When you introduce video content into your marketing strategy, you open your brand up to a whole new level of content ideation. With the right people and the right technology, you can tell a great story. But before launching into the most creative and colourful idea that you can muster, you need to be confident in your approach, in order to ensure an original but cohesive idea.
Be Brand-Appropriate
Whether it’s a promo, tutorial, event coverage or a case study video, any marketing can be seen as an opportunity to gain brand awareness. So all marketing content, both online and offline, should have a consistent style and tone. Therefore, it is vital that the approach you choose aligns with your brand and business culture.
Storytelling Will Drive Engagement
No matter the platform, target audience, or purpose of your video, it should always tell a story and possess the ability to take your audience on a journey. This is key if you want your audience to become invested in your key messaging.
There are endless ways in which you can tell the same story, but most storytelling techniques have evolved from the same concept; a three-act-structure.
Act One – Introduce People, Place, and Conflict
At the beginning of act one, introduce your cast or contributors and setting. This usually involves giving some background information on who people are and the environment they’re in. Towards the end of act one, you should begin to introduce a sense of conflict or a problem that would disrupt normality.
Act Two – The Struggle
At the beginning of act two, you should describe the hardship and impact the conflict is having or has had on your cast or contributors, this can sometimes involve a complete breakdown of normality and failed attempts to fix the problem. By the end of act two, there could be a sense of fortitude and an indication of hope.
Act Three – The Resolution and Outcome
At the beginning of act 3, a solution should come to light or at least, proactive intent to solve the problem. You should show how the solution or answer was enacted. By the end of act 3, you should have resolved the problem or shown promise that the problem will be solved and also show how the solution has fixed the problem and what the outcome is afterward.
Audience and Platform Will Inform the Approach
You should already have a good idea of who your target audience is, where they prefer to consume content and what kinds of content they respond best to. Be sure that, no matter the idea, your creative approach is suitable for the audience it’s intended for and the platform it’s on.
Many aspects of the production such as the talent you pick, the setting you shoot in, the language and visual style, the pacing, the music, will need to shift and change to be suitable for different demographic groups and their corresponding platforms. Even if an approach has a great idea and is executed well, it won’t get a good return if it’s not reaching the right audience and optimised for viewing on their preferred platform. Some creative approaches may only work well on certain platforms, so if you get the audience or platform wrong, it’s back to the drawing board for you!
Good Video Content Must Stand the Test of Time
One of the best things about video content is its longevity. Allowing your ROI generated form your content to build month-on-month. If you want to maximise the return you get from any video, you must pick an approach that will allow your content to remain relevant no matter what season, holiday, news, politics, trends are currently making their way through social feeds.
Things such as seasonal decorations dressing shots, references to pop culture and viral trends, and most mentions of specific dates and events although will make your content feel current, will date your video quickly. So, avoiding these references will allow you to continue benefitting from your content months and even years after its initial release.
Short Content Drive High Engagement
According to Vidyard, the majority of marketing videos (73%) are less than 2 minutes long, and with good reason. Audience retention rates are dropping especially when it comes to reeling in those cold leads. Retention rates are therefore better when content is short and refined.
So, you should be choosing an approach that complements shorter video lengths, one that can convey your key messaging and fulfil its purpose with speed and clarity.
Choose One Good Idea and Make it Great!
It can be very easy to come up with several potential half-ideas and attempt to merge or develop all of them. This can end up being very time consuming for both you and for any agency that is involved and you may be risking the clarity and effectiveness of your content. Instead, pick an idea that addresses all of the above and commit to developing that idea to its completion. Store any other ideas you have for content for the future, as once you see your engagement, traffic, and lead generation increase, you’ll definitely be eager to continue to intuitively expand your video library further.
