3 Easy Tips For CMOs To Improve Brand Marketing With Video

There’s tremendous upside for CMOs that can build a solid video presence into their branding, but without a background in video production, getting started can feel overwhelming. As both an experienced video producer and graduate student in Northwestern’s Integrated Marketing Communications Master’s program at the Medill School of Journalism, I can confidently tell you that the potential impressions and engagement you can get from a smart video campaign are too good to pass up, and that producing video can be a lot simpler than you think.

What can you gain from branded video content? In a blog post, Video Brewery CEO Andrew Follett compiled several shocking statistics about the efficacy of online video. Most notable is a survey of online shoppers where 90% said they found video useful when making a purchasing decision, and that on average, the presence of video in an email blast increased click through rates by 200%.

This simple video campaign was produced in an afternoon, but increased engagement by over 120% (courtesy of Sugo Media LLC)

With a little focus, your brand can benefit from a branded video campaign. Social media strategist Starr Hall suggests keeping each video brief and with a singular focus to help your message reach viewers. The most important suggestion Hall gives, though, is this: every piece of video content you produce should offer value to the viewer. Answer a question they might have about your product. Show them something new that might interest or surprise them. Entertain them!

This may seem like a tall order for a CMO to tackle without hiring an expensive contractor, however, I can tell you from my experience working as one of those expensive contractors that you can be successful on your own. Here’s a few things to keep in mind:

• Get to the point and be authentic - If you’re a small business, don’t try to produce a polished Super Bowl-caliber ad. Be real - viewers respond to authenticity. Also, tailor your messaging to the platform you publish on - there’s lots of video platforms available (YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, Vine) with different strengths and weaknesses that marketers can use to share an authentic message. Do you want to be informative in 4 minute bursts? Host your videos on YouTube. If being rapid fire and goofy matches your brand, look to Vine or Instagram instead.

• Don’t be afraid to do it on the cheap - if you have a phone, it can film 1080p video. Load it up to YouTube, and you can edit the clips, add a soundtrack, and do a color grade entirely on the site before making your video live. GoPro cameras are another inexpensive option for high quality and low cost video - cameras can be purchased for as little as $200.

• Produce several videos at once - if you’re taking the time to produce a single video, you could probably use the resources to make several at the same time. The only thing better for a business than one video is four videos. You’ll be shocked at how much leverage you get out of an afternoon’s work.

With all the tools now available to marketers, and all the potential benefits a strong video component can have for brand marketing, you have no excuse to leave those impressions and engagements on the table. Grab a camera, and press record.

Joe Filipas is an advertising specialist and video producer in Minneapolis, and is currently earning an Integrated Marketing Communications Master’s degree from Northwestern University. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeFilipas, or connect with him on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/josephmfilipas or on his website at www.joefilipas.com.