Integrating Video Into A Content Marketing Strategy

Here are a few tips to incorporating video into your strategy and ensuring positive results.

Begin with a plan
Laying out the blueprint for a content marketing strategy that accurately represents your brand is the foundation for its success. There are so many video marketing options, from animations to short films, that a decision should be finalized in the first step of production. Your brand must decide if video content is more suitable for a website, social media or both, as well as how frequently video content should be produced. Once the details are clear to the brand, production can begin.

Create a smaller promotion
Proper budgeting is another factor to consider when dealing with video marketing. To ensure that funds are well allocated for a high-quality production, deciding which work to put more money toward is key. To draw attention to the heavier production, a brand can start with a smaller promo video that does not require too much funding. A simple yet professional video with clean footage and solid audio will do well to promote and build anticipation for the larger video.

Post video on landing page
Statistically, users are drawn toward more video content than text, so having a video on your brand’s landing page will capture and keep your audience’s attention. The audience will also be more inclined to browse your page once they get a feel of your brand’s identity through the video. This kind of video can be an introduction to the brand, an explainer video or a testimonial. Regardless of what your brand decides as the most suitable body of content users see when they get on your page, be sure it connects with your target audience.

With emails, post video instead of text
When dealing with business plans, consider that many people view emails on the go and quickly want to get to the point of the email. Because of this sense of urgency, people don’t have the time to read longwinded emails and will resort to skimming through the text. A more appealing way to maintain attention in an email is to send a video: something that a person can watch on the go, on their mobile device or a desktop and listen to if their attention cannot be turned toward a screen the entire time. Features like sending voice messages instead of text messages apply similarly to sending video messages rather than text emails. This is an increasing trend among brands when collaborating.

Filming strategies
Filming strategies are particularly important when deciding the platform to integrate your video content. For platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook that have features like stories, producing vertical video content will make or break your viewers ability to remain with your content. Normally, viewers don’t want to watch widescreen footage on an app that favours vertical footage, so keep this in mind during the production process.

Live video
Audiences love to see what is happening exactly when it is happening, and live video gives your brand the opportunity to give the people what they want! Even so, those who cannot view your content live often return to see what they missed and how others were able to interact in real-time. Incorporating live video into your content strategy can positively boost your audience’s attitude toward your brand and how they engage with your brand.

How-to’s and demonstrations
Integrating how-to videos into your content marketing strategy is best for specific products or services that you’re showcasing. How-to’s are like show and tell: lay out a display for your audiences showing them how to use your product and tell them how to incorporate the product or service into their lives. How-to’s don’t have to be few and far between, but remember that consistency is key, so if you add a how-to for every product/service, that is what your audience will expect to see each time.

Testimonials
Testimonials are one of the most authentic ways to showcase the benefits of your brand. Pairing with locals or influencers to share their experiences with your brand or service will build trust between your brand and your audience. People like to see how your product benefitted someone who looks like them or can relate to them and testimonials can be the missing link in the content that your audience wants to see. These kinds of videos should be honest and lighthearted, keeping the centre focus on building your audience’s loyalty to your brand.

Looking to incorporate video into your content marketing strategy? Contact PURE on accounts@purecreative.co.za or call on +27 (21) 424 6918 to set up a complimentary 20 minute consultation. Let’s create something great together!