Video content is quickly becoming a necessity for any business marketing plan. Video grabs attention more effectively than text or images alone and can quickly and effectively tie your brand to an emotional response by the audience. However, what if you don’t have a huge budget? How can you ensure that your marketing dollars count where it matters most? Here are a few tips for getting the most value out of your video content, without sacrificing the quality.
#1 Keep it concise.
With video content, longer does not necessarily mean better. Consider the platform you are promoting your video on – in some cases, videos that are very short are the top performers. This is true for YouTube in-stream ads, which have a 15-second limit – giving you little time to make an impact. While a shorter video doesn’t necessarily mean a less expensive video, keeping your message clear during planning can help reduce production time. A longer video also runs the risk of boring the audience. If they don’t stay engaged until the end, that extra time spent on creating the video will go wasted. There are exceptions of course – such as teaching an online course. Otherwise, consider breaking up longer videos into smaller, digestible chunks.
#2 Include the community.
One of easiest ways to boost the reach of your video content organically is to find ways to include other businesses and community members. Do this early in the process during the planning phase. First, list any local businesses that you work closely with. For instance, if you use local suppliers, make a point to showcase their product in your video. Discuss this list with your video team, so that they can plan the video shoot accordingly. Before the video shoot, contact the businesses you will be highlighting. Clear communication throughout the process is important to ensure everyone is on board and willing to share your content. If you host events at your business, this is also a great way to cross-promote your business and the event.
#3 Use real people.
While professional actors can certainly add value to your video, hiring actors may not fit your budget or core goals. If your video is targeted at showing your authentic culture, consider using real people, like we did here. We’ve worked with lots of employees, clients and business owners on their own videos – adding a level of authenticity with real commentary and testimonials. Some people may be a little nervous in front of the camera at first. However, we love to work with clients to make their video shoots a fun and enjoyable experience. No matter what the budget and target audience of your video is, we can help you either find the right talent or coach you on how to present your best self on camera.
#4 Perform an A/B test.
Another great way to maximize your profits is to perform an A/B test. Even the small nuanced details can make an impact on your ROI, sometimes in unpredictable ways. Performing an A/B test may sound complicated or time-consuming, but in reality a successful A/B test means making one small change at a time. This could be as simple as changing out a headline, post description or color. (Fun Fact: Google did this to find the exact shade of blue that gained the most clicks for Google Ads hyperlinks.) By making only one change at a time and studying the results through analytics, you can accurately hone in on your campaign’s performance.
You can also A/B test demographics in your video by swapping out the voice over or lead actor. This may require an increase in budget, but with proper planning, the difference in price will be small compared to having to re-shoot. In the end, A/B testing takes the guesswork out of your video’s performance while maximizing profits.
Have any tricks you use to maximize your reach? What are your favorites? Let us know in the comments! Learn more information about our video production services here.
-Sara E. Jones, CEO & Co-founder, RadBot Video