Video is one of the most powerful tools available to marketers around the world. When used on landing pages, conversion rates have been shown to jump over 80%. Even the idea of having a video has proven to be powerful. Simply mentioning the word “video” in the subject line of an email can increase open rates by 19%. Even customers are aware of how powerful video can be. One survey showed that 90% of them said videos affected their buying decisions.

So you know that you should be using video to market your business. But do you know how to use video to market your business? Here’s a quick guide.

1. Set goals.

Before you rush into making video content and putting it out for the world to see, you should think about why you want to use video. Different video content affects people differently and drives different behavior.

For example, short form video content like you might see while scrolling through Instagram is fantastic at creating brand awareness. It can be an effective “foot in the door” for your brand if you’re trying to get your name out. On the other hand, long form content like tutorials helps humanize your brand and build brand affinity.

What are your goals with video marketing? Are you looking to create an awareness campaign? Do you want to create useful resources for people who want to use your product? Are you hoping to build stronger relationships with people already in your marketing funnel? The answers to these questions can help you make smart decisions about how to produce and deliver your video content.

2. Make a plan.

Now that you know why you want to use video marketing, it’s time to figure out how you’re going to use video marketing.

Will you go the DIY route? Sometimes, a homespun campaign can be endearing and honest. But more often than not, unless you have a background in video production, DIY videos will miss the mark and may have the opposite of their intended effect. Hiring a video professional helps ensure the overall quality of your content and it takes much of the planning work off of your plate.

3. Decide on your channels.

Where you plan to post and share your videos will determine a lot about how you make them. If you’re using a channel like Instagrams Reels, for example, you’ll want a vertically-oriented video. If you’re making videos for YouTube, you’ll want them in a landscape format.

But there are also other factors. Some channels may have a time limit, while others don’t. Each channel has different audience demographics who may prefer particular kinds of content. The more time you spend researching what performs well on each channel and incorporating that into your plan, the more streamlined the process and the more effective your content will be. 

4. Produce your videos.

Once you’ve planned where your videos are going to go, it’s time to make them. If you decided to go the DIY route, that means creating the concept, writing a script, organizing a shoot, working with talent, shooting the actual video, editing the video, making changes in post-production, optimizing the video for different channels, and delivering the finished product.

But if you decide to hire a professional, they’ll take care of all of that for you. They’ll know how to get exactly what you want out of your videos and they’ll have the skills and equipment needed to get it done right. It may seem like an expense you don’t need to take on at first, but when you consider the opportunity cost that comes with spending time away from your business to learn and execute a video production, you might even be saving money by hiring a professional. And you’ll end up with a better finished product in the end.

5. Distribute your videos.

After you have your finished videos in hand, it’s time to upload them and get them out into the world. Social media is the obvious choice when it comes to distribution. It makes it easy to share links and, in most cases, track performance. Consider using a paid campaign when you’re getting started. These campaigns allow you to create target audiences and deliver your content right to them.

Don’t ignore your own website though! Thanks to advanced analytics tools, you can gather highly valuable data from embedded content on your own site that you may not be able to get anywhere else.

6. Monitor performance.

You’re not done yet! Once your content is out there, you’ll want to know how it’s doing. Most social media outlets come with their own analytics resources. Use these to track performance of your videos and learn which audiences respond to which messages.

After you’ve given your campaigns enough time to generate usable data, look for trends. Maybe the videos you produced for Instagram are doing really well while Facebook performance lags. Or perhaps men convert at a higher rate than women. Make sure to “listen” to the data and play to your strengths to maximize the effectiveness of your video marketing campaigns.

Looking for a professional to help you produce the kind of video content that helps your company and your revenues grow? We’re here to help line you up with the best in the business. Just click here to get started.