There’s a bit of a thrill about having a video for your charity or business. More than just the thrill of having one, marketers know videos are fantastically engaging on an emotional level and effective in stopping people scrolling straight on by. I bet you are more likely to remember a video ad than you are to remember a print ad.

On top of this, adults spend 19 hours a week watching videos online so there is a ready and waiting audience to reach. That’s exactly what marketers are doing. Last year, 79% of marketers not already using video said they planned to this year.

These days, you don’t even need a crew and expensive equipment, you can pick up your phone and do everything there. In fact, something a little less polished has an authenticity to it which appeals to the viewer.

If you want to try your hand at video marketing, let’s look at the how-to of making videos for your marketing goals.

Type

There are many types of video you can create. The first stage of creating a video is choosing what type of video we want to make to convey our message. At one time, the only option was a TV adverts but now we can add:

How-to – There are lots of these on YouTube. We might watch a video on how a tent is erected which will help us decide whether to buy it or not. Whatever we decide, it’ll get the brand name recognised.

Product launch – Similar to the traditional TV advert but with the potential to be more adaptable and cost effective for smaller launches. A tent manufacturer might create a video of it’s new tent giving the key information in an engaging way.

Event highlight – Videos like this are great for sharing. People still love to spot themselves and show others, especially on social media. This type of video is particularly good for conveying the tone and ethos of a company or charity.

Magazine – This type of video is a rather broad category: it can include anything from an interview to a review to a documentary style video. The tent manufacturer of our example might create a video about a multi-day hike through mountains to show how the tent helps the adventurer.

Animated – Animated videos can be harder to create but they are useful for breaking complex ideas down and conveying information.

Platform

When you have chosen the best type of video to convey the message to your target audience, it is time to decide which platform or platforms you will publish your video to. Aside from TV, you could choose to put your video on dozens of platforms: Vimeo, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, even a film trailer if you have the budget.

Each of these platform has its own specific requirements or styles. For example, a portrait sized video works better on Instagram but a landscape is better for a long form video. Decide what requirements you need for your video and chose the best platform or platforms accordingly.

Plan

Now is the time to write your script and storyboard the video. This will help you clarify what details you need to arrange. I promise that it is 100% worth taking the time to do this or you’ll lose time, money and the finished item won’t be so good. List the props and equipment you need, and the crew and talent needed for filming. Also make sure to check out the locations for filming.

Post-production

A lot can be achieved in post-production but whatever you can do in the planning stage and on the filming day will always be preferable and easier.

Typically, this is where the shots get cut together, audio and voice overs are added, subtitles and titles are inserted, and effects are added.

Just like the filming stage, post-production can now be done on just a mobile phone which allows a really fast turnaround and maintain high engagement levels after an event, for example. Adobe Premiere Rush is a free video editing app but of course it doesn’t have half the capabilities of the full featured Adobe Premiere Pro.

Publish and promote

Finally, when the video is ready, it is time to get it seen. The platform(s) will have already been chosen and, if it’s not the first video produced, there may already be a following keen to see this latest video. The organic or certain types of video may not require major promotional efforts but a launch or seasonal video might benefit from some paid advertising.

Conclusion

Track your videos and keep an eye on the metrics. Try different things out and see what works with your target audience.

The core of video marketing is engaging the target audience with your message. You might think you are Wes Anderson with your cinematic shots but if your videos are not engaging your target audience, if they are not getting behind your campaign, then you are wasting your resources. Keep testing and trying different platforms and types of video until it makes an impact on your target audience.