I think for many marketers, embracing or let me say incorporating video into your marketing strategy sounds a bit daunting. Heck, it does for me too as I always thought it required a large budget, a signed-off script, and a ton of time that, well, I just never seemed to have. However, what I learned last week at Content Marketing World 2018 is that marketers don’t need to put that much pressure on themselves to produce impactful video content.
You don’t need a huge budget or a ton of time or someone on your team who knows the ins and outs of video editing tools. You don’t need to hire professional actors or purchase a bunch of stock. You already know a ton about your product or service, your industry and have great insights just waiting to be shared. Video harnesses both visual and audio senses, and its power lies in that it can easily provoke emotion. Through video, YOU can be a brand ambassador and it’s not too difficult to get started. Below is a check list on how to get up and running as recommended by the experts from the conference…
#1- Some equipment to help you get started
A smart phone that records high quality video like the iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, to name a few; a video editing app such as PicPlay Post Video Movie Editor, Splice, Videoshop, Filmmaker Pro, InShot Video Editor (allows you to overlay music, text, create transitions, and add filters); decide where you’ll be deploying your video (it was recommended that Linkedin Video provides great opportunity as it will give you higher reach potential than let’s say Facebook or YouTube).
#2- Figure out a concept for your video or video series. Some questions to ask yourself:
- What type of thought leadership will I be providing to my audience that could be conveyed in about 45-60 seconds? Is it a quick tip? A review? An opinion or observation? Lessons learned? Just pick a platform, angle or topic that is a bit unexpected. Some ideas include: Quick Tip of the Week, Inspirational Quotes of the Week, make a commercial to introduce another piece of content like an article or white paper, video tape questions you want your industry to answer (great spring board for other content down the road like data reports and state of the industry digests).
- What do you personally know a lot about or do you have a talent you can somehow tie into your video? So, you like to draw, maybe convey your video topic in the form of a drawing? Record yourself as you draw (you can speed it up easily with your video editing app). Or, maybe you like to read. You can give a quick review of an industry-centric book or start off your video with a quote you read and use that quote to explain how it correlates to your industry or how it could help your audience.
- What have I been picking up on the environment around me? Observe pop culture and the trends making an impact on the world right now. From fashion to music to television…Think about how you can bring popular trends into your video. Author and TrackMaven CEO, Allen Gannett, said that he was shocked that no one in the Office Sharing sector has created a “Cribs” spin-off video series. The theme would be clever, relevant, wouldn’t cost a dime, and would have big potential to make an impact. This was just an example on how you can incorporate pop culture into your video theme.
#3- Check yourself in the mirror for a hot second to just make sure your hair is on point
This was not a suggestion by any speaker, more just personal advice. Though, if you don’t care and are going for a more spontaneous, genuine feel, then more the power to ya!
#4- Take out your cellphone and record, record, record
Feel free to do this as many times until you feel comfortable. However, don’t overanalyze yourself or your content. Treat it as though you are talking to a neighbor or a friend. Be human and don’t be a robot. The point is to not sell your product or service, but to engage your audience and make them aware that you are credible and know what you are talking about.
#5- If you need to make a few minor edits, pull out your video editor app.
As mentioned above, you can add text, music, slow down or speed up your video in a matter of seconds. There’s really no need to transfer your video into iMovie or Final Cut Pro. There are plenty of affordable apps to help you do this quickly that you can download right to your smart device.
#6- Post smartly. Share your video with the world
Like I mentioned before, try posting first to Linkedin. Linkedin just recently launched its native video capability (you can learn how to upload your video to Linkedin here). Right now, you have a better chance for viewers to see your video on Linkedin since the platform is not yet oversaturated like other sites such as YouTube or Facebook where everyone is competing for viewer’s time and attention.
#7- Be consistent but don’t over post
If you’re posting to Linkedin, Garnett recommends limiting your posts to once a day since Linkedin’s algorithm only shows one piece of content from a single user at one time. You need to give your video content time to breathe!
Embracing the power of video can really help bring that human element into your content strategy. Not only could it help demand more consumer attention and maintain a higher level of engagement from your target audience, it could also significantly help with SEO and increasing your social media footprint. According to Comscore, adding video to your website can increase the chance of a front page Google result by 53 times (if you do it right, of course).
Check out these video optimization tips from SEO expert, Rand Fishkin, CEO of Moz.