The Basics of Video Marketing: 4 Easy Steps to Get You Started!
By: Dennis Francis
Tags: Video Marketing Tips, Video Marketing Strategy, Video Sales Letter, Small Business Marketing, Video Marketing

Photo by Shutterstock

I have a short attention span for anything that doesn’t immediately relate to my interest at the moment. As a content marketing provider, I’ve had to build systems to stay focused on tasks that were boring or labor-intensive, or both. I’m constantly on the lookout for shortcuts and templates that can make my tasks easier and more productive.

Video sales letters are perfect for content marketers because they are usually compact and follow a framework, formula, or template. Sure, I’ve written 14-page sales letters. But in an age when almost everyone has a smart phone, you have to be truly committed to reading a 14 page sales letter to buy a product.

Small business owners don’t have the luxury of being able to do this. A good copywriter will charge you the cost of an airline ticket (round trip with hotel accommodations) to Brazil, for something like that. However, with a little training and a few tools, a local business can benefit from a five-minute sales video. The best part is, they can create that video themselves!

You can get your message across most effectively with video marketing. According to Cisco (the tech company) by end of 2022, online videos will make up over 82% of all consumer internet traffic. It’s easy to consume, and most people prefer to watch videos instead of reading text. What is the best way for small business owners to use it?

Creating high-quality videos can be challenging, so follow these tips to help you succeed.

1. Scripting your video and researching your market. Who is the video for? Why should someone care about what you have to say? What differentiates you from your competition?

2. Storytelling: Start with a solid introduction that keeps the viewer interested in your idea. Tell the story that will relate to your viewer while connecting your business or brand to the story.

3. Use images and videos in your production. Words aren’t even necessary. Visually show what you want them to know with captivating images. Make sure it is high quality if you are recording it on video!

4. Distribute and promote your video to sources that can benefit from it. Create ads or blog content to drive traffic to your video.

In the age of short attention spans and smart phones, short sales videos rule! So how do you start the process? Let’s dive a little deeper into each idea.

Sales Video Scripts Formula

· Attract and Engage

· Connect with the Viewer

· Prove a Point

· Convert to Action

An effective video must get the viewer’s attention in the first few seconds. In order to do that, the video must be geared to a specific type of person (You can always make other videos to reach other demographics.) And grab them by their interests, mood, or perspective.

There are a lot of ways to do this, and this article is too short to cover them. Just be aware that it’s important to do some research before you lay out your script. Know who you’re trying to reach and which hot buttons you’ll need to press to get their attention.

Once you’ve got their attention, you’ll need to hold on to it for the length of the video in order to get to the punchline or call to action. Many superb VSLs start with an intriguing back story or an outrageous promise.

Scripting your video and researching your market are really the heart of the process. Even if your video is going to be shot on your cell phone while walking to your car, it’s important to develop your complete presentation ahead of time.

The Importance of Visual Storytelling

Reality television has been a staple of pop culture since the 1990s. Although it’s considered unscripted television, it’s highly formulaic. It has to be in order to deliver the goods that the audience expects. Your video needs structure in order to keep it on point and effective, even if it seems spontaneous.

If you don’t know how to tell your story, it’s time to head over to YouTube. To relate to viewers, you should be conversational and natural, so they can trust what they hear. You can get inspiration from watching YouTube videos of musicians, comedians, actors, or other celebrities.

Choosing The Right Kind of Video Content and Style

There are different video content styles from which to choose. This is another reason you’ll want to be sure to create a video script before shooting. You’ll need to choose the type of video style format that fits your needs and your market.

Here are a few of the most popular formats.

· The animated explainer.

· The behind-the-scenes video.

· The company culture promotional video.

· The employee portrait video.

· The enthusiastic customer testimonial video.

· The informational web series.

· The product demonstration video.

· The video spot.

Visual content is an excellent way to show your audience what you want them to know. Some of the most popular types of visual content are pictures, infographics, slideshows, background videos, motion graphics, animated GIFs, and memes.

Video is a powerful tool for reaching your audience because video content is more engaging than static images or text. When the viewer sees a video, they are drawn into it and are more likely to stay engaged in the content longer.

Distribute and Promote Your Videos

Now that your video is done, you’ll need to take action with your video marketing strategy. Your research should have given you an idea of where your video is most likely to be viewed. However, you’ll need to promote each video in order to maximize viewership.

You’re going to need to drive traffic to your videos in order to get the most views. There are different ways to achieve this. You can advertise your video, use social media promotion and even email marketing.

Your video message may be powerful on its own, but people still need to get to it first. Good promotion is critical for getting more people to watch your video content, but remember not to ignore the fundamentals. You must first create effective content that is optimized for a particular demographic.

You can use these tips to your advantage. When you follow these steps for effective production and distribution, producing videos that drive sales can be fairly simple. Finally, I’d like to give you one more tip… If you haven’t used video script templates for content marketing, I highly recommend trying them out. Using them makes creating informative scripts for videos much easier.

So, get to it — you going to be glad you did! You only succeed by doing, not thinking about it. For more tips on effective content marketing strategies, follow me on medium.com or go to https://contentmarketingmagic.co/blog