According to HubSpot’s 2018 Content Trends report, 52% of consumers want to see video content from brands and businesses they support. With consumer demand for video content increasing year after year, businesses in every industry are scrambling to create professional video content for their marketing strategies.
For many brands, however, the thought of adopting a video marketing strategy can be intimidating. Between the time it takes to strategize, shoot, and edit a successful video and the cost of equipment and software, it’s not hard to see why many businesses turn away from video marketing.
But regardless of your industry, video marketing is a beneficial investment and may be right for your business.
4 Reasons Why Brands Should Embrace Video Content
1. Video Marketing Builds Brand Awareness
At the end of the day, all of our marketing efforts boil down to one age-old concept: telling a story.
Through social media posts, blog articles, and even videos, marketing tactics all work to tell a brand’s story. And by sharing that story through various distribution channels, companies build brand awareness within their respective target audience communities.
If your story resonates with your target market as intended, they’ll share your videos with like-minded individuals who might also enjoy hearing your story. As this process repeats itself, your community of fans and potential customers grows.
2. Video Content Establishes Brand Authority
You don’t want your brand to be lost in the crowd, right? Well, mediocre articles, infographics, and other stagnant content can do exactly that.
However, when you pair these content pieces with an engaging video that tells a story, shares information, or helps a viewer understand a concept, you actively position your brand as an authority on that topic.
And, as your brand authority grows, so does your brand awareness, which inevitably leads to sales!
3. Video Marketing Boasts a High ROI
Speaking of sales …
According to SmartInsights, 88% of marketers stated that, in 2020, video marketing provided them with a positive ROI. This is up nearly 55% from 2015!
Since video content seamlessly integrates with any marketing strategy, use this content type to improve the ROI of your other efforts, such as social media, SEO, and email marketing.
4. Video Content Is a Lead Generation Machine
Thanks to the heightened brand awareness and authority from your videos, you’ll also enjoy an increase in qualified leads.
OptInMonster found that marketers that embrace video content receive 66% more qualified leads per year than those that do not.
And by pairing a toll-free or vanity number with each video, you’ll be able to track offline and online leads generated from your video marketing strategy.
How to Get Started With a Video Marketing Strategy
Video marketing is right for every business, from B2B companies to consumer brands.
Ready to get started with your video marketing strategy? Follow these steps:
1. Brainstorm Video Content Topics
Before you power up your camera and set up a tripod, you have to create a list of potential video content topics.
To help you brainstorm, start by combing through past content you’ve created. This can include social media posts, articles, sales collateral, etc. Identify which of these content pieces can be easily translated into or further explained in a video.
Other common video topics include:
- Interview and Q&A series
- Product and service demonstrations
- How-to videos
- Frequently asked questions
- Company overviews
2. Identify Your Video Budget and Resources
To properly execute a video marketing strategy, you’ll need to define your budget and identify what resources are at your disposal. You’ll then need to formulate the video marketing strategy around these respective guidelines.
However, this is where smaller brands tend to struggle.
Fortunately, there are several free and affordable video marketing apps and tools available online. And if you’re unable to invest in a camera, work around this limitation by selecting the highest-quality video setting on your phone and use a tripod.
If you have the budget, you could also consider hiring an expert videography team to create professional, high-quality videos for you. In fact, handling video files is not as tedious as you might think. With the right set of tools, converting video formats like AVI and MKV becomes a breeze. Plus, if you’ve already dabbled in using photo editors, manipulating video files will not be much of a learning curve for you.
3. Outline a Distribution Strategy
Similar to written content, you can’t create a video and hope people watch it. Instead, you have to create a thorough distribution strategy that works to generate views from your target audience.
Distribute your video on channels, such as:
- Company website
- Social media
- Emails
- Industry websites
- TV
4. Measure Everything
When starting a video marketing strategy, it is imperative to measure everything. From clicks to leads, you need all the data you can get! This multitude of information will help you understand how well your video strategy is performing.
Most marketing teams make the mistake of only tracking online video data. If a business fails to track offline leads and actions, these teams will operate with only a fraction of the results.
To measure offline results, add a call-tracking number to your video content. Include this number in the video, social media post content, and video descriptions.
When leads call this phone number with questions or for more information, you’ll know exactly which video generated the lead.
Video Marketing and Call Tracking Go Hand in Hand
Video marketing can be helpful for every brand. Whether you’re an accounting firm, a manufacturing plant, or a small mom-and-pop consumer product, every business can benefit from video marketing.
And remember to pair your video marketing strategy with a toll-free number to track the leads generated from your efforts.
