Supercharge Your Strategy: 5 Reasons to Invest Big in Video for 2024

Erin Hayes September 19, 2023 Content Marketing, video marketing budget, marketing strategy Leave a Comment

Why should you invest more in video in 2024? Well, the answer is simple - video isn't just the future of content marketing...it's the Present of content marketing. Attention spans are shorter than ever and video has become the most effective way to capture and hold your audience's attention.

Here are 5 clear reasons why your business should invest more in video content creation in 2024.

1. With the rise of platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, it's clear that video has taken over the internet. People are spending hours each day watching videos, whether it's for entertainment, education, or inspiration. If your business is not leveraging the power of video, you're missing out on a massive opportunity to connect with potential customers.

2. One of the key advantages of video is its ability to show, not tell. While text and images can be informative, they often fail to convey the true value and experience of a product or service. Videos, on the other hand, allow businesses to demonstrate their offerings in a way that is engaging and immersive. By giving your audience a virtual test drive of what you're offering, you can build trust and credibility, ultimately driving more conversions and sales.

3. Moreover, videos create a personal connection with your audience. Unlike traditional sales pitches, which can come across as pushy or impersonal, videos allow you to showcase the human side of your brand. Whether it's through storytelling or showcasing the faces behind your business, videos can help you establish a genuine connection with your viewers, leading to increased brand loyalty and customer engagement.

4. Another compelling reason to invest in video is its shareability. Social media platforms thrive on video content, and users love to share videos that resonate with them. By creating compelling and shareable videos, you can exponentially increase your brand's reach and visibility. A well-crafted video has the potential to go viral, attracting attention from a vast audience and boosting brand awareness.

5. Finally, video is continuously evolving, paving the way for new and exciting possibilities. With the emergence of virtual and augmented reality, videos are becoming even more immersive and interactive. Imagine being able to transport your audience into your product or service, allowing them to experience it firsthand. By investing in video now, you are positioning your business at the forefront of technological advancements, ensuring that you stay ahead of the competition.

In short, investing more in video content in 2024 is a no-brainer. Video provides an engaging and immersive experience for your audience, allows you to demonstrate your offerings effectively, creates a personal connection, and has the potential to reach a broader audience through social media. With video being the future of content marketing, it's time to start filming and take your business to new heights.

We're a group of collaborative creatives who specialize in the art of cinematic storytelling. We have the expertise to guide you through every step of crafting a remarkable video marketing strategy, starting from the initial idea generation to the final delivery. We are now accepting bookings for 2024 and would be thrilled to collaborate with you on your next project! Get in touch!

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Looking for some creative video production inspiration to improve your video marketing strategy?

You've come to the right place!

With January firmly under our belt, let's discuss the Top 5 Video Trends for 2023.

1. Pre-recorded Live streaming: The last three years have seen an explosion in Live Streaming content. The COVID-19 Pandemic created a need to communicate safely with customers, prospects, and leads, and live-streaming content was a highly effective solution for that need. In 2023, significant budget cuts and staffing shortages have created new challenges to communicating business messages. Again, companies are turning to Live Streaming as a solution to this challenge. We've seen a significant uptick in inquiries about partnering with a creative video production team to produce a high-quality pre-produced live stream video to engage with their audiences. Live streaming video lets businesses connect with their audience in real time and create a sense of urgency. And the value doesn't end with the conclusion of the event. Companies can repurpose the assets made for the live stream video in their other marketing communication efforts. Think web, email marketing, social media, fundraising, knowledge base, etc.

2. Short-for Video is an exciting way to connect and engage with customers and leads. The success of TikTok and YouTube Shorts mean that businesses can reach their target audience where they are, when they’re most receptive to their message. And businesses can take advantage of these platform’s built-in analytics and advertising capabilities. TikTok and YouTube have a massive user base. YouTube has over 2 billion active users while TikTok’s user-base is 800 million. Both platforms offer creative flexibility within their platform. Tiktok offers businesses the ability to get creative and innovative with their marketing campaigns. The platform supports a wide range of content formats, from lip-sync videos to dance challenges and more, allowing businesses to showcase their brand in a fun and engaging way. YouTube’s ability to add text, music, and other creative elements, allows businesses to easily create custom and engaging content that resonates with their target audience. And YouTube Shorts is a trending content type. The company reports that more and more of its users are coming to its platform to consume this powerful short-form content.

3. User-Generated Content (UGC) is the more authentic version of Influencer Marketing. Businesses are seeing this and are encouraging and repurposing more user-generated videos to create more relatable content. We’re seeing requests to consult on ideas that will engage their audience in an on-brand way. These include examples from contest pieces and challenges to customer testimonials and product reviews. UGC helps businesses tap into the power of word-of-mouth marketing and leverage the expertise, experiences, and perspectives of their customers.

4. Vertical Video: With the rise of mobile device usage, videos filmed in a vertical aspect ratio are becoming more common and are better suited for mobile viewing. Most people hold their phones vertically, meaning a vertical video will take up the full screen, providing a better viewing experience. Horizontal videos often have black bars on the top and bottom, reducing the amount of screen real estate used, which can detract from the viewing experience. Additionally, vertical video is more suitable for platforms like Instagram and TikTok, which are designed for vertically-oriented content. On these platforms, vertical videos tend to receive more engagement and have higher completion rates compared to horizontal videos. However, it's worth noting that the suitability of a particular video format will also depend on the type of content being shared and the target audience. For example, horizontal video may be better suited for certain types of content, such as films or sporting events, where a wider aspect ratio is desired. Ultimately, businesses should consider the goals and objectives of their video content and choose the format that best serves those needs. Hiring a professional production company can provide a way to get the best of both worlds. A good production company will have cameras that can film one video that will work in both a vertical and a horizontal format.

5. Interactive video: Videos that allow audiences to interact with the content, such as choosing their own paths or making decisions, are becoming more popular. Interactive video can be used for various purposes, including marketing and advertising, training and education, entertainment, and more. By allowing viewers to interact with the video, businesses, and content creators can gain valuable insights into their audience and gather data on how they engage with their content. Examples of interactive videos include choose-your-own-adventure style videos, product demos with interactive features, and videos with embedded quizzes or surveys. Interactive video can be created using various tools and platforms, including video production software, HTML5, and specialized interactive video platforms. It's an increasingly popular format for online video content, as it offers a way for businesses and content creators to stand out in a crowded online environment and deliver a more engaging and memorable experience for their audience.

There you have it! Overall, the trend in video marketing in 2023 is to create more engaging, personalized, and interactive content that can be shared easily across multiple platforms. Do you have an idea you’d like to discuss with a team of passionate video producers? We’d love to collaborate with you. We'd love to start a conversation.

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Tips For Producing Awesome B2B Video On Time and Within Budget

Erin Hayes April 04, 2017 Video Marketing, marketing strategy Leave a Comment

Staying on top of current trends is an important part of being good at what you do. No matter the industry. While I dedicated some time to researching Top Video Trends this weekend I was struck by one overwhelming fact: as marketers, we are obsessed with B2C video.

Now, I’m not saying that Red Bull and GoPro aren’t incredible content creators, because duh. They are. But what about B2B content creators? Aren’t they creating great content, too?

Since the beginning of time, B2B seems to lag behind B2C when it comes to the shiny new marketing toys.

Case and point: While 96% of B2B companies responded to the 2015 B2B Video Content Marketing Survey that they use video in their content strategy, 32% of respondents said they began using video only in the past 2 years.

Video is versatile. Video makes your marketing better. It makes existing programs like email, SEO and lead generation more successful.

Email open rates with video in the subject line have a 19% higher open rate and click through rate of 65%, reports Syndacast.
According to Forrester Research, one minute of video is equal to 1.8 million words.
92 percent of mobile video consumers share videos with others, according to Invodo.

73% of the respondents confirmed that video has positively impacted their marketing results. So, why did it take so long for them to adopt video?

According to the same report, Time and Money were the major barriers to producing video.

And compounding the two is this stat: 24% of respondents reported that getting everyone to agree on what content to produce held them back.

We can understand that. When you are looking to invest marketing resources and budget into one asset, you want make sure it's the right asset.

Analysis Paralysis strikes and no one gets the content they want, whether that's a customer testimonial, product demo, sales piece, etc. (Need some additional ideas? Check out our blog on every business' 7 Must Have Videos.)

83% of marketers polled by Buffer for their State of Social 2016 report said they would produce more video if time or budget was not a concern.

Video isn't an inexpensive asset. We know that. But you don't need to hire Lucas Films to produce your Explainer Video. Here are few ideas to help cut costs:

1) Consider a Voice Over driven video. Capture compelling b-roll of your product or your company culture. Then, write a voice over script to bring your viewers through the experience. Hiring a great Voice Over artist costs less than hiring a great actor. Actors add to the budget both in talent fees and in time. You'll need to go through scenes multiple times to get it right. and that takes time, both on production day and in the editing of the video.

Example:

INFINIDAT

2) Have a well-spoken C-Level or VP level colleague convey your video's message for you. Your customers and / or prospects will appreciate a personal message from a person responsible for your product or service. It's a great opportunity to show your company's culture. And you'll save on talent fees.

Example:

JACK'S ABBY

3) Pare down your concept to the essential. Writing a mini-sitcom episode around your product's ease of use is awesome if you have a genearous budget. But if you don't have a generous budget, keep your script to a single location and try to keep your characters to the bare minimum.

Example:

LTFS CONSTORTIUM

4) Make sure you and your team are on board with the video's concept, message and purpose before you begin production. The last thing anyone wants hear is that the finished product missed its mark. It's a blow to the ego and it will mean additional production and post-production fees.

5) Along the same lines as the previous point, make sure everyone involved (this includes your production partner) understands who is in charge of final approval, If this isn't clear to everyone then you run the risk of incurring additional editing fees. Most production companies include a limited round of edits in their fee. Additional edits incur additional fees.

6) Finally, ask potential production partners if they offer any package pricing. This could mean a cost savings on multiple videos, or it could mean taking advantage of a current promotion. We offer package pricing and are currently promoting a competitively priced package for social video and photography. Interested? Click the Content Marketing Took Kit banner below to check it out!

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Secret to (Marketing) Success: Do the Hard Thing First

Erin Hayes June 21, 2016 Marketing, marketing plan, marketing strategy Leave a Comment

Every Top 5 of every productivity / hack blog post ever written offers the advice: Do the Hard Thing First.

Ok. So, which hard thing am I referring to, you ask? The big one. The hardest thing. GET ORGANIZED.

This ubiquitous gem is inescapable. And yet, we always seem to try and avoid this tried and true approach of doing the hard thing first.

Why? Because our desire for results makes us tend toward instant gratification. It takes hours, days or weeks to get organized and work toward something.

A good parallel would be a fitness plan. 73% of people who set fitness goals as a new years resolution give them up before reaching their goal. Why?

Because it’s difficult to follow a new regimen; because it’s hard to find the time in our over scheduled lives to work out; and because getting back on track takes time.

You need to approach getting fit in an organized fashion. You need to make time to work out in your schedule. You need to plan your meals ahead of time. You have to make time to cook, etc.

We find our clients struggle with a similar issue when it comes to their marketing plans. Instead of focusing on organizing a plan for the future, they'd rather look back and point out that what didn’t work. And then they waste spend more time wondering why their disorganized approach didn't work.

We get it.Trust us. It’s much easier to look backward at what already happened than it is to look to the future and wonder 'what will happen if...'

The past is tangible; the future is not.

But here’s the deal: When you spend your time looking backwards you are bound to step off a cliff. A giant, “Oh crap, we’re gonna fail” cliff.

Those who are serious about getting healthy and fit will often hire a personal trainer to help them organize a plan and hold them accountable. A personal trainer will help you to visualize a plan. They'll build a tailored program for you to follow. They'll give you tips on finding time to eat well and work out. They will hold you accountable.

A personal trainer may also get your out of your comfort zone. They'll have you try exercises that are uncomfortable for you in the beginning, but yield better results in the long term.

A marketing personal trainer [like us!] can do the same for you.

We can help you organize a plan. We build tailored programs; we break your efforts down in a manageable chunks; we hold you accountable. And we'll probably suggest you try things that you haven't thought of trying before that seem scary at first.

But back to that first Hard Thing on the list: Organization.

Here's our 9-Step plan to get you started on the road to a better organized marketing plan:

1) Pick a Target

This is different than setting a goal. This is the first step – and one of the most frequently skipped steps – to a better organized plan.

Let’s get back to the fitness metaphor again for a second. When you decide you want to improve your physique you have something in mind, don’t you?

You want to be able to keep up with your kids. Or you want to lose a few inches. You tell your personal trainer your ideal endgame and he or she sets you up with a program that will target that goal. Then, when you start to work toward your goal, you'll start to see benefits in other areas. Not only will your stamina improve, but you’ll notice your skin looks better. You’ll lose a few inches and find you’re less tired at the end of the day.

The same thing will happen when you choose a marketing target. Like your body, marketing involves many interconnected parts. When you boost one area, the rest can see the benefit, too.

Example:

Let’s say your target is your social media engagement. Well, what do you need to improve your social media engagement? Among other things, you'll need a strong content marketing strategy and a clear idea about your branding.

But before you get too far down that rabbit hole, second:

2) Look at the Data:

What have you tried to improve your social media engagement in the past?

Document the efforts and share them with your marketing coach. You may say, 'Of course our past efforts are already documented! But go through the documentation and make a second copy to share.

We find the act of revisiting past efforts in detail is invaluable. Things that were not obvious at the time become obvious after-the-fact. It's important to understand what didn't work in order to find what could work. Now, you'll want to:

3) Commit to a Program Launch

Sound obvious enough for an eye roll? You might be surprised how many of our clients struggle with this bit.

In fact, we struggle with it ourselves. Everyone has the best intentions. But too often the planning begins before a start date is commited to.

That's dangerous. Because mid-way through a great plan, you and your team can start to feel overwhelmed. And once we start feeling overwhelmed, we start making excuses.

There's too much to do;
This is too complicated to plan for right now;
We'll need a bigger budget;
We should wait until Q4; Q1; Q2; Q3, etc.

If we begin with a start date, then we can set a realistic plan in motion for what can get accomplished.

If your start date is next week then there’s a short plan we can put into place. If it’s next quarter or next year, then we’ve got some clean air and can get more creative.

Now that you have a start date:

4) Establish an EndGame

Your endgame can be a date or it can be an accomplishment. Getting back to your fitness goals, your end game may be to play tag with your kids for 20 minutes. Or it could be a date, like the beginning of summer.

No quitting half way through!

How long will you target this trouble area before you expect to reach your goal?

60 days?
6 months?
Forever?

There isn’t a wrong answer. Just choose one. Because that will help you:

5) Set A Realistic Goal

You know your target. You know your start date. Now, by how much did you want to improve? Be realistic. Please. Nothing is more demotivating than the sense of impending failure (though, we recommend not thinking of missing your goal as a failure. More on that in a bit).

If you wanted to increase your social media engagement by 80% then you need to set guideposts toward this goal. You want to see an increase of 5% per month over the next 16 months.

6) Do a Content Audit

What repurposable content do you have in your arsenal? Most of clients excellent material under utilized or has become newsworthy again, these can include:

Blogs
Videos
Slideshares
Webinars

Take a look at your published content and see if there’s a repackage opportunity there. Is there are common thread between some pieces of content? Then, maybe there’s a campaign in there that you hadn’t noticed before.

7) Plan for Production

Now you can create your execution plan. You know your target. You know your lead time to the start date. You know what realistic goal you are working towards. You know what content you already have in your back pocket.

It’s time to start planning what assets you need to produce.

Make a reasonable list of product you'd like to see complete for your start date. Vary the content. It doesn't all have to be big-ticket items like data sheets and videos.

What will your social media content look like? Will you need graphics to help promote certain pieces of premium content?

Make your wish list and assign roles to your team. Re-evaluate that wish list and tweak it until it's a reasonable, doable list for you and your team to tackle.

Now it's time to:

8) Implement Your Plan

It's go-time! Kick off your plan and stick to it! Make it into an event so everyone in your company is aware. When you operate in the shadows of an organization, don’t be surprised if people don’t participate. One of our clients launched a marketing plan by decorating the office with balloons.

9) Analyze Effectively and Tweak

Now that you have a plan and are executing said plan, plan time to analyze your efforts at regular intervals.

It’s important to strike a balance between ignorant bliss and analysis paralysis.

Don’t wait until the end of a campaign to check on the overall success. Personal trainers suggest regular weigh-ins and measurements. This is helps them understand whether the fitness plan they laid out for you is working the way it should. If the results aren’t what they expect, then they can tweak exercises and make nutrition suggestions.

Don’t check your campaign results too often. If you weigh or measure yourself everyday you’ll miss the pay off of seeing results. You may feel defeated if the numbers aren’t where you want them to be yet. You may be tempted to start making arbitrary changes to your plan to try and see a bigger improvement. If you work out for twice the amount of time one day, then you may not be able to work out the next day. You get the idea.

If you chose a target and your plan isn't moving toward your goal, tweak your plan. You didn’t etch your plan into stone. You laid out the best course of action with the information you had at the time. Now you have new information.

If you ignore the new information in favor the old, then there isn’t any point to your plan in the first place, is there?

Remain flexible. Be realistic. Move forward in an organized, thoughtful fashion. And you’ll see positive results. Promise.

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marketing strategy

Supercharge Your Strategy: 5 Reasons to Invest Big in Video for 2024

Top 5 Creative Video Production Trends of 2023

Looking for some creative video production inspiration to improve your video marketing strategy?

Tips For Producing Awesome B2B Video On Time and Within Budget

Secret to (Marketing) Success: Do the Hard Thing First

Content Creation Blog

Supercharge Your Strategy: 5 Reasons to Invest Big in Video for 2024

Top 5 Creative Video Production Trends of 2023

Looking for some creative video production inspiration to improve your video marketing strategy?

Tips For Producing Awesome B2B Video On Time and Within Budget

Secret to (Marketing) Success: Do the Hard Thing First

1) Pick a Target

2) Look at the Data:

3) Commit to a Program Launch

4) Establish an EndGame

5) Set A Realistic Goal

6) Do a Content Audit

7) Plan for Production

8) Implement Your Plan

9) Analyze Effectively and Tweak

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