In recent years, video marketing has emerged as a powerful strategy for businesses to Convey and Augment their brand message and to Connect with and Convert their target audience. With attention spans dwindling and competition intensifying, brands that embrace video marketing best practices are gaining a significant edge.  Though by no means comprehensive, the following list highlights the most important video marketing best practices for businesses.

1. Define Your Goals: Determine what you want to achieve with your video marketing efforts. Whether it’s increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, generating leads, or boosting sales, having clear goals will help shape your video content.

2. Know Your Target Audience: Understand your target audience’s demographics, interests, and pain points. This knowledge will guide you in creating videos that resonate with them and address their needs.

3. Plan Your Video Content: Develop a content strategy that aligns with your campaign goals and target audience. This is your chance to show your product expertise and explain your value to the consumer on your terms. Plan out the types of videos you want to create, such as explainer videos, product demos, customer testimonials, or behind-the-scenes footage.  Try to incorporate user-generated content (UGC) where appropriate. Don’t be afraid to incorporate video production into your editorial calendar (see Chapter 7).

4. Keep Videos Concise and Engaging: Attention spans are short, so keep your videos short and to the point. Aim for 1-2 minutes in length for most videos, ensuring they are engaging from the start to capture viewers’ interest.

5. Optimize for Mobile Viewing: With the increasing use of mobile devices, optimize your videos for mobile viewing. Use larger text, clear visuals, and subtitles or captions to accommodate viewers watching without sound.

6. Tell a Compelling Story: Storytelling is a powerful tool in video marketing. Create narratives that evoke emotions, Connect with your audience, and Convey your brand’s message and values. Above all, be authentic; remember, video is a great medium to show off your brand’s unique personality and humorous side!

7. Include a Strong Call to Action (CTA): Clearly communicate what you want viewers to do after watching your video. Whether it’s visiting your website, subscribing to your channel, or making a purchase, include a compelling CTA  to guide their next steps (see Chapter 9).

8. Leverage Video SEO: Optimize your videos for search engines by using relevant keywords in titles, descriptions, and tags. This helps improve your video’s visibility and increases the chances of it being discovered by your target audience.

9. Promote Your Videos: Don’t rely solely on organic reach. Promote your videos across various channels, such as your website, social media platforms, email newsletters, and even paid advertising. This maximizes your video’s reach and increases its chances of being shared.

10. Measure and Analyze: Track the performance of your videos using analytics tools. Monitor metrics such as views, engagement, click-through rates, and conversions. This data will provide insights into what’s working and help you refine your video marketing strategy.

Remember, video marketing is a dynamic field, so always stay updated with emerging trends and adapt your approach accordingly.

“Those are useful best practices,” you may be saying, “but how about some examples of brands who’ve nailed video marketing?” Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

Dollar Shave Club revolutionized the razor industry with its clever and humorous video campaign. Their launch video, which went viral, featured the company’s CEO delivering a witty and entertaining pitch while showcasing the product’s benefits. This video effectively conveyed their brand personality and value proposition, leading to widespread brand recognition and customer acquisition. Dollar Shave Club’s best practice video strategy lies in creating memorable and shareable content that resonates with its target audience.

Key Takeaway: Infuse your videos with humor and personality to make a lasting impression.

GoPro, the popular action camera company, has mastered the art of user-generated content in its video strategy. They encourage their customers to capture and share their thrilling adventures using GoPro cameras. By curating and featuring the best user-submitted videos on its website and social media channels, GoPro taps into the authenticity and excitement of its user community. This approach has not only strengthened its brand image but also serves as a powerful form of social proof for prospective customers.

Key Takeaway: Leverage user-generated content to foster a sense of community and authenticity around your brand.

Tasty, a digital food brand by BuzzFeed, has achieved remarkable success by leveraging short, visually captivating recipe videos. Their videos present step-by-step instructions in a fast-paced and visually appealing format, making cooking seem easy and enjoyable. Tasty’s best practice video strategy involves focusing on the end result, employing clear visuals, and keeping the content concise. Additionally, they optimize their videos for social media platforms, where short attention spans and autoplay features are prevalent.

Key Takeaway: Create visually engaging, bite-sized videos that quickly communicate the value and appeal of your product or service.

Airbnb uses video storytelling to immerse viewers in unique travel experiences. Their “Live There” campaign showcased the idea of living like a local in different destinations. By featuring authentic and emotionally engaging stories, Airbnb managed to create a deep connection with its target audience. Their videos capture the essence of travel and the desire for meaningful experiences, inspiring viewers to consider booking accommodations through their platform.

Key Takeaway: Tell compelling stories that resonate with your audience’s aspirations and values.

Blendtec, a manufacturer of high-performance blenders, took an innovative approach to video marketing with its “Will It Blend?” campaign. In a series of videos, Blendtec’s founder, Tom Dickson, blended unconventional items like iPhones and golf balls using their blenders. This unique and attention-grabbing content not only showcased the power and durability of its products but also entertained and engaged viewers. The campaign became a viral sensation, resulting in millions of views, increased brand awareness, and a significant boost in sales. Blendtec’s video marketing efforts demonstrated the effectiveness of creatively showcasing product features and generating excitement among consumers.

Key Takeaway: Creatively showcasing your product’s unique capabilities through entertaining videos can capture audience attention, increase brand awareness, and drive sales.

Old Spice, a renowned men’s grooming brand, executed a memorable video marketing campaign that transformed its brand image and boosted sales. The “Old Spice Man” campaign featured humorous and engaging videos featuring the brand’s mascot, a confident and charismatic character. These videos employed witty storytelling, clever dialogue, and interactive elements that resonated with the target audience. As a result, Old Spice experienced a significant increase in brand engagement, social media mentions, and ultimately, a substantial growth in sales. The campaign’s success highlighted the power of injecting personality, humor, and interactivity into video content to drive audience engagement and brand loyalty.

Key Takeaway: Infusing humor, personality, and interactivity into videos can create a memorable brand image, generate buzz, and drive sales growth

Nike consistently produces powerful and inspirational video campaigns that tap into human emotions and storytelling. From their “Dream Crazy” ad featuring Colin Kaepernick to their “You Can’t Stop Us” campaign, Nike’s videos are known for their authenticity and ability to inspire and empower viewers. By aligning its brand with relevant social and cultural movements, Nike demonstrates their commitment to values beyond just selling products, resonating with their audience on a deeper level.

Key Takeaway: Align your video content with relevant social and cultural narratives to create an emotional connection with your audience.

Conclusion

Embrace the power of video to captivate, inspire, and leave a lasting impact on your viewers.  By incorporating humor, user-generated content, visual appeal, storytelling, and emotional resonance, you can effectively engage with new prospects and existing customers. When crafting your video marketing strategy, consider these best practices and adapt them to accomplish your business goals and digital marketing campaign objectives.

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