6 Rules for Successful Video Marketing

Video is a great way to promote your products and services. Did you know that YouTube ranks second after Google as the most used search engine? If your company learns video marketing, imagine the potential reach it can achieve.

Video marketing can be more expensive than written materials and takes longer to produce. These are the fundamental rules of successful video marketing before you add it to your digital marketing strategy.

These are the 6 rules to video marketing success

1. Do not make videos for the sake.

You've probably seen many articles encouraging you to produce video content for your business, no matter what industry it may be. It's best to wait until you identify a problem that video content can solve before you start creating your overall marketing strategy. Then, you can flag the areas where video can help.

Video can be expensive in both time and money. Don't just repeat the "About Us” page on your website. Instead, answer the questions your sales team is asked frequently, show customers using your product successfully, and explain your unique selling proposition (USP) in the least technical/jargon-free way.

The bottom line to successful video marketing is knowing your why.

2. Make sure you have a plan for measuring metrics

You need to know why you are making a video. But, it is not enough to just understand the reason. It is important to determine what will make your project a success. As with any marketing piece, just pushing a live video is not enough.

Video marketing is now easy to track thanks to the digital aspect. You will need to achieve a certain click through rate or open rate if you use video in an email campaign. You will need to track how many people see your video on social media platforms if you are creating it for them. A certain number of people will complete contact forms if a video is placed on your website.

Each campaign is different. However, no matter what you track, it will be harder to follow up after the fact. This is why you need to have a plan to collect video metrics before you start.

3. Choose where to distribute your videos

The internet is an amazing place. With over 36 hours of YouTube video uploaded every second, there is plenty of content to choose from. You need to create a solid distribution strategy right from the beginning.

Ask yourself the following questions: Who are my ideal audience? Is it more likely that they will spend their time on Instagram or LinkedIn? Is it better for them to be reached by email or another channel?

Your team should know which social media platforms will be used to distribute your video. They also need to dedicate some time to building up your audience (with real people, not bots) before publishing videos. Although it is not necessary, it can be beneficial to allocate some of your budget for paid advertising. Once the videos are up, you should engage with your viewers.

4. Examine the activities of your competitors and make a plan to do something new.

You might be swimming in a red sea right now, which means all the sharks are fighting to get the same fish. However, even if your unicorn is in a blue ocean, it's tempting for you to follow the top trends of (insert industry/year/medium) here.

Consider how potential customers feel when they click through similar videos during their pre-decision phase. Which one will stick in their heads? Most likely the most outrageous.

Your brand doesn't have to be funny, colorful or poignant. You can make your video funny. This sage advice can be applied to any video marketing strategy. "The opposite of courage is not cowardice in our society, it's conformity."

5. Follow the guidance of the "creatives".

Perhaps you have an in-house video producer who will take charge of your video strategy. Or maybe you have a partnership with a video production company. It doesn't matter what way you go, the best thing to do is find out everything you don’t know about video marketing.

These people have been vetted, and you've given them the task of creating an appealing online image for your brand. Now let them do it! You should know that if a video marketer suggests a different direction, it's likely that they have not only the experience but also an artistic ability which you, as the entrepreneur, might not fully understand.

You don't have to follow every suggestion. It is crucial to communicate your company message, even though you may be the most knowledgeable on the subject. When it comes to the creative side of the project let the creatives lead.

6. Do not try to fit everything in one video

B2B companies often have several branches or products that cater for a variety of roles. Instead of trying to condense all this information into one video, which is likely to be paused at quarter of the way through the video, a video marketing strategy that works well will give each customer message the space it deserves.

It is obvious that CEOs, marketing professionals, and HR professionals have their own priorities. There will be points that are more appealing to certain companies and roles than others. You don't have to fit everything in one video. However, you should make sure that you showcase all of your offerings in your overall video marketing strategy.