How to Create a Great Branded Video
What are branded videos? How do you create one? How do you share it? This blog post will answer all of these questions and help you decide whether or not making a branded video would be worth your time and effort.
1) What Makes a Good Video
Think of your brand and what you do. Now think about how many opportunities there are for video content related to your business. Chances are, you've got dozens, if not hundreds of topics just waiting for video treatment. Start by identifying what kinds of videos would help support your marketing goals, such as: generating leads, educating potential customers, or promoting an event. Determine which channels will best deliver these videos and where they should be located on your website and in social media feeds. A great rule of thumb is to make your branded videos less than three minutes long—the shorter, the better; try to keep them under 90 seconds if possible. The longer people spend with any one piece of content (especially online), the more likely they are to drift away or lose interest. People like short-form video because it's digestible; you're more likely to get your message across quickly rather than beating around too much with unnecessary information that could turn viewers off. Once you've figured out what kind of branded video to create, it's time to prepare your storyboards and treatments so you can communicate exactly what needs to happen before production can begin. Here are some tips for developing good video content:
• Get to know your audience – Understanding who's watching a given piece of branded content is critical when choosing a camera angle, editing style, and setting—you want to appeal as much as possible without alienating anyone along the way. Ideally, imagine yourself as a customer and ask yourself what you'd want to see from a brand. Where would you consume it? On a mobile device? In a theater? At home with friends? Make sure your branded videos align perfectly with those scenarios.
• Know where it's going – Where does your brand live now? If it's only on social networks, then understand how those pieces of content move through those channels, from pre-roll ads to overlays and everything in between.
• How much footage should I take? – Part of knowing where your brand lives also involve knowing how long different kinds of branded videos tend to run. So take a minute and check out branded clips from brands you already love. How much actual footage do they use versus interview clips, B-roll photography, or graphics inserted into templates that have been designed to fit around motion graphics and still images? Again, figure out what works best for your brand and stick with it!
• What am I trying to say? – This seems obvious, but let's step back for a second and look at social media influencers. Influencers may seem totally unscripted and off-the-cuff, but every shot has been carefully planned out and executed based on color schemes and themes of past campaigns. It doesn't matter whether we're talking professionally produced brand videos or something closer to vlogging...everything follows a formula.
2) What Makes a Bad Video
You can have a great script, but if you don't put some time into developing it into an engaging video, your viewers are likely to hit that little X in the corner of their browser. Even more important is having good audio. An essential part of video marketing is getting your message out there and communicating with your audience directly. So when you don't take enough care in making sure that your audio is clear, they won't be able to hear what you want them to hear. This will most likely lead them elsewhere for their information or entertainment. A video without both quality script and quality audio is unlikely to do well online. As consumers, we crave authenticity from people we don't know personally. When we see something that seems staged or scripted, our brain tells us not to trust it—and, unfortunately, new media doesn't feel natural enough because all communication appears unreal. To capture viewers on social media who love branded videos, make sure they seem genuine by going off-script or at least look like you did. It may seem strange at first if you've never done anything like it before - but doing so makes a huge difference between coming across as staged and polished versus forced and fake.
3) When is the Best Time to Use video
When it comes to great branded videos, there are no hard and fast rules. However, you must know your audience. The time of day can affect how viewers engage with your video content. Consumers are most likely to watch videos on social media during their lunch break at 12 p.m., but activity drops off after 3 p.m., so morning might be an even better option than later in the day if you want video views; however, if you want engagement (likes or comments), you should post at peak times between 8-11 p.m., according to Vidyard research. So depending on what kind of response you're hoping for (views vs. engagements), you'll need to put some thought into when you post. And remember: successful video content is like any other good marketing—it is about creating something people want! Video is not worth much unless it adds value. What do your customers want? How can video help them? If they don't care about your video, they won't share it! So create videos they will like, share and talk about! Consider partnering with YouTubers or influencers who have relevant audiences. It may seem obvious, but... think about whether you would actually watch your video content as a consumer before posting it to social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Would others feel engaged by your video? Would they take action because of it? If not, consider making changes or nixing plans to use video altogether if it doesn't meet basic standards: Are all aspects of sound and lighting captured well? Are all visuals clear and appealing without distracting elements (such as text)? Are voices audible yet intriguing enough that we'd want to hear more from those speakers/vloggers/influencers online in future videos?) Once you've answered yes to these questions, then your video meets baseline standards and is ready for prime time—but don't stop here! Videos with high production values and high-quality lead generation tactics (i.e., offers in videos) get more clickthroughs from YouTube channels. In fact, user engagement spiked by 182% when users watched 100% video view-through until completion rather than stopping midstream.
4) Benefits of Social Media Videos
Though it may seem obvious, you'll need good content for your video. It's not enough to simply post a call-to-action that says visit our website. You also want to try and drive viewers to take action right then and there while they're watching your video. If your company is currently offering any promotion or deal, make sure you state that upfront in your branded videos. Viewers are more likely to convert if they know they can get something right away when visiting your site. And lastly, don't forget to incorporate social media sharing options into each video as well. This way, users can quickly share your video with their friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter - which will help spread your message further than just those viewing it online. Looking at other videos on social media channels like YouTube, we've seen how vital videos really are to brands who want their message heard online. With so many sites fighting for people's attention these days - including yours - why wouldn't you tap into such a valuable channel?