5 Steps to Killer Marketing Videos
Posted by Beth Hrusch
Video marketing is rapidly becoming the tool of choice for many online marketers. Businesses large and small are dabbling in it, with varied success. But, regardless of the finesse with which it is executed, one thing is true across the board--video marketing packs a big punch for a relatively small investment.
Video has the power to make your company, your brand and your product come alive for consumers. It puts a face on your business and gives it personality. Videos can make you more relatable and your brand more recognizable. People love getting their information in video form.
We like to say that people like shiny things, shiny things are pretty. That being the case, if you are a business (of any size) looking for a fresh approach to marketing that appeals to the masses, consider these 5 tips for getting good results with video marketing:
1. Give it personality
With video marketing, you have the ability to create personas, or personalities. These help you to present a certain image to the public. TV does this and you can, too. One suggestion--find someone on your team or recruit family, friends and colleagues. Your choices should be people who are comfortable in front of a camera, can speak well and have good working knowledge of your business and what you are selling.
Side note here—I’ve sat through more than one video where it was actually painful to watch the poor guy in front of the camera struggling to get the words out, probably too shy to have been pressed into service for the video and clearly not enjoying the experience. I was so distracted by the discomfort that I couldn’t concentrate on the message. Don’t be that guy, and don’t be that company. Please! It’s painful for everyone.
2. Plan out the venues
Where will you be shooting your videos? Consider places that are accessible to everyone involved and make it easy for yourself. If it’s less hassle and expense to shoot them at the office, do that. If you want an outdoor setting, there’s no need to stray far. Go out to the back or a nearby park. Streamline the process as much as possible to keep costs down.
Remember, your choice of venue will affect such things as lighting and sound. Come prepared with the right equipment for the venue.
3. Create a schedule
Plan out your videos – and their posting dates—in advance. Setting up your video production on a schedule will allow you to have everything, including access to shooting locations, ready when you need them. Some things to consider:
- Schedules of the participants
- Availability of venues
- Hardware and software needed for each video
- Upcoming events that you may want to cover with a video
4. Encourage feedback
Get helpful feedback from everyone involved with your video marketing campaign, as well as fans and customers. Their opinions can only help you improve the quality of your videos and their suggestions could add value to your efforts over time. Your social media accounts will provide a great way for people to leave comments. Which brings us to…
5. Utilize social media
Your social media accounts could end up being one of your best marketing tools when it comes to videos. LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook all offer ways to share video with people, and their capabilities are increasing all the time. For example, you can embed your video on your LinkedIn profile page or Twitter page or link to your video in your recent news feature.
Video marketing offers an opportunity for businesses of all sizes to get deep and wide exposure for their products and services. Make it part of your content marketing strategy this year to supercharge your marketing efforts. Check out what other 
successful video marketers are doing and get ideas from them. Hubspot has made some creative videos over the years. Video marketing experts ReelSeo offer lots of helpful information about how to make videos work for you.
Is it time for your business to get into the video business? Try it and see!