6 tips for improving your video marketing 

1. Know your brand

Video marketing is no longer exclusive to brands with unlimited budgets. Gone are the days of working exclusively with huge crews and expensive equipment. That said, it’s challenging to stand out from the crowd.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is copying other brands’ video marketing. It’s all too easy for brands to blend in and start to look the same. The solution?

Be fearless, experiment with new ideas, and tailor your approach to your brand’s audience, style, and aesthetic. Video marketing campaigns for Dior and Zara by Fabien Baron showcased beautiful work for both brands. They demonstrated that a good design aesthetic works for all brands, both high and low in the price spectrum.

When selecting video content, stay true to your brand and keep your vision clear so you don’t succumb to mediocre content’s pitfalls. Like anything, there’s poor, good, and excellent stock footage. Stay away from clichéd content at all costs (e.g., hands shaking, models over-smiling at the camera, etc.).

Thankfully, there’s a wealth of stock videos that look nothing like the stock of the past. Stock footage can be as narrative, cinematic, and compelling as custom film shoots.
What you want is a library stocked with premium editorial quality footage that is exclusive and accessible so finding the right stock video clip is a breeze.

The real clincher for differentiation is the option to purchase exclusive extended rights like a Market Freeze. These licensing offerings are invaluable to brands of all sizes in competitive industries as they ensure that the footage licensed cannot be purchased by anyone else.

2. Keep your marketing videos short

The length of your social media videos will depend on the platform and your audience, but as a general guideline, less is more. Today, people have short attention spans and are inundated with endless amounts of content across various media. Today’s videos need to be quick and direct.

A TV commercial is typically 25 seconds; pre-roll on YouTube or the ESPN app is 5-15. The user must immediately understand the message, call to action, or takeaway. Even if the video’s running time is over thirty seconds, get your message on the table within 5.

Look at the mix of visuals within a 30-second commercial: how many of them are there? How varied is the subject matter? Study big brand TV spots and see how they tell a quick story.

3. Set clear campaign goals

Depending on the campaign, your goals might range from increasing brand awareness to generating sales, but no matter what, it’s essential to stay focused on those goals throughout the process. Developing and running video is not an end in and of itself. A set of key performance indicators (KPIs) and measurable metrics is essential before publishing any video content.

Your goals can also help determine what type of video you use, from product demonstrations to how-to content, which is becoming increasingly popular in the age of Skillshare and Udemy. Give your audience something of value, whether it’s educational or entertaining. If you’re aiming to raise awareness, a narrative video telling your brand history or a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of your company could work magic.

4. Get creative with video editing

Think out of the box, include unusual footage, and be creative with your editing. For example, Nike’s recent ‘You Can’t Stop Us’ campaign was technically impressive. Released July 2021, the split-screen campaign paired athletes worldwide through movement with more than 4,000 pieces of footage bringing the montage to life.

There are no limits to editing footage for your marketing, whether it’s stock footage, archival footage, or new material. Mixed media is on the rise. There’s ample space for creative editing combining video, animation, typography, and stills in more exciting ways than ever.

5. Try user-generated video content (UGC)

User-generated content is on the rise, as a recent study from Cloudinary revealed that 58% of respondents are generating more content, including video and written reviews, than last year, with Gen Z and Millennial customers on photos and videos than previous generations.

Many brands are responding to the demand and are embracing UGC by incorporating it into their projects. TikTok-style campaigns are a great example, like American Eagle’s commercial for their 2020 Back to School campaign.

While UGC is more flexible, quality footage is still vital for brands of all sizes and industries. Your production quality will reflect your brand. The demand for video comes down to technology capabilities and consumer behavior on social media. We’re in an era where consumers expect to consume high-quality video content that reflects the culture of the moment. But thankfully, we’ve entered an age of production that doesn’t require the same lengthy timelines, bloated productions, and costly budgets as the past.

6. Stay vigilant on video trends

Video content on TikTok looks different from content on Instagram Stories, which in turn differs from content on Facebook, where videos tend to be longer with less ‘artistry.’ Hence, it sounds obvious, but it is essential to keep the platform in mind when selecting your content.

You can tap into these trends by using stock footage and making it your own. In many cases, ungraded stock footage makes the difference in achieving your brand goals.

Unlike pre-graded footage, ungraded footage allows you to change your visuals’ overall look and feel, keeping your aesthetic consistent throughout your channels. Whether adding elements like branded framing or layering native Instagram design features, the multitude of creative solutions allows you to create a more distinctive look with your stock video assets.

Stocksy is a royalty-free stock media agency specialized in conceptual and authentic visuals that capture the modern world. We are committed to enabling the entire creative class to execute — without compromise — meaningful, forward-thinking work that drives social progress.