Here, Brightcove channel manager, Maddy Drachler (pictured below), says brands thinking of dipping a toe into video content need no longer fear a monster production bill and a bad dose of the sweats…
Brands today know video is an important part of the digital marketing mix. But prevailing attitudes mean it’s often seen as expensive and time intensive. And if it’s not, it must come at the cost of quality and effectiveness, right? But today this couldn’t be further from the truth.
In many cases brands and marketers are either putting video in the too hard basket and writing it off entirely, or purely dedicating efforts and budget to big production (or hero) videos, designed to reach as large an audience as possible. But it’s this approach that’s actually harming the effectiveness of their overall video strategy.
Creating quality beyond production costs
It’s easy for brands to fall into the trap of focusing all efforts on big-budget video pieces. Take the Super Bowl commercials. Brands throw as much as $5 million behind a 30-second ad. And while this is an effective way to generate buzz, focusing on these kinds of hero pieces alone does not make for an effective strategy.
It’s time to approach video in a new way
Marketers need to give consumers a reason to keep coming back to their site. That’s why creating a regular publishing cadence is so important, so audiences know when to expect new content — think short, episodic videos that explore a particular topic.
Video should also act as a means of drawing in new customers based on their likes and areas of interest. Whether the purpose is to educate, inform, or inspire, tailored content works to get consumers engaged and keep them coming back.
Adding interactive elements such as quizzes or polls to your video content is another way of increasing engagement, shifting the dialogue towards a two-way conversation between brand and consumer. It also means every click and action is measurable. These kinds of analytics allow brands to assess what content is working, what’s not, and adjust the strategy accordingly.
Creating video content like this doesn’t have to be hard (or expensive). Start by turning existing content that might traditionally be written as ‘how to’ or advice blogs, into video content. Also take a look at the powerful little device already in your pocket — your mobile phone.
Lights, camera phone, action!
In an age where mobile phones can produce broadcast quality video, the tides are changing. We now have a powerful device in our pockets that can be used to quickly film and upload video content.
Take Apple’s recent iPhone X ‘First Dance’ campaign— the ads, shared as a series on Apple Australia’s social channels, were shot entirely on an iPhone X. Or Holden’s recent ‘Mobile Made’ campaign. The campaign was shot exclusively on mobile phones — we’re talking everything from TVCs, digital and social to billboards and out-of-home ads. While there are undoubtedly major production budgets behind the above campaigns, this is something all digital marketers can learn from the power of the device we already have in our pockets.
We’ve also seen a rise in video production services like Shootsta and 90 Seconds that make it more accessible and affordable for brands to shoot, edit, and produce video content at scale.
It’s all these little pieces of the puzzle that are making video more cost-effective and attainable for brands, without sacrificing video quality or content effectiveness.
A new frontier
In the digital age, brands need to stop equating mass video campaigns with a successful video strategy. It is important to not only incorporate big hero content, but also smaller and more regular content pieces that engage audiences by addressing their likes and interests. We’re at a time where we have a production suite in our pocket. Start using what you’ve already got and give consumers a reason to keep coming back.
