The increasing importance of video for marketing means it's time for all brands to be creating video content. However, video can seem daunting and expensive. That's why having a clear idea of what story you want to tell and who to tell it to is so important. Here are 5 simple ways to craft a video marketing strategy that works for you and your viewers.

1. Create a story

It’s essential to get people engaged in the video they are watching, the best way to capture their attention and keep it is by telling a compelling story. This could be the story of your brand, the story of the product you’re showcasing or even just a story that ties in with the message of your video.Once you have a story concept test it out on colleague to see if they find it interesting. It’s a good idea to have an angle, whether emotional or humourous to make the video even more watchable for the viewer. You want to make the viewers connect with your story and characters, especially if you are planning to make a series of videos.

2. Make it shareable

With so many brands trying to get people to view their content, shareability is key. You’ve gone to the trouble of creating an awesome, engaging video and now you need to make sure it gets seen. A great way to ensure your video gets seen by as large an audience as possible is to make it as shareable as possible. With one simple click they can expand your potential audience hugely.The most shareable video content is emotive, whether that’s humourous or weepy, a video that causes people to have an emotional reaction often prompts them to share it. Good quality shareable video adds value to its audience. Think of common questions your viewers may have and create a video that answers them, or solve a problem such as a video demonstration of a new product or feature you have. If you can provide a video that helps the viewer they will be more likely to share it with others who may need help.

3. Keep it short

Research has shown that our attention span is now around 8 seconds, shorter than a goldfish’s. When it comes to video you lose roughly a third of your audience by 30 seconds in. By 1 minute 45% have moved on and by 2 minutes you’ve lost 60%. Therefore, length is key. If you’ve got a lot to convey then your video will be longer but where possible to keep it short and simple. Social media videos should ideally be short, bear in mind that thanks to Vine people are used to quick-paced, super-short videos. Shorter videos are also more shareable as people are more likely to make it to the end.

4. End with a Call To Action

As with all of your marketing content your video needs to end with a clear call to action. This could be a contact number or email, a web address you want them to visit or even a hashtag you want them to use on their social media. It can even be just a request to share the video if they like it.

5. Locate your audience

Before you create your video you need to identify who your audience is and where you’re most likely to find them. With so many platforms to put your video on you might even want to make different variations for different types of platforms. For example a video on your website will likely be longer than a video you put on Vine or Snapchat. Whilst you can share the same video on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, you might want to make slight adjustments to reflect your different audience on each channel. It can be good to use text in videos for Instagram as they’re often watched with no volume, whereas a YouTube video can be longer - also, thanks to playlists, you can tell your story in several parts. Think about using your social media channels to host a teaser video which directs people to a full video on your website.At Happy Hour we create a variety of films for our clients, whether you are looking for a social media video, corporate film or a video to go to your website we can help. With over 21 years’ experience we can help you create a video that converts viewers into consumers, get in touch to find out more.