Video is the dominating form of content in 2023. Companies in all kind of industries create videos to inspire, teach and to entertain their audiences. However, simply publishing videos is not enough. To rise above the competition, you need a well thought out strategy.
Okay, so you understand that video is needed to market your company properly. You create a few decent videos, but you don’t get much engagement. It feels like maybe video “isn’t your thing” and you stop posting videos for the upcoming 6 months.
At Qbrick, we love that companies are trying things out, and that they dive in head first. But without a good video strategy, the risk of disappointment is high and the chance of consistency and success is low. That’s why we created this blog post – To show you not only why, but HOW, a video strategy is your best chance of growing your brand in 2023 and onwards.
In this article we'll cover:
Why do you need a video strategy?
Every business has goals and a bottom line. You want to see ROI from your marketing efforts, whether that is engagement on your social media channels or higher conversion rates on your website. In order to reach those goals, you need a video strategy.
When you’re reading this article, chances are that you’ve probably already watched a few videos on social media today. Video has become the foundation of all social media platforms. Take Instagram as an example – It used to be a photo app. But as almost every other social media platform, they’ve steered more and more towards video. It was either that, or become obsolete, providing photos in a sea full of videos.
Video is simply the communication format that online browsers like yourself prefer. It’s engaging, it’s personal and it’s educational. Don’t trust our word? Let’s look at some numbers.
– As we already touched upon, video is the most popular form of content on social media. Video generates 1200% more shares than text and images combined.
– The average person watches 18 hours of video content per week.
– Video content has been shown to increase website traffic by 41%. Those are amazing numbers for companies looking for ways to increase website visits and to get those bounce rates down.
– 84% of people say that have been convinced to buy a product or service after watching a brand’s video. We simply trust video more than we trust images or text content.
– A report by the University of Waterloo found that video enhances learning and increases recall, especially when it comes to complex topics. Participants who watch video content retain up to 70% more information than those who only read text. All because it triggers the right parts in our brain to memorize the information.
The numbers speaks for themselves. But to build a video strategy, you need to know more than the benefits. You need to understand what it is, what it contains and how to get started.
What is a video strategy?
In basic terms, it’s a plan for what you’re going to be making, for whom, through what format and how it’s going to be made. The answers to all of these questions make up your video strategy.
We’ll go deeper into these steps, but first, let’s explore two very common questions that we get asked almost daily; Are video strategies expensive? And are video strategies complicated and time consuming? An easy answer to both of those questions would be no. But honestly, it’s completely up to you.
It all depends on your budget, your in-house expertise, and what kind of resources you have. But remember that you can spend all the money in the world on hardware and software, but if you don’t have the right people and the right plan, you won’t get very far.
How do you build a video strategy?
So how do you get started and build a video strategy that engages and converts your dream customers?
Let’s go through it step by step.
Step 1 – Identify your goals or targets
You need to decide what you want to achieve with your video content. Maybe you want to increase website traffic, grow conversion rates, get a bigger following or get an increase in viewing engagement.
For example, if viewer engagement and retention is your goal, then you should consider making video content that reflects that.
You can also make interactive videos where your viewers are constantly prompted to choose their own path and become more active participants in your content.
(We’ll go more into interactive video further down. It’s one of the most trending video technologies which we encourage almost every company to incorporate into their strategy.)
Step 2 – Identify your target audience
Who are you creating these videos for? This matters because your audience is the foundation when deciding what type of content to create.
Let’s say your target audience is fitness enthusiasts. This group of people will be interested in video content related to workouts, nutrition and wellness for example. And for them, you could create full workout videos where your audience can follow along.
You could also personalize the content depending on their advancement level. Present your audience with an interactive video that starts with a call to action to choose where they are on their fitness journey. That way you can create personalized video content for different segments in the same video project on the same page.
Step 3 – Plan out your resources
Do you want to handle video productions in-house? Then you might need to invest in some of the following;
– Dedicated personnel that know at least the basics of video production. It could be new personnel or people you already work with, you just have to find them.
– A camera. You could either invest in a fancy and expensive camera, or you could use your smartphone. We recommend starting with a smartphone, because it’s the best and most cost effective option, especially nowadays when the cameras in smartphones are almost equally as advaned as professional cameras.
– An external microphone. We would recommend buying a lab mic with an extension cord.
– A tripod, or some sort of hand held stabilizer for your camera.
– Somewhere to record, like a studio. Simply finding a place in your office where you can set up your equipment and keep it there. You will save so much time by having a dedicated recording spot for all your projects.
If you have any questions regarding equipment, you can always reach out and we will help you with your recommendations and other tips
But perhaps you’re not interested in handling video production in house. Even though we are a video platform company, we figured out early on that our clients often need more than just technical support. That’s why we have a dedicated production team in-house, and we also bought a production company that specializes in high end brand building video content.
There will always come a day when you have high ambition level projects, but no time to steer it to shore. If that happens, take advantage of the expertise that is out there. Contact us if you want to see if we’re a good fit for your next project.
Step 4 - Choose the right video format
When we say format, we’re not talking about the size or the dimensions of your video content. We’re talking about concept and functionality. To make sure you pick the right format, you need to know what your audience is interested in seeing and what technology or services you have access to.
Here are some examples of different formats that our clients use in their video strategies:
Video testimonials
Showcase your clients and interview them about how they’re using your services.
Webinars with live chat and polls
Educate your clients and prospects on different subject matters while interacting with them in real time. You can choose between hosting a live webinar or pre recording it, depending on what works best for you.
Product demos
Showcase your product in video form. If you want to go one step further, you can add interactive call to actions inside the video to guide viewers to where they can buy the product. You can also create “video shopping videos” where a visual card is added inside the video player, connected to your online store. This enables your viewers to shop the products while watching the video and then move on to your checkout system.
Animated explainer videos
This is a perfect format for complex services. A confused visitor doesn’t buy, and that’s why you need to explain your service in a way that everyone understands. With animated explainer videos, you can visualize flow charts and processes with motion graphics and illustrations. Visualising your service, instead of just writing about it, makes it easier to understand. Our clients usually order these videos directly from us and get them delivered to their account.
Instructional how-to videos
Imagine an IKEA instructional manual in video form, wouldn’t that be convenient? Instructional how-to videos provides valuable content for your clients and can be added to your FAQ or support pages. You can also make interactive how-to videos where the viewer can choose how they would like to learn.
There are many different formats that you can try out. It all depends on your needs and your specific use case. Don’t be afraid to find inspiration from other companies and put your own spin on it.
Step 5 - Choose the right channels
Here are some things to consider when choosing what channels to publish your content on.
Know your target audience
One more time; Who are you creating content for? Consider the demographics and interests of your target audience to determine which platforms they’re most likely to be active on. For example, older generations are more likely to be on Facebook, while younger generations are more likely to use TikTok.
Consider the type of content
Different platforms have different strengths and limitations when it comes to the type of content they can support. For example, Instagram is great for short, visually appealing videos, while YouTube is ideal for longer form content.
If you want to host bigger live streams or make use of interactive video to create an effective sales funnel, your own website is probably your best choice. This way, you’re keeping your audience within your ecosystem.
Leverage your existing audience
If you already have a following on a particular platform, consider prioritizing that channel to maximize your reach and engagement.
Align choice of channel with your overall marketing strategy
Ensure that the channels you select align with your overall marketing strategy and goals. For example, if you are focusing on driving traffic to your website, prioritize channels that allow you to link back to your site.
As you can see, choosing a channel to publish on is something worth thinking about. But whatever channels you choose to market yourself on, don’t make the common mistake of forgetting to populate your own website with video content. It will lower your bounce rate and keep your website visitors coming back for more.
Step 6 – Planning and scheduling your content
You now know what your goals are, who your target audience is, what resources you have, what formats you want to try, and where you want to publish your content to build a stable audience. Now, you need consistency. And to reach consistency you need a plan.
For example, the plan could be:
– Create a series of 5 short videos that showcase the brand’s products.
– Each video will feature a different products category and highlight its benefits and features.
– Launch the videos on the website as well as social media platforms.
And then you need tactics to reach your end goal. They could look like this:
– Conduct market research to determine the most popular product categories.
– Hire a video production company to create the videos.
– Use targeted social media ads to reach the desired audience and drive traffic to the website.
– Track the campaign by monitoring video views, webiste traffic and engagement metrics.
Writing your plan and tactics down like this will help you stay on track. Save it like a helpful cheat sheet that you can come back to whenever you need.
Those are all the steps we recommend you explore and go through in order to create an engaging and converting video strategy for your company.
What is interactive video?
We mentioned interactive video here and there throughout this article, and maybe you are wondering; what is interactive video? If you’re curious, we wrote an entire article about everything you need to know about interactive videos, and how to use them to your advantage.
Conclusion
Remember, video can be a powerful tool for engaging your audience, driving traffic to your website and achieving your marketing goals. By understanding your target audience, creating high quality content and leveraging the right channels, you can build a successful video strategy that sets your brand apart from your competitors.
