7 Little Changes That'll Make a Big Difference To Your Video Marketing Strategy

Erin Hayes September 12, 2023 Video Marketing, Strategy, Content Marketing Leave a Comment

It's Q4, and you know what that means. It's time to start planning your strategy for 2024.

Wild, right? We like to plan at least a quarter ahead, but there's no reason to avoid experimenting with fresh ideas now while you ramp up to smash it in 2024.

Let's talk about a few little but impactful changes you can make to your video marketing strategy now and a few little but impactful changes you can build up to for 2024 that will make a significant difference in the success of your video marketing efforts.

First, let's tackle accessibility. These first two changes are straightforward and only impact the Delivery Stage of your videos. Your in-house production team or video production partner can make these alterations without drastically impacting your delivery schedule.

1. Make sure your videos are mobile-friendly:

With the majority of videos being viewed on mobile devices, it's important to make sure your videos are optimized for mobile viewing. This means ensuring that your videos are formatted in a way that is easily readable on smaller screens and loads quickly on mobile networks. Consider using a responsive design that adjusts the video size and layout based on the viewer's device. By taking the time to optimize your videos for mobile, you can provide a seamless and enjoyable viewing experience for your audience.

2. Include subtitles or closed captions:

By making your content more inclusive, you can engage with a broader audience. Subtitles or closed captions provide a text version of the audio content in your videos, allowing viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, are in a loud setting, or a setting isn't conducive to noise (library, quiet car, surreptitiously watching videos while their kids watch cartoons) to follow along. Not only does this make your videos pantopic, but it also improves engagement and retention because viewers can easily understand your message.

These next four tips should be considered at the beginning of your next campaign, so it may be best to start planning to include these for your 2024 efforts.

3. Create an engaging thumbnail:

We all know that first impressions matter, and in video marketing, thumbnails are the first glimpse viewers get of your video. So, creating an engaging thumbnail that captures attention and accurately represents the content within is essential. A visually appealing and relevant thumbnail can entice viewers to click and watch your video. Consider using bold and vibrant visuals, compelling text, and images that accurately represent the subject matter of your video. Creating a visually appealing thumbnail increases the chances of attracting viewers and generating more views for your video.

4. Use storytelling to create an emotional connection:

People are more likely to engage with a video if it tells a story they can relate to and creates an emotional connection. Storytelling allows you to connect with your audience on a deeper level and evoke emotions that resonate with them. Consider incorporating personal anecdotes, real-life examples, or testimonials into your videos to make them more relatable and memorable. By weaving narratives into your videos, you can create a lasting impact on your viewers and increase their engagement and willingness to share your content. By the way, storytelling is our passion so should you need help in this department. Give us a call!

5. Use videos to educate and inform:

People are looking for information, so make sure that your videos are informative and educational, as well as entertaining. Provide valuable insights, tips, or tutorials that address your audience's pain points or answer their questions. By positioning yourself as a knowledgeable authority in your industry, you can build trust with your viewers and establish yourself as a go-to resource. Remember to present the information in a clear and concise manner, using visuals and graphics to enhance understanding and engagement.

6. Use calls-to-action:

Encourage your viewers to take action by including calls-to-action at the end of your videos. A call-to-action is a prompt that tells your audience what you want them to do next, whether it's subscribing to your channel, visiting your website, or making a purchase. By clearly stating the desired action and providing a compelling reason to take it, you can increase the chances of viewers following through. Make sure to place the call-to-action at a strategic point in your video and make it easy for viewers to take the desired action, such as including clickable links or buttons.

The timing to test out this last tip is somewhat flexible (we think). If you have an email campaign scheduled that could use some punching up, see if your team thinks adding a recent video could help.

7. Use video in email marketing campaigns:

Adding video to your email campaigns can increase click-through rates, open rates, and conversions. Including a video thumbnail or a GIF that links to your video in your email can capture the attention of your subscribers and entice them to click and watch. Videos have a way of conveying information quickly and engaging viewers, making them an effective tool for grabbing attention in a crowded email inbox. Consider using videos to showcase new products or services, provide behind-the-scenes glimpses, or share customer success stories. Experiment with different types of videos and track the performance to optimize your email marketing strategy.

By implementing these small yet effective changes to your video marketing strategy, you can elevate the impact of your videos and achieve better results. So, what are you waiting for? Start experimenting with these changes now and watch your video marketing efforts soar to new heights!

Want to pick our brains some more? Contact us; we'd love to work with you.

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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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Why Pre-recorded Live Event Video is the Biggest Video Trend of 2023

Erin Hayes January 23, 2023 Video Marketing, marketing plan, live streaming, live event video, pre-produced live event video Leave a Comment

Pre-recorded live events are fast becoming the Top Video Trend of 2023.

We can understand why.

A pre-recorded Live Event presents an opportunity to create quality engaging content that lasts long after the live event ends. The assets created in the process of producing these pre-recorded live events have long-tail benefits for web, communication, and social media.

Pre-recorded live event videos are videos that are recorded before a live event and are then played during the event as if it were happening live.

These videos can be used to showcase a product, service, market trends, thought leadership, etc.

Pre-recorded live event videos are becoming an important trend in 2023 for a few reasons:

Increased reach: Pre-recorded live event videos can be distributed online, allowing your business to reach a wider audience, even if they were not able to attend the live event.
Cost-effective: Pre-recorded live event videos can be produced at a lower cost than a live event, making it a cost-effective way to reach a large audience. If you partner with the right video production agency, they'll be able to suggest low-cost locations (think that unused space in your office) that they can dress up with simple accent lighting and props.
Control over content: Pre-recorded live event videos allow businesses to have complete control over the content, allowing them to ensure that their message is communicated clearly and effectively.
Flexibility: Pre-recorded live event videos can be used in multiple ways and on multiple platforms, increasing the flexibility of your marketing strategy.
Better engagement: Pre-recorded live event videos can be edited to include interactive elements such as polls, quizzes, and CTAs, which can increase engagement with the audience.
Better targeting: Pre-recorded live event videos can be tailored to your target audience, allowing you to reach the right people with the right message.
Repurpose content: Pre-recorded live event videos can be repurposed and used in other marketing efforts, such as social media, email marketing, and website. We've produced Explainer videos, product demos, customer testimonials, and anthem videos as part of Pre-recorded Live Event packages.

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The Most Important Step to Sharing Video to Facebook

Erin Hayes July 18, 2017 Video Marketing, facebook live, facebook video, sharing video Leave a Comment

We won't make you read too far to get to it.

Here it is:

Make sure your viewers can understand your video without the sound on.

According to Facebook, 85% of Facebook video gets watched with the sound off.

Yikes. If a video plays in a newsfeed but no one can hear it, does it really play? Well, yes. Of course it does. But you get my point. Video is pricy content to take a chance that your target audience will play the audio.

OK, well. What can you do to make sure your message still gets across?

Transcribe your video and include closed captioning and add bold graphics to help tell the story.

What if you can’t do both, you ask?

Last month Animoto released their infographic: “The State of Social Video: Marketing in a Video-First World".

According to their survey, 39% of consumers are more likely to finish videos with closed captioning. And yet, only 51% of marketers add closed captions to their video, most of the time or always.

Our point: If you want to see a boost in completion rates and get a leg up on your competition, add closed captions to your video.

What if your video strategy includes Facebook Live, you ask? Facebook Live will add automatic transcriptions eventually, but for now they do not.

We handle our Facebook Live shows by adding more graphics. And once the Facebook Live has ended we add closed captions.

How do you get your hands on closed captions? Well, there are a variety of platforms you can use to have your video transcribed. But first, ask your production partner if this is something they provide. We include a close caption file (.srt) with final delivery of our videos.

Not sure how to add closed captions for Facebook video? We've made a super short video that shows you how, below:

See? Easy. Now start captioning those Facebook videos!

And if you'd like to talk production, feel free to reach out: erin@mediabosstv.com

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MEDIABOSS Wins Seven Telly Awards for Excellence

Erin Hayes June 26, 2017 Video Marketing, Video production, Telly Awards Leave a Comment

Framingham, MA – June, 26 2017 – The Telly Awards has named MEDIABOSS as a winner in seven categories in the 38th Annual Telly Awards. Their winning pieces run the gamut of their services: Branded Content & Entertainment Campaigns, both Business to Business and Business to Consumer; Documentary; Promotional; PSA Animated Commercial; Marketing Commercial; and Social Video.

Their winning pieces are: Framingham Public Works: “Storm Water”; The Town of Framingham: Taste of Downtown Framingham campaign; Jack’s Abby Brewing: “Kiwi Rising”; Joey Kramer’s Rockin’ & Roastin’: Coffee with Kramedog campaign; INFINIDAT’s Data Unknown: “India’s Mobile Generation” episode; Badass Women: “Your Ship Never Sails” documentary episode; and Swing Juice: “Good Morning, Beautiful” commercial. (Watch winning pieces here.)

MEDIABOSS’ mini-documentary “Your Ship Never Sails” (which is part of a their original series Badass Women) was awarded a Silver Telly, the Telly Award’s highest honor. Additionally MEDIABOSS’ Swing Juice commercial, “Good Morning, Beautiful”, was awarded a Silver People’s Telly Award.

“The goal at MEDIABOSS isn’t simply to create video but to inspire,” said Ian Barrett, Creative Director of MEDIABOSS. “We are thankful for the clients who appreciate the passion we have for their businesses and we look forward to the inspiriting projects of 2018.”

The Telly Awards was founded in 1979 and is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest video and film productions, and online commercials, video and films. Winners represent the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators, and corporate video departments in the world and include: BET Networks; Bloomberg; CBS Interactive; Comcast; Conde Nast; Discovery Communications; Disney; ESPN; FleishmanHillard; Fox; HBO’ Hearst; HuffPost; Indigo Films; Microsoft; MLB; NBC; PBS’ SapientNitro; The Guardian; The History Channel; Time Warner; Universal; and Viacom.

“The Telly Awards has a mission to honor the very best in film and video,” said Linda Day, Executive Director of the Telly Awards. "MEDIABOSS’ accomplishment illustrates their creativity, skill, and dedication to their craft and serves as a testament to great film and video production.”

"In the case of our Downtown [Framingham, MA] development strategy, we needed to proactively communicate some very attractive amenities and destinations, including exciting ethnic food destinations," said Robert Halpin, Framingham Town Manager. "We were fortunate to have MEDIABOSS as a commercial entity right in the heart of Downtown and they did an outstanding job of nailing the message for us."

"The premise of Data Unknown is to show how data is influencing every moment of our lives," said Steve Kenniston, Host and Creator of "Data Unknown". "Working with MEDIABOSS on this project is the single most important decision regarding the show. Their extensive knowledge of and background in the Technology industry was critical in producing the show. Their insight helped bring the series’ goal to life."

About MEDIABOSS

MEDIABOSS is an award-winning full service production and post company creating content for distribution across all media platforms. Our services include content development; live broadcasting; production; design and post for television and digital advertising.

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How to Launch a Video Campaign and Get the Biggest Bang for Your Buck

Erin Hayes April 11, 2017 Video Marketing, Content Marketing, video budget, Video production Leave a Comment

Great! You’ve committed to producing video. But now that you’ve got the production piece squared away, what should you do?

Many of our clients know they need video and have a strong idea of what kind of video they need. Significant time and budget goes into the ideation, shooting and post production of these videos.

But often not as much thought gets put into what happens after the screening of the finished piece. Most clients will have a single purpose in mind, like a landing page or a resource page, but many haven’t thought about the video in campaign terms.

We want to make sure your video delivers real business results. Here are some helpful things to consider before launching your video campaign.

1) Where else can I use this video?

Brainstorm alternative places to use the video. If your primary use for the video is a landing page, think about adding it to vendor listing pages as well. Could the video help answer questions on your product page? Upload your video to your social channels, like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Now, think outside the Internet-Box. Could the video play at your booth at the upcoming trade show? Remember that speaking engagement you committed to a while back? Well, this video could be perfect to warm up the audience before you start your presentation.

2) How often can I share this video?

A significant amount of your marketing budget went into production this video. Do you think it deserves as much play as the blog your CEO wrote a while back? Yes, it does.

Sit down and write at least ten different ways to frame your video. This is the fun part! Now write a different tag line for each. One, two short sentences, max. Mix sharing your video in with the cadence of other campaigns/content.

The benefit of this exercise is two fold. First, you are getting more use out of your shiny new video. Second, you’ll be able to test subtle differences in your messaging. This will allow you to see which one best resonates with your target audience.

3) How can I make sure more people see my video?

Piggybacking off the previous point, let’s talk hashtags for your social promotion. Take some time and research popular hashtags used in your industry and by your target audience. Is there a strong enough theme in your messaging to warrant finding a hashtag you can brand with this campaign?

If you’re not sure where to start in this research, check out RiteTag. They offer some free options for hashtag research.

Next, take a look at the title of your video. Make sure it’s SEO optimized. Now look at the SEO for the video’s landing page.

Finally, don’t be shy! If you want something, you have to ask for it. Ask for shares and mentions in your social promotions.

4) How can I create momentum for the launch of a new video?

There are many ways to drum up momentum for the launch of a new video.

Write a press release announcing your new video. Tie in your messaging and make sure to embed the video in your press release. Take a look at how to pitch relevant industry magazines (there are resources everywhere for this) and send your release with your note.

If you have the budget, you could produce a behind the scenes video to go with its release. That’s what New England Baptist Hospital did for their recent commercial campaign featuring Avery Bradley. [The commercial filmed at our client, NE Studios, studio.]

Release the BTS video either shortly before or shortly after the primary video’s launch. Make sure to create a link within each video to direct viewers to the other. Most video hosting platforms allow you to do this.

Communicate your launch goals and logistics with your partners and employees. Ask them to take part in sharing the video to their networks.

If you have the budget, ask your production company to include a :15 or :30 version of the video for a teaser campaign leading up to the video’s release. Share the teaser across your social platforms and your website. You could even include a countdown clock for the primary video’s launch.

If you don’t have the budget for a shorter version of your video, take hi res screen grabs from your video’s most compelling frames and share those instead.

Do you have a go-to strategy for launching a video? Did we miss something you feel is important? Leave us a comment!

And if you’re looking for more inspiration, download our 7 Dos and Don’ts of Video Marketing!

Ready to start planning your next production? Check out our current Social Video promotion here.

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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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Video: Why You Need It and How to Get Started

Erin Hayes March 28, 2017 Video Marketing, Video, Content Marketing, video marketing budget, video budget Leave a Comment

You’ve heard it before: You need video to market your business. But the prospect of producing a video can seem like an overwhelming task. Especially if you’ve never gone through the process before.

Moreover, will video really have a positive impact on your business?

In short, yes. Yes, video will have a positive impact on your business. And in the next few paragraphs we’ll tell you how.

(or you could watch our short Facebook Live video we produced to go with this blog:)

First, look where the money is for proof. Every social media platform out there has invested in video features. This would not be the case if videos were a passing fad. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat all have their own video features and favor video in their algorithms. Video on social media generates 1200% more shares than text and images combined.

What’s more, YouTube sees 5 billion views daily and Snapchat and Facebook each see more than 8 billion views per day.

In the most recent earnings call, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg described video as a “megatrend on the same order as mobile.”

In fact, according to the KPCB Partners report, 74% of all Internet traffic will be video this year. And Cisco projects that global internet traffic from videos will make up 80% of all Internet traffic in 2019, just a year a half from now.

These statistics point to two crucial take-aways:

1) Your potential customers are watching more video than ever before. Millennials are not the only group devouring video (though it’s crucial not to ignore this audience because by 2020 they will make up 50% of the U.S. workforce). Video resonates across all age groups. Facebook is the most popular social network across generations and YouTube is a close second. Did you know that Baby Boomers actually consume more content than Gen X or Millenials? More than 25% of Baby Boomers consume 20 or more hours of content a week.

What's more is Livestream’s 2016 survey found that 80% of their respondents would rather watch a live video from a brand than read their blog. According to Forbes, 59% of executives would rather watch a video than read text. And 75% of executives watch work-related videos on business websites at least once a week.

And then there’s this: A 2016 survey by the Web Marketing Video Council found that 61% of business are using video as a marketing tool.

But here’s the real kicker:

In the previous year, 66% of those businesses were not using video at all.

That leads us to the second crucial take-away:

2) Your competitors are already using video to reach your potential customers. Now is the moment you need to decide if you will jump on board or get left behind.

Here are some quick stats that show the benefits of using video:

Companies using video enjoy 41% more web traffic from search then non-users.
Retail sites with video increase conversion by 30%.
Including a video on your homepage can increase conversion rates by 20 percent or more, according to Unbound.
Businesses using video grow company revenue 49 percent faster year-over-year than organizations without video.
72% of businesses who use video believe it has improved that conversion rate of their website. ‘
An introductory email that includes a video improves an increased click-through rate by 96%.
Email open rates with video in the subject line have a 19% higher open rate and click through rate of 65%.
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

OK, so how do you get started?

First, decide on the goal for you video. Is the goal to drive awareness? Drive leads? Reduce consumer confusion or reduce support queries?

Second, decide on a look and feel. e.i. interview driven; b-roll driven with a voice over; a mix of both; etc.

Third, decide on a video production partner to produce your video for you.

"Well, wait a second," you say. “I could easily get Jennifer from marketing to film a video using her iPhone / prosumer camera and it wouldn’t cost us anything.”

Before you go down that route, let us tell you why you should hire a professional to produce your video.

First, these statistics:

23% of people who have been presented with a poor quality video experience would hesitate to buy from that brand.

62% of consumers are more likely to have a negative perception of a brand that publishes poor-quality video.

And then there’s this: Filming a video may seem easy (it isn't, btw). But editing a video is decidedly not an easy task. The time it takes to edit a video versus filming a video is 5-to-1, and that’s if you are a pro. While you may feel that you’ve saved money by having an internal employee produce your video, in reality, you have not.

You’ve taken them away from their regular tasks - the tasks you hired them to complete for you. And you’ve put them on a project that could take months to finish. In the end, you may not be satisfied with the video and need to re-film it anyway.

Trust us. We’ve received calls with this exact scenario.

We strongly suggest hiring a production partner. If budget is a major concern, consider starting small.

Consider having the business owner or someone from the C-Level suite speak to camera rather than hiring an actor or actress. Or decide on a b-roll package of your product with a voice over. Talk to your potential production partners about what it may cost to have single camera coverage rather than multi-camera coverage. And make sure you and your team are prepared for the production day to avoid extra charges, like additional filming days / editing days.

Good luck! And if you're currently shopping for a video partner, check out our Spring Offer below. We call it the Content Marketing Tool Kit. It includes a video and limited photography.

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From Around the Web: 4 Fab 2016 Video Marketing Infographics

Erin Hayes April 22, 2016 Video Marketing, Video, Video production Leave a Comment

When we’re looking for inspiration, we do what everyone does: we turn to Google.

The other day I was looking for some new statistics about video marketing to use in a pitch. I had some great stats that I used in this Production Trends blog from January. But I wanted fresh information.

However, when I googled “Video Marketing Infographics” results from 2011 and 2012 showed first!

Now, this could be because 2011 and 2012 were the infographic's heyday.

But in Video terms, 4 or 5 years ago might as well be twenty years ago. The video production and video marketing landscape changes dramatically year to year. Thank new breakthroughs in technology and adoption rates for new technology for this trend.

Let's look at Mobile video plays as an example. Midway through 2015, mobile video viewing was 844% from 2012! Staggering, right? Statistics from 2012 just will not do.

So, I Googled again and added “2016” to my search. I found some pretty interesting stats from late last year and early this year.

The overwhelmingly popular statistics were that:

Facebook video - and social video in general - is not to be ignored.
If you’re not thinking about your mobile audience, you are missing an enormous opportunity
Traditional Television viewing is a thing of the past. Digital advertising is the place to put your money.

I'm going to circle back to what I was saying about the Infographic's heyday for a minute. A major reason for this visual content's fall was that its original purpose - to inform - was lost in its sudden rise in popularity.

I'm sure you can think of more than a few confusing infographics. Well, while new infographics may be a rarer find, the quality of what I found was great (and according to this paper, we'll see more great infographics in 2016).

Here are the four coolest 2016 Video Marketing Infographics I found:

1. ADvertising BUdgets 2016

Advertising Budgets 2016: 4 Trends You Need To Know [Infographic]
Infographic by MDG Advertising

2. 6 Game-Changing Video Marketing Trends in 2016

6 Game-Changing Video Marketing Trends in 2016 – an infographic by Wideo.co

3. Top 10 Digital Branding & Marketing Trends for 2016

By Business2Community.com:

4. The Top Video Marketing Trends for 2016

By Visualistan

In short, video is a must-have in today's marketing mix. We hope you found the stats in this post helpful. We'll leave you with more astounding statistic about video:

Syndacast predicts 74% of all internet traffic will be video by 2017!

Looking for a video production partner to produce video marketing content? We'd love to talk.

Not quite ready to talk? Check out our Downloadable guide to choosing the right video production partner here:

Video Marketing Video Video production

3 Common Video Marketing Pitfalls (And How To Avoid Them)

Erin Hayes April 14, 2016 Video Marketing, Video, Video production Leave a Comment

est. read time- 2:28

We’ve heard it before: “No one watches our videos. Videos just don’t work for our business. Our customers don’t watch video.”

But invariably - when we start asking questions to dive deeper into the issue - we find out that the prospect made one (or more) of the three most common video marketing pitfalls we see.

The good news is that these pitfalls, as common as they are, are completely avoidable with a little prep.

In this post we’ll outline these three trouble areas and explain simple methods to avoid them.

1. You’re not sure who you are trying to attract.

Do you and your team have documented Buyer Personas? Because maybe you think you know who are trying to attract, but the rest of your team thinks your ideal customer is someone else.

Make sure you're all on the same page before you begin pre-production. Sit down in a room with the core people of your team and discuss your ideal customer.

Do you have a happy customer who would agree to an interview? Take them up on it! Draft a list of questions. If you aren't sure where to start, check out this downloadable template.

2. The video length/content isn't relevant to your ideal customer

Now that you know who your ideal customer is, let’s talk about what type of content they prefer.

What do we mean? Well, we could mean any number of things, but let's start with video length.

Recently The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) partnered with Millward Brown Digital and Tremor Video and released a comprehensive PDF called “Multiscreen Video Best Practices.” This report holds some great pieces of data you and your team may find helpful.

For example, did you know Millenials prefer 10 second videos while Gen-Xers prefer the standard 30 second video?

So go back to your target audience. Cater to their preferences and you’ll have a much better chance at success.

You’ve only embedded it on your website (and shared it once)

You’ve done all hard pre-production work until this point.

Really tough, but satisfying work. Now it’s time to see how your content optimization plays out.

Please, don’t make all your good work obsolete and only share your video on one platform, once.

"We embedded on our website, but we didn't get many views." Is your website Facebook? Is it Instagram? How about Snapchat? No. Well...there's your answer to 'Why'.

Go back to your Buyer Persona and think about your ideal customer. Where do they hang out online?

Create a social campaign around your video. Share it multiple times across your target audience’s favorite watering holes. Play around with the title of your video; experiment with hashtags; share the video at different times of the day.

Now collect all that data over a period of time and put that new knowledge toward your next video!

(Looking for more Do's & Don'ts, check out this article.)

In short, the If You Produce It, They Will Come attitude just doesn’t work.

I’m not sure it ever really did, but I can tell you with certainty that it doesn’t work in 2016.

People are used to watching what they want to watch where they want to watch it. They’ll seek out your content if you prove to be a great content creator. But that takes time and does not happen over night.

So, take the time and do the work. Then measure and refine; measure and refine. You won’t be disappointed. And your audience won’t be either.

Looking for a starting place to brainstorm video ideas? Download our 7 Must Have Videos!

Additional Resources:

Video Marketing Video Video production

Video Marketing

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

Pre-recorded live events are fast becoming the Top Video Trend of 2023.

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

Pre-recorded live events are fast becoming the Top Video Trend of 2023.

1) Where else can I use this video?

2) How often can I share this video?

3) How can I make sure more people see my video?

4) How can I create momentum for the launch of a new video?

1. ADvertising BUdgets 2016

2. 6 Game-Changing Video Marketing Trends in 2016

3. Top 10 Digital Branding & Marketing Trends for 2016

4. The Top Video Marketing Trends for 2016

1. You’re not sure who you are trying to attract.

2. The video length/content isn't relevant to your ideal customer

You’ve only embedded it on your website (and shared it once)

Additional Resources:

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