It’s one thing to produce a video and quite another to create content that really fits your brand.
Video can be a powerful way to speak directly to your customers. However, in order to make the right impression, your videos need to be consistent with the rest of your branded content. The good news is that it doesn’t require a multi-million dollar production budget.
Consistent, high quality branded videos are closer than expected.
Understand who you are and who your audience is.
According to Cisco, an estimated 80 percent of web traffic will be dedicated to online video by 2022. It is clear that your brand has enough space to find an audience.
Much of the work that goes into creating a branded video starts before you ever pick up a camera or smartphone. In order for your video to be truly branded, you first need to have a clear understanding of your brand.
Your brand is more than just a logo and color scheme, although these are certainly important in creating a recognizable identity. It all depends on who you are and what you value as a company. It can even contain the things that you are against. The same personality that you use when doing business with your customers should carry over to your video content.
Of course, you also need to consider your audience’s interests and needs. Consider the type of content that will appeal to them. Find the place where their preferences and your brand identity overlap. That way, the content of the message is preserved and you can schedule videos accordingly.
Create a style guide for branded videos.
Consistency is a key element in creating a recognizable identity with your branded videos. This is why well-known brands have been broadcasting the same iconography, music, logos, and more in their television commercials for years.
You can create a similar sense of identity by developing a style guide for your branded videos. The consistency of the type of video clips and the font used in the video will help customers associate content with your brand. Your style guide should cover each of these elements and more. Following a number of ground rules will ensure that each video will match the look your brand is trying to achieve.
Design video content for each stage of the sales funnel.
Video can do so much more than just create awareness. As part of your video strategy, consider how different videos can be used for different stages of the marketing funnel. While your initial goal is to raise awareness, video content can also help drive sales.
During the awareness phase, video content should focus on the emotional pitch. While you should provide some information about your brand, an emotional connection with viewers will lead them to learn more. Videos that answer frequently asked questions and provide helpful information can further establish your brand as an authority. This includes tutorials and overviews of your products.
Finally, you can provide more in-depth demos or testimonials at the bottom of the sales funnel. These bring your sales message home and lead to conversions.
While the type of content used in each step of the sales funnel is different, keeping your tone and visual style the same creates a seamless experience for viewers. This creates trust in your brand and leads to the desired conversions.
Adding videos to your marketing campaign certainly requires a certain amount of technical know-how. But like any other marketing tool, once you’ve laid the foundations and established a system in place for the type of videos you want to produce, the task won’t be nearly as complex as you might fear.
With a deep understanding of your audience and your own brand, and a commitment to the consistency of all video content, you can ensure that every video is truly branded.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
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