Video is dominating almost all online platforms including YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and business websites. The amount of time people spend watching videos has been on the rise in recent years, and there are no signs it is going to slow down. Businesses need to take advantage of video in their marketing strategies or risk being left behind by their competitors who do. So, how can businesses get started with video marketing, and how can they leverage it for great results?
Have Goals in Mind
As with all marketing strategies, you need to set goals for your video marketing endeavours. The goals just explain what you would like to achieve once you start implementing your strategy. They also give you something to measure against once you start looking at the metrics later on.
It is a good idea to have just a few simple goals when starting so you do not feel overwhelmed. Once you have your campaigns going, you can refine your goals and even add to them. An example of a video marketing goal is improving brand awareness or increasing email list subscriber numbers.
Choose Your Platforms
There are numerous platforms where you can post your marketing videos, but not all of them will be suited for your business. YouTube, for example, is great for all kinds of businesses, while Instagram and TikTok are great for businesses looking to reach millennial and Gen Z demographics.
If you have never posted videos on any platforms, start with those where you already have an audience. Facebook, Instagram and YouTube remain great choices for businesses just starting their video marketing campaigns.
Plan and Create Your Content
The planning stage starts with deciding the types of videos you will post. Popular options include educational, how-to, behind-the-scenes, interviews, testimonials and entertaining videos. All these videos require slightly different shooting and production styles but settling on one category should help keep your workflow simple.
Next, you need to shoot and produce the actual content. The type of content will direct you on the talking points and information to include. Once the shoot is done, collect all clips and edit the video in the formats that work best for your business and the platforms you have picked.
It is important to note that you do not require expensive hardware or software to create video marketing content. You can use popular or even open-source video editing tools, and an inexpensive computer capable of handling video editing.
Intel recently released their Intel Arc line of discrete GPUs, and these are a cost-effective option for many businesses. You can click here to learn of the advantages they offer you over discrete graphics.
Schedule, Post and Promote Your Videos
Posting your videos at the right time will ensure the best reach. Various tools like Buffer can help you schedule when you post videos. As for promoting them, do not be afraid to split longer videos or combine different clips to create longer videos. It is also a good idea to post your video on different platforms, keeping in mind the best time to post on each.
Businesses that are not taking advantage of video marketing are losing out. Creating great content, choosing the right platforms and posting at the right time will help your business leverage the benefits of doing video marketing right.
