video-marketing-strategy

Many marketing teams tremble when contemplating video production. They are intimidated by the medium and sometimes mistakenly think of it as a high-cost endeavor with low ROI.

But video is a necessary component in most content marketing strategies. By 2021, 82% of consumer internet traffic will be video, according to a recent Cisco study.

Know the most critical component of video marketing

Too many marketers drive up costs and diminish video’s overall value by falling into the trap of creating multiple one-off videos. Other marketers mistakenly believe if they put big dollars into a video project, it will be a big success.

An overarching strategy to guide video development is necessary to ensure that each video is simply a piece of the larger whole.

Key performance indicators should be identified in the strategy. KPIs also should be identified for each video to ensure that it connects to the strategy and serves its purpose, which often relates to the target audience’s stage in the process.

The strategy also should detail the primary distribution point for the video – TV, Facebook, YouTube, etc. That determination allows videos to be optimized in the creation stage. (More below on how to develop your strategy.)

Do a Q&A

To help craft your video strategy (and get executive buy-in), answer these seven questions:

  1. Has your organization used video? Why or why not? Results?
  1. What’s the purpose of the video strategy? Brand engagement, direct response? Something else? Multiple purposes?
  1. How can video help explain and assist with audience pain points?
  1. What is the short-term goal(s) of your video or video series?
  1. What is the long-term goal(s) of your video marketing strategy?
  1. How will you ensure message consistency within all videos, other marketing collateral, and your overall brand voice?
  1. What mediums do you want to optimize for?

Pitch video to executives

Getting executive sign-off on video marketing can be challenging, but it can be done. Make the case that video is an essential medium for your marketing toolkit and needs to have its own line in the budget just like Facebook ads, magazine ads, direct mail efforts, and all the rest.

Detail the broad range of use for video – to build brand awareness, to show corporate responsibility, to promote, to entertain, to educate, etc.

Next, hit execs with hard facts. For instance, YouTube is the second largest search engine in…