We’re living in a fast-paced world, and video is the best medium for communicating messages at tempo. Whether it’s a warm welcome or an in-depth explanation, it’s clear that customers want more video content from brands — over 60%, to be exact.
And it’s no secret that this strategy pays off. Marketers who use video are seeing their revenue grow 49% faster than those who don’t, among other better business results.
So how can your brand make the most of its video content? From creating a thoughtful plan to adding a personal touch, here are a few of our pro-tips for creating a purposeful video content marketing strategy.
Start With a Plan
As the saying goes, fail to plan, plan to fail. Before you start the video creation process, ask yourself the following.
- Who is your target audience?
- What do you want to communicate to your viewers?
- What’s your call to action?
- What issues are your customers facing?
These are just a few key questions worth considering, which can help you structure your thought process and determine your overarching goals.
Your plan should also include identifying team members who will lead and take ownership of the production. Clearly defining the scope of responsibilities for every stage is key for effective implementation.
Finally, make sure your goals follow SMART marketing objectives: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound.
By following these steps, you can create a plan for attainable, practical goals that set your brand up for success.
Consider the Timing
When do your customers want to hear from you? What touchpoints are most important to your business? You can use video at any point in the customer journey to clearly communicate and engage with your customers.
Take onboarding, for instance. Greeting customers with block upon block of text can be underwhelming. A fun to watch video, on the other hand, makes the experience engaging. Check out this video from Allianz as an example.
Video also works well as a tool for your customer service team. With one minute of video said to be worth the equivalent of 1.8 million words, it is the one of the most effective mediums out there to explain complex products and changes, such as insurance policies, escrow accounts or pro-rated phone bills.
Imagine you’re a customer who receives this video from Mr. Cooper. It breaks down escrow, a confusing topic, with helpful visual aids and voiceovers. It’s short. It’s clear. And you can watch it whenever you need.
Get Personal
Video was once primarily a broadcast medium, but today’s technology is changing this. By leveraging powerful customer data, businesses can personalize their videos for hundreds of thousands, even millions, of customers.
The result? Brands speak to their viewers the way they want: personally. Just take a look at the numbers. A staggering 71% of consumers now expect personalization, according to McKinsey & Company.
The possibilities are virtually endless, but here are a few ideas to start:
- Welcome new clients in a personable way,
- Explain new products relevant to specific customers,
- Explain individualized bills and statements,
- Promote up-selling through customized offers
- Increase retention through personalized loyalty schemes.
Whatever you want to say, adding a personal touch makes your messages more relevant, engaging and insightful. Check out how this looks in action below.
Video is a powerful story-telling tool, and personalization makes your story even more engaging. It’s what University of South Dakota did here, letting every student imagine a school year that wows and excites them with a video made just for them.
Better still, videos like these build 1:1 connections critical to building trust, long-term loyalty and other key business metrics.
Better Video Marketing for Your Brand
You now know how to optimize video marketing for your brand. Clearly outline target audiences, messages and objectives to develop an effective strategy. Think about where in the customer lifecycle you should focus your video efforts.
And if you’re looking to take your video marketing even further, make it interactive. Younger generations are especially fond of videos that allow for two-way conservations, and brands are leveraging our Next Generation Video Platform to meet this demand.
