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You’re proud of your company and the work you do, and you want to tell more people about it. That’s great! You could order a megaphone on Amazon or hire a skywriter, but there’s a much better way to get your message across to the right people—video marketing.
Now before we pick up the camera, we have some important work to do. Video marketing is all about targeting. Who are you trying to talk to? How old are they? Where do they live? Should you take a buttoned-up approach to your messaging or do you want to be more casual and relaxed?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed—don’t worry. We have created a short assessment to help you figure out how to reach your ideal prospects. It’s called The Targeting 10: How to Target the Right Audience, and it contains the most important questions to ask to inform your video marketing.
If you want to reach Gen Z—which includes people born between 1997 and 2012—you’ll need to consider video marketing on several social media platforms. For example, nearly 26 percent of total users on Instagram are between the ages of 18-24. They also make up nearly half of the total users on TikTok—an app that the average user opens 19 times a day! You’ll find them on other platforms too: 20 percent of users on LinkedIn are between the ages of 18-24.
If you want to reach Millennials—people born between 1981 and 1996—you should definitely consider video marketing on Instagram and Facebook. As of the spring of 2023, 28 percent of Instagram users were between the ages of 25-34. This age range also makes up the largest audience on Facebook in the United States—and nearly half of those users are women.
If you want to reach people between the ages of 35 and 50 through marketing videos, you need to consider both older Millennials and younger Gen Xers. This is one of the most wide-ranging groups in terms of the platforms they use online. They are active on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn—and yes they are also hanging out on the Tok! People ages 40-49 account for 20.3% of TikTok users.
You will need to be strategic to reach these users through video on digital and social platforms. They are active online, but in much smaller percentages than younger users. For example, did you know that only 2 percent of LinkedIn users are 55 or older? And, people ages 65+ account for only 4.7 percent of Instagram users. However, there is one channel where they are most active: 71 percent of people aged 50 and older reported using Facebook. They also account for 11 percent of users on TikTok.
Video marketing to a rural audience needs to have a down-home feel: People want to feel a connection to your brand in a way that feels authentic and genuine to them. They also may not be familiar with your brand: It’s up to you to introduce your business and allow them to get to know you. Make sure your marketing speaks to their daily life. For example, marketing videos or commercials could showcase local homeowners in the area.
Video marketing to an urban audience should mirror their faster-paced lifestyle. Your messaging should be concise and attention-grabbing. Highlight the diverse demographics and interests of the audience and use imagery that reflects where they live, such as an apartment complex or a city street. Show how your products or services fit in with their urban lifestyle, such as easy access, multiple delivery options, or compatibility with city living.
While preferences can vary, men generally respond to messaging that is confident, relatable, and relevant to their interests. They appreciate honesty and sincerity. If you are creating video content geared toward a male audience, don’t try to be something you’re not—and don’t over-exaggerate. Consider specific industry jargon or terms that you can use to make your message more relatable. Don’t be passive or uncertain: Be clear about the value that you bring, avoid stereotypes, and try to be inclusive.
While preferences can vary, women generally respond to messaging that is empathetic and empowering. They appreciate empathy and understanding. Your video marketing should acknowledge their challenges and aspirations. Be authentic, relatable, positive, and empowering. Encourage community and connection: Use storytelling to create a deeper bond between your audience and your brand.
When creating video marketing content for an audience of both women and men, consider how you can appeal to both demographics. Men generally respond to messaging that is confident, relatable, and relevant to their interests. They appreciate honesty and sincerity. Women generally respond to messaging that is empathetic and empowering. They appreciate empathy and understanding. Your marketing should be a good balance in tone, being honest and to the point while also being authentic and positive.
If you are marketing to a smaller, niche audience, consider highly targeted marketing that is personalized and tailored. Your video content should give the basics of who you are and what you do, and focus on building a meaningful connection. Speak directly to your audience’s pain points, challenges, and needs. Use niche-specific language and demonstrate expertise.
If you are marketing to a larger audience, keep your messaging clear, concise, and inclusive. Focus your video content on the benefits and solutions that you provide and showcase the versatility of your product or service. You can create compelling storytelling videos that can be used across multiple marketing channels.
To achieve this level of targeting, consider using programmatic geotargeting and weather-based marketing strategies. For example, geotargeting allows you to tailor your video ads to a specific geographic area, such as a particular zip code, city, or region, and deliver relevant messages and promotions to a specific local audience. You can do this through digital ad campaigns on Google Ads and Facebook Ads, as well as through location-based mobile ads.
To reach people based on their age and interests, use a combination of segmentation and personalization in your marketing strategies. Segmentation involves dividing your audience into groups based on characteristics like age, interests and hobbies, and demographics like marital status or income level. Once you have defined the segments that make the most sense for your business, you can personalize your video marketing content for each group.
If you are able to market to a broad audience, a mass marketing strategy may be the most effective choice for your business. Mass marketing involves creating a single marketing message or campaign that can appeal to a wide, diverse audience. Focus your video content on common needs, desires, or challenges that are shared by multiple segments of your audience and try to create clear, straightforward messaging that is easy to understand.
If your client’s average ticket is less than $50, you can serve them less ads. For example, your target audience may already be a fan of KFC. They see an ad online and it reminds them of your brand—and maybe they visit their local KFC for dinner that day. Your buyer only needs one touchpoint to complete the sales cycle. Because you can sell to anyone, your marketing can be broad.
If your client’s average ticket is between $50 to $500, they will need several marketing touchpoints to complete the buyer’s journey. Let’s say you sell wireless speakers. Your prospective buyers may be researching other brands online or looking for the best price and value. They may need to see ads from your business multiple times in order to ultimately make a purchase.
If your client’s average ticket is between $501-1000 or more than $1000, such as a new car, your customer journey can be long. Your prospective buyers need to receive multiple marketing messages and touchpoints from your company that positively shape their view of your brand and your trustworthiness. Your marketing should be directed toward a specific audience and include frequent ads.
Professional branding aligns well with a channel like LinkedIn, a professional networking platform. This is a space where you can share thought leadership content, industry insights, and updates related to your field. Videos that are professional in tone can perform well on LinkedIn if they maintain a high standard of production quality, are relevant and valuable to your audience, and showcase your expertise.
When you want people to associate your brand with humor, your best bet for marketing is to focus on social media channels like Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook, as well as YouTube. If you want to incorporate humor into your marketing, consider using videos to create a memorable and positive impression of your brand.
Focus on marketing channels that allow you to showcase acts of kindness, social responsibility, and empathy. For example, share stories, photos, and videos on Facebook and Instagram that highlight your brand’s services. Use Instagram Stories and Reels to take users behind the scenes, and use platforms like YouTube to share longer-form videos that tell emotionally compelling stories.
To showcase the knowledge of your team, turn to video. Create educational videos, tutorials, or explainers that demonstrate your brand’s expertise and provide value to your audience. Short, informative videos that address common industry challenges can be used on channels like LinkedIn and Instagram. The more valuable and well-researched content you provide will position your brand as a knowledgeable authority in your industry.
Product videos can showcase the features, benefits, and uses of your products. This helps potential customers visualize the product and make informed decisions. Explainer videos can demonstrate how your products solve your customers’ specific problems or needs.
Video marketing is a powerful tool for brand awareness. For example, a brand introduction video can introduce your company’s mission, values, and unique selling points—in just minutes, viewers can quickly understand what your company is all about. You can use video to explain your products and services, give behind-the-scenes footage of your company culture, and share testimonials and customer success stories.
Video marketing can support your recruiting efforts by showcasing your company culture, values, and opportunities to potential candidates. Here are some examples: ● Company culture videos ● Employee testimonials ● Recruitment stories ● Day-in-the-Life videos ● Messages from the company founder/CEO ● Virtual office tours ● Job-specific video campaigns
Video marketing can be a highly effective way of showcasing what your company does. You can create videos that use animations, graphics, or live-action footage to visually illustrate how your services solve specific problems. Product or service demonstrations can highlight key features, benefits, and use cases that will help your audience understand their value. Other types of videos that might be helpful include: ● How It Works videos ● Whiteboard or animated presentations ● Client case studies ● Comparison videos ● Benefits and value proposition videos ● Storytelling videos ● FAQ videos ● Client testimonials
Video is a great tool for educating your audience and establishing your brand as a valuable—and credible—source of knowledge. You can create step-by-step tutorial videos that guide your viewers through a specific process, task, or skill. Explainer videos can help you break down complex concepts, technologies, or ideas into simple terms. Product deep dive videos can showcase the unique features and functionality of your products or services and showcase their value. The sky's the limit!
Email marketing can be a useful tool for audience growth and engagement, but it is limited. For example, the reach of your email relies on the size of your existing list. It may take time to expand your reach and attract a larger audience.
Even if you are sending emails to a large audience, there’s risk involved. If you send too many emails, your subscribers may get tired of hearing from you and opt out. Also consider that people’s email habits are changing—some users may rarely check their personal inbox and use messaging apps or social media for their communication instead.
While there’s no reason to stop email marketing if you are seeing some value from it, consider how you could take those same messages and share them in a different way, like video marketing through organic social media channels or paid ad campaigns.
Traditional marketing may be an effective tool for your business, but there are challenges. For example, traditional marketing lacks precise targeting capabilities. You can blast your message to a wide audience, but not everyone who sees or hears it will need or even be interested in your product or service. TV, radio, and print ads can also be expensive without a great way of measuring your return on investment.
If you feel there is value to traditional marketing for your business, that’s great: We are not telling you to stop! But consider how many more people you could reach with digital marketing tools like video. Video content can be used across many online channels and targeted to the exact people you want to reach in certain demographics.
Social media marketing, whether you have a small or large audience, can be a great way of sharing updates with current and prospective customers, showcasing your company culture, and building your brand online. There are some challenges: Social media platforms change their algorithms frequently—usually without rhyme or reason—which can affect the visibility of posts to your audience. Organic reach can be extremely difficult to maintain or grow.
If you have an established following on a platform like Facebook or Instagram, don’t stop now: But consider bringing video content into the mix. Video tends to generate higher engagement rates compared to text or static image posts, plus video gives you an opportunity for better brand storytelling.
If you are finding success on a video platform like YouTube, that’s awesome! Now think about how else you could be using and repurposing that video content to find success on other channels. For example, Instagram offers several types of video options, including Stories and Reels, to share content with your audience. Facebook offers live video, short clips, and longer-form video options. Those channels allow you to share video content along with strong calls-to-action that will prompt your viewers to learn more about your brand and what you can offer them.
If your service or product requires minimal trust, you may need less extensive marketing, but potential clients still need to be aware of your brand. Some level of marketing is necessary to introduce what you offer—whether that is pencils, a hamburger, or a cup of coffee—to your target audience. You’ll also want to consider how you can set your brand apart in terms of what makes it unique, your pricing, the convenience of your product or service, and so on.
Even if minimal trust is required for that initial purchase, marketing efforts can encourage repeat business and customer loyalty.
If your service or product requires a moderate level of trust from your clients, you need a balanced and well-executed marketing approach to establish credibility, build trust, and encourage sales. Your clients need some level of assurance before making a marketing decision. You can use a mix of content to establish this trust, from educational content and customer testimonials to using high-quality visuals and videos to showcase your products or services.
If your service or product requires a lot of trust from your clients, such as a new roof for your house or a car seat for your infant, you need to invest significantly in your marketing efforts to establish credibility, build trust, and foster strong relationships. High-trust services or products usually involve making a more complex or sensitive decision, and your prospective clients need reassurance before committing to your brand. You can focus on providing in-depth educational content, such as explainer videos, that demonstrates your expertise and helps your clients make well-informed decisions.
If your service or product requires an extremely high level of trust, your marketing efforts need to be extensive, strategic, and focused on building credibility. You can use a variety of tools, including video content, to help reassure your clients before making a decision, whether you create videos that showcase your team’s expertise, credentials, and qualifications or testimonials from reputable experts in the field who can speak to the reliability of your product or service.
You’ll also need to carefully consider the channels where you market your services: For example, you’d probably not advertise your hospital on TikTok or Snapchat. You will want to market across many different, and relevant, channels to make sure your messaging gets across to the people you want to serve. As you are building trust over time, you need to ensure you have multiple touchpoints with prospective clients online.
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