Video marketing is a game-changer for businesses today. (Yeah, we said it.)
It's now the fastest-growing segment of digital advertising, and 87% of marketers say video gives them a positive return on investment (ROI). But there's something else that's exciting about video marketing — it simply performs better than other channels. Online videos are 600% more effective at persuading people against traditional print and direct mail advertisements.
This leaves us scratching our heads. So why aren't more businesses jumping on the video marketing bandwagon?
Download now: The ultimate guide to video marketing
Look, we know video might seem scary (so many things to learn, and what about all the video gear and equipment and software out there??), but the truth is, it's easier than ever for any business to get started with video marketing.
How do we know, you ask? Well...end-to-end video solutions are kinda our thing.
By the end of this guide, you'll know enough to plan, create, and launch your own video marketing campaigns. Plus, you'll be able to measure them to see how they're impacting your brand's bottom line.
Phew…Ready to get started?
Wait – what is video marketing?
Video marketing is when videos are created and used to increase brand awareness, educate customers, and market products online. Once videos are created, they are distributed using websites and social media channels to increase engagement and generate interest in products and services.
Why is video marketing so important now?
Let's get real for a second. The idea of using video as a marketing tool isn't exactly new. After all, video has been around for decades.
What has changed is how affordable video marketing has become. A decade ago, only companies and agencies with mega budgets could afford to launch successful video marketing campaigns. But now, thanks to the rapid evolution of technology and video marketing platforms, teams can plan, create, and distribute video marketing materials on a shoestring budget.
The reason companies need to embrace the video marketing trend?
It’s pretty simple: customers love videos.
The average US consumer has an average of 9.5 video streaming apps on their mobile device. Research shows that over 50% of customers love it when brands use videos. And videos are the content they most want to consume when interacting with a company — 94% of people have watched explainer videos to learn more about a product, and a video has persuaded 84% to buy something.
Videos are good for brands, too. 68% of marketers say video has a better ROI than Google Ads, and those who use video grow revenue 49% faster than non-video marketers.
Back to Basics: Video 101
Before you become a video marketing guru, let’s get back to basics. To get your first video marketing campaign from a brilliant idea to polished in post, you’ll need to learn these five steps in the process inside and out:
- Ideation and creation
- Storyboarding
- Pre-Production
- Production
- Post-Production
Let's dive a little deeper into each one.
1. Ideation and creation
Before you start filming or editing your video, you need to plan it. (Duh, right?)
Thinking about why you want to make the video and brainstorming ideas about making your vision come to life is a key part of the creation process. Without a clear purpose or message behind your video, not only can you waste time going back and forth during filming, but you also risk not making an impact on your viewers once your video is published.
You might have a fantastic idea, but if you plan on waiting till shoot day to “see what happens” on set, you’re going to get back disjointed footage and increase your work in the edit bay significantly.
Start by answering some simple questions about why you are making the video and what message you want to send:
- Your message: Pick one or two core themes for the video and stick to them. Are you trying to educate your viewers about a new product feature? Are you marketing a new subscription? Pick a lane so when you are shooting the video, things don't get messy.
- Your target audience: What buyer persona are you targeting? Is it your entire customer base or just a segment of a target demographic?
- Your goals: What do you want your audience to take away from your video? Do you want them to learn more about your brand? Attend an event? Get educated on a new trend in an industry? Attaching a goal to your video helps your audience with their next steps
- Your distribution plan: Where do you want people to see your video? Are you going to embed it on your website? Post it to your Instagram channel? Share it on Twitter? Figuring out where your target audience for the video lives is a great start
- Your timeline: How much time do you have to shoot, edit, and tinker with the video? Do you want to create something quickly, like with an online video maker? When will the video be ready to distribute? How long will you have to come up with a distribution plan to market the content?
- Your budget: What's the budget for creating the video? Make sure you take into account every cost, from storyboarding and pre-production to analyzing the video's performance
- Your measures for success: What metrics will you track to see how well the video is performing? Are you going to measure how many people are watching the video in full? Or how many viewers are following through on the video's call-to-action?
2. Storyboarding
Storyboarding is really where your video will start coming to life.
It's not just a mock-up of how you want the finished product to look. Storyboards help turn your idea into a vision so the rest of your team can start to visualize it as well. It's also vital to put your ideas on paper before shooting starts, as that's when things tend to go off track without a plan.
Storyboards don't need to be watercolor masterpieces. (You don’t have to be a Monet or Van Gogh to make a great storyboard!) They're essentially a comic strip that narrates the video from scene to scene. That being said, there are some tips you can use to make your storyboards super helpful:
- Organize scenes using grids: Your videos will have several scenes, so it's essential to keep them organized. Using a grid system (with 6, 9 or 12 panels per page) makes it easier to organize your storyboards, and when you start filming, your camera and production crew can skim them to get an idea of what each scene should look like.
- It doesn't need to be pretty: Don't spend hours drawing each panel for your storyboard. Use stick figures and outlines to create rough images of what you want the scene to look like. If you still don't think you are getting your message across, add some handwritten notes for the production crew to work from once filming starts.
- Number your boards: When creating your storyboards, number each so they don't get mixed up. Numbering each panel minimizes the confusion and keeps your entire crew on track for every scene you shoot. And if you are shooting a scene that has multiple storyboards, instead of labeling them using just numbers (i.e., 1,2,3, etc.), use letters as well so multiple boards stay together (i.e., scene 1 has numerous shots, so name them 1a, 1b, 1c, etc.). Here's an example of how Ian Higginbotham does just that:
Don't forget to create a rough guide around who you want in the scene, what they'll be doing, and where the scene will be shot. This is your "who, what, where," and it'll make life a lot easier once you hit the pre-production phase of the shoot.
All of this can be added to a shot list—a sheet that breaks down the location and description of each scene and other details like framing and dialogue tips. Here is an example from our completed shot list:
But this isn't the only planning you need to do, which brings us to step 3: pre-production.
3. Pre-Production
Once you have an idea and it's coming to life on a storyboard, it's time to start thinking about pre-production.
Pre-production is where all of the important planning for making and editing your video happens. Now, a lot needs to get organized before you hit the record button, but it's easier if you break it down into manageable chunks:
- Set your budget: Be honest about how much money the project will cost and nail it down early. Remember to include everything from editing to fixing gear (something will always break) and a catering budget. And then, add 10% to your final figure. More often than not, the shoot will run over budget.
- Lock your script: During the pre-production phase, you'll want to make sure you've created and finalized a script. To help speed up the process, you may consider using an AI script generator to help ideate concepts, key themes, and scenes. Once the script is finalized, you'll want to do a script breakdown to help identify important elements of your video.
- Get your paperwork sorted: Time for the boring stuff. Do you need a permit to shoot at any of your locations? Have you insured everyone on-site? If you are hiring people, are the contracts ready? Pre-production is the time to get all your (paperwork) ducks in a row.
- Lock down your cast and crew: If you are hiring people to either appear in the video or help with post-production, lock them in. It's common to ask whoever will be working on the project to block out time in their calendar once dates are confirmed and get contracts signed to make sure they're on board.
- Sort out your gear: What do you need to film your video? Do you have the right filming equipment? What about lighting, props, and audio? Do you need to rent or buy anything that you don't have? Get all of this organized before production starts.
- Schedule everything: Nothing drains a video production budget faster than being unorganized. Schedule your shoots (as well as everyone working on them) down to the hour. Create detailed production schedules that show what time you expect everyone to start, what scenes will be filmed, and when breaks can be taken on set.
Now that all the organizing is done, it's time to get to the fun part: filming!
4. Production
Producing a video can be busy and chaotic, but if you've planned well enough in steps 1-3… it should all be about following the schedule.
Once filming kicks off and all of your pre-production pieces start falling into place, all you have to do is follow through with your storyboards, schedules, and ideas to capture your vision. However, there are still some aspects of production that you need to keep an eye on:
- Lighting and sound: Pay attention to the tone your lighting is setting and if your audio quality is up to scratch. Do you have key, fill and back lights to create three-point lighting? You should also test all of your sound equipment (like microphones and headphones) before the first day of shooting kicks off to ensure everything is recording correctly. If on-screen talent is using a teleprompter, make sure it's working properly and is legible. If you've hired outside help, double-check that everything is working as planned with the production manager.
- Set styling: Does your set match the vision mapped out on the storyboards? Do you have all the props and decorations you need? Does everyone's wardrobe line up with the outfits on the storyboard slides?
- Ambiance: Don't overlook crucial aspects of the recording process, like capturing room tone and ambiance sounds. These are recordings that capture the presence or tone of the room you are filming in. They're useful for when your editor is piecing the video together in the post-production phase. Here's an example of how to do it:
Once you're done shooting, it's time for the last step—post-production.
Speaking of video distribution, let's dive a little deeper into how to get your polished video seen by your audience.
5. Post-Production
Post-production is where all your hard work comes together. Here, you'll use editing tools as well as motion, visual, and sound effects to piece together the vision for your final video. Start with the most essential piece of your production: the footage.
Cutting scenes and piecing them together to create your story is tedious work. Follow these three foundational steps for each video you edit in post:
Review
Watch your footage and make notes of what scenes fit well together. Also, look out for anything that doesn't look right (mismatched color balances, lack of room tone, etc.) and add notes so you can fix the colors and audio later.
Delete
Scene doesn't look right? Some of the footage isn't needed for the final cut? Delete it. The less footage you have to work with, the easier it'll be once you start the final edit.
Tidy
Compile the footage into files and folders so it's easier to piece together during the final edit. For example, if you have scenes that are shot in different locations, label them (i.e., office scenes, warehouse scenes, etc.), so it's easy to find them once you're creating the finished version of the video.
Once your footage is organized, and the video is starting to come together, start focusing on the:
Sound
All of the time and effort shooting great footage will go out the window if you don't have decent audio in your final video. Focus on levels, consistency, ambiance, and room tone in every scene. Depending on what editing software you are using, there should be a level reader to help you maintain consistent levels throughout your entire video.
Graphics
Adding graphics, visual effects and transitions into your edit can take it to the next level. Elements like animations, fades, dissolves, and wipes can make your video look more professional when moving between scenes. Most non-linear editing (NLE) software has made this easy for (even novice) editors to do thanks to built-in templates and drag-and-drop transitions.
Call to action (CTA)
When adding graphics and transitions, don't forget to add a CTA. A CTA tells the viewer what you want them to do next, like subscribe to your channel or visit your website for more information about a product. Although it seems like a small addition, CTAs are an essential tool in turning viewers into subscribers or paying customers.
Compression and storage
If your video is going to be distributed on your website or social media channels, it's a good idea to compress the size of the file. If you've never compressed a video before, learn more about it here.
Social media video marketing 101
Video is now so popular on social media channels (hello… TikTok!) that the giants are pivoting to say that it's the most important content on their platforms.
Facebook is now full of videos. Over 4 billion video views happen on the platform every single day. And Twitter is experiencing the same trend with its 320 million users. With over 2 billion video views every day, Tweets with video are also getting 10x more engagements than Tweets without video.
Last year Instagram pivoted from being a platform where people share images to a "video first" strategy because of the popularity of other channels like YouTube and TikTok. Adam Mosseri, the Head of Instagram, said the change reflected what audiences now want: entertainment.
What does this mean for video marketers? It's a sign that any video distribution strategy must take a serious look at what social media channels will appeal to your target audiences.
Lead generation 101
Lead gen is just a fancy word for all the different ways you can help nurture potential customers who are interested in your products or services. The cornerstone of lead generation is usually collecting an email address, so you can keep in touch with your customer.
There are lots of different methods you can try, like:
- Organic SEO
- Paid social media advertising or boosted posts
- Content marketing (blog posts, eBooks, white papers)
- Organic social media posts
And businesses can generate leads from videos, too. From placing open-text contact forms anywhere in videos to collect data to embedding GIFs into email follow-up campaigns, there are lots of ways small businesses can repurpose their videos to drive more leads into their marketing funnels.
Interactive video 101
Interactive video allows for users to interact directly with some elements of a video’s content, be it through clickable links, hotspots, or overlays. In a typical interactive video, viewers can take digital actions, such as clicking, scrolling, and dragging, within the video experience.
There are a few main features that classify videos as “interactive”, including:
Hot spots
Hot spots are a clickable section of a video that, when clicked, can result in a wide variety of actions, from a popup to a video branch.
Overlays
Video overlays typically appear as a ‘layer’ in front of a video that appears after interacting with a hotspot or other clickable element within the video. These overlays can include text, images, call-to-actions, and even additional audio or video.
Branching
Video branching refers to the audience's ability to “build their own adventure’ as they watch by jumping to key frames in the video based on the user’s interest. A watcher can skip, loop, and replay sections to ‘gamify’ their viewing experience.
Time Triggers
Time triggers allow you to trigger events at certain video timestamps without requiring action from the user. Triggers might include jumping to branching points, opening overlays and more.
Learn more about Vimeo’s interactive video platform.
Use cases of interactive video
Interactive video can be a useful medium in a wide range of use cases. Some of the most commonly seen deployments include in marketing campaigns, ecommerce businesses, and even people operations.
Marketing campaigns and ecomm businesses can use interactive video platforms to create product explainer videos, shoppable videos, interactive ads and much more. People operations leverage interactive content to give their employees training content like quizzes and ‘build your own adventure’ videos with workplace scenarios.
Event marketing 101
An existential question for B2B and B2C marketers is: "how do I bring my brand to life?"
That’s where event marketing comes in.
Event marketing is all about building unique and exciting experiences centered around connection: with customers, partners, sponsors, and industry leaders. In the past, in-person events and brand activations may have been the bread and butter to drive meaningful interactions and engagement. Today, it’s expanded to include webinars, virtual events, and hybrid events.
Download our virtual event and webinar checklist
Virtual event
Virtual events refer to any event that takes place in an online setting — from a webinar to a product launch, town hall, conference, workshop, or party.
Webinar
Webinars are an interactive event with one host and/or presenters share their video and screen to present on a particular topic, to a group of attendees.
Hybrid event
Hybrid event is one event with two different, but connected experiences.
These event touch points help:
- attract and educate new customers
- heighten brand thought leadership
- foster networking opportunities
- showcase great products
Video helps event marketers do all this and more while expanding a brand’s reach and lowering overhead costs. As marketers compete for customer’s attention, high quality video, more personalized event content, and the tools to drive connection and optimization will be critical for scaling a resilient and impactful event marketing strategy.
Email marketing 101
Email marketing techniques and video can be a marriage made in heaven — if it's done right. The main focus of any email marketing strategy should be the content in the email itself, but let's face: a wall of text can be pretty boring.
Watch our MasterClass with Constant Contact for the full scoop on how to create stellar marketing emails:
Don't forget about these important email elements:
- Create an email funnel: An email funnel is a plan to persuade subscribers to watch your videos and hopefully turn those subscribers into leads. Eventually, those leads are primed to buy your goods or services. First, take a look at what emails you are sending subscribers now and think about making them into something that better resembles a buyer journey. For example, if you've already got a great explainer video about one of your products, what's next? If you add that to an email, think about following it up in a week with another email promoting your product. After all, checking the product out is the next step you want the reader to take.
- Embrace personalization and segmentation: Segmenting email lists is one of the most underutilized tools in a marketer's toolkit. Not every reader on your list is interested in the same thing, so don't send everyone the same email. Instead, segment your list into demographics like age, job title, or location, so it's easier to send out emails that appeal to a specific type of reader.
Video content distribution 101
Video distribution is a crucial part of any video marketing campaign—without it, your video may never get viewed.
Now, there are lots of different channels you can choose from to distribute your finished videos. The ones you pick will depend on where your target audience hangs out. Many marketers' first stop is their own websites. Not only is it free to distribute videos on your site, but embedded videos also entice visitors to stick around longer and educate themselves or learn more about your product.
But you have to get creative for your content to stand out. Think beyond your website and consider distributing them on social media channels, posting them to Medium blog posts, or even pinging them to others in a Slack channel.
Video SEO 101
Search engine optimization (SEO) isn't just important to help your blog and website get on the map—it's how sites like Google find your videos, too.
Video SEO is the text that accompanies the video file to give search engines more information about what it is. Because of that, the title of your video, alternative text, and the size of your file can all impact whether or not it'll show up on a search engine results page (SERP).
Not paying attention to video SEO is one of the biggest mistakes you can make in your video marketing strategy. It's not just because search engines like Bing and Google will not find your content (although this is a big part of it), but also because SEO isn't rocket science.
Some quick tips to get you started:
- Spend time on your video's title: Have you ever come up with a headline for a blog post and thought…. Now that's quirky and catchy! Well, that doesn’t always mean your video or post will be discovered by search engines. To positively impact SEO, your title needs to use descriptive keywords of things your target audience is actually searching for. If they are looking for a great online yoga class, for example, use those descriptive words in your video title (oh, and keep it to 65 characters).
- Answer whatever your audience is searching for: Matching your audience's search language is also a great way to get your video found. Brad Kremer does this in his film "Hayako," where the added description ("A Time Lapse Journey Through Japan") boosts SEO visibility when people search for terms like "Japan journey" or "time-lapse Japan."
Video marketing analytics 101
The last part of the video marketing puzzle is tracking how well your videos are performing.
This is called video marketing analytics—a collection of data that gives you a deeper understanding of what videos are being watched and interacted with most, along with what content is generating the most leads.
The great thing about video analytics is that they can track all types of key metrics, like:
- Reach: How often your videos are being watched and what channels your audience is interacting with them on most. Analyzing reach allows you to make better decisions about where to distribute content and (if you are buying ads) where to focus your advertising budget.
- Engagement: This metric tracks finish rate (the percentage of your audience watching the entire video) and the average percentage watched (what percent of your video is being viewed by all viewers before they leave.) If people aren't watching your videos until the end, tracking engagement helps pinpoint where they're leaving and come up with a plan to keep them engaged.
- Conversions: This tracks how many people watching your videos follow through on your CTA (i.e., subscribe to your email list, join a free webinar, etc.) Tracking conversion rates is essential to monitor how successful your lead generation efforts are and find out what videos are converting better than others. That way, it's easier to decide what videos to spend your marketing budget on and put more effort into distributing to your audience.
Analytics can even track your audience by region, device, and source URL, which helps you figure out where they are and what channels they see your content on.
