Lights! Camera! Action (In Your Marketing Efforts)!

Is your marketing in a rut? You’ve shared miles and miles worth of copy, all delivering considerable-to-extraordinary value to your readership. You’ve produced blogs, deliverable brochures and case studies, postcards, yet your marketing seems to have reached its peak, far short of what you know you can achieve somehow. That “somehow” could very likely be through some well-produced video content.

The benefits of video are very easy to see.

Video content has become a crucial facet of a B2B marketing strategy - 96% of such business have reported making use of it, with 73% of those reporting beneficial effects to their ROI. What’s more, 87% of online marketers currently utilize video content in their efforts.

These marketers certainly have the right idea.

• Emails containing video have click-through rate increases of anywhere between 200 and 300% when compared to those without video.
• Landing page videos can increase conversion rates by 80%.
• After watching a video explain a product or service, 50% of executives will seek out more information on that product or service.
• Between reading text-based information or watching a video in an ad, 59% of executives would rather gather their information through the video format.

Clearly, these are benefits that you can’t afford (and shouldn’t want) to pass up as a businessperson. However, as a final point to compare video content to the miles and miles of copy you have produced…

One minute of video provides equal value to 1.8 million written words.

Crunching the numbers here, to reach a value equivalent to that of one minute of video (which, let's assume took anywhere from two to three hours to create, including conception, filming, editing, and finalizing) you would have to write (assuming you meet the average speed of 41 words-per-minute the typical typist can maintain) quality content for a full 30-day month, straight on through. So, either two to three hours of work or a solid 30 days of work can bring you the exact same value, if done right.

Video content is starting to sound like a pretty smart component to add to your marketing strategy, isn’t it?

So now you just have to produce your video.

Which, ironically, often starts off in a similar way to most written content: a bit of planning, and then (usually) a whole lot of writing, editing, rewriting, and revising.

After all, your video will need some structure to it. To produce a talking head video, or a video featuring a voiceover, or perhaps a video combining the two, your speaker (or speakers) will need a script. Additionally, because your marketing video is not likely going to be an avant-garde, experimental, improvised experience, you will need to compose a script for the video to follow - even if this plan is just a verbal one, it still needs to take shape before you begin.

Furthermore, you will have to brainstorm how you want your information to be presented. What format of marketing video do you plan to create, and do you have the resources to produce it? After all, different videos utilize different features, which in turn require different equipment, resources, and often talent. Once this crucial factor has been determined, your video may begin to take shape.

Effective Video Formats for Marketing

Talking Head videos - A simple video format to produce, a speaker addresses the camera and discusses a topic of interest to the viewer, be it a list of answers to frequently asked questions or simple best practices for a task. By providing such information, usually for no cost, the company that created the video is often seen as a valuable resource for the viewer’s benefit.

Whiteboard videos - Similar to a talking head video in many ways, a speaker addresses the viewer from either onscreen or offscreen as their main points and descriptive images are doodled on a whiteboard (hence the name) or blank white background. This is often used to explain lengthier or more in-depth concepts that can be summed up neatly at the video’s end. This provides educational value with an increased “draw” to focus, as the viewer sees the concepts and lessons taking shape before their eyes.

Animated videos - Naturally, this is another format similar to a talking head video, except in an animated video, the speaker may take the form of a voice-over. As probable issues and the solutions to them are discussed, animated figures can demonstrate them, giving the viewer an approachable, often-simplified view of a practical solution. This typically has the effect of creating a strong impression that the target audience ideally wouldn’t mind repeat-viewing.

Walkthrough videos - Created using a screen capture program and often a voice recording solution, these videos lead the viewer through a task that is unfamiliar to them, providing practical educational value and establishing the poster as an informational resource. These are simple and relatively cost-effective to produce, as they generally require minimal editing.

Testimonial videos - These videos can essentially be boiled down to customers and clients describing how incredible their experience was with your business and how pleased they are with the results of doing business with you. The benefits of these videos are clear - with (in ideal circumstances) minimal editing, your prospects and other potential patrons are given confirmation of the quality and value of your service and customer experience.

Event Coverage Videos - This is simply footage from an event your company throws, attends, or takes part in. With the potential to include segments of any activities, talks, mini-testimonials, and influential b-roll, you can display any of an assortment of messages to your clients, both current and potential. Viewers will see how involved you are in educating both your workers and clients, and if the event type deems it appropriate, may feel a touch of jealousy having missed out. Unless, that is, they were among the attendees, in which case they may just watch the video repeatedly to find their appearance in it and share the video to show off to their peers.

Company Culture Videos - While these videos don’t usually feature any particular product or service, they are nevertheless an invaluable addition to one’s marketing. Focusing on the core values and the experience of working for the posting company, these videos can take a few more liberties with their content and be somewhat less serious than the typical company communication. The benefit: it proves to customers that the company is more than a bunch of empty robots toiling away, that the company is filled with living, breathing humans - a much more preferable option when doing business with a company. Plus, all this one really takes your team and a camera.

Do what works for you.

This part requires a bit of self-awareness and honesty on your part: if you don’t have the equipment, resources, or talent to produce a specific format of video - find one you do possess the resources to produce, and produce that one well. The results, while maybe not gained the way you would have preferred, will still be worth your efforts.

For more advice into producing quality video content for your marketing that keeps your visitors pressing PLAY, keep reading our blog, or reach out to us at http://jmct.io/letstalk.