Video: The Digital Marketing Currency

Video is an essential tool for any business looking to compete in the online space. It is important to realize that not all businesses have the capacity to create high-quality video content. The lack of an in-house production team and equipment can be a limiting factor, especially for small businesses. That is why companies need to leverage any video production means they possess or hire a knowledgeable, result-oriented expert.

Ben Amos is a video production specialist that helps his clients achieve their goals through the creation of video content in a methodical, captivating way.

Who Is Ben Amos?

Ben Amos of Innovate Media began with a video production business. His journey started with weddings but his entrepreneurial spirit eventually led him to take on business clients.

Along the way Ben noticed that although his clients were happy with the content he produced, something is missing. The videos didn't gain traction and his clientele didn't use the content to its greatest potential.

This prompted Ben to focus on marketing strategy and place a focus on KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). His clients began increasing their conversions and spiked returning customers. Although Ben delves into paid campaigns, his primary focus is on creating top-level organic video content for businesses and brands.

Organic Video Content

While corporate giants have massive budgets for paid campaigns, smaller businesses cannot compete on this level. That is why focusing on creating affordable organic video content is important for small and medium enterprises.

Demand for organic video is constantly increasing and more businesses are making this type of content a priority. Relationship-building is a key outcome of organic video as it brings customers closer to brands.

The organic video process begins with an understanding of the customer's journey. Internalizing what your audience is feeling as they move along the path to solving their pain-point is essential to your success. The relationship you create with your prospects stems from a realization of a need that leads them to a purchasing decision. You then reinforce this purchase by providing after sales care and advocacy as needed.

Stages of a Marketing Funnel

As important as production equipment and video experience are important for creating effective videos, a clear understanding of your marketing funnel will allow you to create better content for less money.

Awareness

Awareness is the first stage of your marketing funnel. It is the point where you attempt to grab your target audience's attention so that you may usher them down the path to learning more about your product. A powerful introduction to your brand is necessary to hook your ideal customer.

In the awareness stage, you will typically need to connect with your audience on an emotional level. The stronger the connection you make, the more likely the viewer will stick around for the rest of the journey.

The effectiveness of the video in the awareness phase of your funnel hinges on capturing a few metrics. Impressions and views will give you a general feel for how the audience is receiving your content. Ben talks about intangible metrics such as brand sentiment and brand awareness.

These intangibles may not be easy to quantify but can provide useful direction for any necessary changes. You can gain an understanding of these factors by asking customers for their opinions or by conducting a focus group. Try and come up with a convention to record the impact of your videos on brand awareness.

Tucker Gun Leather Example

Tucker Gun Leather is a company that specializes in gun holsters. Ben Amos discusses the video on the company's homepage.

Ben describes this piece of content as a top of the funnel video. The production quality is excellent and the authenticity of the interviews within the videos are ideal for the awareness stage. Keeping it closer to two minutes may be more ideal for creating the initial emotional connection required for the lead-generation process.

Consideration

Once the prospects move past the awareness stage, they are ready to receive more in-depth information regarding your brand. If the awareness stage can be compared to an ice-breaker in a social setting, the consideration stage is the discussion that will hopefully result in a date. Your prospective customer already finds your product interesting. Now you must show how it benefits them.

Conversion

The conversion stage of your funnel requires video content that drives your prospect to convert. This conversion can be a purchase, a newsletter sign-up or a consultation. When creating videos for clients, Ben Amos focuses on making content affordable for them while giving them a long-lasting quality.

A good video marketer should look for opportunities to create numerous pieces of content from a single shoot, if possible. This requires getting enough footage from a shoot to create multiple videos for the awareness, consideration and conversion stages.

The Inverse-Relationship Between Quality & Funnel Stage

There is a paradox that comes with creating organic videos for a campaign. You should invest most of it in creating high-production-value content for the awareness stage. However, the number of videos you create for the conversion stage will be greater. This means that you can use less costly methods for your conversion content while focusing on a call to action. At this stage, the customer is ready to purchase and the amount spent per video becomes less relevant.

Attention-Grabbing Specifics for Social Media

When posting your videos on social media, your objective is to stop people from scrolling and focus on your content. In an online ecosystem where newsfeeds and timelines are refreshing at record paces, there are a few tips you need to apply to achieve your goal.

Facebook Content Strategy

Any Facebook content strategy needs to focus on stopping the user in their tracks so that they will view your video. You will need to apply a pattern interruption in the form of a visual hook. People often use Facebook in settings where they have the sound turned off. This may be at work, public transportation or in the presence of others that are not to be disturbed.

Embedded captions are great for videos where people might be watching under these circumstances. Providing the ability for someone to watch your video without having to listen to the sound is a great way to capture audiences that would otherwise scroll past your video.

Instagram Content Strategy

Other than providing compelling videos, your Instagram content strategy should focus on meeting the platform's norms. Use the correct aspect ratio to provide an optimal viewing experience for Instagram's users. Keep in mind that although you are entertaining people with your content, your ultimate goal is to get them through your marketing funnel.

Start Leveraging Organic Video

Whether on your website or social media, organic video is a powerful growth hacking tool. As long as you can stand out in the noise, you can boost your brand by strengthening your business's relationship with prospects and driving traffic through your marketing funnel.