Video Marketing 101

Video is one of the most powerful forms of communication and it’s now accessible to everyone. If you’re a part of a marketing team, this is excellent news. You finally get to tell your brand’s story in a medium that used to be reserved for Fortune 50 organizations with unlimited production resources and a sizable media budget. If you’re on a marketing team and terrified of what integrating video into your strategy will require, you’re also in luck. It has never been easier to get started. On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you’re a seasoned video professional trying to keep up with the increased demand for video content, you are also in luck. The world needs thoughtful and experienced content creators to step up and pave the way for best practices and excellence in video marketing.

Wherever you fall on the video marketing continuum, our goal is to help clarify what video marketing is, why you will want to incorporate it into your marketing strategy, and how you can start right away with little to no fuss.

What is video marketing?

• BRAND: The promise of an experience.

• MARKETING: The medium for communicating what the brand experience is.

• CONTENT MARKETING: A marketing technique that does not explicitly sell the brand’s product or service.

• VIDEO MARKETING: Using video as the medium to deliver a message about your brand.

• VIDEO CONTENT MARKETING: Using video to deliver a brand message without explicitly selling the product or service.

While these definitions are basic, they give us insight on how to make room for video in our marketing strategy and begin prioritizing our content. To take this a step farther, let’s list a few examples of each for absolute clarity:

• BRAND: Values, Company Culture, Messaging, Tone, Target Audience, Visual Identity (logo/colors/fonts).

• MARKETING: Advertising, Newsletters, Social Media, Websites, Sales, Partnerships, PR, Ad Words, SEO, Events.

• CONTENT MARKETING: Infographics, Podcasts, Books, Inspirational/Entertaining Videos, Brand Film, Educational Videos.

• VIDEO MARKETING: Videos in Email, Product Video, Explainer Video, Instructional Video, Testimonial Video. 

Why is video a good option for your brand?

It’s not just about “keeping up with the Joneses.” It’s more about embracing a medium that effectively communicates the value of your brand in a way that no other medium can. It’s personal, which is why audiences feel a deep connection to brands who aren’t afraid to use video on their platform. It also increases awareness and attention span in ways that graphics and copywriting can’t. Most importantly, however, it helps establish clarity in what you offer and who you are while offering the transparency and vulnerability audiences have come to expect from brands in recent years. If you aren’t clear about who you are or the problem your product or service solves, video is a great tool to work out the kinks internally and a disastrous tool for external facing purposes. This is one of the biggest reasons we are such advocates for video as a pillar of your marketing strategy: it has a way of bringing you back to the basic tenant of branding and marketing every time.

How you can get started right now:

There are two entry points we’ll consider for the sake of this article:

1. New To Video - This doesn’t mean you’re new to content creation. It means you’re new to the nuances of creating content via video specifically. The easiest way to dive in is to experiment with a smartphone and a social media account. Introduce your audience to your team or bring them into your workspace for a nice “behind the scenes” experience. Production quality isn’t the name of the game as you continue to iterate. Content, however, is still king (no matter what platform you’re using). Remember, this is still a form of communication that informs the audience of what kind of experience they can come to expect from your brand. Have a plan for what you want to communicate and make sure you bring them into an experience that enhances their confidence and understanding of who you are!
2. Seasoned Video Professional - Video production isn’t new to you. What is new is the sheer amount of people who are now experimenting with the medium. The demand for more video content has never been higher which often leaves professional video teams feeling overwhelmed and detached from the larger vision of what they’re using the platform to communicate. Part of the struggle is in reinventing new workflows so you can meet the demands while maintaining the excellence you’re known for. The other part is learning how to work collaboratively as more creative departments integrate their work into the video process. The first step for you is to press pause, recalibrate by getting clear about how, when, why and where you’ll be using video in your organization and define a clear workflow that allows room for to expand your team without compromising sanity or quality.
   

Whether you're just dipping your toe into video marketing or are trying to scale your video team, we hope this continues to be a resource for you! We're always here to answer questions and would love to hear your feedback, just send us a message!