If you’re not using video marketing, you’re not maximizing your brand’s marketing potential.

The great thing about it is that you can see results much faster than with SEO and other marketing channels.

So what’s stopping you from boosting your sales by leveraging video? The truth is that there is one small problem.

It’s not obvious how to best use video to market successfully. Unfortunately, it’s the type of content that can most easily go awry if you’re not experienced with it. It also tends to be more resource-intensive. So, if your video marketing misses the mark, it can be a costly mistake.

Foolproof Steps to Great Video Marketing

The most important tip you can get with most marketing practices is to keep it simple. Learn and apply these methods and you’ll see how big of an impact video marketing can make.

Map out the Strategy

In other words, have a plan and stick to it.

It’s OK to improvise a bit along the way, but you should have most of your decisions made ahead of time.

 

Don’t think of videos as contained marketing devices. Think of them as part of a broader marketing campaign. You need to track your results if you want to see growth.

Make specific goals for each stage in your marketing campaign. Make those goals as specific as possible and track them accurately.

Just Start Creating

Your first videos won’t be that good.

Even if you have experienced staff and a great plan, there will be a learning curve. Don’t let that hinder you.

The only thing that matters is that you learn from every video you make. The knowledge you accumulate is more important than the immediate results.

A long-term video marketing strategy is bound to hit some snags along the way.

Don’t Sell, Tell Stories

There is a time and a place for the hard sales pitch, and your video is not it.

Videos create a uniquely emotional response. If people feel like you’re selling too hard, they will think that you’re trying to hijack those emotions.

Instead, focus on telling a coherent story in your videos. Every video should transmit some value and a piece of the bigger story to the audience.

Know What You’re About

To make good videos, you need to know what your strengths are. The kind of content you should make corresponds with your brand’s overall image.

If you’re trying to get people to switch to your solution for an everyday problem, use educational content. If your core offering is a better quality of life, maybe an inspirational video works better.

Don’t try to stuff too much into a single video, however. Figure out the angle of your approach and commit to it for the best results.

Humor Is (Almost) Always a Good Idea

It’s very difficult to come up with a brand that can’t benefit from a bit of humor in its video marketing.

There are situations and topics that need to be navigated carefully, though. But as a brand, you should always strive to remain lighthearted and self-aware.

Nobody wants to see a solemn cola ad, it just doesn’t work. It’s more difficult for some brands to manage humor than others but on the whole, it’s a powerful tool.

Keep Your Basic Marketing Principles in Mind

Just because it’s a video, doesn’t mean the basic rules don’t apply.

Every video will have its target audience. If you want to reach your entire audience in every video, you’ll be wasting resources.

Figure out which platforms work best for which videos. You’ll need to do some research and know your target segments for this.

For instance, if your target is young adults going to college, Instagram is a great choice. For the same population, you probably won’t get very far with Facebook ads.

Keep It Simple and Focus on Your Strengths