When creating and executing a video strategy for your business, use the following tips to get you started.
1. Determine your video campaign goals:
With every marketing strategy and tactic, you must ensure it will positively contribute to your overall and social media marketing goals. Will your video campaign include creating tags with a call to action asking your audience to go to a landing page or social network? Will your campaign bring action to your products or services to comfort your audience? If so, determine the action and align success metrics.
2. Set a budget:
Determine your budget from the get-go so you are well aware of your limitations. With a larger budget, you can create videos with professional lighting, sound and actors. If your budget is on the lower-end, find equipment such as a Flip HD camera and a tripod. With a Flip, you need to be sure you film in a properly lit area (if you are without a sufficient light source) and a place with decent acoustics (if you are sans a microphone). Videos with a less-polished feel are absolutely acceptable in the “YouTube” era. If possible, set up two cameras for a multi-camera angle. This way, you can switch between views and add other elements during the editing process.
3. Create the plot:
Write the plot line yourself or hire a writer to provide a script and direction. This choice will be dependent upon your determined budget, but either can work well. When creating the plot, think about the “viral value” of the content and if the video will be part of a larger series, or just a one time only. Consider creating a video with a dual plot – an overarching concept, which can be replicated and a one-time message with a concise call to action. This will allow the video to be watched as part of a series, or on its own and it will still accomplish the intended goal.
Also, two more things to remember – your video should fit the personality of your company, and it needs to be entertaining. Entertaining doesn’t necessarily mean funny; videos with humor or influential information are those which get the most views and create a buzz. Either way, videos depend on promotion, so be sure to account for distribution in the initial budget and implement a multi-channel promotion strategy at video launch.
Hopefully these tips will help you get your video campaign started…or help you realize your brand should have one!
