We’re going to let you into a little secret: video marketing doesn’t have to be hard.

To many, it seems like an impossible mountain to climb. First, you have to come up with a brilliant idea. Then you have to work out the logistics of filming it. Then you have to actually film it. Then publish, promote and share your masterpiece until you can share it no more.

This all sounds like an awful lot of hard work, and while great video marketing does indeed take time to get right, there are a number of tricks you can employ to make it successful without robbing you of all your time.

In this blog post, we’re going to unveil 13 top secret tips for immensely successful video marketing. Some will elicit a “well, of course!” response, but remember – the simple stuff is only simple if you know about it in the first place!

1. Include your web address in the video

Obvious? Not so; head over to YouTube and browse a few marketing videos. Chances are, lots of them will have forgotten to include a relevant URL within the video itself.

Although YouTube and other platforms give you plenty of fields and space to type in web addresses and contact details, don’t forget that people will be watching your video, and if that’s where their eyes reside, you need to put your web address where it’s most likely to be seen.

Video player in black with playback controls.

2. Accept that the title needs very special attention

The title of your video is more important than the content. Sound daft? Absolutely not – remember how important it is for the subject of an email marketing message to stand out? The same goes for video.

Why should someone watch your video? What’s in it for them? What question will it answer?

3. Brand your video

Just as you would brand a proposal document or brochure, you need to douse your marketing videos with the colours and visual signals that define your brand.

Include the logo as a watermark that is visible throughout the piece (there’s a reason the BBC do this on their stations) and, if you can, weave your company colours into scenes. Viewers will subconsciously pick up on the presence of branding, thus increasing their recognition of your business.

Digital video tablet used by a consumer

4. Look beyond YouTube

YouTube may be the first sharing platform you head for when your video is ready to be unleashed, but it isn’t the only one available to you.

Always consider Vimeo, Facebook, Instagram and, of course, your own website. Your video marketing efforts are deserving of a place on as many platforms as possible.

5. Stop striving for perfection

This one is easy, but few people adhere to it.

Perfection does not exist. Stop reaching for it!

Logo buttons for social media companies

6. Accept youll have to dip into your marketing budget

Despite the prevalence of homemade video on the web, if you’re producing it for business reasons, you’ll need to invest in its production and promotion.

There’s an awful lot you can do yourself, but by hiring video experts, you’ll be sure to produce content that attracts, dazzles and encourages action.

7. Find questions and provide answers

What are the common questions customers are asking in your industry?

To find out, head for sites like Reddit and any relevant forums. Once you know the questions people are asking, you can create video content that provides the answers.

different colour books

8. Debunk a myth or two

People love conspiracy stories but are equally fond of common myths being debunked. As a video marketer, you’re in the perfect position to do just that.

You’re an expert in your field, and if there are commonly held beliefs that you absolutely know to be false, put that passion into a video and tell the world the truth.

9. Learn from J.K. Rowling

What’s J.K. Rowling good at? That’s right – telling stories. If the success of novels like the Harry Potter series has told us anything, it’s that if you can spin a good yarn, the potential audience available to you is colossal.

Just because you’re tasked with marketing the products and services of a business doesn’t mean you can’t tell a story. What would be more engaging – a video bullet-pointing the key features of a product or one that tells the painful story of how it left the blueprint stage and became a reality?

10. Dont get too hung up on length

There are all manner of opinions on what makes the perfect length for a marketing video, but, in reality, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer for every project.

Rather than getting hung up on creating a marketing video that is ‘exactly’ the right length, simply focus on making fantastic content. The more you do it, the more you’ll intrinsically know when you’ve done enough.

If it feels right, it probably is. Ignore the industry stats.

11. Remember that SEO is a vital part of video marketing

Video is simply another form of online content and, like blog posts and web copy, it needs to be tuned for SEO.

This means titles, tags and other meta data should all be given the attention they deserve. After all, if the search engines can’t find your video, you’re unlikely to build an audience of significance.

12. Make it work in 5 seconds

There’s a reason YouTube gives its advertisers five seconds of screen time before the user can press the ‘skip’ button: they should be more than capable of engaging them within that time.

Five seconds sounds like nothing at all, but if you focus your efforts on those first few opening frames, both in the visual content and any narration, you’ll stand a far greater chance of ensuring that people continue to watch the video in its entirety.

13. Dont treat it like a sales pitch

Newsflash: the people who watch your videos don’t care about you – they care about themselves.

We’re all rather selfish when scouring online content for answers. We always want to know what’s in it for us, so any long, rambling explanations from those behind the video about what makes them so great does nothing more than get in the way.

Modern sales pitches focus entirely on the customer – your videos should, too.

Summary

There you go – we’ve let the cat out of the bag, as it were. And, now you’re privy to the secrets behind successful video marketing, you can make sure your efforts aren’t wasted.

Have fun!