Having a strong video marketing plan is imperative for your business. But how do you make your video effective?
Isabel Jordan, Snapshot Interactive’s Executive Producer, gives her insights on what’s actually important for a great video, why you should define the goal of your content at the beginning, how to make it connect with consumers and why short-form video is essential to a strong marketing strategy.
Defining Your Goal And Starting Pre-Production
Defining your goal is always step number one when planning a video marketing campaign. Once you know this goal — whether it’s to increase sales, boost awareness or both — you can define the core purpose of your content and what it needs to achieve.
“Video can inform, entertain, persuade or evoke specific emotions,” Isabel says. “When you figure out what you need it to do, you can shape the production narrative, style and visual elements so that the final product aligns with that original, primary goal.”
Then, you’re ready for pre-production.
“Pre-production is everything. It lays the groundwork for a smooth and efficient production process. Meticulous planning not only prevents errors, but also ensures seamless collaboration from all parties involved in all different stages of the production,” continues Isabel.
The goal of every pre-production meeting is to nail down the idea and strategize on how to bring it to life. Going through all the steps, from writing a script, hiring the crew, defining shoot locations and casting, requires a dogged attention to detail and some good old-fashioned industry savviness.
But even if you’re working with a lower budget, you can still make a compelling video that drives results. It won’t be on the same level as what a formal production crew can do, but the latest smartphone cameras still capture clear and captivating video. You can also use a small mic for sounds and a ring light, desk lamps or other at-home options for makeshift lighting. And with plenty of free editing tools, you can still make something that works for your brand.
Creating Content That Connects (And Knowing Where To Put It)
No video can achieve its goal if it doesn’t connect to anyone.
“Write content with your target audience in mind. You want to connect with them and make it clear why they should care about what you have to say,” notes Isabel. “That could be ‘why this product will benefit you’ ‘why you need to know this information’ or ‘why this matters.’ Regardless of what that ‘why’ is, they should know ‘why’ the story you’re telling them is important.”
However, content alone doesn’t dictate how well a video will resonate. You also need to determine the best channel to deliver it to your audience. That could be through a long-form brand video, a 15-second ad or an Instagram story — whichever will help you achieve your goal.
96% of customers prefer short-term videos, so marketers will need to embrace this structure if they want to be successful. People want to know what you are all about quickly — and who can blame them? The message can be short and clear but still appealing and full of value.
How Snapshot Can Help
Video marketing is in our DNA. Snapshot Interactive began as a video production shop, so whether you need a large-scale broadcast campaign or a quick social video, we have the skills, resources and experience to get the job done right. So, let’s talk — we’re always eager to make something magical for our customers.
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