Creating Video Content Your Audience Will Love

If you’ve been paying any attention at all to what’s happening in the world of digital marketing, you know first-hand that video content is taking over. The latest research shows that people spend about 88% more time on websites with videos than they do on those without. So it goes without saying that you need to create video content if you want to stay in business. 

I sat down with my favourite son, who also happens to be an expert video director, to figure out exactly what your video content needs to do (and not do) in order to win over your target audience. Here’s a recap of everything Nick had to say on the matter:

The first thing to wrap your head around is getting comfortable in front of the camera. He calls it “performing” but as you’ll quickly learn, it’s actually just being yourself.

The second thing that has to be said is the overwhelm of competition that now exists in digital marketing, because everyone and their dogs are making video content right now.

So how can you do both things successfully, starting now? Understand your audience!

Knowing who you’re talking to means you can tailor your content to be totally relevant to them, their needs, and their questions, which means you’ll appeal to only the right people and use your marketing efforts and resources in only the right places.

Okay this all sounds good, I know, now here’s how to implement:

Step 1: Identify who your target audience is. We’re talking demographics, interests, and pain points. If you haven’t already, start with Google Analytics.

Step 2: Balance desire with value. Of course we want to convey the value of our product or service, but we also want to be sure we’re leaving them wanting more.

Step 3: Narrow down your message. Each video should have a single purpose, and that purpose should be addressing a single pain point and offering a single solution. Avoid trying to jam-pack one video with everything you want to say about your business or an offer. 

Step 4: Take the time to create as many videos as you need to to get all your messages across. Don’t overwhelm your audience with too much information in a single go – this is exactly how your content turns into white noise.

Step 5: Post them on the right platforms. Beyond understanding who your audience is, you also need to know where they are. If your target audience spends most of their scrolling time on TikTok but you’re posting on LinkedIn, you’re on the wrong train.

Take a minute to do a really quick exercise. Jot down on a piece of paper what you imagine your target audience is thinking about, how they’re feeling, and what they’re doing in the moments leading up to seeing your video. Again, this all comes back to delivering relevant content. 

Beneath those three points, jot down how you want them to think and feel, and most importantly, what you want them to do after they’ve seen your video. This will help guide your video’s tone and talking points.

Next, write down one single takeaway you want your audience to get from your video. How will their lives have changed, even if just in a small way, once they’ve seen this video?

Finally, write down the one step you want them to take after seeing the video. This is essentially your CTA and it’s absolutely crucial. You can’t give your audience everything they want and then leave them wondering what they need to do to get it, right?

Creating video content takes a lot of time and energy, no matter how “short” the finished product is. This is by far the best way to make sure all that effort is actually being put to good use!

As the old saying goes, anything worth doing is worth doing well. So next time you sit down to map out another marketing plan, revisit this exercise and make a massive impact with every video you put out there!