Growing your brand with a video marketing strategy

Video marketing isn’t new but advances in technology have made it possible for anyone to create quality videos without spending a fortune. In recent years, there has been a proliferation of video content online.

Part of that is because of advancing technology and some of it is due to platforms like YouTube. The most important reason is that it’s an effective way to connect with your target market and drive real business results.

Even though there’s a lot to be gained, it doesn’t come without its challenges. One of the biggest is the sheer amount of video content vying for the attention of your prospects. In this article, you’ll learn multiple ways to take advantage of video content to grow an audience, generate leads, and drive direct revenue.

Building an audience with video content

There are two overarching ways to build an audience with video content and it revolves around social media. Once you have the clout on social media, you can cross-promote other platforms, offers, and even get a large number of brand deals.

Longform videos on YouTube

The first strategy is longer-form videos on YouTube. These videos have a cohesive narrative and do one of two things:

  • Teach
  • Entertain

There’s room for other types of videos on YouTube but, by and large, these produce the most successful individuals and brands. When starting out on YouTube, it’s important to choose what a person from the beginning and remain consistent with it.

Is the persona playful, serious, or both? There’s no limitation to this but it should appeal to the people you’re trying to attract.

One major difference between YouTube and other video platforms with short-form content is that people expect the videos to be higher production quality. You can achieve this by adding state breaks with words on the screen, changing the angle of the camera, cutting to different scenes, using b-roll, incorporating footage from other users, etc. For the last one, you can use this YouTube Downloader tool but ensure you’re within the bounds of fair use.

Short Form videos on TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram

Another way to build your audience is through a series of short-form videos on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. These videos aren’t expected to be high production quality but your followers will expect candid content.

That means behind the scenes of your more staged content or aspects of your brand they wouldn’t normally see. For example, TikTok appreciates dancing and surprising content. Snapchat appreciates candid looks at your life. Instagram is more of a melting pot of these different things.

Experiment with different strategies on each platform until you hit on the mix that works best for you.

Building an audience on social media takes time. It’s not a one-day thing but that doesn’t mean you have to wait until you have hundreds of thousands of followers before you reap the rewards.

As your audience is growing, consistently mention your projects and add CTAs to your video content and lead them to specific pages or opportunities to register for your mailing list.

Generating leads and sales with video content

The CTAs are what get them off of social media, the following two things are what turn them into leads and customers.

VSLs on sales pages

A VSL is a video sales letter. As the name suggests, it sells through a video format and can be incredibly powerful. It engages multiple senses at the same time and makes it easier to hold the attention of your prospects online.

They’re a powerful way to turn your social media audience members into paying customers and eventually brand advocates.

The nuances of creating a VSL are well beyond the scope of this article but here are a few things to consider.

  • Identify the main problem your client or customer wants to solve
  • Let the viewer know you have the solution to that problem
  • Explain why your solution is better than possible competitors
  • Ask for the sale

There are many resources for creating VSLs online and it’s a good idea to educate yourself because they’re incredibly powerful.

Webinar presentations

Possibly the only thing more powerful than a VSL online is a webinar. These are hour-long training sessions that give your audience valuable information and ask them to buy a product at the end.

The reason that they work so well is that you’re interacting with the people in real-time answering questions, sharing pertinent information, and being present. It’s like one-on-one sales but at scale.

There are many tools that allow you to create webinars to that’s not the challenge. The challenge is getting the presentation right. It should follow a simple framework:

  • First, introduce yourself and why you’re qualified to cover the subject (testimonials or past results work great here)
  • Share training (at least major points they can learn about)
  • Present an offer that expands on the training or makes it easier to implement

In total, a webinar should take an hour to an hour and thirty minutes. It may take a few tries to get it right but it’s worth it and since it’s your audience, they’ll be more receptive to your offers.

Conclusion

Video content has taken the world by storm and it seems like it’s here to stay. Instead of avoiding it, embrace it with open arms. This guide has explained the many ways you can use it to grow an audience, wield influence, and generate revenue. It’s up to you to take advantage of the lessons contained here.

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