You hear it everywhere, that you should be using video marketing in your business. But what is it and where to start? If you think that it’s all about those big brands shooting movie-style commercials we all see on TVs, you are wrong. This is called video advertising or video ad, when marketers pay for this component of the video marketing to reach the audience forcibly, including sponsored ads on Facebook or pre-roll ads on YouTube. Video ads are a component of video marketing, however, not all marketing videos are video advertising. Let’s dig deeper to see the benefits of video marketing:

As we step into the year 2019, a team from Renderforest put together some great video marketing statistics with the data on how videos influenced marketing campaigns in 2018.

Here are the best highlights of the video:

• 56% of videos are created for business purposes;
• 71% of marketers say that video develops long click by increasing the time people spend on the website;
• 70% of businesses generated more leads via videos;
• 86% of marketers agreed that videos help to increase brand awareness.

After understanding the value and importance of video it is still not clear where to start. We are here to help you with making your first steps. See the 5 most crucial prep actions to get your video in masses.

• Make a plan

Similar to any marketing campaign you need to start with creating a plan to outline the directions. Set S.M.A.R.T. goals with clear milestones and estimations. Be specific in what you want to achieve, for example, with the video you would like to receive 10,000 views, 26% play rate, 300 shares, 30 comments, and 1,000 likes. Make sure all of the KPIs are measurable and realistically attainable. There is nothing wrong with shooting for the stars, even if you miss, you will still be somewhere better than where you started.

Don’t forget to think about the relevance of your goal. You need to ask yourself, why this video matters for you and your audience. What’s in it for you, and moreover, what’s in it for your customer?

To wrap it up, set the deadline to make your goal timely. It is essential to prioritize so the whole team is going towards reaching one goal on time.

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• Choose a Video Type

Did you know that video has different styles and forms? The most common are educational videos, inspirational or entertaining. There are dozens of such types of videos as social, culture, webinar, interview, etc., but let’s keep it simple at the beginning. Do you need to decide on what should you be making in the first place? According to Wyzowl statistical data on video content marketing, 68% of people prefer to learn about a new product or service by watching a short video. This might be a starting point for you. Start with explaining what your product or service can offer to your customer, or educate them on how to use your services. Get the feedback from your users and as time goes you will see what type of video content works for your business strategy well.

• Create a Video

Now, when the planning and decision-making process is done, it’s time to dive into the fun part. 12% of marketers said that video production is way too expensive. It is and it is not. If you decide on buying the cameras and all those expensive devices, or hiring the outsource agency, yes, this comes pricey. We know the more affordable way — online video making tools, such as Renderforest. A great example, how to create a video using existing marketing assets within your browser without any additional software installation or special video editing skills. It will only take you a few minutes to come up with a ready video for your social media platforms, email newsletters or landing pages. You can try the tool for free or pay an additional price for unlocking extra features.

• Optimize SEO

If you think you are done when the video is ready, you are wrong. Despite the fact that video is a king, behind the scenes, there is SEO, which driving your video content up to the first page in Google search. It’s so important to choose the right wording for the title and description, as well as adding tags and subtitles. Google bots are taking into consideration every keyword you add to your video. Not to mention thumbnail, Search Engine Journal states that video thumbnail can double the search traffic in the search results.

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• Publish and Cross-Share

HubSpot highlights, 45% of people watch more than an hour of Facebook or YouTube videos a week. With the help of videos, you gain higher engagement that text or picture posts, especially when you need to talk about boring topics. The more you cross-share on different social platforms, the higher the possibility to reach your potential customer.

To sum up, it is clear that video marketing is not easy but definitely worth it. Video marketing is not just about delivering video, it’s more about having an impact on the audience. If you really want to succeed with it, you need to think about a video strategy that holds the entire marketing production plan.

Your first video doesn’t have to be perfect, the main idea is to start somewhere. Come up with the strategy, execute it and take advantage of social platforms.

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