A CONTENT MARKETER’S GUIDE TO

VIDEOVIDEO SEO VIDEO MASTERYVIDEO CONTENT

STRATEGY

VIDEO CONTENT STRATEGY

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CONGRATS. YOU’VE DECIDED TO BE AWESOME.In our recent blog post , we highlighted some of the advantages of using video. Here’s a quick summary:

THE FIRST STEP TOWARD AWESOMENESS IS TO PRIORITIZE QUALITY OVER QUANTITY. In the race to develop engaging content, marketers often forget that quality is what matters. They produce content to fill gaps, falsely thinking that something is better than nothing.

Keep your eyes open for three other issues that can also knock you off course:

Choose NOT to be that marketer anymore. Tell your team. Tell your boss. Tell your neighbor. Tell everyone. It’s all about quality from here on out, folks.

Now we’ll break down the elements of a good video content strategy.

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WHY VIDEO

Not having a strategy to provide direction 1 A weak connection between

content and the buying cycle2 A lack of resources to produce engaging content3

Best-in-class marketers employ more video on a regular basis and achieve higher performance results.

Consumers prefer video. They are watching, creating and sharing it at staggering growth rates.

Content marketers must strategically create the right kinds of video, in the right amount and the right order across the buying cycle to get results.

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A good brand story flows easily when you have a strong brand platform. If you find yourself struggling to answer these questions, use our worksheet to evaluate your brand platform first.

WHAT’S THE BRAND STORY?Video is the perfect method to tell your brand story. That said, one video isn’t going to be the perfect summation of your brand. The story unfolds through multiple touch points and multiple pieces of content. This brand story needs to be relevant to both your organization’s business objectives and your audience. It isn’t about you. It’s about what you do for them.

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TO IDENTIFY THIS BRAND STORY, ASK YOURSELF

What makes your brand credible?

What differentiates you from competitors?

What key messages connect with decision makers? What motivates them?

Is there a purpose or lifestyle you can use to connect with viewers on an emotional level?

What perspective can you lend that’s fresh and thought-provoking?

Is It Time to Redefine Your Brand?

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Before moving on, make sure your topic list supports your lead nurturing program.

Consider what topics are relevant to each stage. Then make a list of the types of video content that align with these topics and stages. Also note where buyers will be looking for this type of information. This directly ties into your video SEO and hosting options. (We’ll get into video SEO in chapter 2.)

MAP YOUR BUYING CYCLEBuyers do their own research before engaging with a product or solution provider. Some may need more education than others. That’s why it’s important to develop different videos for different stages of the buying cycle. Someone at the beginning of the cycle may be more interested in an informational piece. Someone at a later stage might be more interested in a product demo.

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CONSIDERATION A

WAR

EN

ESS

D E CISIO N

BUYING CYCLE

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Here is an example of a well balanced buying cycle chart to get you started in the right direction:

Brand promise video (website)

Interviews with subject matter experts (website)

How-to videos (YouTube)

AWARENESSVideo case studies (website)

Product demo videos (YouTube)

Recorded webinars (website)

CONSIDERATION Customer testimonials (website)

Project profiles or reviews (website)

Purchasing guides or focused comparisons (YouTube)

DECISION

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EXPLORE DIFFERENT FORMS OF VIDEOYou also want to experiment and test different forms of video. These include:

Social media platforms are creating unique opportunities to deliver on-brand content that falls within all three forms.

For example, a brand may have Vine videos (six seconds) and a long-form video that is lifestyle-driven and feels more like a documentary. In both cases, what works is entertaining audiences and building affinity for the brand, while also matching the length and purpose of the video to the platform and its audience.

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SHORT-FORM (0-5 MINUTES)

MID-FORM (5-20 MINUTES)

LONG-FORM (20+ MINUTES)

OVERALL VIEWER ENGAGEMENT(SOURCE: VISIBLE MEASURES)

10SEC

TO GRAB A VIEWER’S ATTENTION

YOU LOSE

33% OF VIEWERS BY 30 SEC

45% BY 1 MIN

60% BY 2 MIN

These statistics remain the same regardless of total video length

DEVICE ENGAGEMENT(SOURCE: VISIBLE MEASURES)

DESKTOP

2 MIN or less

MOBILE

2.4 3 MINto

iPADAverage time viewers stick with video per device

5 MIN

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References: http://www.videobrewery.com/blog/18-video-marketing-statistics (Visible Measures)

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DEFINE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT UPFRONTVideo is a great tool for marketers because it’s easy to measure and share. However, there is more to video metrics than analyzing average time spent, total view count and click-through rates. Before your team picks up a camera, define how you want to measure performance. That way your video production team understands the strategy and objectives ahead of time. Your goal is to architect the video for success upfront, rather than trying to fix it in post-production.

One of the best places to start is by talking about the desired emotional response and how it will connect with your calls to action. By using one video to raise interest in the next one, you’ll keep leads on the path to the next measurement point.

The measurement points should help you assess how the video content is working to convert leads.

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Here’s a summary of great video metrics to establish:

TOTAL VIEW COUNT

CLICK-THROUGH RATE

CONVERSION ASSISTS VIA VIDEO (ATTRIBUTION)

# OF QUALITY LEADS GENERATED FROM SEARCH TRAFFIC

AVERAGE TIME SPENT

VIEWER ENGAGEMENT

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Use your findings to develop more of what’s working. And tweak your distribution strategy based on which channels are most effective.

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RECRUIT THE RIGHT PEOPLE FOR THE TASK

Plan to use writers and visual artists who can craft a unique voice for a story, and who understand how visual media and other types of content work together. Your story will come together faster at the start, and need less post-production edits in the end.

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PRODUCE #LIKEABOSSHere are the top ways that proper planning can help you maximize your video production budget and create video #likeaboss:

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A great place to start is by talking with your production partner about gathering additional content on upcoming shoots. If the right conversations happen upfront, subject matter experts can be asked to discuss additional subjects on camera for future use or b-roll can be gathered onsite. Open up the dialog with other internal departments to see how they could repurpose your video content (or how you might repurpose theirs). For example, marketing video content can be used in onboarding or training videos.

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PLAN FOR QUANTITY

In video marketing, quantity reduces cost — just like buying one soda at a convenience store versus a case of sodas at a wholesaler. Plan for how many videos you will produce in a year and discuss how to maximize the budget with your partner. Explore whether a templated approach might help you reduce cost and time to completion such as reusing openers, closers, the graphics to display names, job titles and chapter or section introductions.

2IDENTIFY THE BEST SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS

Find the best subject matter experts in your company for the message you are delivering. Not everyone is great on camera — nor wants to be, for that matter. Talk with your production partner about ways to work with team members’ strengths and weaknesses.

Then communicate expectations and timing well ahead of when you need their support. Identifying, briefing and scheduling subject matter experts prior to the shoot allows them to be relaxed and comfortable on the shoot day. Be open to using professional talent when it is recommended.

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REPURPOSE

Building a content library will save you money over time and give you the assets needed to create more video content. Think about the footage and photography you already own. What’s missing? How can you build this out to be more useful in your content marketing program? Keeping a good database of existing assets creates value.

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WIDEN DISTRIBUTION FOR IMPACTSeek to create multiple video versions with editing and motion graphics to widen distribution and impact.

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ABOUT JPLJPL is one of the Mid-Atlantic’s largest full-service, integrated marketing agencies. The firm provides strategic thinking and creative execution across a full range of services that include brand, digital, marketing, advertising, video production and internal communications. Founded in 1989, JPL is a member of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s).

Phone: 717-558-8048Email: NewBiz@JPLcreative.com

JPLcreative.com

FOR EXAMPLE

Edit a longer video into shorter, web-based versions

Use shorter videos in a sales app or in social media

Use shorter videos to form a longer video centered on a single theme, such as a piece that summarizes your thought leadership or philosophy on a topic

Expand or customize content for a particular use with motion graphics or animation

Think about how you take video content and rework it. How can you maximize what you have across various touch points? Your production partner can help explore ways to rework video content and expand its distribution.

SMART EDITING, MOTION GRAPHICS & ANIMATION CAN HELP YOU EXPAND DISTRIBUTION WITH STYLE

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NOW YOU’RE READY FOR CHAPTER

2 DOWNLOAD

Written By Jessica Melhorn, Director of Client Solutions