In today’s digital landscape, video has emerged as a powerful medium for marketing and engaging with audiences. However, determining whether video is the right channel for your business requires careful consideration. In this article, we will explore various factors to help you assess whether or not video marketing will be a viable channel, identify easy wins for you to start with video marketing, and address common mistakes to avoid in video marketing. Let’s delve into the world of video marketing and discover how it can benefit your business.
Is video marketing the right channel for you?
Before diving into video marketing, it’s crucial to evaluate whether your target audience consumes video content and if the channels you plan to use align with video creation. Analyze what your competitors or other companies targeting the same audience are doing in terms of video content. Look for gaps or opportunities that you can leverage to cater to your audience better. Ultimately, the decision to utilize video hinges on understanding your audience’s preferences and behaviors.
Using the “hot warm cold” to assess your marketing
When devising your marketing strategy, it’s important to consider the “hot warm cold” framework. If your brand or category already has existing interest and demand, focusing on hot approaches like advertising or paying for Google ads can yield better results initially. Jumping straight into video campaigns may not be effective if you haven’t established a strong foundation to capture existing interest. Building brand awareness requires a comprehensive approach that includes capturing demand from people actively seeking your products or services.
Is your business the right fit for video?
Video can be an excellent fit for SaaS companies that have a solid foundation and have covered the basics. Once the fundamentals are in place, experimenting with channels like video becomes an exciting opportunity. It’s essential to consider the maturity of your content marketing and marketing function as a whole. While it’s crucial to prioritize hot opportunities, there is still room for experimentation and having fun with video marketing. This approach allows you to try new strategies even if the immediate revenue impact is uncertain.
3 winning tips to make video marketing work for your business
Tailoring videos for different audiences
The relevance of video channels varies depending on your target audience. For example, B2B SaaS companies with consumer-focused audiences can benefit from platforms like TikTok or other video-sharing platforms. Conversely, if you target an audience like cybersecurity professionals, a platform like TikTok may not be the right fit. Tailoring videos to suit your audience’s preferences for consuming content is key to maximizing the impact of your video marketing efforts.
Building personal connections through video
Incorporating videos featuring founders or head of marketing can help establish personal connections with your audience. This trend extends to social media platforms like LinkedIn, where individuals who represent their companies and products can create stronger connections than anonymous brands. Videos featuring key individuals in your organization can enhance brand perception and trust among your target audience.
Exploring opportunities beyond short-form content
Videos offer various opportunities beyond short-form content. Consider creating product tutorials, case study clips, or even leveraging YouTube SEO to rank for keywords that you already target on your blog. Self-serve products with a product-led growth (PLG) motion can greatly benefit from quick product tutorials in video format. Incorporating videos into your content strategy helps engage your audience and provides a more immersive experience.
Where do you see videos being the best fit for SaaS companies?
That being said, video definitely makes sense for companies that are more established and have all the basics covered. Now it would be time to have fun and experiment with channels like videos, which are a little harder to attribute. The other thing to consider is content marketing maturity and the maturity of the marketing function as a whole. Sometimes, in marketing, and I know this goes against what I was saying about starting with hot opportunities, you still need to be willing to experiment and have fun with it. You need to be willing to try something even if you’re not 100% sure it will drive revenue.
Another case would be B2B SaaS companies with a consumer audience. Let me give you an example – we worked with a gym management software and a workout app. For both companies with SMB audiences, including gym owners, managers and even athletes, it makes more sense to be on those kinds of platforms because the assumption is that their customers are also there. However, for companies that target cybersecurity professionals, a cybersecurity professional is not going to be on TikTok wanting to consume cybersecurity content, right? That’s where I would draw the distinction with short-form videos.
Another trend is having founders, or influencers create those content creation and appear in tutorials or demo sessions. Those videos are great for putting face to the brand and creating that level of personal connections needed. That’s kind of a trend that we’re seeing with branded social in general these days. Like if you go on LinkedIn, there are definitely people who talk a lot about their company’s product and leverage their Linkedin as a social selling channel. The whole point of social media is that if we see someone’s face, we’re more likely to connect with it versus just some random brand.
Getting started with videos
New companies need not worry about creating perfect videos right from the start. Begin by creating something and gauge the audience’s response. Even with minimal resources, like a camera in the office, companies can still rank for relevant keywords on platforms like YouTube and attract traffic. Expensive equipment or software is not a prerequisite for producing effective videos. There are a few ways you can go about getting started cheaply. One way to do this is video content repurposing and distribution. Whether it is a webinar, or a video podcast, you can easily repurpose videos into short social clips for different social platforms. You can Focus on proper content distribution to maximize the reach of your videos.
Common mistakes in video marketing
One of the significant mistakes in video marketing is creating generic product videos that lack meaningful information. It’s essential to have a clear angle and purpose for each video to capture and maintain audience interest. Additionally, not having a distribution strategy in place can hinder the effectiveness of your videos. Simply creating content without a plan for its promotion and repurposing across multiple platforms limits its impact. Always consider where your content will appear and develop a comprehensive strategy to leverage its full potential.
Measuring video marketing success
Measuring the effectiveness of video marketing can be challenging but not impossible. One approach is to include videos in premium product offerings or end-of-free-trial motions and track conversions among those who engage with the videos. While not as straightforward as tracking Google ads conversions, these metrics provide valuable insights for informed decision-making. Companies that prioritize content and marketing tend to invest in video as a channel, even though its effectiveness may still be uncertain. The willingness to take risks and experiment distinguishes those who harness the power of video marketing.
Final thoughts
Video marketing presents an array of opportunities for businesses to engage with their target audience effectively. By assessing channel-fit, tailoring videos to audience preferences, and avoiding common mistakes, companies can make informed decisions about integrating videos into their marketing strategies. Remember to experiment, have fun, and constantly evaluate the impact of your video campaigns to optimize their effectiveness. Embrace the power of video marketing and harness its potential to connect with your audience on a deeper level.
This article is written in collaboration with Tatiana Morand. For the full episode of our conversation, check out Spotify, Google Podcast, YouTube and Castbox
