Four Key Moments To Utilize Video
A few years ago, I read an incredible book called “Start With Why” by Simon Sinek. I won’t dive into the specifics, but it’s seriously worth the read. One of my biggest takeaways from the book is right in the title - start with “why.” It’s a personal mission of mine to be a good steward of the time and space I occupy, and that boils down to mindfulness and acting with purpose. Sinek’s “Start With Why” philosophy spilled over into my work and shifted my focus to make sure I could always answer the question “Why are we making this video?” In my opinion, video is equally as fun to watch as it is to create - but being fun, cool, or the thing to do right now is not going to help you reap the ROI of your production dollars.
Deciding to invest in video production is a big deal. Not only is it a financial investment, it can also be a bit of a time commitment (albeit a fun one). In fact, in Wyzowl’s recent State of Video Marketing 2023 report, 30% of those surveyed reported “lack of time” as the reason they don’t use video as a marketing tool [1]. And while it is worth noting that 91% of respondents said they want to see more online videos from brands in 2023 [2], I think it’s important to make sure that you are making a video for a strong purpose. So when you look at your overall goals, make sure you are creating videos that actually help support and drive your goals. This may leave you asking “When is it most impactful to create a video?” Here are four key moments to utilize video to maximize your ROI:
LAUNCHES
You’ve done all the research, prep, production, and packaging, and are ready to launch. This is an excellent time to introduce video as part of a holistic plan. Video drives engagement, and video content is 51% more likely to be shared than any other type of content [3]. So if your goal is to get the word out and generate some buzz, this is a great time. These videos can look like teasers, commercials (whether online or traditional broadcast), and brand videos.
SUPPORT PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Did you know that 96% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service [4]? And when asked how they’d most like to learn about a product or service, 73% said they’d prefer to watch a short video [5]. This type of video helps drive purchasing and can help you meet your sales targets. These videos could look like explainers, training and tutorials, how-tos, and features and benefits videos.
SUPPORT LONG-TERM CONTENT MARKETING EFFORTS
I’m sure you’ve heard the statement “Content is king.” When we talk about content marketing, we are talking about your long-term, consistent materials to help engage and entertain your target audience [6]. With a pretty broad definition, this can look like a lot of things in marketing. In fact, some of the types of videos mentioned can appear in your content calendar as part of your broader plan. But when talking about just a content marketing plan to “engage and entertain,” we personally think a series is a good way to go. This can include a collection of before-and-after videos, profiles focusing on certain people (both within your company or from your customer base), thought leadership pieces that educate your audience about your industry, a long-term documentary series about a new initiative, and the list goes on. The key here is consistency, so this doesn’t really cover a “one-off” event. Again, those pieces can be featured as part of your overall plan, but the key to content marketing video is long-term, consistent content, and this is why we recommend a series as a powerful tactic.
CELEBRATIONS
Celebrations are a great time to use video to add a little sparkle to your messaging. Whether in person or digitally, announcing or sharing your celebration through video can help give your message the energy and spotlight it deserves. At live events, this can be a great tool to keep your messaging short, concise, and engaging. These types of videos can support brand milestones, event messaging and recaps, award announcements, etc.
Whatever your reason for creating video, make sure you and your team can always answer the question “Why are we making this?” This will ensure you get the greatest ROI for your dollars and time. And if you have any questions about how to best leverage video, we are happy to help review your goals and dive deeper into the most effective times to introduce video into your marketing plan.
