If a picture paints a thousand words is a well used and known phrase. Personally, I firmly believe that an image can portray far more than a few words. I now extend that thinking to video. How many words does a video paint? And more importantly how do I make a video that paints them?
Well it seems someone has done the maths on that question. 1 minute of video is worth 1.8 million words. Now that is something to consider in terms of the mix of content you are producing. Video has fast become one of the most important tools in content marketing. This is largely due to the rise in popularity of social media, in particular stories. It is estimated that the average person will spend 100 minutes per day watching video online in 2021. That’s an increase of just under 20% in 2 years.
Videos offer a way to share content quickly and easily, in short bursts which can be used across multiple channels. They are a simple way of providing customer support, answering questions, and sharing information as well as entertaining the audience. Their application is just as important in B2B as well as B2C marketing and so should form part of any marketing strategy going forward.
With this in mind here’s my 5 top tips to remember when creating a video and as always if you’ve any questions just get in touch!
- Purpose
Why are you creating a video? What is the purpose of it and who do you hope to reach with it? Where are you publishing it? Where does it fit with the other marketing activity you are doing? There is simply no point in making a video if you haven’t a purpose in mind. So, make sure you set a clear objective for what you are doing and measure the results. These can then help inform future decisions. Key metrics can include watch time, comments, links, click throughs and shares.
- Prepare
Like everything in life if you put the groundwork in, you will have a far better result. Decide in advance what style of video – talking heads, film, animation – this may be dictated by budget. Then, based on your objectives, decide on what your story is. Instead of being salesy, the most effective type of videos educates and informs the audience by telling a story. Now write your script and time it. I recommend 60 – 90 seconds is the optimum length for a video, but it does depend on what the objectives are.
- Produce
Whether you’re using a professional video company or just doing something on your phone using an app, the same rules apply. Check your lighting, clear your voice, remember your preparations. Make sure the final production tells your story with and without sound. Most video views on mobile devices take place with the sound off. The easiest way to do this is to use sub-titles but you can also be creative and use beautiful visuals and just key words with a strong call to action.
- Publish
The main place to publish your video is You Tube. This is because it acts as a search engine and is used as such by many people. Ensure your video is optimised for SEO by using engaging thumbnails, tags, descriptions, and key words. You’ve made the effort to make a video so make it easy for as many people as possible to find and watch it.
- Promote
Unfortunately, even if you build it, they won’t necessarily come! You also need to tell people about your video. Promoting your video is just as important as creating it. What’s the point in making it if you don’t tell anyone? Put a link on your website, issue a newsletter to customers with a link to it, share it on your social media (Linkedin, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram), whichever channels you are on. Think about different ways to present it depending on the channel.
So that’s my quick guide to making a marketing video. Like everything, it’s worth putting in the effort in advance to ensure a great final product. One other tip that I have found particularly useful is to video and record yourself in advance. Get comfortable being on camera and you will come across far more professional. And yes, what you see and what you hear is how you look and how you sound! Personally, I found that hard to get used to.
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