Just in case you don’t know let me school you, would you believe that people spend 33 percent of their time online watching videos? What’s more: nearly nine out of ten marketers used video in their 2020 marketing strategy. Oh, and let’s not forget that over one billion hours of video is consumed on YouTube every single day.

If your prospects are watching videos, and virtually all of your competitors are publishing videos, then it’s time you create a good promotional video to get your products and services in front of potential buyers. And to help you achieve this we’ve got 7 very steps to help you get there. 

Step 1: Know your audience

At its most basic level, the idea of marketing is simply to push out a message and pull a response. For instance, if you run an ABC company, you might tell people to prep their air conditioners for a hot summer and ask them to schedule a tune up. If you run a retail store, perhaps you’ll send an email campaign to promote an upcoming sale with hopes that it will bring in extra revenue. 

But what if you ran both the ABC and a retail business, and you mixed up your lists? Can you imagine if you told your retail customers to fix their air conditioners? It would probably cause mass confusion, and your message would fall flat. That’s where the importance of knowing your audience comes in. 

Whenever I’m teaching a virtual marketing class, I’ll ask the audience to close their eyes and envision their ideal buyer: the person who would visit their storefront, call their phone, or click to their website with no hassle or haggling. This mental exercise is the beginning of building a buyer persona, and it’s critical to developing the right content for your audience.

The buyer persona will also determine your brand’s tone, which is very important when recording your videos. Will you be fun and entertaining, or does your ideal buyer prefer a serious, more professional approach? Just know that your buyer persona will evolve over time, and you may even develop multiple buyer personas. Always keep these tops of mind when designing your video marketing strategy. 

Step 2: Decide on the Type of Video

Next, it’s time to determine which type of promotional video is most suited for your goals and objectives. More often than not, this choice depends mainly on your budget for the project and how much time you’re willing to invest in it.

Thankfully, some video types like bite-size ads and testimonial videos are inexpensive to produce. But TV commercials and documentaries will naturally take more time and money.

Choose according to what you and your team can handle without compromising on quality. If you can afford a videographer to create an animated explainer video, there are many available on freelance platforms like Fiverr and Upwork.

Make sure you choose a video type that your target audience will relate to and want to act upon. For example, if you’re trying to reach a younger demographic, choose social media and YouTube ads instead of a TV commercial.

·       Product Videos

When you want to get the word out about a specific product or service, try using a product video. These videos are specific about a product and don’t veer too far into other topics of your company or your brand.

In these types of promotional videos, the main focus is on your product and why your customers need it in their lives. Don’t forget to add information about how they can get it!

Here is an example of a product video:

·       Intro & Outro Videos

Intros and outros are important parts of the videos you share on YouTube, social media or those TVs in the waiting area of your office. Your intro should be all about the video’s title, but you can also add your logo and website URL for brand awareness.

In the outro, ask your viewers to subscribe (if publishing on YouTube) and add a call-to-action so that they can get in touch with you or take the next step easily.

Here is an example of an Intro & Outro Videos video:

·       Explainer Videos

Explainer videos are on the longer side of the promo video spectrum. The purpose of an explainer video is to show the viewer the “how” of whatever it is that you’re promoting.

You can make explainer videos that visually demonstrate to customers:

1. How your product is produced or distributed
2. How your services can make their job easier
3. How your company as a whole can improve how they get things done

Here is an example of an Explainer video:

·       Launch Videos

A launch video is an ideal choice for promoting a new product or service your team has been working on. Share the best features of what you’re launching and show how it will help your viewer.

Make sure to detail what makes this new thing better than whatever there was or wasn’t before. Pair launch videos with teaser videos to get the excitement going before the day of the launch.

·       Event Videos

Event videos are promotional videos for upcoming events. The most successful event videos use footage from previous years, showing what attendees can expect to see and experience.

If the event is happening for the first time, use stock imagery or sourced imagery from your keynote speakers. Include the main topic, schedule of events and most recognized guests.

·       FAQ Videos

If you’re looking for an innovative way to promote your brand, try an FAQ video. Use real questions asked on social media, via customer support channels or during events.

There are always a few questions that get asked the most; use those to create fun FAQ videos that you can add to your YouTube channel or social media.

·       TV Commercials/Spots

Before we had the internet, TV commercials (or TVCs) were the way to go for promotional videos. With so many options now, not all brands need to invest in a costly TV commercial.

But if you want to get the word out about your business in a big way, then a TV advertisement spot might still be a good option. You might not be able to afford a Super Bowl placement, but you can work your way up to that.

Here’s an example of a TVC from This is Afrika

·       Mini Documentary Videos

Now, we go further afield into the long-form promotional video. Mini documentaries are anywhere between 2 and 6 minutes. This style of promotional video is similar to an “about us” video but goes deeper into a specific story regarding your brand.

Some ideas include the backstory behind a unique aspect of your production line, or an uplifting message with facts about how your organization gives back to the community.

Here’s an example of a mini documentary from Nestoil Plc

·       Promo Ads

Promo ads are short promotional videos that can be used for advertising campaigns with Google or Mediavine, or placed on websites or related industries to yours.

Here’s an example of a promo ads

·       Social Media Video Ads

Social media ads need to be scroll-stoppers to be successful, so keep yours short, sweet, to the point and very catchy.

You can create social media ads for any platform, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn or Pinterest. However, make sure that the ad’s size and content is tailored to each platform you’re sharing it on.

Here’s an example of a social media video ads

·       Behind-the-Scenes Videos

Sharing what happens behind the scenes in your company is a great indirect way of promoting your services and products. If your brand is already popular on social media, followers will love getting to know what your office looks like, how people work, the company culture and more.

Here is a great example of a behind-the-scenes video

·       About Us Videos

“About us” videos are similar to behind-the-scenes videos but are more specific about your brand story. Use this type of promotional video to share how your company got started and why.

Talk about your core values and goals for the future. Or, share your company culture and why client satisfaction is important. Most importantly, be honest, authentic and approachable.

Here’s an example of an “about us” video 

Step 3: Write a Script

Next up, it’s time to write the script for your promotional video. A video script is similar to an outline for a blog post or article but includes specific instructions on how the video is created. The main sections in the script are the scenes; they are laid out in order from beginning to end.

At the very top of the script, add the type of video you’re creating so it’s fresh in your mind while writing the script.

For example, “Live Action + Motion graphics — social media video to promote a new location of my coffee shop; 15 sec.”

Step 4: Draft a Storyboard

With the video script ready, it’s time to visualize. A storyboard is both a static draft of the final product and an aid to the process. Each scene is laid out visually on a “board” — one rectangle per scene. There’s no need to get too detailed on this step, but it does help to do it as it will support the production of the video.

Try storyboard building software, or sketch the storyboard by hand on index cards. Why index cards? So you can move the order of the cards, each card being a scene of the video. The best part about using index cards is that you can copy the information from the script to the back of the card.

Step 5: Produce Your Video

You’re ready to produce the video. This and the next step might overlap if you’re working on your own. What you use for producing might be the same for editing, especially if you’re using an online tool like Visme or Biteable.

Both animated and live-action videos can use stock imagery found inside the tools we just mentioned. Keep that in mind as you put the scenes together to increase productivity.

For videos with custom animations or footage, the production and editing steps are separate and will involve a before and after stage. This is also the case if you’re sourcing visuals from third- party stock sites.

Step 6: Edit Your Video

Editing your video is all about putting the scenes together according to your script and storyboard. It also includes adding all the finishing touches that will make your promotional video complete.

But before you can edit your video, you need to choose a video editing platform.

With so many video editing tools out there, it can be tough to choose one that will best suit your needs. Are you looking for a simple video maker that works in your browser? Or do you need professional video editing software with advanced features?

For short videos like social media ads and listicles, you’re better off with one of the online options. Here are some online video makers to consider:

Visme

Biteable

Moovly

Offeo

Powtoon

iMovie

For elaborate or long-form promotional videos, you’ll need professional software or hire a person who knows how to use it. Some professional video editors include:

Adobe Premiere Pro

Final Cut Pro

Filmora 9

Do your research and look at all the options, laying out pros and cons according to the goals and purposes for your promotional video.

Then, edit your video by trimming the clips, stitching them together, layering audio and text, and adding post-production elements like animations until you’re happy with the end result.

Step 7: Do a Final Review

Before your video is 100% ready, it needs a final review. Check that all the information is correct, and that all images, videos and music are royalty-free or you have a license for them. Ask coworkers for feedback and get a second pair of eyes on your video from someone you trust.

After that, make any necessary revisions, take one last discerning look and you’re done! Your video is ready to fly away from the nest and get your business more sales, conversions and engagement.

Final thought

1. Have A Plan In Place

There’s no denying that you’ll have a challenging time creating a promo video if you don’t plan ahead. Impromptu videos might be great for your personal Instagram account, but promotional videos for your business aren’t the kind you can just wing and hope for the best.

If you simply can’t fathom the time to plan appropriately, you’re better off hiring professionals to do it for you. Or, talk to the project managers in your team and see if they can tackle it.

There are many factors to take into consideration, from laying out goals and objectives to booking hours at a filming studio. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

2. Optimize for Multiple Platforms

The era of multichannel marketing is here for good, and your promo videos better be ready for it. All the short promo videos like bite-size ads, and social media ads need to be produced in horizontal, vertical and square formats. This way, you can cover all social media channels without a hitch.

In Visme, you can use any video template in three different sizes — wide, square and vertical. You can also choose a custom size for your video if you don’t want to go with these three options.

TV commercials and mini-documentaries should look good on all devices, from the smallest handheld phone to giant flat-screen TV. Are you promoting your products and services worldwide? Make sure to localize your message with the correct language and cultural nuances.

3. Don’t Give it All Away

Yes, your promotional videos have a purpose, to sell. But they are also required to keep the audience wanting more. That’s the hook that will entice them to look for you online, check out your website, browse your offers, read about your brand and finally buy.

There’s a fine line between showing what your products and services are good for and not giving it all away. You have to pique the viewer’s curiosity with catchy and engaging visuals, music and message. Leave them thinking about your brand, at least long enough to find you online.

4. Tell a Story

There’s no better way to grab the viewer’s attention during your promotional video than to tap into some storytelling techniques. In fact, storytelling should be at the center of all the marketing strategies your brand puts out into the world. When you tell a story visually, textually or with narration, the viewer feels like they can relate and like you are talking to them directly.

Knowing what story to tell will depend on the market research about your target audience. How are they using your product or products like it, and why? How is your product or service solving a specific problem for a particular person? Frame the video with a beginning, middle and end, making the story progress from one to the other, ending in a resolution.

5. Include a CTA

Last but not least, always include a call-to-action (CTA) in your promo video. This can be a spoken invitation as part of the narration or a visual invitation with your contact details. The point is that people should finish seeing your video and know exactly how and where to find you to buy your products or hire your services.

Different placements for your video will have other CTA possibilities. A YouTube outro, for example, should say “subscribe,” “visit our website,” or something of the sort. For example, bite-size ads and social media videos shared on Instagram can have a link sticker added to them at the time of publication. A TV commercial simply needs a visual of your website URL.

So, if you’re a business owner and you want to create a professional video that will get you those kinds of results, it’s the perfect time to contact with kennysoft STUDIOs.

With our state-of-the-art equipment and marketing savvy, our team of experts knows what it takes to create a high-quality video that will impress your customers and help you reach your marketing goals!