7 Content Tips for Effectively Creating Video Campaigns

Any content marketing plan worth its salt invariably prioritizes video as its main communication medium. The facts speak for themselves: Video is increasingly being used as part of an overall content marketing strategy. The proof of the pudding rests with YouTube - the world's second-largest search engine. Consider that by July 2015, 400-plus hours of YouTube video content was uploaded every single minute. This is a 400 percent increase over the July 2013 figure.

The number of unique YouTube users per month in the U.S. is 167.4 million people and the majority of U.S. Internet users have a YouTube account, 58.2 percent. Stats like this are nothing to scoff at. This points to a paradigm shift in the way the Internet is being accessed, and how companies are approaching their marketing campaigns. Based on its popularity, video can no longer be ignored when it comes to marketing. Here are seven tips to boost your video marketing campaigns.

1. Effective video content can improve your Google page result dramatically

Google is forever shifting its goalposts with respect to how it ranks websites. Complex algorithms evaluate multiple facets of your website, from the headlines to the keywords, meta-descriptions, search engine optimization techniques and yes - your video content. Video is an invaluable part of your digital marketing strategy. For starters, retention times are much greater when video is posted on site.

Of course, your video content needs to be fully optimized. To create the perfect video, a careful blend of keywords, text, video language (VideoObject Schema as an example), effective distribution channels and promotion are crucial. It is imperative to have a strong video presence at multiple online locations, including YouTube, e-commerce sites and other social sharing options.

2. Customize marketing material at all times

Let's face it nobody likes to be bombarded with generic marketing campaigns. The popularity of online video is growing in leaps and bounds, due in no small part to the personalization that is taking place in marketing messages. Users have little patience for videos that try to force a hard sell.

Users are more interested in having their emotions stirred up by videos that talk to their needs, wants and preferences. This is why it is so important to be a storyteller in video marketing. A video that follows a clear narrative, including context, conflict, climax, closure and conclusion is bound to be a winner when done right. Customization involves far more than simply mentioning a customer by name.

The most successful video marketing campaigns are the ones that understand group dynamics by targeting market segments effectively. Videos that focus on gender, preferences, age, location, previous purchases, likely future purchases and financial constraints are far more likely to succeed in their conversion message. Fortunately, innovative software is now available to collect the requisite data, analyze customer behavior, and target users effectively. Targeted video content is the most efficacious way to deliver your message.

For example, an eyewear company such as Eye Buy Direct generated a unique narrative with its lenses and eyewear: More is better. This was then utilized for both male and female audiences with the males being targeted by greater variety of eyewear in a cozy atmosphere. The video marketing campaign elicited strong feelings of greater variety in fashionable accessories for the men.

3. Don't waffle on - keep it Short & Sweet

You certainly don't want your users being bored out of their minds with laborious text. While videos are typically far more engaging than text blocks and banners, the rule of brevity still applies. All the world's most successful video marketing campaigns have a common theme running through them: Brevity.

Users have little patience for marketing campaigns featuring videos of inordinate length. Studies have concluded that a user's attention is either piqued or lost within 5 seconds. That's not a whole lot of time to play with, so it's important to have an impactful introduction. The marketing message must be clearly defined and relayed in the video content. Users do not want to have to decipher what you're trying to sell, or what the benefits of your product are.

The video banner is a great tool to display video marketing material. It can be strategically placed at key points on your website, or in retargeting campaigns in AdWords or even on social media channels like Facebook. Your video banner and the marketing message should be easily discernible.

4. Your video campaign must have a knockout element - The Wow Factor!

Whenever you compile a video for marketing purposes, it's important that the video conveys a transformative message. This message is what drives the user to action. Boring, conventional videos will not do that. Chances are if your brand is highlighted in a boring video, the same user will not be attracted to your brand in re-marketing initiatives.

The wow factor is precisely the element that creates a transformative experience. The multimedia elements available in video are exceptional, and include music, backdrops, actors, CGI effects, emotional scenes and so much more. By leveraging the power of video, the wow factor comes into play. Things like email video content allow for complete personalization. When a user's name is attached to a video, and that user's preferences are featured in the video - that is certainly a wow video!

5. Lighten up your approach when you engage your audience

Video marketing campaigns are for promotional purposes. They are geared toward engaging uses on an emotional level, elicit a high shareability element, spark discussion and have a high call-to-action. When your customers are laughing at the content you're providing, your video content goes viral. While bad content travels fast, funny content travels at light speed. Various examples of energy-infused campaigns abound.

This Habitat video is a terrific example of email video marketing that resonates with customers. It is personalized, stylish and lighthearted. This is precisely the type of marketing strategy that works for this type of company. Habitat maintained its personal connection with its users by evaluating past purchases and emailing customers one by one to offer them tailored accoutrements based on their buying preferences. It's an ingenious concept, and it works wonders.

6. Make brand awareness and brand loyalty absolute priorities

The whole point of marketing is to introduce customers to your brand. Video campaigns that do not effectively advertise the company's brand have failed in their core message. A brand is a symbol of everything your company evokes in the user, and if you have succeeded in building brand awareness, that symbol becomes entrenched in the user's mind wherever he or she goes. There are many powerful brands in the world, including Coca-Cola, Disney, Pepsi, Trump, Bank of America, and countless others. These brands already have an advantage over the competition because they are known.

Competing with established brands may appear to be foolhardy, but there is equal opportunity on the Internet for video marketing to build a strong brand presence by following the golden rules listed in this article. Brands are associated with styles, specific target markets, demographics, perhaps even genders. By closely articulating your company's core mission, vision, and principles, you can build a brand that is synonymous with your organizational objectives. Build it well and they will come. 

7. The only time you want to convert somebody is with a CTA

They say that religion and politics are the two things you never discuss in public. They are correct. Therefore, when it comes to converting people, the only way you want to convert them is with a call to action. The number of users you convert into buying customers determines the success of your e-commerce site, or your video marketing campaign. Higher click-through rates, higher engagement and higher return on investment (ROI) are at the heart of your video marketing campaign.

It is vital that all the legwork be done correctly so that the video entrances the user, watches it through to the end and follows through with a click or a purchase. There are many ways to entice customers with CTAs. A popular option is a promotional offer. It needs to be clear to the customer what is expected of him or her. For example, personalized messages such as 'Claim your luxury sofa discount now, Eduardo' or 'Get 15% off as a loyal customer, Seth' or 'David! Don't let your bonus expire!'  are highly effective for marketing purposes. Remember, your job as a video marketing expert is to create moving content that stirs up the right emotions in the user. Once you have planted that seed, it will grow beautifully!