3 Steps To Get Started With Video Marketing For Your Business

2017 was no doubt the year of video marketing. You have probably heard it all before, but now is the time to start using video marketing to propel your business forward into 2018. So, what’s holding you back? For most businesses, it’s usually:

These 3 steps cover all of the above and more. Video marketing doesn’t need a huge budget, loads of time, and you certainly don’t need to be an expert to get started. Here are 3 simple steps for getting started with video marketing quickly and easily. Remember: getting started is the hardest part, and once you have, it’s easy!

The last thing you should be doing is creating a video for the sake of it, and throwing it out into the big wide world with no objectives in place. Developing a strategy is vital for success, and defining that end goal is your first step. This will then guide the rest of your strategy and dictate everything from the video content to where you publish it and how you create it.

Your goal could be:

These are just examples of some goals you could have. You may have more than one, which is absolutely fine! Make sure your strategy reflects this. As part of your goal, you should outline the exact target audience you are aiming your video at. Once you have created and published it, use analytics to tweak and change your strategy. You may find that some things work better than others at fulfilling your goal, and that’s fine. Adapting to these changes and insights will improve your strategy and help it evolve.

Depending on your budget and time-scale, you have 3 options for creating your video:

Inevitably, hiring a videographer is the best possible scenario as we have the equipment and expertise to deliver a high-quality, professional video. However, we also fully understand that not all businesses have the budget to do this, in which case, making the most of your resources is a great way to get started! If you have the knowledge, go ahead and buy some professional equipment. Microphones are a great investment to avoid muffled voices and background noises. Otherwise, save your pennies and use your smartphone camera, and maybe a tripod, to film your idea. Stuck for video ideas? Check out our 5 video marketing ideas for small businesses.

Depending on where you choose to publish your video, you need to ensure that your video is optimised to get the biggest possible reach and impact. For example, if you choose to post it on Facebook, square videos are statistically proven to get the highest level of engagement. For all social platforms, make sure that you caption your videos. This is because 80% of videos on social media are watched without sound as they auto-play on the news feed, and if a user is out and about without headphones, they will scroll past your video if they need to turn their volume up. Discovery Digital Networks conducted a study that found that videos with closed captioning saw a 14% increase in views.

It’s also important to make sure that your video is the right length for each platform. Duplicate your video file and edit its length for each platform, so you have them ready to go no matter the platform. Here are some simple guidelines to follow for optimum reach:

Keep in mind: your target audience will respond differently to different types and lengths of content, which is why it’s important to keep an eye on analytics and learn from this as you go, tweaking your strategy to match.

Video is a fantastic way to develop trust between your business and your audience, provide valuable and entertaining content, and generate leads. We hope these 3 kick-starter tips have helped you to take the plunge into the world of video marketing! We would love to hear how you got on – tweet us @visualpunch and don’t forget to keep an eye on our blog for more tips and advice coming soon.