With Christmas around the corner, there’s really only one thing on everyone’s mind.
Next year’s Video Content strategy!
Ok, well, maybe not, but as the calendar year winds down and we all gather to reflect and celebrate the accomplishments of 2014, there’s no time like the “present” to start thinking about what 2015 has in store for your brand’s content production.
Unsurprisingly, countless articles about 2015 Video Marketing Trends and Predictions have been popping up for well over 6 months (I’m personally looking forward to what’s in store for 2016 and 2017, which I’m sure I’ll hear about from someone in the next few days…). But if you have yet to put much thought into what your strategy will be come January, here are 4 steps I suggest taking:
Audit
Take a solid look at what you already have, and what you can do to improve it. How’s your YouTube presence? Is it organized and easy to navigate? Are you using custom thumbnails to your advantage? What are your competitors doing?
Step back and view your YouTube page as if you were a potential customer looking for knowledge and/or entertainment. What’s the experience like for someone who isn’t as deeply invested in your brand as you are?
If you haven’t yet, start taking YouTube seriously. Create playlists, add longer text descriptions, keywords, and tags to boost SEO. It’s relatively easy, and it makes a huge difference.
If you haven’t yet, check out the YouTube Creator Playbook for Brands for some solid insights.
Experiment
As fellow video producer Tim Bradley wrote a few weeks ago on our blog: “Try it all with video.” I couldn’t agree more.
Approach every initiative with the possibility of video top-of-mind. Utilize different styles (formal, “run and gun,” animation, scripted, etc.) that best suit a particular message.
Expect the unexpected – you’ll often find uses for your video assets you weren’t anticipating.
Do it Right
No more foot-dragging – you need to start seriously budgeting for high-quality online video in 2015.
A few quick stats from Brightcove:
-Seven in ten (76%) consumers cite video as their preferred content source when consuming brand information. (I repeat: seven in ten. Seventy-six percent.)
-Over a third of consumers (35%) cited brand video content as more memorable if it is of high quality.
Customers (of ALL kind – take note, B2Bs) are hungry for well-produced, engaging videos to give them all their information. Don’t waste the opportunity by relying on cheaply-produced videos or overly-long PowerPoint screengrabs.
Take your time and do it right.
Distribute
It’s no secret that there are no longer any free lunches in the content marketing world. You need a distribution plan, otherwise no one will see your video. This WILL be an additional expense, so make sure to budget accordingly and be prepared for the cost. That way, you can be sure you’ll get the results you want.
Did I miss anything? Let us know what you are planning for your 2015 Video Strategy!