As an Online Business Owner, chances are you've made a video of some kind. Sometimes those videos are planned, and often not This article gives you a practical “Video Marketing Strategy” to develop your brand and improve your video marketing skills.
I've always had a passion for filmmaking and video marketing strategies, particularly as a Business Owner.
A few short years ago I decided to improve my video skills and spent 3 years at film school earning a BA(Hons) degree. So I feel qualified enough to share some top video marketing tips about the practical aspects of making better videos, looking professional and developing your brand.
Video is what people want, and it's what your audience wants. Video production and marketing is an essential part of growing your online business
It takes knowledge, skill and practice to produce videos that engage your audience. With the right tips and techniques, you can quickly raise your game and stand out from the crowd.
Your Video Marketing Message
The intention of any type of video marketing is to convey a clear message, & move your viewer onto the next step you want them to take.
If you're on a budget and want the best results, simply use your phone and get the best audio you can. Keep things simple, no wedding bell transitions or long intros.
These points may seem insignificant to the novice video marketer, but remember that subtle changes make the biggest impact on your video marketing strategy.
Start with a basic video format as I'll explain in the next section.
Your Video Format Script Outline
Some of the best examples of formatting are from television shows.
If we examine the format of television shows, each episode is an exact duplicate of the original with different content added.
Chat shows and news productions are good examples of a proven format and utilise the psychological term called expectations theory
If you watch a TV show with the same format, your expectation is conditioned to enjoy a predictable outcome
When you develop your format, you will also develop the same expectations with your audience. This video marketing strategy can be a very simple combination, that your target audience will learn to expect when they watch your videos.
A typical format can consist of:
- Introduction
- Opening credits
- Main Content
- Outro
- Call To Action
- Additional Branding Tricks
Video Introduction
Your introduction is the hook to keep your audience engaged. The topic of the video or the problem to which you will give the solution.
If you study any newsreel, the news anchor will begin with three main headlines before the opening titles to hook the audience.
A typical intro format can be split into three sections:
- A general introduction of you the presenter. Introduce yourself in the way you want to develop your brand.
- Explain the content to be discussed in the video and why they should continue watching.
- Tell your audience to keep watching.
The introduction plays an important step because it teaches your audience to keep watching, and the reasons why.
Opening Credits
Opening credits can be as simple or as complicated as you want, although one critical point is to keep it between 5-10 seconds.
My advice for today is to eliminate the intro on YouTube for the purposes of lead generation. Instead, incorporate branding in your video with assets such as lower thirds. Attention spans are so short that a 5-second intro today is too long.
As with all things with Internet marketing, your opening credits need to be congruent with your message and branding.
Creativity plays a big part in this, but so does common sense. Quick cuts with cross-fade transitions should be all that is needed along with a simple screen title if you choose.
We'll be discussing the more technical aspects of this in another article.
If you want to add music to your opening credits, consider this the theme tune to your brand. A good source of royalty-free music tracks can be found on Incompetech.com or for a more commercial feel consider using Audio Network although check you obtain the correct licence appropriate for its use.
Main Content
In this section, you deliver your value and your solution to the problem posed in the introduction.
Keep your information to the point and try not to diversify into other subjects. A video marketing tip here is when talking on camera just be yourself and deliver the message.
Trying to copy a well-practiced presenter can be a destructive process. Many people think they need to be perfect and polished to get the results they want with their video marketing.
The fact is that being yourself will develop you as a brand and get people to know like and trust you, which is exactly what you want.
To improve your presenting style watch your videos, and pick up on any unconscious habits that can be improved upon.
Typical unconscious habits or tells include:
- Saying ‘err' too often – (the brain's mental white noise)
- Speaking too quickly
- Rapid blinking – (This is an indication of brain activity)
The important thing to remember is you will improve over time so don't get too hung up about getting things right. It's far more important to get your content in front of your target audience.
Call To Action
You need to give your audience a call to action.
If you fail to give your audience something to do once you've finished delivering your value, they will simply click away.
If they are still watching they'll be more likely to click on your call to action CTA because they have started to know like and trust you. Ensure your call to action is congruent with your subject and you'll have a better chance of success in getting your desired outcome.
Outro
The outro is another important practical video marketing tip to develop your brand.
If you study any television show the outro will always be the same.
My own outro is as simple as saying ‘I'm John McLauchlan speak soon'.
Just keep it simple…
Additional Branding Tricks
There are a couple of video marketing strategies that can be used to solidify your branding:
- Logo Stings
- Bloopers
Logo stings display your logo and website and provide a professional closing frame. However, consider if a logo sting is really necessary for lead generation.
You can get a pre-rendered logo sting off the shelf from sites such as Pond 5 or have a dig around Fiverr.com for people to hire.
A maximum of 5 seconds is recommended for an effective logo sting.
Bloopers – We all make mistakes, so why not add them at the end? It will show your human, vulnerable side and significantly add to the know, like and trust factor.
Bloopers can be added with a flash transition, although if you curse and swear when you make a mistake, maybe bloopers wouldn't be a good idea!
Effective Video Marketing Strategy Conclusion
Establishing a practical video marketing strategy to develop your brand makes good business sense. It highlights you as an authority in the eyes of your audience.
An effective video marketing strategy will build traction, develop your brand, and transform your audience into raving fans, followers and customers.
Now get out there, hit the record button and have fun..!
Video Challenge Course
Get access to a top-quality video training course to maximise your video marketing.
In this course you will learn:
- Video Techniques Used in the Industry
- Proven Video Formats you can use
- The equipment to use
- Video editing techniques
- Video SEO
- And much more inside with bonus features
This course was produced by me John McLauchlan and I'm a qualified filmmaker having spent 4 years at film school, so the information is top quality.
