DOES YOUR BUSINESS REALLY NEED A VIDEO?

This may sound like a crazy question coming from the CEO of a video production company, but it’s an important one.

With research showing that video content is processed 60k times quicker than written copy, 37% more likely to be shared across social media and 80% more effective in converting prospects – it feels like a no-brainer to rush out and create a slick corporate or product video that your colleagues and senior management will love. Job done.

But then what? What’s the plan? Your shiny new video will only deliver the promised results if it’s part of a structured marketing plan. If the final edit is going to languish, sad and unpromoted, on a web page or YouTube channel, there’s really no point in creating it in the first place.

Whether you’re planning to film a video yourself or use a specialist production company, there’s an investment of time and effort as well as budget. To see a return on that investment, you need to be clear about what your message is, who it’s for and what you want them to do next. Potential customers don’t want to see a video of your new warehouse even if it’s your pride and joy. You need to be relevant, concise and have a hook that leaves your audience wanting to know more.

We’re not doing our job if we don’t ask what you’re planning to do with the finished video.

Find out if video is for you

If you’re unsure, ask yourself the following questions to determine if your business needs a video:

1.    What are you trying to achieve? – do you want to boost sales or build your brand? Whatever your objective is, quantify what success looks like.

2.    How will your video grow your business? – does it support your business and marketing goals?

3.    Who’s your audience? – what do you know about them and how do they consume information, e.g. online news, Instagram, Facebook stories, the cinema?

4.    What style of video will work? – what will bring your message to life for your audience? Live-action, animation or even 3D for a real wow factor?

5.    What language should you use? – are you able to reflect the tone and language your audience expects to hear? It’s important to keep language relaxed, clear and conversational, avoiding buzzwords and jargon.

6.    How will you promote it? – video works across every platform and channel so are you able to commit time and budget to website, social, ads, events and every other channel you use?

7.    How will you measure success? – do you have the tools to measure success, e.g. views, completions, social sharing, click-throughs, bounces and time on-page? Setting a deadline for evaluation helps create a snap-shot benchmark for future activity.

If you can answer the questions above, you fully understand the reach and power of video marketing. A video is not the be-all and end-all in itself. It’s the start of a journey to attract, engage, delight and ultimately convert your target audience. If you can’t commit to the promotion and evaluation, your video won’t bring you the return you’re looking for so it may be worth placing your marketing budget somewhere else.

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Danny Lacey is CEO and founder of Stada Media, experts in video production, content creation and management, SEO, PPC, social media, web design and PR. Find out more here.