5 Reasons You Need Regular Video Content (& Cost-Effective Ways to Achieve It!)

There’s always a new marketing strategy you just need to be doing, and as a Marketing Director, Manager, or business owner, you can often feel like you are never doing enough. You’ll hear about a new trick or platform that’s performing well for other companies on social media, and feel like you need to investigate that next.
But the truth is, consistency will always trump a new tactic. You need to be creating content consistently to build a connection with your audience and keep them engaged. They’ll come to know what to expect from you, and if you’re inconsistent, they’ll go elsewhere.
Of course, your content also needs to be valuable – if you’re including video as part of your strategy (which you should be!), you can’t create short 3 minute videos with a quick tip. You need to be strategic about what each video aims to achieve and create your content accordingly. Your video content marketing should consider every part of the customer journey and create touchpoints for them on that journey.
Sounds like a lot of work? Well, it can be – but it’s also worth it. Why? Read on to learn why it’s so important to create regular video content.
5 Reasons Why You Need Regular Video Content
1. You can grow an audience waiting to hear from you – don’t forget that the audience you have on social platforms can be just as important as your newsletter list.
2. You can educate your customers and take them through the customer journey, teaching them what they need to know to make a purchasing decision.
3. 82% of people would rather watch video than read – this means you can access a broader segment of your audience and provide your customers with options on how they want to digest your information and content.
4. Video contributes to SEO – Google now shows YouTube content in the search results, so it can be a good opportunity to use your video to increase your findability.
5. You can reach people at all points in the customer journey using the Hero, Hub, Help content strategy. Video can be the first touchpoint, help them learn what they need to know to make decisions throughout the customer journey, and ultimately be that last touchpoint before they purchase or contact you, offering you warm and even hot leads that are ready to buy.
How to Reap the Benefits Cost-Effectively
Content marketing demands a constant stream of high-quality content. While it’s relatively easy to do this cost-effectively for blog posts and articles, video requires a little more finesse to get the right results at a budget-friendly price point and not make a costly mistake. Here are a few things to do before you start commissioning your video content:
Define the purpose – no content should be created without purpose, but you need to think carefully when creating video content. Are you trying to build brand awareness? Do you want to build a community? Are you helping your audience make a purchasing decision? Think about what the content will do for your audience and for you.
Create (or at least plan) content in batches – once you understand the purpose, think about what the content will actually look like and how many videos you’re going to need to best educate your audience and share your message.
Don’t be afraid of video series – While we mentioned that you don’t want your videos to be too short, consider the subject matter and avoid making your videos too long if your audience may lose interest or if it’s a topic that needs more time. It may make the most sense to have a different video for each part of your business or aspects of a topic you’re discussing.
Be clear about your ideal customer – Be clear about who your ideal customer is. It’s a good idea to create a content map with your ideal customer in mind so you can work out which videos you’ll need and decide which should be made a priority.
Create different videos for different audience segments – if you serve people or businesses at a range of different places in the customer journey, you may need to create separate videos for each segment to get the best ROI. That subtle tweak in messaging to address the exact needs and problems of the person watching can seriously improve your conversion rate.
Repurpose your content – you can get more for your money if you repurpose your video content for different platforms. For example, you may do a long-form video for your YouTube channel, but create different edits to share on LinkedIn, IGTV, and other platforms. You may even be able to use the audio for a podcast.
Spend more on flagship content – just like the pillar content on your blog, you’ll have flagship video content that will likely be worth putting more money into.
Be realistic and clear about your budget – whether you’re outsourcing your video content or not, you need to be clear about your budget. If you’re new to video production and you aren’t sure what the real costs are, you can learn more here: How Much Does Video Production Actually Cost?
Batch content (AKA asset days) – you may be surprised how much content can be generated from just one day’s filming. When you plan effectively, an asset day will help you capture everything you need for a specific campaign or a defined period. Asset days are particularly beneficial for consistency and long-term brand growth.
Stay organised – this tip is about your files. If you create an asset library, you or the company you work with will be able to find clips they can repurpose, as well as create a great library of stock footage. If you already work with a video agency or partner, ask them if they can supply you with an “asset pack” that contains stills, logo animations, and more.
Consider using animation – animation is more expensive but you don’t have to use film crews and disrupt your operation. Animated typography videos are often just as powerful and can educate your audience with an explainer video.