Video has become an increasingly popular tool for businesses to communicate their message and promote their products or services. It’s a highly engaging and versatile medium that can be used in a variety of ways, from social media ads to explainer videos on your website. However, creating a plan to use video in your business marketing can be a daunting task. In this blog post, we’ll explore some tips to help you make a plan to use video in your business marketing.

Identify your goals

The first step in making a plan to use video in your business marketing is to identify your goals. What do you want to achieve with your videos? Do you want to increase brand awareness, drive sales, or educate your audience? Knowing your goals will help you create video content that is aligned with your business objectives.

Define your target audience

Once you have identified your goals, the next step is to define your target audience. Who are you creating videos for? What are their interests, pain points, and motivations? Understanding your target audience will help you create video content that is relevant and resonates with them.

Determine your budget

Creating high-quality videos can be expensive, so it’s important to determine your budget upfront. How much money do you have to invest in video production? Can you afford to hire a professional video production company or will you be creating videos in-house? Knowing your budget will help you make decisions about the type and quality of videos you can create.

Choose your video formats

There are many different types of videos that you can create for your business marketing, such as explainer videos, product demos, customer testimonials, and social media ads. Choose the video formats that align with your goals and target audience.

Develop a content calendar

Developing a content calendar is essential for creating a consistent and effective video marketing strategy. Plan out your video content for the next several months, including the topics, formats, and release dates.

Determine distribution channels

Determine how you will distribute your videos. Will you be posting them on your website, social media platforms, or YouTube? Understanding where your audience is most likely to engage with your videos will help you determine the best distribution channels.

While the artistry of filmmaking may baffle you, the logistics behind it will probably be second nature to most small business owners. If you’ve ever had to make sure something gets done, you have the basic skills to produce. As most good business leaders know, at the heart of getting things done is a good, well-thought out plan, so don’t rush into your video.

Once you’ve decided the goal of the video, consider who the people are in the company who should input on the video? What outside resources will be needed?

What is the budget?

Timeline?

These are just some of the initial questions you need to ask, but essentially having a plan means considering what needs to get done for the video; how it is going to get done, who is going to do it, and when it is going to get done. Don’t try to do it all alone. Video is a collaborative medium and requires a team, find the people in your company who are interested in this kind of creative expression or hire professionals.

Want to know the top 3 mistakes business owners make when planning a video?

1. The shoot isn’t the most important thing going on that day.

We can’t tell you how many times clients have tried to schedule their shoots on the same day as an out-of-the ordinary event, like a conference or seminar. We understand the why: They may think a special event will make the end video seem more exciting. The truth is shooting a polished marketing video requires a controlled environment. There’s a reason it’s called video production. It’s a lot of work and requires your full attention. When you try to piggyback your video shoot onto another event, getting all of the elements you need to realize your initial vision becomes virtually impossible. Unless the finished video is actually about that event, dedicate another day to your shoot.

2. Hoping to get testimonials on the fly.

We love video testimonials. They are a fantastic, inexpensive marketing tool for your business. However, just because they don’t require scripting or a lot of editing doesn’t mean they don’t require pre-planning. Sometimes clients who run business-to-consumer services, like medical offices or retailers, want to just grab testimonials as customers stroll in. Don’t take that gamble. Without time to prepare, they may not highlight what you feel are your business’s greatest selling points. Plus, even your most faithful customers will resent being asked to step in front of a camera without prior notice. The best way to get a great on-camera testimonial is to schedule them in advance. Have someone do a “pre-interview” over the phone to work out the messaging. Offer an incentive, like a free or discounted service to ensure they show up.

3. Not knowing the end use of a video.

Sometimes we get booked just for videography services for the day, without editing services. The approach we use to shoot a video depends squarely on the end use. Will they post the keynote speech online in its entirety, or are they going to boil it down to two minutes of highlights? If it’s the former, we’ll plant ourselves in the back and keep the camera focused on the speaker at all times. For the latter, we’ll move around more and even get shots of the audience so the editor has extra shots to cover the edits. Yet , most clients hadn’t considered what the end use was, so we played it safe instead of being dynamic.

Conclusion

In conclusion, making a plan to use video in your business marketing requires careful consideration of your goals, target audience, budget, video formats, content calendar, and distribution channels. By taking the time to develop a comprehensive plan, you can create video content that is effective, engaging, and aligned with your business objectives.

Still have a few questions about adding video to your marketing strategy?

Schedule a Discovery Session to see how our talents can match your vision.