We all recognize that not all videos are equally valuable or important. That video you got your social media intern to film on an iPhone for the corporate LinkedIn page doesn’t matter much compared to the Brand Video that’s going on your homepage for the next two years.
When you’re on a tight marketing budget and you’re deciding which videos to invest in, it’s important to prioritize strategic videos that are most likely to achieve a return on your investment. Less important videos can wait, or be created with less resources.
Here are some ideas for helping you decide which videos deserve your marketing dollars now. Unless you have an unlimited video budget, in which case you should make all the videos.
What Do You Got?
When thinking about new video content, it’s a no brainer to start by evaluating your current video assets. Are you a new startup with very few videos on your website? If so, prioritizing videos that can support a brand awareness campaign, along with an explainer video that helps people understand your new product, may make the most sense.
Have you been around the block long enough to have videos (whether they’re good or bad) on your homepage and important landing pages. You may want to triage your video slate by starting with the videos that show the most pressing need for replacement. The look and feel of your brand has likely changed over the past few years, your messaging has been tweaked or reworked, and overall video trends have evolved. Typically, the older the video, the more out of date it will be with your current brand and messaging.
Start by assessing which videos are still on-brand and on-message. Even if they aren’t perfect, they might be good enough for now. This will allow you to focus on replacing strategically important videos that are most outdated.
Look at the Data
It can be hard to accurately assess video needs based on gut feel alone. Your team may really want a new series of customer testimonials or a shiny new brand video, but which videos will make the biggest impact for your organization’s marketing and sales goals?
The value of a data-informed approach to video can’t be understated. Which videos are currently performing, and which ones are underperforming? If the brand video you put on your homepage three years ago is still performing well according to the data, leave it for now. There are probably other videos that will provide more bang for your buck.
Maybe the stats show that the old, in-house demo video you made for an important product is failing to generate the number of conversions you want – so start there. Or are there parts of your website that lack video entirely? What does the data have to say about those pages?
Outsourced v.s. In-House
As we mentioned in the beginning of this article, some videos just may not be worth allocating a large part of your budget towards at all. For organic social content on your various social channels, consider going in-house for video production. And with the budget you saved, focus on high-value, high-impact videos like your brand video, explainer videos, testimonials, and brand awareness videos.
When producing content in house, research video trends to help make your content as engaging as possible. Making a video for your LinkedIn page could be as easy as recording your employees talking about a new feature or an upcoming event. You’re probably even sitting on unused footage that could be edited and re-purposed as new content.
Avoid the One-Size-Fits-All Video
Here’s a last tip for you. It’s easy to make the mistake of trying to ask one video to do too many things. We’ve seen it before. You’ll never have an amazing explainer video that also helps you generate brand awareness and shows customers the intricacies of how your product works.
Sure, you could try to pull it off, but you’ll be making many compromises that result in a mediocre video that is a master-of-none. Instead, pick your top priority, and work with your creative agency to make the best possible video to achieve a given goal.
Bio: Jason has over a decade of experience working with marketers in the B2B tech space to bring products and brands to life with powerful storytelling and engaging visuals. He is a Meta Certified Marketing Science Professional and Creative Strategy Professional, and has a Hubspot Digital Advertising Certification.