It doesn’t matter whether you’re new to the marketing scene or have been producing video content for ages, you need a plan to succeed. After all, the competition out there is fierce. According to a video marketing statistics survey, video content is part of the marketing strategy of roughly 92% of marketers.
There is no room for half-measures or complacency. If you want to see results (i.e. engage potential customers, generate leads, increase conversions, and eventually drive sales) you need a solid plan.
Video marketing campaigns are always incredibly detailed and they contain innumerable elements. Hence, your initial plan should never be set in stone. That’s because you’ll be visiting it again and again and making changes by learning from the progress of the campaign.
So, here are the key elements you need to plan and manage a video marketing campaign.
Decide Your Target Audience
Research is the foundation of all successful content marketing campaigns. Create a detailed buyer persona of your ideal customer. Sometimes you’ll need to create two or three buyer personas.
Take your time and put into writing the essential information such as age, gender, location, pain points, motivations, etc. But don’t stop with these. Additional questions include:
- What video types resonate with the audience?
- What marketing channels will appeal to them?
- Will they respond better to video email marketing or video campaign on social media?
Answers to these questions are vital. There is no point in investing in videos and publishing them on a particular platform, if your target audience seldom visits it.
Settle on the Campaign Goals
A marketing campaign without goals is a journey without a destination. You have an incredible tool in your hand in the form of video content. It can connect and engage the audience like no other form of content. You should capitalize on the opportunity by setting clear goals for your campaign.
What are you trying to achieve? Is the campaign aimed at creating awareness, increasing traffic, building trust, or boosting sales?
Your goals will also determine the message to convey and the style and tone of the content. You need to be sure of these elements even before creating a video marketing strategy and starting video production.
A clear understanding of your audience and goals, and related elements, will make it easier for you in the subsequent steps such as: How many videos to produce? How much to spend? Etc.
Determine the Roles of the Individuals Involved in the Campaign
Successful marketing campaigns are the result of the effective collaboration of a team. Even if you’re a solopreneur, you’ll likely need the help of specialists who have all the skillsets needed.
Alternatively, businesses with an in-house production team can create videos and delegate minor tasks such as editing, research, data analysis, etc. to freelancers.
If you want content production and marketing to progress smoothly, then you need to assign a clear video marketing role to each individual in the team.
Choose Marketing Channels
With so many publishing platforms for video content, you might be confused about whether to choose one, many, or all. The platforms most frequented by your target audience should be your initial focus. The platforms you select also have a bearing on the video type, length, and style of the final video you produce.
The new-age social media platforms (ex: Snapchat, Tiktok) attract the millennial and Gen-Z age groups. You’ll be wasting time and money if the audience target of your videos aren’t those young folks.
If you’re targeting multiple platforms, have multiple ideas in your pocket and diversify the content to fit the platform. For example, brands can produce explainer videos to engage the audience on YouTube. Instagram users prefer lighthearted content. So, create fun and entertaining videos to leverage the “instagrammability” of your brand.
Create a Video Publishing Schedule
Just like other forms of content, don’t expect miracles after posting one video about your brand. Video marketing campaigns are not a 100-meter dash. They are marathons that will only be won by publishing targeted, high-quality videos consistently over a period of time. Therefore, you need to make a commitment to this endeavor and plan accordingly.
The basic elements of your plan include nailing down the video type, the content of the video, and the platform to publish. Space the videos to maximize the impact. Decide every detail, prepare a content calendar, and stick to it.
You can also use the video series idea to establish yourself as a thought leader in your chosen field. Usually, complex topics that require several short videos to explain, will draw in serious customers as weeks pass by.
One way to enhance the credibility of your brand is to have an endorsed video series. In platforms like YouTube and Facebook, you can freely publish videos. But, on certain websites that cater to the needs of a profession or industry, your video content has to be accepted.
Publishing on such websites creates instant credibility and helps build trust with potential customers.
Measure, Analyze, and Improve Your Campaign
There is a misconception that a viral video equates to a successful campaign. Measuring success isn’t as straightforward of a task as many people think. High viewer count doesn’t always translate to high ROI or profits.
If you don’t want to see your campaign fail after investing heavily in video marketing, pay special attention to the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Video marketing KPIs give valuable information on elements that are working and those that aren’t.
Locating the areas where the campaign is lagging will allow you to make changes to your strategy early, instead of waiting until later when it’s too late to pivot.
Make Room for Video Retargeting in Your Campaign
How do you plan to re-engage with your target audience after the initial contact? Video retargeting has emerged as the best tool to achieve this goal.
For example, suppose a potential customer, let’s call her Ms. Venus, visits your website and watches a product video. The visitor’s actions and behavior on the web page are captured and analyzed.
As Ms. Venus moves to other websites, social media platforms, and apps, you can continue proactive customer assistance by serving personalized video ads that help with product awareness, building trust, etc.
Final Thoughts
Successfully implemented video marketing campaigns can help businesses reach new customers and convert them into loyal paying customers. Hopefully, this guide provided you with the basic building blocks, and will help you develop a full-fledged plan for your next video marketing campaign.
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