Video marketing isn't just for big brands. Learn how your local business can create a DIY video marketing strategy that engages customers and helps you meet your business's goals!
Video marketing is huge right now, and it's no surprise. Video is easy to consume and share and that makes it a great way to engage your customers and improve your marketing performance!
Viewers claim that they retain 95 percent of a message when obtained via video. With such a huge portion of consumer’s attention going towards video, including it in your business’s marketing strategy is a must.
Here’s our favorite video content tips curated just for you:
Determine your video’s audience
Like any effective marketing strategy, understanding your customer persona and audience is vital for creating content that will resonate with them and turn them into loyal customers.
Resonating via video goes beyond messaging. It includes production quality, topic, delivery, format and more. Different generations experience video differently, so it’s important you understand those video consumption habits before you start creating.
It’s also important to decide what platforms your video content will be published on. TikTok consumers are different from YouTube consumers, and each will expect different things from their content. Don’t skimp on your research here!
Decide the specific value you want your video to offer consumers and your business
Not every video should be attached to a sales pitch. Creating a variety of content that educates, entertains, or creates a connection will give consumers a well-rounded view of your business and what you have to offer.
Creating a brand that video consumers resonate with and want to engage with is the way to win in the video marketing world. To do this, get creative with how to express your brand’s personality and values!
Read our blog for more on creating compelling video content.
Creating a sustainable and strategic content calendar
Before you start filming, you need a plan. The pre-production stage of filming is probably the most important step of your entire process.
Creating a content calendar helps eliminate decision fatigue and helps keep your team informed of what footage is needed when. The content calendar creation stage is also a great opportunity to continue to research your audience, current video content trends, and to plan tests.
Your plan doesn’t always need to be highly detailed and precise, but you should at least have a solid outline of what you will be talking about and showing in your videos.
The content calendar is the overview of what you’ll be creating next while the video outlines are specific to each individual video.
Video outlining can include script writing, location scouting, talent acquisition, prop management and gathering anything else you’ll need to make a successful video.
Once you have a solid plan for your video, you can move on to making some movie magic!
Easy Tips for DIY Video Marketing for Your Business
You don’t need a full video production crew and a top-notch camera and equipment to create compelling videos. The best equipment is what you have and, thankfully, phones create great quality video content!
Follow these tips to shoot professional-looking videos with your phone:
Get a steady cam. One of the most important things is to have a steady frame. Tripods or gimbals get the job done! You can purchase one from Amazon or any store that sells cameras or camera equipment. Don’t forget to buy a phone mount!
Know when to shoot video horizontal vs. vertical. The platform you're posting to will determine which orientation to use. If your audience is mostly using a mobile device, shoot vertically. If you primarily post longer content on YouTube, shoot horizontally.
Know when to zoom and when to move. Using your fingers to pinch the screen and zoom reduces the image quality and will make your video look fuzzy or pixelated. The best way to get a closer shot of your subject is to move the camera closer or use a high-quality video editing software tool in post-production.
Try an editing app. Unless you're planning a live video, it’s a good idea to download an editing app to your smartphone or computer. If you're on a tight budget, there are plenty of free apps you can try for iPhone and Android.
Now that we've discussed some tips when using your smartphone, let's dive into more general tips that can be considered for all types of video content:
Pay attention to lighting and sound. Try to avoid filming in dark areas or rooms that are lit with fluorescent lighting. Try filming somewhere that has a lot of natural light, such as an area that is lit by a window. Sound is also important. Try to film in a space where there is not a lot of echo or background noise.
Your platform can dictate the length of the video. Depending on the platform you use to share the video, you’ll only have so much time to keep your viewers' attention. For example, Instagram has a 90-second limit for posting video content (unless you switch to IGTV). Regardless of the length of your video, it's important to reel your audience in within the first three seconds.
Show your personality. If you want to keep people interested and engaged in your video, you’ve got to put some personality in it. Be yourself and show off who you are as an individual or as a business. People respond best to videos that are authentic and real. This video testimonial is a great example of showcasing personality.
Use CTAs (call to actions) or give them something to do. Don't leave the viewer wondering what to do next when the video ends. Your video should always end with a call to action that tells your audience what to do next. It could be as simple as telling them to head over to your website to find out more information about your company, or you could invite the viewer to try out a new product or service.
Before we dive into the next section, take some time to watch our podcast to learn even more about video content:
What kind of videos should local businesses create?
Educational Videos (Specific to Your Industry) Keep your video's purpose and goals in mind when filming an educational video.
If you’re trying to film a how-to video, you shouldn’t also be trying to explain your business and services. Stay on topic and give the information you promised.
Here are a few types of educational videos you can create:
How-to
Explainer
News updates
Business updates
Who you are and what you do
Entertaining/Informative Videos
Have fun when creating entertaining or informative videos but keep your purpose at the forefront when shooting your video.
Bonus Tip: Remember to be authentic and real in your videos! Don't portray yourself or your business in a way that doesn't follow your brand.
Going live is an excellent way to connect with your audience. Going live on Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat can refresh your business's social media marketing strategy and give your customers a behind-the-scenes look at what you do and who you are.
Going live is a great way to engage your followers and show off your personality. It isn't always as easy as it looks, though. As long as you are confident and don't get hung up on mistakes then you'll be good to go!
No matter what platform you go live on, make sure you have a plan. The last thing you want is to go live and suddenly realize you weren’t prepared or aren’t sure what to talk about or show your viewers.
Final Thoughts
Video is a great way to supercharge your business's digital marketing strategy. But make sure to create videos that will provide value to your audience, and don't forget to use an analytics tool to track the success of your video marketing campaigns!
Check out RevLocal's digital marketing videos to learn easy digital marketing tips and tricks for your business.
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