How To Build A Video Strategy

We live in an era where customers scroll quickly, swipe often, and stream everything.

More people than ever are cutting the cord and streaming video content, whether it’s on smart TVs, their phones, or another streaming device. Your audience is already tuned into video content, so getting them to stop scrolling and watch your content is more important than ever.

Fortunately, you don’t need to have a full production crew or a massive budget to have an effective video strategy. A thoughtful video strategy that tells your brand’s story, connects with and captivates your audience, and provides a clear message will help you build authenticity, trust, and convert customers.

Let’s look at the best practices when building an effective video strategy, understanding the balance between product and lifestyle content, and when it makes sense to use video.

VIDEO BEST PRACTICES

If your video doesn’t resonate and impact your audience within the first few seconds, they may lose interest, especially on social media. Even with unskippable OTT ads, you want to keep the audience engaged through the ad. That means you need to ensure that your content is captivating right from the get-go. Here are a few tips to help you start making more engaging video content.

Identify Your Goals: Before filming a single frame, you need to identify your goals. Take the time to understand who you want to reach with your video ads and where they spend their time. Because video can appear on multiple platforms, consider how your audience will view and experience your ad, the actions they can take, and how it aligns with your goals.

Keep Things Short: Audiences have a short attention span, meaning you only have a short time to capture and hold their attention. Aim for between 15 and 30 seconds in length. If your video is meant to be content for social media or your website, don’t be afraid to go a little longer to make sure you land your message.

Start with a Hook: Start your video off strong with an emotional hook that addresses and speaks to your audience’s problems. Use eye-catching visuals that will stop their scroll and keep them engaged.

Show, Don’t Tell: Once you have your audience’s attention, follow through with a compelling story. Videos that show your products and services solving customer issues (like before-and-after videos of carpet restorations or kitchen remodels) go a long way toward building trust and are more authentic than telling your viewers about your services.

Make your CTA Clear: Whether you want your audience to schedule a consultation, get a quote, or learn more on your website, don’t leave them hanging! Be clear about what you want your audience to do next and make sure it’s actionable.

PRODUCT VS LIFESTYLE VIDEOS

We alluded to this when setting your goals in the previous section, but it’s important to understand that not all videos serve the same purpose. Different types of videos can achieve different results, so understanding how they differ is key to choosing which type you want to create.

Product Videos: These videos focus directly on your products and services. They tend to be more direct and informative than lifestyle videos. For example, a product video may be the right choice for a credit union highlighting low-interest loans. Product videos are great for focusing on something tangible, like a sale or promotion, and educating customers about your product.

Lifestyle Videos: These videos focus on storytelling first and foremost. Products and services are shown in action, showing how they can directly impact the lives of the audience. For example, hospitals or healthcare organizations may focus on patient stories and show how their services help individuals overcome health issues. These videos prioritize emotional responses from the audience and help to humanize your brand, which leads to long-term brand loyalty!

WHEN TO INCORPORATE VIDEO

Knowing when to incorporate video into your digital marketing plan is critical to making sure you maximize your ROI. Building a successful video strategy that aligns your audience, goals, and message will help you ensure you take advantage of video. Here’s what to think about when considering when you should incorporate video into your digital marketing plan.

You need awareness: Video is one of the most powerful media for getting your brand’s products and services seen. When you need to start connecting with people who may not be aware of you yet, video is the way to go.

You’re building trust: If you haven’t picked up on it, the storytelling power of video is one of the absolute best ways to start building an emotional connection with your audience. Video can help connect your business and your solutions with the every day problems your audience faces and show how you can solve their problems.

You want your audience to take action: Video is a great choice when you want to encourage your audience to take action. Viewers of streaming services are generally more engaged. Research by Grapeseed Media shows a 71% engagement rate of CTV ad viewers. Because of that, a well-crafted CTA with clear, action-oriented language is effective at giving your audience the nudge they need to take action.

Do you need help taking the next step with videos? The team at Federated Digital Solutions can help! Let us help you build a video strategy that will help you better reach your audience and meet your goals. Contact us today to learn more.