Guide to creating a successful video marketing strategy

Take advantage of the potential of video marketing to create an attractive communication strategy for users

Video marketing is a digital strategy that promotes the creation and distribution of videos to reach the brand's potential customers and facilitate their conversion. In other words, it is a commitment to the audiovisual format that aims to increase the profitability of the business by attracting new sales.

According to HubSpot's State of Marketing 2020 Report, "video has become the most popular format in content marketing, surpassing blog articles and infographics". One consequence of this change in trend is the reduction in the cost of audiovisual production, as years ago this format was restricted to large investments. Nowadays, recording and editing a video is much cheaper and within the reach of the marketing team. Moreover, its quality depends more on the skills of the professionals than on the budget.

That's why it's important to consider incorporating video marketing into your content strategy. To help you in this process, we've put together this article on the benefits of video, the types of video, the steps involved in creating a video and the best methods of dissemination. Let's get started!

Advantages of video marketing

if you're still not convinced that it's worth investing in video marketing, then you need to know the benefits of video marketing for your brand:

• it generates trust. While text offers a quick and accessible consultation, video guarantees a more personal approach between the interlocutor and the user. In this way, it conveys a sense of trust because it allows you to see the company's team on screen and hear their voices. But this is only achieved if the videos are of good quality. Otherwise, you will only arouse rejection and you will be damaging the image of your brand.
• it is an attractive and convenient format. By its nature, video has the potential to impact audiences quickly, but doing so successfully requires a lot of effort. Work on originality and creativity to create videos that appeal to viewers and offer them a positive experience. Remember that one of the goals of video marketing is to stay in the minds of users for as long as possible.
• it can improve your SEO positioning. Search engines value the insertion of videos on websites very highly, so if your website includes a corporate video, it will have a much better chance of appearing on the first page of results. In addition, it also reduces the bounce rate by offering users a more diverse journey through the website. On the other hand, search engines also rank YouTube publications, so you can improve your presence in the results with quality videos, which can include links to your website in their description to create new contacts.
• make it easier for your brand to follow digital trends. The vast majority of companies already incorporate video marketing in their communication strategy, so don't get left behind and create videos that differentiate you from your competitors.
• improve engagement: If your videos actively involve your audience and encourage their interaction (either by liking, commenting or sharing), you will be improving your engagement (i.e. your direct relationship with users interested in your brand).

Types of videos for each stage of the funnel

Videos are a key element to boost a company's inbound marketing strategy. But for this fusion to achieve successful results, videos need to be adapted to the four stages of the buyer's journey. Therefore, let's see what type of videos fit best in each of them:

Attraction stage

The first stage is to reach as many people as possible, i.e. to create new contacts who are attracted to the brand and can become customers at the right time. To do this, you need to grab their attention and offer them the best possible experience with these videos:

• educational videos. They can be longer or shorter, but their purpose is to answer a question or develop a topic so that the user can broaden their knowledge.
• short videos on social networks: Here the aim is to show the personality of the brand from inside the company. A good idea is to have the participation of the different employees or to resort to the creation of funny GIFs.
• corporate videos: In this case, you can explain the values and objectives of the company, as well as its specialities. The aim is to give users a general idea of the brand in a way that catches their attention.

Interaction stage

The second phase aims to accompany contacts during their journey through the company to help them make a purchase decision. Therefore, it is essential to solve their problems or attend to their suggestions so that they trust the brand. It is an essential stage for conversion, so you can use the following types of videos:

• product videos: These are demonstrations of how a product works and the usefulness of its features, so that users can see for themselves if it is what they need. They are sent by email.
• videos with success stories: Here you have to guarantee users that your product is the right one, using examples of satisfied customers.
• educational videos: In addition to the attraction stage, in the interaction stage it is also important to offer informative content to users. The difference is that in this stage they can be more specialised materials, according to the topics that most interest each one.

Closing stage

Here the contact needs just one last push to make the purchase, so it would be useful to encourage them with these videos:

• videos with testimonials: Ask your most satisfied customers to help you explain their experience with the product.
• personalised videos: Their content depends on the needs of each customer. They are sent by email.
• product videos: Same as in the interaction stage, but with more details.

Delight stage

Once the contact has become a customer, it is time to build loyalty with these videos:

• welcome video: Send them a video thanking them for purchasing your product or service and make them feel part of the brand to encourage their next purchase. Show that you will always be available to help.
• educational video library: Offer content related to other products of the brand that may be of interest to them, and remember that these videos are informative and intended to help users.

Steps to create a video

Now that we have given you some practical examples of what video marketing is all about, it's time to go through the steps to create a video from scratch. Let's go through them one by one:

1. define the target audience. As in any marketing strategy, it is essential to specify the characteristics of the users you want to reach with your videos. To do this, define a buyer persona for your business if you haven't already done so.
2. link the video to a SMART stage and objective of your strategy. Before you start filming, ask yourself if the video responds to some of your business objectives. If it doesn't, discard it and start again.
3. choose the type of video: Here you will have to choose the specific video you will record, taking into account the stage you want to target. Research what type of videos your buyer persona consumes and try to adapt to their tastes and needs.
4. write the script: Communicate your message as simply, pleasantly and lightly as possible. Be creative, don't resort to clichés and attract their attention with curious phrases or rhetorical questions. And remember to follow the classic structure of introduction, crux and denouement.
5. take care of the staging: think about the setting, the background colour and the body position of the speaker (whether seated or standing). Adapt the atmosphere to the message you want to convey and make sure that it will facilitate the filming. To do this, avoid disturbing noises and ensure the right lighting.
6. decide whether you will use your own resources or hire a production company. The video creation process requires a lot of resources: a camera, a lens, a spotlight, a microphone, a tripod, etc. Think about whether your video needs a professional crew or whether your company can take care of the production.
7. shoot the footage and try to make the atmosphere of the shoot as positive as possible, otherwise it will show in the final result.
8. edit the video, add text, effects, resource videos, music, etc. Everything you need to make it entertaining, dynamic and, in short, attractive.

Last step: disseminate the video

To make the most of the potential of video marketing, it would be ideal to incorporate it into your overall content creation strategy. This way, you could record videos to include them in:

• social media posts that focus on interaction.
• different sections of your website- don't just focus on the homepage and feed your entire website with videos that add value.
• emails, as part of your mailing strategy.
• new blog articles, to enrich the information you offer by supporting the content with videos related to the topic.
• old articles that you want to optimise or update. Remember that the inclusion of videos favours the SEO positioning of your blog. You can start with the blog posts that get the most visits.
• courses, events or webinars.

now you know everything you need to implement video marketing in your communication strategy. Don't hesitate to continue researching this topic, but remember that the best way to learn is by practising and gaining experience. So... Let's get to work!