With Video Marketing, High Quality Does Not Have to Mean High Budget

Video has become an essential part of any digital marketing strategy. It is considered to have the best ROI out of any content produced and is proven to attract 2-3 times more visitors to a site monthly. The current perception of effective and quality video is that it’s a product of both a large budget and an abundance of time, but that is not always the case.

Brands and marketers have a habit of putting video content in one of two categories: either they assume it’s too difficult and immediately write it off, or they focus all budget and effort on one single big production (a hero piece), hoping to reach as large as an audience as possible. While neither approach is the ideal plan for a successful video strategy, it is the second that is actually the most damaging.

Approaching Video Marketing Strategy in a New Way
Bigger the better, right? Not in this situation. It’s common for brands to get caught up in the notion that pouring money and time into one big video production will yield the best results. For example, Super Bowl commercials definitely make an impact, but they also come at the cost of at least $5 million for a 30-second ad. They certainly can create a lot of buzz, but for a long-term, successful video strategy, focusing all budget and effort on these large hero pieces is not always the way to go.
Instead, implementing a few of these tactics can be the smarter and more cost-effective way to boost brand engagement through video.

Tailor content for your audience. Using video to draw in new customers is best utilized if the content aligns with their likes and areas of interest. Accommodating your audience in this way will keep them engaged and coming back, no matter what the purpose of the video is.

Create a consistent stream of content. There needs to be a reason to keep customers coming back to a site. Posting consistently establishes a relationship with your consumer base and lets them know when to expect new content. The videos can be short, exploring specific topics, posted individually or as part of a series.

Add interactive elements to your video content. Interactive elements such as quizzes or polls are another way to increase engagement and spark a dialogue between the brand and consumer. Along with conversation, a quiz also adds an element of measurability to the video. Each click and action can be recorded and analyzed to find out what content is working and what’s not, and then adjust it accordingly.

Turn existing written content into video content. Great content for your video could already be right in front of you. Existing advice or “how-to” written blogs can be the perfect subject matter for a video. Make the process easier on yourself (and your wallet!) and look at what you already have. This also includes the powerful production equipment sitting in your pocket: your mobile device.

A Pocket-Sized Production
Gone are the days where you need thousands of dollars in equipment to create a quality video production. We now have our mobile phones equipped with high-resolution cameras and editing apps to easily film and upload video content.

Brands have already had success with shooting campaigns using mobile devices. For example, Apple has showcased the quality of the camera from one of their newer iPhones through a campaign called Shot on iPhone. Most recently, Apple Australia shared a series of videos called iPhone X ‘First Dance’, which follows different couples at their weddings, all filmed exclusively by the iPhone. Holden’s recent ‘Mobile Made’ campaign is another example of a campaign shot on mobile devices. Everything you see in the campaign was captured solely on a phone, from digital and social to billboards and out-of-home ads. Considering the size and reach of the above brands, they surely had major production budget, but nevertheless, they show the power and quality of the device that’s always in your pocket.

Another option, that is still cost-effective, would be using a video production service such as Shootsta or 90 Seconds. They can shoot, edit, and produce video content at scale, all for a reasonable price.

Welcome to the New Age
With video marketing more accessible and affordable than ever, brands need to stop confusing one-off epic video campaigns with a successful video strategy. Big hero content can generate buzz, but it is the smaller and more consistent content that will keep your audience engaged and coming back to your site. If you have a phone, some previously written blog content, and an understanding of your audience’s interests, you’re already more than halfway to implementing quality and effective video content into your marketing strategy.