers directly can make use of this app for more engagement.

Instagram – As of June 2018, an average of 1 billion monthly active users are on Instagram.

It is also stated that posts with videos have 38% more engagement than those with images.

Furthermore, 70% of Instagram users search for brands online, which makes it even more of an ideal marketing platform for businesses.

With all these in mind, make sure to prepare videos that are appropriate for each video platform.

 6. What’s the Ideal Video Length?

When you’re planning to put out content on each social media platform, you also have to make your research on what the length of your video should be to optimize its relevance.

A study conducted by Wistia said that videos that are at most 2 minutes long get a ton of engagement.

However, this may vary, depending on the type of social media platform you are using.

Ideally, you can keep your audience’s attention for around 2 minutes, but if you want them to stay engaged for a longer duration than that, you have to make your video consistently interesting and not dragging.

Here’s what you should know with regard to the length of your video in each platform:

For Facebook videos, the length should not be more than the ideal 2-minute mark. Many studies have shown that for most videos that go beyond 2 minutes, engagements tend to decrease.

Ensure that it is directly uploaded on Facebook — instead of posting it as a YouTube link — since Facebook’s algorithm prioritizes native video content.

Twitter videos, on the other hand, should not be more than 30 seconds as it is the upper limit for its video content.

You can use your Twitter video as a teaser for your full-length content on Youtube or on your website instead.

Videos posted on Instagram should not be more than 60 seconds in length since it’s the limit that the platform supports.

Additionally, data provided by HubSpot suggest that 30 seconds is the most ideal timeframe for those who want to make use of this platform.

This is because videos with the most engagements averaged about 26 seconds in length.

Also, keep in mind that Instagram is a platform that relies heavily on visuals.

So make sure to thoroughly plan out what your viewers will see in order to fully capture their attention.

And lastly, for YouTube, it would be best to stay within the ideal 2-minute mark as well.

As a prominent search engine, it is crucial to remain consistent in producing content for your audience to keep your engagement.

Every time your brand is mentioned in videos, it will promote better brand awareness and, ultimately, sales. 

7. How Did Your Audience React to Your Video?

Of course, your video isn’t going to be perfect right off the bat. On the first run, you might not be able to get the results you want out of the video you posted.

And that’s okay. Again, make sure to always start small before taking that big leap, especially if your brand is just starting out.

Through consistently putting out video content, you’ll learn your customers’ behavior and how well your video performs in terms of engagement.

Video marketing takes careful study, and once you’re aware of what your audience wants and how they respond once they see your message.

Then you’ll be able to have a formula as to how you can have more engagements and, eventually, generate more leads.

After All, Is Said and Done, Consistency Is Key

Also, make sure to plan out the frequency of posting your videos.

Unlike social media vloggers who can continuously upload videos when they can because it’s how they generate income, your business might need to plan out the perfect time to deliver your content to your audience.

That way, you can lessen the expense on the production but still consistently deliver enough content to not be forgotten.

However, make sure that when you do put out content, it’s something that still embodies your brand. Do not conform to factors that affect your message in a way that makes people forget what your brand identity stands for.

It’s advisable to innovate or to change the ways on how you want to deliver your video’s message. But it’s still important to remember what you stand for or what makes you unique from your competitors.

Video marketing can be a powerful medium for you to promote your brand when you do it right.

So, if you’re still not making use of videos to present your brand, to your audience, you might want to start now!

Written by Louise Savoie: