Video Marketing: Learning the Craft of Effective Digital Storytelling

Ah, the rise of the internet yet again offers marketers another avenue of customer engagement. Through video marketing, brands can create captivating content, leaving viewers mesmerized by their enchanting storywriting, script execution, and editing skills. 

But, how can first-timers or newly interested creators develop an effective video marketing campaign?

Promotion via infographics, blog posts, and other educational print materials is a whole different playing field than video. In many cases, even short clips can take weeks, even months, of planning. Still, with an established schedule and the right equipment, your team can tame the often intimidating video giant. 

What Is Video Marketing?

Video marketing utilizes video to raise brand awareness, promote your brand, and pique customer interest. With the ever-increasing use of social media and streaming services, businesses have pioneered the once-unventured territory of short-form film to vastly expand their global reach and accessibility to all.

However, you’re not caged to just one form of video. Instead, imagine the world of video marketing as a rough slab of marble, just waiting to be sculpted according to your target audience and end goals. Animated, live-action, and screen-recorded media can then be broadcast anywhere from social media accounts to streaming services.

Below are a few types of video marketing:

• Social media videos: Generally, these posts are the shortest form of video marketing. However, they don’t cut corners with delivery. Most are funny, visually appealing, and informative, thus encouraging viewers to engage further with other content areas (e.g., blog posts, websites, podcasts, etc.).

• Commercials: Commercials are a time-tested advertising route that businesses have trusted for decades. They typically involve eye-catching graphics that highlight a product or service before concluding with a call to action.

• Explainer videos: The name speaks for itself–explainer videos educate your audience about your product, services, or brand. 

• Testimonials: Customer testimonials are one of the best promotional tools. Hearing from a real person about the trustworthiness of a business can drive potential consumers to take action.

• Product videos: Like explainer videos, this form of video marketing highlights a specific product. In this case, many creators focus on the design, appearance, functionality, or practicality of the item.

• Mini-documentaries: These videos primarily focus on introducing your brand vision or mission. Here, you inform audiences of how your business plans to better their lives or the world as a whole. Involving company founders, client testimonials, and happy employees is a great place to start. 

• Live streams: Most social media platforms now offer live streams. Businesses can take advantage of this feature, using this time to connect with audiences directly, answer questions, and establish their brand personality.

• Interviews: Filming with an expert in your industry who agrees with your mission, endorses your brand, or provides additional education can add authority and authenticity to your campaign. 
• Personal videos: Customers are happier when supporting a brand that feels human. Showing the face behind your brand via personal interviews or instructional videos can add that unparalleled je ne sais quoi to your online presence.

The Importance of Video Marketing

Video marketing is taking the industry by storm. In fact, 91% of businesses have pursued this high-value method, with 88% reporting video marketing as a prime element in their strategies. 

While the initial investment in equipment can deter some from jumping on the bandwagon, the reality is that video marketing is more accessible than ever before. Most times, you don’t even need to purchase a special camera or set. A lot of creators film astonishing videos with their smartphones! 

Perhaps most importantly, the average person watches at least 19 hours of video media a week. This statistic clearly illustrates the massive gravitational pull of online consumption. Unfortunately, being a naysayer to video marketing can limit your growth as a business owner–so, why sleep on this opportunity?

Here are the advantages video content marketing can bring to your brand:

• Improved SEO: The more time visitors spend on your website, the more trustworthy your brand becomes to Google. 

• Boosted social media engagement: Thoughtfully made videos with attractive graphics and sound encourage audiences to comment on posts, repost content, or subscribe to your account.

• Mobile compatibility: Consuming videos on mobile devices is simple, no matter where someone is sitting, lying down, or even flying! 

• Expanding your reach: Videos are compatible with numerous online platforms and services. Use these spaces to attract more viewers across the world.
• Raise brand awareness: Video marketing allows you to showcase your unique presence as a business entity. You can often capture your true essence much easier (and in fewer words) than through other methods like blog writing.

9 Tips for Creating a Video Marketing Strategy

The time to take video marketing by the horns is now. 

Of course, the nature of your campaign will depend heavily on your goals, available resources, and budget. Still, even with time or financial limitations, you can develop a memorable video marketing strategy that tantalizes viewers while instilling expertise and authoritativeness. 

1. Follow the 3 Stages of Production

The first step before delving into video creation is determining your topic of choice and creative vision for the final production. Essentially, this process can be broken down into three distinct phases, helping you prioritize tasks in order of importance.

Check out the highlights of each stage below:

• Pre-production: In the first phase, you determine the topic of interest and write your script. Often, these ideas stem from brainstorming with colleagues or even a content marketing agency. Next, outline the key points to be made in the video through dialogue–be sure to include directions for actors (or yourself), background music, sound effects, and the like. If necessary, hire outside talent, acquire props, or book a venue.

• Production: Here is the fun part–the actual filming! Get creative and incorporate your distinct voice through audio and visuals. Keep things bright by recording in the daytime or in a well-lit room. Or, if your vibe is more moody, set the tone with darker hues and colors. Keep things akin to your brand personality.

• Post-production: Lastly, you’ll need to set time aside for editing your video before posting. Many programs are available for both novice and professional creators, so explore your options to find one that works for you (and fits your budget). 

2. Identify Your Goals

After establishing a topic, reflect on the intended outcomes of your video marketing campaign. What are you hoping to accomplish? Audience growth? Providing education? Boosting conversion rates?

Regardless of your answer, defining your purpose sets the stage for a lucrative content strategy. Avoid the pitfalls of under-planning that lead to a muddled message, leaving you missing the mark. 

3. Choose Your Audience

Promotional videos should target your market audience. Remember, your message is meant to reach like-minded businesses and consumers who benefit from your brand. Use this demographic to guide your decision-making throughout the creation process.

4. Don’t Skimp on Quality

In 2024, quality is of the utmost importance to audiences. Long gone are the days of lackluster, poorly edited advertisements made simply to scratch an item off the “Marketing To-Do List.” 

While simple videos may have met the industry standard ten years ago, this is far from the case now. Still, video marketing doesn’t necessarily equal a substantial financial investment. Most smartphones come equipped with high-resolution cameras and top-notch audio capture capabilities. 

The vibe you create is equally, if not more, important than the equipment. Opt for settings that fit the narrative and provide context to your mission. For example, incorporating scenes from urban cities can be an inspiring element for vertical farms that provide communities with organic produce.

Lastly, ensure your audio and images align perfectly before publishing video content. You wouldn’t want sing-songy music to play during an emotional monologue!

5. Make Videos Accessible to Everyone

Create content that honors sensory differences. Deaf and blind populations often feel neglected by brands that fail to incorporate audio and visual assistance. Other populations may struggle with flashing lights or loud, unexpected sounds. Cultivating your video marketing campaign around these needs ensures everyone can benefit from and interact with your media.

6. Keep Things Brief

Most social media videos last 30 seconds or less. Unlike traditional print or written pieces, you don’t need to provide in-depth details about the topic. Rather, focus on creating a brief synopsis of the mission, ending with a call to action to promote additional engagement.  

Overly complicated videos can deter viewers from watching until the end or watching any future posts. While staying short-winded can be difficult, especially for those accustomed to blog or ebook writing, the video marketing world revolves around conciseness and terseness. 

7. Add a Call to Action

Don’t forget your CTA! You’ve garnered audience attention for the duration of your video, now comes the time to convert! Go back to your dream board–how did pre-production you envision viewers responding to your video? 

Put on your salesperson hat and deliver an invitation to commit further by purchasing a product, subscribing to your newsletter, filling out a contact form, or downloading your ebook. Use your educational and riveting media to establish the benefits that come from additional engagement. 

8. Promote, Promote, Promote!

Creating a video is one thing–promotion is a separate process with multiple moving parts. First, decide what platform will house your content. Next, determine how you will share the video across other marketing avenues. Will you simply repost or repurpose the content as infographics, transcripts, or printed magazines?

You can also explore collaborative opportunities with other creators for mutual promotional efforts. For instance, guests on their podcasts to discuss your video. Or, interview them about their video marketing strategy while mentioning your most recent campaign. 

Another way to self-promote is paid advertising. This low-cost, low-risk investment can exponentially increase reach and traffic with just a few clicks. Opting for this method can save valuable time when your efforts are needed elsewhere. 

9. Keep Track of Engagement

Assess how much traffic and revenue videos bring to your content marketing strategy. Metric measuring platforms offer a way to witness growth in real-time right from the start of your campaign. 

Depending on the company, you can record and analyze customer engagement on your social media accounts, website, and more. With this information, you can develop a more effective video marketing strategy to improve on areas that may need some tweaking. 

In Conclusion

Video marketing can be a stepping stone to sustained success when building an online presence. Audiences across the globe have loved film since its inception centuries ago. 

But, what’s different now is the availability and easy accessibility of video. People on every corner of the planet can consume your content from the comfort of their homes. Leverage this abridged gap to boost your outreach efforts and truly connect with those who matter most–your customers.

Sign up for our Marketing In Bloom newsletter today >>>