In the midst of these uncertain times, it can be hard to imagine a world where things get back to normal. But there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. When that day comes, you need to be prepared to hit the ground running—no matter your budget.
Video marketing has taken the industry by storm in recent years, with forward-thinking companies using video to tell their story and communicate more authentically with their audiences. And consumers are engaging more than ever!
According to a recent HubSpot Research report, more than 50% of consumers want to see videos from brands (more than any other form of content). That’s not all. Stats show that video on landing pages can increase conversion rates by 80%, and including the word “video” in your next subject line could increase the open rate by 19%. The numbers don’t lie, people!
So, while we’re all wondering how we can be as productive as possible during social distancing, we thought we’d share some of our top tips for getting the most out of your video budget in the coming year.
The time and resources that go into planning a video shoot are no joke. But if you think ahead and plan everything just right, you can use one shoot day to capture footage for multiple videos. Rawle Murdy’s work with CARTA, our impressive local public transit client, is a great example of this. In their Why I Ride video series featuring real riders explaining why they use public transit, we shot enough footage to produce a longer-format video (around 60–90 seconds) and individual 15-second videos of each person. That way, we could stretch the content by dropping the various shorter clips on social over time, and save the longer format for their website. Check out one of the finished products below!
If you want to be more efficient with your video buy, give Connected TV a try. Simply put, Connected TV (CTV) is any television that connects to the Internet, including smart TVs, Apple TVs, Amazon Fire devices, and Roku. And considering that about 60% of households reported having some type of Connected TV, that’s a pretty big market to capitalize on. Many major demographics (particularly millennials) are moving away from traditional TV and toward streaming services as they decide to cut cable or never opt for it in the first place. Another major benefit? CTV allows for audience targeting by demographic and context as well as more granular geotargeting, down to the zip code level. That means more for your money.
Don’t sleep on this one. When concepting a new video or planning a shoot, consider opportunities to feature your own people. This is a surefire way to both reduce costs and level up your video’s authenticity. Not only will you save on paid talent costs, but also you’ll come across as much more genuine and real if you show your actual employees doing what they do best! Our client Terminix Service, Inc. implements this smart tactic for every shoot they can, making their employees the star of the show. Check out the example from our Porch Stories series, which features real employees and customers!
If you’re looking to elevate your videos on a tight budget, there are plenty of affordable image and music stock resources. Pond5 offers a range of royalty-free stock music starting at just $15, and iStock provides millions of high-quality, low-cost images you can peruse to fill any gaps. Another resource that can take your video from homemade to high-end is voiceover talent. While this may seem daunting, an online marketplace like Voice123 makes this task super simple. Just log into the platform, post your job, and interview voice talent on your own time to find the right fit for your video. You set the price for each job, so you’ll never go over budget—then just hire and pay them right through the platform! It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.
If all else fails, livestream videos are a successful (and free!) way to engage with your target audience and capture their attention on social. Recent stats about this video format show that Facebook users spend three times more time watching Facebook Live videos than standard pre-recorded ones. The pros of this format are undeniable. Audiences won’t expect flawless video quality from a livestream, and it’s an intimate way to make people feel like they are part of your brand.
Want a team of trained experts handling your video strategy? Say no more. We got you.
