So you want to take a crack at this video marketing thing and start putting out video content, but you're not at all sure about what you're getting into?
First of all - congratulations. You're making the right decision. Around 80 percent of online traffic today is video content, and there are more than 3 billion people online today. Try to wrap your mind around those stats for a second. We'll wait.
Okay, now that you've tried and failed to process the enormity of those numbers, let's move onto our second point. Before you start panicking about your lack of experience with video marketing, we've got your back!
Let us tackle all of your burning most frequently asked questions about creating videos, one video marketing FAQ at a time.
1. What Is Video Marketing?
First things first - let's tackle one of the most common questions. Video marketing is the type of marketing that uses videos as a tool to promote your product or service. It can also be used to raise brand awareness.
The content you use can be video advertisements but also other forms of video. The point of this type of marketing is to use videos to tell a story, deliver a message and reach your target audience.
2. Is Video Marketing Worth the Effort?
Video marketing is super useful. The stats speak for themselves. An overwhelming 86% of marketing experts use video marketing as part of their marketing campaigns. This comes as no surprise when you know that video consumption is constantly on the rise.
Even with the massive explosion of video content marketing, over half of the consumers would still like to see more video ads from the brands they are interested in. The reign of video is such that a lot of businesses put more importance on their videos than their website landing pages.
Websites with relevant videos often do much better than those without, and a landing page is much more likely to have high conversion rates if it contains videos.
Also, don't forget that YouTube has 2.1 billion active users, and many of those people use it as a search engine, instead of Google.
3. Do Video Ads Work?
Video marketing absolutely works. With so many people watching videos on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and other social media, how could it not?
But we'll let the data speak for itself. According to the Wyzowl Video Marketing Statistics Report for 2022, an overwhelming 94% of marketers say that video has helped them increase the understanding of their product, and an impressive 86% claims that it has helped them generate leads.
You know what they say, data, like hips, don't lie!
Online videos might be a bit more labour-intensive in the beginning, but this digestible format is sure to attract viewers and website visitors in the long run. The long-term benefits definitely outweigh the work you need to put in.
4. What Are Different Marketing Video Types?
If you think a classic marketing spot is the only type of video you can use for marketing, you are sorely mistaken.
There are many different types of content you could employ, and the right choice depends on many factors, such as the platform you are posting on, your intended audience or the phase in your buyer's journey.
If, for example, you want to raise user understanding of your service or product at the top of the marketing funnel, you can make video content that talks about the topics your target audience is interested in - but not necessarily about your product or service.
If you are creating videos for a warmer audience that’s already considering you as a solution to their problem, slide them over an explainer, a product demonstration or even a how-to tutorial in the form of a video.
To show the audience the care it takes to produce your product you might want to opt for a behind-the-scenes kind of video. Customer testimonial videos are a great way to show internet users the full value of your product.
And not to be too meta here, but you could even do an FAQ video. We hear there's a buzzing interest in video marketing faq content.
5. What Are The Steps to Creating a Video Marketing Strategy
If you want your video marketing campaign to be successful, you need to come up with a decent video marketing strategy first.
The good news is that the steps for a video marketing strategy are very similar to the ones for any other marketing strategy. Start with defining your goals and the audience you want to reach, and take it from there.
Think about the steps in your sales cycle too. Those few things will help you define what kind of videos you need to create.
The less-than-great news? After that comes the actual work of creating content and posting it. Oh, and let's not forget you also need to determine your KPIs and monitor the success of your content.
(Psst, there’re some video SEO tips for you)
Endless tweaking until you start to see great results. But you'll get there!
6. Is a Video Marketing Campaign Expensive?
This depends, but overall - no, a video campaign does not have to be expensive. Partly, it depends on whether you decide to hire a video marketing agency or if you make your videos in-house.
There are plenty of resources and apps online that are free or inexpensive, but could help you a lot on your video making journey.
Going back to the Wyzowl report, the majority of marketers prefer creating content in-house, be it live action or animated. Most videos cost anywhere from zero to 500 dollars to make, which is not so bad for a very powerful weapon that will elevate your marketing game.
7. What Are the Phases of Creating Video Content?
Definitely one of the top faqs has to be how exactly you go about creating the video itself.
The phases of making a marketing video are similar to the phases you need to create any kind of content. You should start with brainstorming ideas and coming up with multiple concepts.
A great starting point that can help you at this phase is to think about your buyer personas.
Once you have decided on the right concept for your brand and product, try to get as much planning and preparation out of the way.
This means creating storyboards, writing scripts, delegating tasks, finding the talent and the equipment, and all the little things that you might need for your particular video. Video production is much easier when you are well prepared, trust us.
After you're done prepping, you need to record your video. You usually shoot the video first and then the audio.
A lot of work goes into editing. This is when you mix the audio, cut and assemble the video, and add credits and special effects if you are using them.
Finally, when you are happy with the quality, you are ready to upload your video to YouTube or any other sites where you wanted to post (don’t forget you should make your own YouTube subtitles)
When you post, don't forget to upload subtitles too. It may change how much viewers engage with your content.
8. What Format Should You Shoot Video Content In?
If you can, shoot in RAW format. It's a lossless, uncompressed file format which captures every tiny detail that your camera sees. This format is also not processed, but you can process it in post.
In terms of aspect ratio, that depends on where you intend to post. For instance, YouTube uses 16:9, Instagram and other platforms intended to be viewed on the phone are usually 9:16, and Facebook uses a variety of ratios, depending on where and how exactly you want your video to appear.
9. What Is the Best Length for a Marketing Video?
This is a trick question! There is no best length for a video!
Or rather, it depends on what kind of video it is, and where you're posting it.
Video ads will typically be only a few seconds long. A tutorial for your customers could be pretty long - up to ten or fifteen minutes, if you are showing something relatively complex.
An in-depth behind-the-scenes video could be even longer, but make sure to keep it interesting!
Some platforms have their time limits too.
On YouTube, verified accounts can have videos several hours long, whereas unverified accounts have to keep it under fifteen minutes. Shorts have to be under sixty seconds. But if the quality is there, the length doesn't matter that much.
Of course, when you upload on your own website, you can make the video as long or as short as you want it to be.
10. What Kinds of Videos Attract Audience?
Again, the answer to this question depends on your business' brand and what purpose you want the video to serve.
Some of the biggest magnets for audiences are news and comedy, but that is speaking very broadly.
A good general rule is - try to make engaging content. Whether people are watching just for fun or they're looking for specific answers, nobody wants to be bored!
11. Is Video Marketing Content the Same for All Social Media Channels?
Not necessarily. For example, with TikTok, YouTube Shorts and other concise formats, most people are aiming to create something that could go viral.
Viral or not, the point is that you have to be short and snappy, and capture the interest of your viewers immediately.
12. What Makes a Great Video?
There are multiple answers to the question of how to create a great video for your business.
A great marketing video is one that serves its purpose, is well thought out, and is aligned with your brand. Ideally, it will tell the story of your brand and be aligned with its message.
The production value doesn't have to be perfect (although it's great if it is), but make it decent so that it doesn't detract from the content.
And always remember that you need to prepare: create a script and a storyboard. Thinking that you can just wing it is naive, and rarely works out.
Viewers (and customers!) also like humor, so if you can put in a joke or two, that is always welcome.
13. Are There Any Secret Tips And Tricks When Creating Videos?
Absolutely. When it comes to marketing, you should always use all the resources at your disposal. First of all, transcribe videos.
One of the biggest tricks in video marketing is to use subtitles, transcripts and captions to attract audiences and use SEO to your advantage.
Software solutions like Subly can be your shortcut to success. How?
Well, first of all, subtitles on every video are non-negotiable both because of accessibility and because there are a lot of people who watch videos on mute.
Also, if you upload a subtitles file to YouTube or add a transcript to your website, you are making it easy for search engines to rank your content.
And finally, you can use transcripts as material for new content to promote your company, for example blog posts, social media posts, copy and so much more.
Video marketing is where it's at right now, and Subly can help you use it to its full potential.
