Video 101: How (and Why) to Start Using Video Marketing for Your Business

Are you a watcher or a reader?

According to HubSpot Blogs research, 66% of consumers have watched video content (i.e., product demos, reviews, FAQs, unboxings, etc.) to learn about a brand or product.

So, what’s holding you back from using more video in your marketing strategy? If you think video is:

Too complicated,
Too expensive, or
Not worth the effort,

You’re missing out on one of the most effective ways to communicate with — and convert — your audience. Keep reading to learn more about why you should consider video as an essential part of your marketing and sales strategy. Then, we’ll discuss applications, how much it costs and how to get started — even on a tight budget.

Why Is Video Important in Sales and Marketing?

Here’s a quick snapshot of the state of video consumption:

On average, people watch 17 hours of online videos per week.
People are 52% more likely to share videos than any other type of content.
92% of marketers surveyed said video gives them a good return on their investment.

Consumers today expect on-demand information and desire authenticity from brands. Fewer people are willing to connect with a salesperson—at least not until late in the buying process. Showing real people and providing real-time answers to questions can be a powerful way to demonstrate your awareness of your audience.

We’re not suggesting that video should be the only method you use to connect with your customers, but it’s a key strategy you can use for both sales and marketing communications.

What Can I Use Video for?

Think beyond the traditional “about us” video and focus on how you can create value to serve your audience best. Here’s a short list with just a few end-uses for your video:

Product demo videos - show your product and how it works or explain how to get started with it after purchase.
FAQ videos - walk through common questions and answers about your product or service.
Explainer videos - choose a topic, any topic, and walk through it for your audience.
Customer testimonials - have a happy customer? Show them on camera as they discuss what they love about working with or buying from you.
Virtual tour videos - great for real estate, hospitality or senior living; use this type of video to give viewers a look at your space.
Drone footage videos - if your physical location or facility is a selling point, show it off with drone video. This type of footage is also great to combine with any of the other videos on this list.
Cost videos - address cost questions and concerns head-on with a video outlining what customers can expect to pay. /li>
Upsell/cross-sell videos - send these videos to your targeted list of customers and offer customized product or service suggestions for their next steps.
Recruitment videos - from employee testimonials to culture spotlights, video is one of the best ways to show off your brand and provide transparency for prospective hires.
Animated or whiteboard videos - great for difficult-to-explain or abstract concepts, a whiteboard video uses graphics and characters to tell a story.

How Much Does Video Marketing Cost?

Some companies shy away from video marketing because they picture a Spielberg-level setup and the costs that come with it. In reality, video marketing can be done on nearly any budget.

There are two main options for creating your video strategy: doing it yourself or hiring an expert. Both have different costs and pros and cons to consider.

DIY video is great for quick clips, authentic messaging and small-scale strategies. For sales videos, free tools like Loom will often get the job done. For other marketing videos, a smartphone with a decent camera can suffice.

However, DIY video has its limitations. You still need to do all the planning, shooting, production and editing, and promotion on your own. For the highest video quality, a professional camera is a better option, along with lights, a green screen, sound equipment and more. If you want to invest in a quality video setup, plan to spend anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000 just on equipment.

If you’re interested in whiteboard or animated videos, you’ll also need specific software to create them. Simple options are available, but making them match your brand style can be challenging. True animated videos are a different story — they’re custom and require hiring a professional.

Hiring a professional videographer can seem like a higher cost upfront, but when you factor in time, travel, strategy, setup, production and editing, and more, you may find that it’s a better value.

How Should I Plan My Video Strategy?

If you’re hiring a professional, ensure that they’re doing this upfront planning and strategy work for you. If not, or if you’re doing the production yourself, you’ll need to consider the following to map out how your video should be created. Again, planning ahead is essential to ensure you aren’t wasting time or money.

One mistake we often see is when a company tries to do the video shoot themselves but doesn’t have a clear plan of what they are going to shoot. The end result can be messy and incohesive — something that could have been avoided if there had been an initial plan in place.

Steps to Creating a Video Marketing Strategy

Strategy first: Think about your target audience, goals and vision. The key to producing efficient, effective videos is having the right strategy in place first.
Pre-production planning: Map out the who, what, when, where and how. Put together a storyboard that conveys the end result, so you can begin to envision how the shots will work together.
Production: Time for action! On the day of the shoot, follow your schedule to provide minimal interruption to your team’s workflow and ensure you get the shots you need.
Post-production editing: Use your editing software of choice to cut, edit and produce your video or videos.
Posting & distribution: Based on your strategy, your videos are ready for distribution on your social channels, emails, video platforms or website.