Content is king…or is the customer king? Maybe context is queen or another member of royalty (though as an American, I thought we rebelled against such governments hundreds of years ago because of tyranny and a violation of natural rights pertaining to self-governance and liberty. Metaphors are difficult, man). Whatever the case may be, your video marketing strategy needs context to really thrive. Understanding where, when, and how audiences consume your content enables you to craft valuable materials that keep audiences returning.
Where They Watch
Where are your viewers watching? Are they in the comfort of home? Are they browsing at the office? Are they abroad? Are you catching them in transition from place to place?
If you know you’re competing with literal noise (e.g. a subway commute), consider producing a series of videos that emphasizes visuals with minimal audio. If your brand utilizes risqué/provocative content (re: NSFW), you may see greater viewership traction on mobile devices during lunch breaks or after work concludes. If your offerings extend internationally, consider creating customized campaigns with pertinent language (e.g. idioms, slang, memes) and imagery.
When They Watch: The Conversion Process
- Where are your viewers in the sales funnel?
- Are you making your first impression or your 100th?
- Have they purchased your products or services before?
- Do they even know what you do?
- What problem(s) are they looking to solve?
Answering these questions in regards to your buyer personas is a fundamental step to crafting a breathing video marketing strategy. You end up making different videos for different problems. That’s way more valuable to your viewers’ needs than boilerplate video that’s pure self-promotion. Maybe a six second vine or 15 second Hyperlapse is a great snackable touchpoint. You could follow that up with a 30 second explainer video that addresses a central problem paired with an easy call to action.
You could offer 60, 90, and/or 120+ second videos filled with genuine information and actionable next steps. As viewers convert with the right complementary content (e.g. whitepapers, video case studies, blog posts), you’re ready to move these qualified leads to the end of the funnel. It’s crucial that you developed, maintain, and improve upon a catalogue of extended video walkthroughs, tutorials, and reviews for buyer due diligence or post-purchase troubleshooting.
Bottom line: create educational video content for each pain point in the buyer’s journey. Experiment with different lengths and stylistic approaches as you move deeper along the path. Keep testing and build upon what gains traction.
How They Watch
What’s the device? You’re aiming for visuals shot at the best picture quality possible and optimized for the highest of resolutions. However, the capabilities of your viewers might not exactly meet at that moment. While smartphone screen sizes and display quality continually improve, it’s a different beast compared to tablets which are different beasts compared to desktops.
What if the viewer starts your video on her phone but finishes it on her laptop? What’s lost or gained when switching? Remember, it’s all about buyer personas. An August 2014 report authored by eMarketer found that, “For the most part, the younger the person, the more likely he or she is to consume video on a mobile device.” Maybe your constituencies prefer something else.
