Video Production Killed the Marketing Star

August 10, 2020

“Hey, you need to watch this…”

Did you click on the link? If so, we forgive you. That opener reveals the innately curiosity-inducing power that is video. There’s a promise and hope to videos that speak to the potency of the medium. Every time we play another, we want something new, we want to be surprised, we want something to remember. And more than anything, we want to share it.

The King of Content

As life in quarantine has revealed, users love to consume, create, and connect with internet videos en masse. Still, video’s inevitable reign of supremacy in the world of digital content has been burning brightly for a while now. As a content marketing format, its been nothing short of dominant in the past few years. And recently, we’ve witnessed an industry paradigm shift, taking video from a mere marketing tactic to a comprehensive business strategy.

Put simply, video marketing promotes your product or service, ups your engagement on digital channels, and engages your audience with another medium. Your brand needs video content as a core part of your marketing efforts and social strategy as its vital on every platform and channel, with users always beckoning for more.

Just Press Play

Your hesitation could be that video is new (for you), so it seems a little scary. Assuage this uncertainty by hiring the right production company for you, as it’s always best to embark into the digitally uncharted with enlisted guidance of seasoned creators.

The assumed cost of a video may also give you pause, but people often overestimate the lift of video content creation and don’t fully grasp the ROI potential. It’s less daunting and more affordable than you’re imagining, and for contrast’s sake, a website redesign can be a far costlier project than a series of professionally shot videos.

If you need a little more persuasion regarding the perks of video, allow the following statistics to speak for themselves:

Video By the Numbers

  • 85% of users want to see more video content from brands
  • A video on your landing page will crank up conversion rates by more than 80%
  • A website with video content is 53 times more likely to be featured on the first page of a Google search than a site without
  • Adding video to your emails increases click-rates by 300% and simply dropping the word video in your email subject line boosts open rates by 20%
  • Videos create 300% more traffic for lead generation
  • Video content will make up 82% of internet traffic by next year

More BTS video stats.

A Video Made For Every Need

If you haven’t started making videos yet, don’t worry — that’s why we’re here. But before you commence with the process, you need to decide which kind of video is right for you.

  • Branded Content: An integral piece of a promotional campaign, showcasing your organization’s macro vision and mission ethos. When executed correctly, consider your brand awareness built and your audiences intrigued.
  • Demo Videos: Whether it’s a new app or device, don’t just tell us how your product or service works — show us.
  • Event Videos: Hosting a product launch or fundraiser? Invite the user to be your guest, creating a highlight montage reel interwoven with candid spotlight interviews to transport us there.
  • Expert Interviews: Profiling experts or thought leaders in your field builds brand cachet and creates a humanizing connection with your audiences. Find industry influencers to catalyze a conversation and spark social shares.
  • Instructional/Explainer videos: Most people are visual learners, so leverage this as you teach your audiences something new or impart them with the requisite knowledge to glean your business solutions.
  • Animated Videos: There’s a reason everyone loves Pixar movies — gorgeous animation with deft storytelling is undeniable for viewers. In the business world, an animated short remains the best way to break down a seemingly impossible-to-grasp concept into something that well, a child could understand.
  • Case Studies/Customer Testimonials: Do you know what’s better than a pull-quote? The smiling faces of your satisfied customers as they tell the world how you helped them. Very few approaches better advocate for your impact and success.

Have it on Record

Before kicking off a video, you’ll need to clarify the purpose of the content with your internal and video production team. Every decision during the creation process, from sound design to jump cuts, will ultimately be informed by why you’re doing this in the first place. What’s the reason for creating this, and what’s the desired CTA from audiences? Without a creative North Star, you’ll waste time, money, and sanity. To avoid this, focus on the following:

  • Target Audience: Are you appealing to your current demographic or trying to expand to other types of buyer personas?
  • The Goal: In a broader sense, what are you trying to accomplish? Raise brand awareness? Launch a new service? Increase donations? And specifically, what should your audience do after watching the video? Share it? Go to your site? Donate? Sign up?
  • Your Video Needs a Home: Start with one primary location where you’re sure your audience will find the video– your homepage, LinkedIn, a landing page — then feel free to repurpose it for other channels.
  • Ideal Format: As aforementioned, certain types of videos fit specific types of needs best. Are you explaining something only a subject matter expert could understand? Time for animation. Are you trying to create an entertaining and informative piece of content that speaks to the truth of your organization? Let’s make some branded content.
  • A Portrait of Success: Which analytical metrics matter most? View count? Play rate? CTR? Or will it be in the intangibles, i.e., your CMO nodding and mouthing, “genius…”

Film the Future

Remember, video content is a direct message to your audience that’ll end up having the most direct effect on your messaging. Your users are watching a video right now. It should be yours. If amateurish TikTok content can draw millions of hits, then think of the possibilities of authentic video paired with actual production quality.

That’s what we can promise you at Metamer Studios, located right here in Washington, D.C. We can ensure your video will outshine your competition. We’ll provide a real story coupled with cinema-quality visuals that’d be right at home with anything on your Netflix queue. Except it’ll be yours — a vital piece of perfect, indomitable marketing content to turn your brand into a star.

It’s time we make a movie together.