DOWNLOAD OUR LATEST FREE EBOOK: 8 THINGS YOUR VIDEO AGENCY SHOULD DO FOR YOU
For a few years I’ve been running the Video Marketing Strategy course for leading digital training company Econsultancy, and having some of the world’s most famous brands turn up to learn has been a fantastic experience.
I’ve certainly learnt a few things myself while running the course, the most surprising of which is this: many very large organisations are not thinking at all strategically about their video content. Even many of the biggest brands are still producing branded content without clearly defined objectives, which means no measurement and no idea whether they have achieved any return from their often very considerable spend on video.
I am also surprised that many organisations are still using ‘views’ and ‘likes’ as their main measurement of success. In an age where we can measure interactions, and even sales generated from video, using a ‘thumbs up’ as a pat on the back doesn’t really seem adequate!
Much of the content of the Econsultancy course is pretty much common sense, it’s just that most of us don’t sit down and think about what we want our video content to achieve for the business, and how we are going to measure that. Simply deciding on some KPIs will start to shape the content you make, how you make it, and how you distribute it. KPIs will also help you decide on what analytics to use to measure the success of your content, crucial if you want to continue to improve what you are doing. And of course, just because everyone else is distributing video content on social, it doesn’t mean you should - not until you know why you are doing it and what results you hope to achieve.
Proper measurement might mean using tracking codes, then plugging into your external analytics agency, and working with your PPC and web team - not just relying on Google analytics.
I’ve also learnt that many organisations are facing the same issues, no matter what sector they are operating in. That might be a lack of understanding (and buy-in) from senior management, a lack of budget for video outside TV, or an absence of any real structure around video, with nobody knowing who is ultimately responsible for results.
It’s clear that many traditional marketing agencies are struggling with video too. Although most are now procuring video content for their clients, it isn’t necessarily very well thought through. Is the content right for the audience, is it right for social and the context in which it will be viewed, and how will success be measured? My course attendees usually think their agency will consider all of these things, but clearly that isn’t always the case.
I think the biggest thing attendees on the course learn is that if you want the best results from video production, you need to invest time and money into doing it properly – don’t just make something ‘funny’ and stick it on YouTube.
It doesn’t take much to get people back on track. Feedback for the course is always really positive and there is loads of energy in the room as people start to get excited about the possibilities they might unlock with video - once they start doing it properly.
It’s great to see so much interest in video production. Those that attend the course know that video holds a huge amount of potential and are keen to exploit that. The environment is changing on a daily basis though, which keeps me on my toes and ensures I always have something new to cover every time I run the course.
I hope to see you there.
Simon Crofts
Client Services Director
DOWNLOAD OUR LATEST FREE EBOOK: 8 THINGS YOUR VIDEO AGENCY SHOULD DO FOR YOU