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Get Started With Video: 4 Videos You Can Produce in Less Than One Hour

Posted: 10/30/2012 8:16 pm

Time is money. As a marketer, you know this. You spend countless hours executing projects that will help fill your marketing funnel and then some of your remaining time is spent learning how to execute the 'new' marketing ideas you haven't had time to wrap your head around yet. For many, one of these 'new' marketing ideas is video.

You've heard it already -- video is here, it's working and you better get onboard! You've also told yourself, 'I know, but I don't know how to get started.' That's what we're here for. Rather than investing 100 hours into production and editing, then an additional couple thousand in putting videos together, we're here to show you what videos can be done in one hour, with the technologies you have at hand (i.e. iPhone, iPad and GoPro). In addition, we've also provided suggestions on how you can push these videos out.

1. New Product/Feature Video
Written content is a great way to tell your audience about all the awesome things your company is doing; however, video is how you show the personality behind your brand. Pick someone in your company who has a great on camera presence and/or someone who does a lot of customer facing work. Put them in front of the camera and have them show and tell your audience about your newest product and/or feature. Here's what you need to include in your video:
• Why did you develop the product/feature?
• Who did you develop the product/feature for?
• How does it work?
• What is the benefit?
• How does your audience get started/where can they find it?

Where do I put these videos?
• Create an email update. Send it out to two different groups of people and change the messaging accordingly: 1) Customers, 2) Non-Customers
• Share via your social media channels. Remember to space these updates out and change the messaging (i.e. why would someone follow you on LinkedIn and Facebook if your sending the exact same message on both platforms?!)
• Update your Linkedin Company Page. Linkedin now offers you the chance to place videos on your company page, describing your services.
• Feature/Product web page.

2. Investor Update Video
If you're a company with investors and you want to keep those investors in the loop of what's going on at your company, (i.e. new hires, moves, etc), send them a quick video to recap of your company's happenings. Remember to bring out your company's personality in the video to remind them why they are investing in you and your team. Here are some things you may want to include:
• Introductions to everyone on your team
• Brief walk through of your work space
• A shot of your boardroom/meeting space where all the great ideas happen (while there, mention all the great ideas that are coming/have come out of there)
• Show the projects you're working on and the team behind them
• Show them a work in progress. Maybe you're having your new office rebuilt/designed - take a tour of your space and show them the changes that are happening internally

Where do I put these videos?
• Create an email update. Message the email accordingly and send it out to just your investors. With an analytics dashboard, you can track who opened your email and watched the video. Make sure to follow up with those who did AND those who didn't and message your email accordingly.

3. Announcing a contest and/or promotion
You've decided to run a contest and/or promotion, but how are you going to tell your audience about it? Answer the following questions about your contents/promotion: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How? You can do more than just stand in front of a green screen. Move around your office, have your co-workers weigh in on how great the contest is and show your audience what the prize is (if you have it available to show).

Where do I put these videos?
• Create an email update. Again, send it out to two different groups of people and change the messaging accordingly: 1) Customers, 2) Non-Customers
• Share via your social media channels. Change the messaging for every channel. Use it as a promoted post on your Facebook page if you'd like to give it some more face time!
• Write a blog on it. Announce your contest through a blog and have that act as your landing page that will host your video. Don't go into too much detail -- that's what the video is for. Use messaging that will have people saying, "I want to watch this video to find out more!" Example: What would you do with $1,000?

4. New Team Member
Did someone new join your team? This is big news so tell people about it! Put that person in front of the camera so people can see who they are, and have them give a brief biography of themselves and why they joined the team. Extend this conversation to what they will be working on and what they are excited about. They may be a part of the internal side now, but they are coming in as an outsider so have them give a 1-2 sentence recap on what makes them excited about your company!

Where do I put these videos?
• Share via your social media channels. Remember to message the video accordingly and put an emphases on how your growth resembles on well you're doing! Play up the person's title at the company and ensure you introduce why they are an asset to your company and not just an addition.
• Write a blog on it. Announce your new hire in your weekly or monthly blog. Provide a brief introduction and let the video do the talking!
• Monthly/Quarterly Newsletter. Make sure you include this exciting news in your monthly and quarterly newsletter under the context of "ew company happenings!"

These video ideas are to get you started and even excited about ramping up your video marketing strategy! Stay tuned for our next blog on the technologies you can use to shoot a video to keep video production cost effective.