There’s a “simple” question that stands between you and video marketing success. It’s a question that should echo before each and every video you make. It’s simple in the fact that it’s easy to ask but difficult to answer.
It doesn’t address what camera you should use or what lighting configurations make the most sense. It’s not about the location you’ve secured or where you’ll find the actors you need. It’s not interested in how long your video should be or how many editing cycles are required. It’s more than pipelines, deadlines, or eye lines. It looms greater than your budget and it’s not something you can fix in post.
“Who benefits from my video?” Ask yourself again and again and again.
Take a detective approach. Who are your buyer personas? What problems are they looking to solve? When are they looking for solutions? Where do they hang out? Why would they approach your value proposition? How can they act on your offer? These are just a sample of the endless inquiries you can pose to your key stakeholders in order to understand their motivations. More importantly, once you determine the “who,” you’ll begin to create valuable material that addresses the “what,” the “when,” the “where,” the “why,” and the “how.”
You risk kneecapping your video’s potential by not understanding the segments of your audience that benefit most from your content. These are the people most likely to act on your offer and follow your conversion paths. These viewers are the ones replaying your work and sharing it when they believe its value to be pertinent and beneficial to their social circles.
Everybody wants millions of views, millions of subscribers, and millions of dollars. Everybody wants that loyal follower base that expands with healthy long-term growth. But we realize that we all compete in niche elements in various industries. We can’t be everything to everyone.
Once you determine the “who,” you’ll begin to create valuable material that addresses the “what,” the “when,” the “where,” the “why,” and the “how.”
Understanding buyer personas and the crap they must go through allows you to incorporate the language, habits, and behaviors of your customers into your video content. The end result is empathetic, meaningful, and inspires further action.
This knowledge, rooted in empathy, enables you to create a customized video marketing strategy that guides viewers through their respective buyer journeys. You’ll overcome pain-points, reduce friction, and build long-term value around your brand while cultivating a returning viewership.
Or you can be the maverick who shoots first and asks questions afterward.
It’s up to you.
