Last week, we talked about the importance of a video strategy. In case you missed it, you can click here to read it.
Hopefully you now are beginning to understand why your business needs a video strategy. But it does not just end there. The next step is to begin asking questions to develop a video strategy.
The keyword in this discussion is strategy. Too often, we see some new technology or a trending process that we rush to implement. No strategy, no plan. Instead, we run amuck like a soldier with a machine gun hoping to hit anything.
A strategy implies intentionality and planning. Instead of acting like a machine gun, think like a sniper. What does a sniper do? Sit, plan, prepare, wait, act only when everything is ready. And what happens? They hit the target.
If we are going to develop a great video strategy, then we need to ask the right questions that help us plan what we are going to do. This is not an exhaustive list, but it should generate great discussion with your team.
1. What do you want to show?
Are you trying to communicate your vision, personality, or what distinguishes you from your competitors? Remember, you don’t have to cram absolutely everything into a single video. You can create multiple videos that convey several topics. But you need identify what you are trying to show in the video.
Oh, and you need to decide how you want it to look. Fun and slightly quirky, or serious? What clips have you watched in the past that resonate with you? Look at their style. Style has a big impact on how information is received.
2. Who is your intended audience?
This question will help guide the above comment on style. Let’s say you are an insurance company in a rapidly growing suburb of Atlanta. More than likely, your intended audience is younger families and young professionals who are moving in to the new developments being built around town. What is their age range? What do they probably like? How can we communicate to them effectively? These types of questions are incredibly important. If you skimp on this step, then you may end up communicating to young families as if they are “active adults.”
Sorry. This question may generate more questions than answers, but that’s OK. At least you are beginning to think strategically.
3. Where will it be hosted?
This is a slightly more technical question, but it must be answered. Let me make this one easier for you: YouTube. It’s free, and the world is already on YouTube. You have a greater chance of being discovered on YouTube than any other platform. And you can put your YouTube videos on your Facebook page, in email campaigns, and on your website.
Some of you may disagree and say that Vimeo is the right answer. It’s a great platform, but it has a different focus than YouTube.
4. Who is going to own it?
This is probably the most important question. Once a strategy is developed, someone has to be willing to own it. Every day. A true video strategy doesn’t create content once or twice a year. It must be an ongoing process, but that can only happen if one person takes responsibility for it.
Now that you are beginning to develop a strategy, it is time to talk about the tools you need to make it happen. For that, you will have to check back next week.
Hi, I’m Wes. I am the author of Digital Stewardship, creator of Collaboration and videographer for Classic City Consulting. If you like what you read, follow me on Twitter and check back here as I also post here regularly.
Chris LaFay