Video Marketing Rule #1: Know Your Target Audience
Video marketing – like other types of advertising – only succeeds when you know how to appeal to your target market. Oftentimes, you can apply the same rules of other types of advertising to video in order to get the best result and get the most out of your marketing efforts. Knowing how your key demographic reacts to certain material is key in developing a successful video marketing strategy. Figuring out who you are creating a video for is sometimes more important than producing the video itself.
1. Create a marketing persona for your key demographic.
One of the main reasons you are creating a video is to connect instantly with your key demographic using the most powerful marketing tool available. The best way to target your ideal customer is to use visual and audio cues that make him or her relate to the video in an emotional way. Create a marketing persona to find out exactly who you’re producing this video for, and why. Ask questions like, “What kind of music does my customer listen to?” “How many kids does he/she have?” “What is his/her financial situation?” “What television programs does he/she like?” These kinds of questions will help you tune in to exactly how your target market is feeling and how they might react to certain stimuli.
2. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
If at first you don’t succeed, don’t be afraid to try something new. The same video material won’t work for everyone, and it won’t work forever. Experiment with different styles and moods; different camera angles, voiceovers, and music. Find out what your target market is talking about; what are the latest trends? Test two or three different videos to find out which generates the most response and the highest conversion rate. However, you should be wary of what may offend or upset your key demographic – you don’t want to turn anybody off with a controversial video.
3. Don’t forget a clear call to action!
The most creative video in the world still might not sell your brand. Powerful images, emotional music, or a persuasive spokesperson are useless in your video if you don’t have a clear call to action. No matter how funny, cute, or inspirational your video may be, you are wasting your money if your customers don’t know what to do when it’s over. A call to action can be as simple as “act now” or “tell a friend.” As long as the video moves your target audience to do something you want, you’ve got a good call to action.
In most cases, simply asking as many questions as possible about your ideal customer can help you to know your target audience, and determine how to create a video that will bring them to your business. Without truly connecting with your key demographic, you are just creating another boring YouTube clip that will reach no one. If you need help creating a video that will appeal to your target audience, contact the experienced staff at In Focus Studios.
