Video, the new document: Where do you start?

Image credit: Vanilla Bear Films on Unsplash.

This, unfortunately, doesn't cut the mustard in this 4IR-obsessed day and age. The video ocean has expanded and there are plenty of radical new waves to catch.

So where do you begin?

A solid video strategy looks at four critical areas:

• Video Production - that is the making of your video.
• Video Marketing - that is branding and advertising. 
• Video Hosting - that is where your video lives in the cloud.
• Video Platform - that is the type of video product you will build. 

Understand those four areas and you can tackle your video strategy with confidence. Let's look at each one in more detail.

Video production

One should never make a video without a clear plan for it.

• Why are you making a video? 
• Who is the intended audience?
• What is the intended outcome?
• Where will the video do its work?

Once you can answer those questions then production becomes a smooth process.

The key points in your video's production are:

• Editorial voice – how will your brand values be upheld? 
• Messaging and script – the words for voice over or the screenplay.
• Storyboard – the flow of images about the words.
• Voice-over – is it needed or is it text-driven?
• Music licensing and sound – a vital element too often overlooked. 
• Graphics and text – how much is too much?
• Stock or filmed footage – this affects production cost.

Once your video is ready it needs to work for you.

How to produce a marketing video for a brand

Lungile Mayindi  27 Aug 2019

Video marketing

One should avoid trying to squeeze too many messages into a single video. A brand builder is not a sales video and vice versa. A brand video is like a roadside billboard.

A classy and timeous reminder that keeps you top of mind. A brand video may generate general interest traffic to your site. Don't expect a brand video to do a direct sales job for you.

A sales video is a product or service based video that drives home a single offering and price point.

• Where is your audience based?
• Are you running complimentary campaigns? 
• What is your budget and desired CPM? 
• What times of the day and what geo-locations should you target?

These are all questions that inform your hosting. Teads, YouTube, Facebook, Linkedin and Instagram are just a few video marketing options available to you. There are plenty more.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Enter Dior Backstage and feel the fashion energy of the Dior Spring-Summer 2020 show! From makeup to hair preparation, and from the rehearsal to the line up before the catwalk, relive the best behind-the-scene moments! • #diorbackstage #diorss20

A post shared by Dior Makeup (@diormakeup) on Sep 27, 2019 at 7:12am PDT

Video hosting

You can host a website video for free on Vimeo and YouTube. There are other options but these are the two main platforms used for free hosting. YouTube seems like the right place to host right? But what about the recommended videos that pop up afterwards?

This breaks brand immersion. Vimeo offers great business and professional packages but they come at a cost.

• Do you plan to generate leads or ask for email addresses during or after your video? 
• Is your video an advertising tool or a website informer?

YouTube is great for advertising so you may choose to host the advert on Youtube. Then you could host the website version on Vimeo. You could compress for WhatsApp. You could host the advert on Facebook as well for advertising purposes. You could publish on all the platforms or a single one.

Again, it all depends on what function you are expecting your video to perform. A well-managed budget can be flexibly shifted as monthly data informs. Video is a fluid medium. Your hosting strategy can be fluid as well.

YouTube's influencer marketing phenomenon (Infographic)

Matt Zajechowsk  19 Dec 2018

Video platform

Do you want to build your own platform to monetise your video content? It's like building your own video-on-demand platform. A VOD is a great way to build an audience and add value to your production efforts.

Again, there are a plethora of options. From Udemy to Vimeo OTT to Youtube Premium. Brightcove is another platform engine of note. But it all comes down to cost and model.

How publishing platforms make the most of human attention

Josephine Buys  29 Aug 2019

As you can see, there are a lot of details when it comes to making the right choices for your video strategy. To navigate those waters can seem daunting.

This is by no means an exhaustive article but it does help with getting the video juices flowing. There's a lot more than just moving pictures under those waves.