Video Marketing 101 for Aspiring Marketers and Content Creators

According to a 2022 Hubspot survey, 79% of marketers who aren’t using video intend to build a video marketing strategy. 73% of marketers surveyed by Statista said they were planning to use livestream video in their content. Video is the next frontier of marketing, and you can easily tell by the number of brands putting out video ads across various platforms such as YouTube and Meta.

Video marketing is all about using video formats to promote your content or enlighten audiences about your brand. With the availability of smartphones, direct-to-publishing apps, and an abundance of channels that support video, this is an effective and inexpensive way to reach your target audience and compel them to take action.

Maybe as a new content creator, a new startup or a brand just getting on social media, you don’t have the mega-budgets of corporates to roll out a full-scale marketing campaign. Well, video marketing provides an inexpensive way to personalize your content for your audience and grow your brand. Let’s explore how you can use video marketing to its full potential.

Video Marketing for Startups

As someone just starting on your own, it can be difficult to make an impact and get yourself noticed by potential customers. The competition may be miles ahead of you and you might just not have the ad budgets to leverage Facebook and Google.

Video marketing can be your secret weapon to make a grand entrance into the business world. Use videos to introduce your groundbreaking product or service, or compellingly tell your story. Research shows that video ads have a higher CTR than regular display banners. Visual storytelling can therefore help you capture attention in a crowded marketplace and increase engagement rates.

Let’s say you’ve just started an online writing agency on the side and are looking to attract customers who pay for essay. In this case, text-based marketing and images might not do you justice. Video marketing might do the trick, for instance, by creating explainer videos on how to craft essay outlines, how to come up with a thesis, or even how to structure different types of papers. That way, you are attracting an audience that has specific problems that you can help them solve. This grows your business organically and also places you in a great position to benefit from social proof and references.

Inspiring Fundraisers with Video Marketing

Fundraisers and non-profits are usually limited in their budgets, especially when the first donation hasn’t even come in. Whether you’re raising funds for a personal project or a charitable cause, video marketing is your ultimate ally.

Craft compelling video campaigns that tug at the heartstrings and inspire people to respond to your story and open their wallets. For this, you can share an origin story of why the fundraiser or non-profit matters. For example, if you are a non-profit trying to keep your city clean, you can come up with impact videos that showcase the work that you’ve done so far. You can then use the video as your marketing object, sharing bits and snippets across channels such as YouTube.

Always aim for your audience to see what kind of impact their donations can make, through compelling calls to action. Share emotional stories and show stories of those who’ve been impacted by your work. With video, you can transform your fundraising efforts into a powerful and emotionally charged experience.

Growing Your Social Media Empire

Social media and video are the perfect combination, with video overtaking all other types of content on social media. The sheer number of available video formats for social media, from YouTube shorts and Facebook Stories to TikTok and Twitch, just to name a few makes video a must-do.

If your dream is to be an influencer or build a thriving social media consultancy, video marketing should be your go-to strategy. You can utilize your expertise and make explainer or how-to videos. This also establishes you as an authority in your field and draws an organic audience.

You can also just engage your audience through live stream discussions, for example, Q&A and “get to know me” sessions, and other content that highlights your days and life as a content creator. Engage with your audience through live videos, tutorials, and captivating content that keeps them coming back for more.

As a social media influencer looking to grow your visibility, remember to:

• Creating engaging and niche-specific video content.
• Leveraging storytelling to connect with their audience.
• Collaborating with brands for sponsored video content.
• Consistently posting and promoting videos on various platforms.
• Utilizing analytics to understand audience preferences and adapt their content accordingly.

You can also take cues from other wildly successful vloggers in your niche and learn what makes them successful. Collaborate with them on videos and let your audience enjoy two niche experts exchanging ideas. Remember to introduce yourself and let your audience know what they should expect from your channel.

Become a YouTube Sensation

YouTube has exploded in the last decade, with YouTubers transforming into global superstars. YouTube offers opportunities for content creators to come up with all types of engaging content. You can create native videos directly from YouTube and upload them, or you can use video creation apps to craft custom videos that you can share.

The key to YouTube’s success is to leverage niche-specific content that resonates with a  specific target audience. Funny videos may hack it for a while if you’re looking to go viral. However, if you want a dedicated audience that you can always depend on for the really serious stuff, niche content that solves problems is the way to go.

Practical Steps for Successful Video Marketing

Your first few attempts at creating entertaining videos may hit a snag. You might be camera-shy, or maybe you’re not so confident speaking to the public. As with all things, creating successful videos takes time and practice, but you’ll get there eventually.

Here are a few practical steps to plan your videos and make them stand out.

1. Plan Your Content

Before the cameras start rolling, you need a clear vision. Define the purpose of your video. Is it about introducing your brand, showcasing your product, or igniting action? This will help you decide which videos you want to create. For example, if you are a college student running a beauty shop as a side gig, you can work on explainer videos and tutorials on how to come up with a certain look.

Your goals shape your video’s content, style, and tone. If you aim to reveal the magic behind your brand, your video should reflect that. Share your journey, the hurdles you’ve overcome, and the passion that fuels your venture.

Come up with a content map to ensure that your videos are part of a larger growth and marketing effort that you can roll out over a time period.

2. Build A Community Around Your Videos

Video marketing is all about forging deep connections with your audience. Therefore, it is quite important to keep them engaged with new and fresh videos or even new insights from older videos.

Remember that your audience is best placed to share insights from your videos; what should you change or do better? Are there topics that they’d like you to cover? Maybe there’s an influencer they would like you to interview. Always keep your audience engaged by answering questions, responding to comments and DMs, and creating #hashtags that they can use to easily follow your content.

You can also run promotions by giving away free merch or even a free subscription to your channel for the most active member. Start with friends and family as your number 1 audience, as they can help you grow organically through word of mouth and sharing links.

3. Craft Compelling CTAs

There’s little to no point in doing a video for your brand or startup without including a CTA. A compelling Call to Action (CTA) is your video’s driving force. Use strong action verbs, keep it clear and simple, and inject a sense of urgency into your CTA.

Your call should align with your brand’s mission. For example, if you’ve just started a side gig selling tech accessories, you can include a CTA at the end of the video asking your audience to check out affiliate links, your product page, or even your other social media handles. Or go for the all-infamous “don’t forget to hit that like or subscribe button”.

4. Track Your Success

After all is said and done, you need to know just how well your video marketing efforts are performing. Metrics like increased revenue, video shares, clicks on video ads, website traffic, inquiries, and media coverage can help you gauge success. You can use creator analytics on different platforms such as YouTube and Instagram to check engagement, ad revenue, subscriber and viewer requests, or even explore popular competitors in your niche.

As We Wrap Up…

You can no longer afford to overlook video marketing as a formidable tool in your marketing arsenal. Not only is video the most popular type of content on all social media platforms at the moment; but it also presents a fun and immersive way to connect with your audience and gain insights.

By defining your goals, selecting the right topics, humanizing your brand, collaborating with other content creators, crafting compelling CTAs, and tracking your success, you too can make video marketing work for you.