Video marketing is a type of marketing strategy utilizing videos to promote and market a product or service. It can help boost engagement on social channels and increase the reach of your potential customers.

Today, video production is more affordable and easier to execute than ever. Even with a smartphone, you can shoot high-quality 4K videos. Despite the advancements in technology, video marketing remains an incredibly complex process. This guide will walk you through the various steps involved in making a video marketing strategy.

Before you start working on a video marketing campaign, you must have a clear understanding of the goals of the video. Having a strategy will allow you to make informed decisions during the production process. Without a clear purpose, you might end up with a lot of wasted time.

Decide who your target audience is and learn where they spend their time

The popularity of user-generated and video content has made it essential to target a specific audience. If you have yet to build a strong buyer persona, start creating one now. Having a set of personas will allow you to analyze and target your audience.

To align on a plan for the video, connect with stakeholders

When creating a video, there are typically many people involved. To ensure everyone is on the same page, create a survey using a tool such as Google Forms or SurveyMonkey. This will allow you to collect the necessary information. At this point, you need to have a clear understanding of the goals of the video. You should also consider how your audience will react to the video.

Layout a budget and timeline for your video

Video is considered to be a quicker and more cost-effective way to promote a product or service than traditional film. However, it can still be a time-consuming process. One way to reduce the time and money you spend on video production is by implementing project management. Having a clear timeline will allow you to make informed decisions during the production process.

Consider which platform is best for distributing your video

Choosing the right platform will enable you to reach your target audience. Aside from the size and quality of the video, it would help if you also considered other factors, such as the community and budget relative to the platform it is being distributed on. A video can be used to promote a variety of products and services. Some platforms have built-in units used for promotion, while others require some effort to get the most out of their content.

Develop messaging and choose a suitable video for your personas

One of the most important factors you should consider when developing a video marketing strategy is the type of message you want to resonate with your target audience. Before you start working on a video marketing campaign, you need to consider the various elements required to complete a video. Having the right skills and budget will allow you to avoid potential creative roadblocks.

Decide the metrics you want to track and how you will measure success

Before you start working on a video marketing campaign, you need to have a clear understanding of the goals and find the right metrics that will allow you to measure the success of the campaign. You may have the option of using the metrics available in your platform’s interface, but this method can make it hard to determine if the strategy is working properly. It can also prevent you from measuring the effectiveness of a multichannel approach. Instead, choose from a variety of performance indicators that will help you measure the success of your video marketing campaign.

Many companies jump at the chance to create their very first video. They spend their whole budget on an explainer video for their website’s homepage, then all of their future plans get canceled once the project is complete and funds are depleted. Some companies create multiple social videos, but they often copy and paste current trends that don’t connect to their target audience. Instead, you need to develop a comprehensive strategy for video marketing. Although it can be challenging to create a video marketing campaign, with a bit of patience and practice, you can easily create high-quality content unique to your brand.