Any successful digital marketer worth their salt would never underestimate the importance of different types of video content. It could be any different types of videos for social media platforms, or websites like YouTube, but consumers absolutely favor video over everything else. And according to several surveys, people tend to gravitate towards emails that have the word ‘video’ in the subject line- an innate need to see and analyze for oneself. If you are still wondering how to create video content for social media, or simply doubting if video content marketing strategies are as necessary as we put it, check out the following statistics on why video marketing is so effective.
Why is Video Marketing So Effective?
1. 55% of the people participating in a survey reported that they watched online videos every single day. 78% of the same population vouched that they watched online videos every week.
2. It has been estimated that by 2022, most of the internet traffic- 82% to be precise- would be governed by online videos.
3. YouTube ranks second behind Google on the most trafficked site.
4. In 2020, almos 81% of the businesses used some form of video as marketing videos for business strategy. And interestingly, this is an increase of 63% from last year.
5. Websites that contain marketing videos for business strategy generate around 88% of the time that users spend on the Internet.
6. Almost every single marketer on the Internet will tell you that video marketing 2020 sells better. People are more attuned to things that they see, rather than read, and this helps them understand the products or services better. Instead of reading through lines and lines of words, they can simply watch a video that would do the trick.
If you are still on the fence about how to create video content for Instagram, you must first understand why videos aren’t produced all the time. After all, they are a guaranteed success and thereby should be utilized to the fullest.
So Why Isn’t Everyone Producing Videos all the Time When Most of Us Are Worried About How To Create Engaging Video Content?
The simplest answer- video marketing 2020 and production isn’t as simple or easy. To add to it, it can be very expensive at times. For novice teams, this can be a huge problem, as they tend to not have a clear idea in mind when setting off towards video production. This could lead to a marked increase in their budget from what they originally planned. So, if you are wondering how to create video content, you need to understand that most of the work needs to be done before you actually start shooting.
Remember, this isn’t improv. You will actually need to sit and plan with your team. There is no way you would be able to create something out of thin air if you don’t have any particular idea as to how to proceed. If your company is big enough, you might have a team strictly assigned for video production. But even they might have some problems trying to figure out what you mean. So, if you are squirming about how to create video content, don’t forget to sit and chalk it all out. Not only will it bring out what you are planning to do, it will also save you some money, and time.
Unfortunately, not everyone gets the time to sit down and repeat mistakes to finally progress to the next round. But fortunately, we have a comprehensive list of all pre-production tips that will help you get a clear idea- in case you are scratching your head wondering how to create video content marketing ideas and make it successful.
How To Create Video Content – Figuring Out the Audience
It doesn’t matter if you are on the lookout for anything targeted, or are simply visualizing a nice insight from Google Ads- the first step is always towards demarcating your audience. You need to know who you are making this video for, and what their interests are. One way to go about it by building buyer personas, where you project what an ideal consumer would be- and broadcast it as a real human. Remember, your audiences will always be diversified- be it 10 or 10,000. Your task would be to figure out where they meet halfway, and exploit that. You could create a video that caters to everyone, but that would end up nowhere. The best thing would be to listen to your buyer persona- and work exactly along the borders.
How To Create Video Content- Your Message Should be Crystal Clear
You can’t expect your audience to be rocket scientists, so you need to keep your information neat, tidy, and simple to understand. We know, you must have a lot of ideas that you might want to implement in your video, but the best thing would be to select the ones that actually strike your point head on. While it is important to target the audience, it is even more important to know where to stop. Nothing is worse than an over-crammed video. Also, there is a huge possibility that your company or brand might not just be invested in one apparel. In that case, you need different videos for different products. Sectionalize your ideas for each.
How To Create Video Content- Setting Up A Realistic Budget
After you have a plan and an audience in mind, the next step would be to start fixing the budget. When dealing with video production, it is very easy to go overboard with the budget. You will keep getting newer, and better alternatives which you would want to bring to board. But that might mess with any financial planning that you might have had. So, fix a budget and stick to that. Also, there are several potholes. You can’t simply half-heartedly create something and show it. For that isn’t going to work either- you need to hire a production company, or make sure that your own production company is top notch. Give them a budget, and watch as they create magic out of it.
How To Create Video Content: Revision Of Your Scripts
A script is not at all easy to create. While you may believe that a video takes precedence over the written word, it is never the case. You need to make sure that your script is top-notch or it would fall on its face. You can either hire an expert scriptwriter, or make sure that you are working on enough revisions on it. Taking inputs from every single person on the team is also an important task. For you never know when someone might bring out something interesting for you to work with. While it may take some time, better late than never.
How To Create Video Content- Video’s Branding Elements
Sometimes, brands get too subtle with their image and their branding elements. While there is no need for you to roar out your call-to-action, you might still need to inform the viewer of what they should do at the end of the video. For, your advertisement could be top notch, but if it doesn’t highlight what the audience is supposed to do at the end of the day, it will fall flat on its face. A call-to-action, something that is unique to your brand should be placed at the end of the ad. It could be visiting a link, or a store- anything.
How To Create Video Content- The First 8 Seconds Matter
You won’t have an hour to serenade and convince your audience that what you are dealing with is actually helpful for the common man. You would barely be given 30 seconds of air time. As it stands, humans are not that attentive when it comes to adverts these days. So, all you get is 8 seconds before the audience decides to move on to something different. Now, you need to utilize these 8 seconds to capture the interest of the audience- a story that will inform them of things to come. And you can guarantee that they will be hitched.
How To Create Video Content- Choosing the Perfect Run-Time
The conversion rate of your video shouldn’t be the only thing on your mind when creating a video, but it would be feasible to have a stipulated run-time. According to major surveys, a video that is a minute long tends to have better viewer engagement. When the video drags on, the consumer engagement tapers off. It has been stipulated that a video that is within 2 to 4 minutes may be the best option on your hands. Of course, if your video is wildly engaging then time need not be a factor. For the sake of conversion though, you might want to wrap it up fast.
How To Create Video Content- A Personal Connection
If you want people to relate and be swayed to what you have to say- then you need to make sure that what you are speaking makes sense. Be authentic, and transparent. Your audience needs to believe in you, which is why you need to show your own belief towards your own products as well. This is called thought leadership, where your audience will look at you as an expert in things and would be more than willing to follow you. Be authentic, and be true to your trade. If you try to cut through your audience, they will understand. You need to believe in yourself, for them to believe in you.
How To Create Video Content- A Storyboard Helps
When you have a storyboard on hand, you don’t have to worry about going over the budget. All you need to do is make sure that you are putting the exact images on the storyboard that you have in your mind. This will provide you with a rough draft as to what you are possibly looking at. And, it may actually help you deal with some recurring questions-
1. For the video to take place, where is the light supposed to come from?
2. For better efficiency, what does the location need extra?
3. Do you have a location in your mind?
4. What are the tools that you need to ensure that what you are imagining is portrayed in real life?
A storyboard will help you deal with the availability and unavailability of certain tools that might be important for your production. And if you are facing scarcity, you will have enough time on your hands to replace the tools, or the idea.
How To Create Video Content- A Shot List Is Important
A shot list will simply help you deal with microcosms of your scenes. It will ensure that you tackle the important questions of light placement, sound recording, and others. If it is done before pre-production, you will be able to save quite some time during the actual shoot. A shot list actually comprises of-
1. Scene number
2. Location
3. Shot Number
4. Shot Description
5. Action
6. Framing
7. Actors Involved
8. Extra Notes
9. Props needed.
A shot list is quite an important part of video content ideas creation. So if you have covered the basics and are wondering about how to create video content marketing strategies for an experienced audience, a shot list is a must.
How To Create Video Content Ideas- A Production Schedule
Once the work is done inside the comforts of your office, you need to come out and start asking yourself the time and place you are actually going to use for the shoot. If you have a document that clearly mentions the itinerary of your entire production, it will get easier for you later to refer back to it and make sure that things are going on time.
A proper production schedule for video should especially have the following information-
1. Location
2. Equipment
3. Scene/shot
4. People needed
5. Date and time
6. Contact info
A production schedule is the one document that you need to have on yourself at all times so that you have answers to every question your crew might place before you.
How To Create Video Content- Overestimating The Time You Might Need
Don’t constrict yourself. If you are unfamiliar with any particular work involved in video production, it would be better for you to take some time and deliver it. Always keep your promises to the barest of minimums, but never forget to dish out something they have never seen. And for this to happen, you can’t underestimate the time you might need to complete this. Always ask for more time, so that you can smoothen out every rough edge. At the end of the day, the ends would justify the means.
How To Create Video Content- Choosing the Right Location
You can always go for a fancy location with a huge entourage of equipment and tools, but it will definitely put a huge dent in the budget. Or, you could try to visualize something beautiful yet simple with the means at hand. Sure, both of the ideas would work, but everything depends on how much you are willing to fork out for one ad, and how many ads are you about to produce. Some shoots would need a beach view to hammer the point in- others might need something subtle.
How To Create Video Content- Visit the Place Before You Shoot
We can’t emphasize this enough. Always make sure to visit the place you are about to shoot at. You never know when the weather might take a turn for the worse, so you should always be prepared. Also, there might be a huge influx of people on the day you want to shoot the ad. So, it would be wise to get in on the action before that and check out the place before you decide to shoot your ad.
How To Create Video Content- Equipment Needs
To shoot a video, you would need a whole range of tools to make it authentic. Here, your own expertise is going to come into play. While most of the equipment would be pretty much the same across advertisements, when it comes to choosing camera lenses, it might get a bit tricky. True, a video production head is usually in charge of this, who works in sync with the camera crew. But if the project is not that large, you might have to be at the helm for it. And at that point, it is your thinking which will be of importance.
If you are still wondering about how to create video content, the above points must have given you some highlight into it. All you need to do is make sure that you have a clear image in your head, and you are working according to it. Be authentic, and believe in what you are selling.
