3 Secrets to Great Video Marketing Content in 2022
No marketer has any doubts about how valuable video has become. As a channel, it's a leading source for engagement. As a platform, it's an easy source for brand exposure. And as medium, video has a low barrier of entry -- all you need is a smartphone to produce content.
But for all of the optimism I just laid out, there are obvious obstacles that go hand-in-hand with each item on that list.
An engaging channel is great...but how do you gain (and hold) the attention of people instead of all the other channels out there? A platform that can attract new people to your brand is great too...but how do you know which specific video platform is most popular among your target audience? An easy-to-start medium can have great ROI...but how do you deal with the fact that most viewers expect polished, high-quality, well-edited, professional-looking videos?
Video marketing is both necessary and intimidating. So here are a few secrets to producing great -- and effective -- video marketing content in 2022.
Video content is taking over the world
By the end of 2022, video content is expected to make up 82% of all consumer internet traffic. That comes down to a couple different factors, but if you have any lingering doubts about whether or not video content is really worth it, let's look at a few stats to drive home the point:
- 79% of people were convinced to make a purchase because of a video you watched.
- Of that group, 50% of them chose the product/brand based on videos they watched.
- Social media videos are 1200% more shareable than any other form of content.
The one that should stick with you is that videos create emotional responses in a way that text and images don't (see: influencing buying decisions). And that's why people love to share video content, passing on great stories or useful products with everyone in their sphere of influence.
Actionable steps to video marketing success
Jumping into the world of video isn't a guaranteed win for every brand. Part of that comes down to the level of competition. Unlike other mediums, every video is vying for someone's attention.
A person might go to YouTube to watch a testimonial video or product tutorial, but if YouTube advertises a video from that person's favorite channel or a new movie trailer, they might get pulled away to something else and never come back to the thing they wanted in the first place.
It's not enough to make fun videos, or polished videos, or helpful videos. A successful video marketing strategy is a combination of all those things, as well as a few other pieces. That's why so many businesses make the mistake of dabbling in video without fully committing, which is also why they don't see the success they expected to find in such a popular medium.
#1. Come up with a series of plans
Without a clear plan -- or rather a series of consecutive plans -- you'll jeopardize all of your hard work getting into a new medium. And really, having a plan is just the beginning.
If you're approaching video content from a digital marketing standpoint, you're already in the mindset of developing plans for a campaign. Just apply that same mindset to your video content. Study competitive brands, look into popular keywords tied to your industry, and look for content trends (video length, video format, video naming conventions, etc.).
Sure, video can be easy or quick to get into. But spending a little extra time developing strategies will give you an advantage over all the other brands and businesses looking to do the exact same thing. And thankfully you can recycle existing knowledge about your audience, supplying them with content that is more likely to appeal to them.
(As always, don't treat one plan like it's written on a stone tablet. Most video platforms provide analytics data, so continue to track your videos and evolve your strategy as needed.)
#2. Build for where you are, not where you want to be
It's common for new content creators or brands to set their goals too high early on. We've all seen something and thought, "I wish I had made that." That mindset applies to video content, and often leads to people trying to tackle something that is either beyond their skillset, beyond their budget, or -- as is most likely -- beyond the scope of their presence on the channel.
There's nothing wrong with wanting to create an award-winning ad right off the bat. But if you're sharing it on a YouTube channel with 15 subscribers, or a Facebook page with 100 likes, all of your effort (and budget) will be wasted on something that won't reach that many people.
Familiarize yourself with the platform you want to tackle first. That way, you can begin optimizing content for that platform. You need to build your audience and your video production workflow before you can expect to start generating new leads or sales.
Yes, video content is highly shareable. But people are just as likely to share a mediocre video from a channel they like than to share an amazing video from a brand they don't know. And while this particular tip may not seem intuitive ("Why wouldn't I want to create the highest quality content possible?") it leads us to the largest obstacle that brands face when it comes to video marketing.
#3. Make the right investments
I won't lie to you: There are definitely investments you'll need to make if you want to create effective video content. This is true whether you're just getting into video marketing or want to level up the quality of videos you produce.
In some cases, that investment will be money (new equipment, new staff, new freelancers/agency, the best camera, etc.). And in other cases, it'll be an investment of time and effort (building a production process, developing a video-specific strategy, etc.).
Thankfully, there are a lot of misconceptions about all of this. I mentioned earlier that all you need to start making video content is a smartphone and a strategic approach to what you produce. You'll find dozens of successful brands on Instagram built on a combination of a casual/friendly tone, a personal touch (engaging via comments/DMs), and an iPhone.
Investing in something is inevitable. But by carefully choosing how to spend your time, effort, and money, you can begin producing video content that your customers will enjoy and your prospects will engage with. And that -- combined with the other steps we've covered -- is a recipe that any marketer can use to get started with video content.
This guest post was written by Drew Gula, a marketing copywriter at Soundstripe, a company that provides creators and businesses with resources like sound effects (SFX) and royalty free lofi hip hop music.
