The essential checklist for new video marketers

Video marketing is huge right now, and it's no surprise to us just how essential it's become for effective digital marketing strategies.

Video is easy to consume, it's a great way to engage your customers, improve your marketing performance and ultimately grow your business.

We understand that to those new to the medium of video marketing, the prospect of learning a new skill make seem daunting. Creating a video is an involved process, with plenty of planning necessary to create that perfect tailored content.

However, we believe that video is perfect for any size of business, and want to help as many people as we can find success through this powerful medium. That's why we have created this checklist for everything you need to consider before you pick up a video camera.

So, before you grab your gear and start making content, first ask yourself these questions:

1. Who is your audience?

Your desired audience will determine the type of video content you'll create. If you produce videos before figuring out who your audience is, you'll have no idea whether or not they'll be effective.

Useless videos are a waste of time and money, so always make sure to know your audience first. Do some audience research, think of your target customers, and that will give you a good idea of who your audience is.

Invest time in profiling your customers, really understanding who they are, and importantly, where they visit online. It is also vital to think about their needs and wants, and how your product or service helps solve their problem.

This is a great starting point in working out what you want to create. Remember, it's not about you, it's about your audience and how you can best serve them. Always keep your audience at the forefront of your mind.

2. What do you want your video to achieve?

What should your video accomplish?

Do you want to educate, entertain or sell a product? Is this video a means to get more clients, or to retain your existing clients? Perhaps this is a means to recruit more employees or create a new sales tool for your current employees?

Video is a hugely powerful medium with many uses, helping with a multitude of aspects of business. So make sure you plan and create your video with a specific goal in mind. Focus on your primary business goals first and then start from there.

3. What topics will you cover?

Before you start filming, you need to have a plan of what you're going to do over the course of that video.

The pre-production of filming is probably the most important step of your entire filming process. It's essential to know what your video will discuss, so that when it's time to record, you know exactly what you need to do.

Your plan doesn't need to be precise down to the smallest detail, but you should at least have a solid outline of what you'll be talking about and what you'll be showing visually.

If you're comfortable memorising and reciting lines, feel free to write a script. However, it's important to be natural and conversational in your videos.

So perhaps instead, develop some talking points or topics that you'll want to cover, then naturally converse about them on camera without a script. Natural conversation is a more appealing to your audience as it comes across as more genuine and less like a sales pitch.

4. What resources do you have?

You need to think about what resources you'll have to acquire or create, to produce your video content.

Do you have an audio/visual production team that can film and edit the video, or will you be doing it yourself? Do you have enough budget to hire a freelance video producer or are you going to purchase the equipment and software to create and edit the video yourself?

Also, ask yourself how much time you have to devote to filming, editing and promoting your video. If you don't know the first thing about producing video content, do you have the time and patience to take courses and learn how to use all the necessary tools and equipment?

The head count, budget, skill level and time you have at your disposal, will determine how far your video content can go. It'll decide whether you're able to invest in creating higher end animated videos for example, or whether you should start with a simpler, more straightforward type video recorded on your phone.

HubSpot multimedia content strategist Megan Conley was asked what she recommends for marketers who are just starting out. She noted the importance of allotting resources to make your first marketing video as comprehensive as he can be. Video, at the end of the day, is about investment.

Not just in money, but also in time and commitment. Yet that investment will pay dividends once you grow and expand your audience over time, by producing content that truly serves your audience needs and turns browsers into customers.

We hope that this checklist gets your gears turning and inspires you to think about what video you can create for your business.

_For more information and help, check out our free YouTube resource.

Download our free business video guide here.

Connect with me on Enterprise Nation, and join the Video (and Digital) Marketing group.