It's not the best content that wins

Recently, I overhead an account executive on the phone tell his manager that a customer said "yes" to doing a testimonial video. The sales rep was explaining that he was excited about promoting the video on his company’s social media channels. Then he said this statement, “I don’t think there is anywhere else for a testimonial video to go, so this should be easy.”

Three things happened in this moment:

• My heart sank (I wanted to help him)
• I finally uncovered what my LinkedIn header image should be (my words to live-by)
• I realized I could turn this subject into content, in hopes of helping someone

If you’re a small-business or startup let me tell you a little secret about content integration. Not even the big enterprise companies have this totally figured out. You are not alone. Most folks are under-resourced and by the time their video is done they are flat out exhausted.

Ava DuVernay is easily my favorite filmmaker. Before picking up a camera (she didn't do this until her 30's by the way), she worked in PR and did film marketing. Last year I heard her speak and her words began to take shape in my day-to-day work. Without a marketing strategy behind your video, hundreds of thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of work are at risk of being wasted.

You can make the most beautiful brand/customer/product video in all of the B2B land, but if you don't distribute it right, no one will see it.

It is not the best content that wins, it's the best promoted content that wins.

Problem Statement

82% of internet consumption in 2022 is project to be video. Most of us don't have strategies to compete with this level of traffic.

Distribution channels are constantly changing and most likely your content marketing team is simply under resourced. Or, you're a small business owner, or startup and you don't have marketing at all. I am here to help you learn how to do some DIY marketing for your new customer video.

A Blueprint for Story Integration

You created a customer video because a customer said “YES!” That right there is huge. Kudos on the product being stellar and your relationship being solid. Now what?

Here are three steps anyone reading this can accomplish.

Step 1: Make a list of the channels available to you.

·?????Owned: website, newsletters, nurture campaigns, blogs, webcasts, podcasts

·?????Social: Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube

·?????Paid: Social, ads, influencer retargeting

·?????Syndication: Newsletters, media outlets like Outbrain, Reddit, Medium, SlideShare, etc.

·?????Events: replays, walk-ons, display

·?????PR: press releases, earned media

·?????Internal Communication: Company newsletters, all-hands, Slack/chat channels, content hubs, email signatures, executive sponsors

·?????Customer/partner (reseller) channels: newsletters, social

Step 2: Integrate the story

I am not lying when I say, one interview can create dozens of pieces of content. If you aren't a writer, hire a contractor. Either your marketing team has one available or use a company like Fiverr or UpWork to find hourly talent.

Don't let your video just be video.

Here are a few examples of what else you can create. Be sure to embed your video in the written articles.

1.????Written case study

2.????Instagram/YouTube stories (requires vertical versions of your video at a 9:16 ratio, ask your agency to deliver these during planning phase)

3.????Website feature

4.????Digital and/or out-of-home advertising campaign

5.????Newsletter content

6.????Blog content (make this sound and feel different than your website content)

7.????Event replay/walk-on to customer panel

Step 3: Exhausting these channels ?

You have your list from Step 1. You have integrated the content from Step 2. Now you need to align people, content, and execute.

Come up with a launch date and clear CTA. Have your social media channels backlink to your website. I recommend embedding your video on your website/blog from YouTube and not promoting your YouTube link. You want traffic to your website. Be relentless here.

As a bonus, once you have launched, take screen shots of all the places your material was published, try to track performance, and share back with your internal teams and your customer to celebrate this amazing story you have told together.

The past few years the word "storyteller" has become a drinking game for most marketers. In 2022, become a story-seller.

HMU

Do you have any current challenges with video promotion or performance? Any questions about channels, syndication, or how to align folks? Hit-me-up (HMU) below.

Happy story-selling.