What are the best practices for researching, planning, and executing a video content marketing campaign?

Explore what's working well by studying the top three competitors' videos. This in-depth research will give you valuable insights into the types of videos that are resonating with your audience. Once you've gained these insights, pinpoint the specific goals for your content. Are you aiming to boost brand awareness, drive sales, or guide customers along their journey? Clearly defining your objectives serves as the guiding force for creating impactful content. It also helps set expectations for budgeting, measurement criteria, and key performance indicators (KPIs).

Know your audience inside out, their preferences, and where they hang out. Plan content that aligns with your brand but is also relatable and entertaining. Keep it short, snappy, and visually engaging – attention spans are short! Leverage storytelling to connect with your audience emotionally. Execution is key, so invest in good production quality and optimize for different platforms. Consistency is your best bud – post regularly, interact with your audience, and adapt based on analytics.

EVERYONE IS CREATING VIDEOS. So, how do you stand out? Here's how one of the biggest companies in the world plans its video content. GoPro is a master of user-generated content. The company encourages its customers to share their GoPro videos on social media, and it often features these videos on its own website and marketing materials. This creates a sense of community among GoPro users, and it has also produced some of the most stunning and inspirational video content ever seen. The core idea is to think of how your audience connects with your videos and makes them a part of their lives.

Often content strategy is about determining what content should live where. But if you have a knockout story (not a cookie cutter traditional piece), it belongs everywhere. Start with the highest-res MP4 for websites, social, YouTube, and PowerPoint. Be sure to grab the native file too, because if you're lucky enough to have your video showcased in a keynote, this is the file you will need. Then add professional still pics and a 6-15 second cutdown for social. Don't forget to create an impact slide, because salespeople, execs, and presenters routinely default to a presentation as their primary asset, so make it easy for them to incorporate your story. You will also want a copy of the final script and a TXT file for subtitles.

Utilize tools such as Miro, Canva, or even a physical whiteboard to craft a visual roadmap outlining content topics, workflows, and distribution plans for your video content. When contemplating distribution channels, focus on those with significant long-term ROI potential. Collaborate with your internal team by asking critical questions: 1) Does our target audience actively engage on this platform? 2) Is our strategy geared towards long-form or short-form content? 3) Can we effectively capture attention through a paid or organic approach? 4) What specific action do we want our audience to take next? To address any potential gaps in your internal team's expertise, consider the option of bringing in a third-party expert or service provider.

Great video is as much about what you hear as it is what you see. We dont just hear sound, we feel it and if you want to create a deeper, more meaningful connection with your audience (and who wouldn't?!) then getting them to listen will bring them closer to what they see. Consider your audio from the outset: sound design, music, dialogue and how that all comes together to make a great experience for the person watching. And if you want your audience to listen, tell them! Add a "sound on" or "are you listening?" graphic to the beginning of your video to nudge them and make sure they experience your video the way you intended.

Streamline your video production process into three key phases: script, record, and edit (SRE). Leverage tools like Adobe Premiere Pro or CapCut to ensure the final product meets high-quality standards. Consider using ChatGPT to generate the initial draft of your scripts. Equipment investment can be tailored to fit any budget, offering flexibility in creating professional-looking videos. For attention-grabbing content, ensure your team grasps the nuances that captivate audiences. Incorporate strong hooks, compelling thumbnails (especially crucial on platforms like YouTube), maintaining pace, and well-crafted captions will enhance viewer experience.

Your videos are only as good as their reach. You must use every outlet possible to get exposure. Start by tapping into your email lists, promoting on your personal and company LinkedIn pages, and engaging with relevant communities. Next, lean into leveraging OPA (Other People's Audiences), exploring paid promotions, and optimizing for SEO to boost visibility further. By strategically utilizing these channels, you expand your video's reach and increase the likelihood of connecting with a broader and more diverse audience.

You need to carefully choose channels where you want to promote your video content. It has to be the channel where you can meet your target audiences, as you don't want to waste your budget on paid ads on the channels that are not that relevant for your brand.

Imagine extracting 7 impactful social clips from a 35-minute podcast. Each clip becomes a bite-sized video for platforms like LinkedIn. Complementing these clips, craft engaging LinkedIn posts for each segment, and cap it off with a compelling newsletter. It's an ingenious way to maximize the value of a single piece of content across multiple channels, enhancing your reach and engagement.