How to Create a Video Marketing Strategy that Converts

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in September 2019 and was updated with additional information in August 2023.

For a few years now, video content has been dominating the digital marketing space, making a strong video marketing strategy essential to stay competitive. Forbes is projecting it to take up more than 80% of internet traffic. To thrive in this landscape, content marketers must move beyond using video merely as a promotional tool. Instead, they should focus content marketing on leveraging unique video features to captivate and resonate with audiences.

In the past, we’ve discussed ways to use video to ignite your marketing campaigns. If you’ve already explored different types of videos to build your brand, business, and bottom line, it’s time to brainstorm other unique video efforts to stay ahead of the competition. To stand out, optimize your video content. Tailor videos to your target audience, employing keywords and aligning them with your overall marketing strategy. Metrics are crucial for assessing success—track metrics like conversion rates and ROI to continually refine your approach.

Producing high-quality videos is vital, but distribution is equally important. Tailor content for various social media platforms to maximize visibility and engagement. It has the potential to drive conversions, enhance visibility through SEO optimization, and encourage audience interaction on social channels. In essence, by embracing innovation, strategic optimization, and audience understanding, you can elevate your video marketing efforts and achieve heightened brand visibility and engagement.

The Importance of Effective Video Marketing Strategies

In today’s fast-paced digital environment, businesses must embrace video marketing strategies that effectively connect with their audience and achieve measurable results. Utilizing structured data video tools can enhance discoverability, making it easier for your content to stand out in search results and reach the right viewers.

A clear digital video strategy ensures that each video aligns with your brand’s overall goals, from building awareness to driving conversions. Employing diverse video marketing tactics, such as customizing thumbnails and integrating annotations, can significantly improve audience engagement and retention.

To create impactful campaigns, businesses should develop a comprehensive video content marketing strategy incorporating storytelling, audience targeting, and SEO optimization. Crafting a strong video advertising strategy further amplifies your reach, allowing you to promote content effectively across multiple platforms.

For actionable guidance, focus on practical marketing video tips, such as tailoring content to your audience’s preferences and analyzing performance metrics to refine future efforts. By leveraging these tips for video marketing, brands can ensure their efforts drive meaningful results and remain competitive in the evolving digital landscape.

5 Best Practices When Creating Video Marketing Content

In the video, crafting a successful video marketing strategy requires careful planning and execution. Whether you’re producing a live video, a polished video ad, or incorporating influencer marketing, the goal is to make your video resonate with your audience. Start by focusing on high-quality video content, ensuring it aligns with your brand and objectives. Attention to detail is crucial, from editing your video effectively to strategically deciding when to add video to your campaigns. Incorporating online video into the right type of marketing is a proven way to create engagement, drive video views, and set the stage for your future video initiatives.

Use Structured Data for Livestream Content

Google recently introduced a new way for online users and businesses to markup their livestream video content using indexing API and structured data. These tools make it easier to publish your video with better visibility in Search and Assistant. The red "live" badge on Google Search is a standout feature, helping your content stand out and increasing video performance.

Structured data for livestreams can be used for video game streams, sporting events, and awards shows. For businesses, integrating this tool into your digital marketing strategy ensures your video might reach a broader audience. Platforms like YouTube and other video platforms like Twitch benefit from this optimization, offering an effective way to enhance your video marketing campaign.

Add Closed Captions to Videos to Improve SEO

As digital platforms become saturated with short-form video content and other types of videos you create, it’s crucial to stand out. Closed captions improve accessibility and help viewers engage with your video without sound—an essential consideration, as 85% of video is watched on mute.

Closed captions also boost SEO by embedding text metadata into your content, making ranking your videos easier for search engines. For example, adding captions to an explainer video or animated video ensures a richer experience for all audiences. This strategy enhances your video marketing campaign while driving traffic to your site.

Integrating captions into your video editing process improves your video goals and aligns with your broader content strategy. By analyzing video metrics, you can identify how captions influence retention and engagement across platforms like YouTube and TikTok. Thus, closed captions are an indispensable part of designing your video marketing strategy.

Integrate Website Annotations to Drive Traffic

Annotations are powerful tools for video marketers who want to connect their content with a broader audience. By layering links and text onto videos, you can seamlessly promote your video without interrupting the viewer experience. Annotations are especially effective in short-form video content, directing traffic to landing pages or additional resources.

Annotations also align with modern social media marketing strategy trends. When used thoughtfully, they can guide viewers to related content, such as a two-minute video introduction to a product or a detailed ultimate guide to video marketing. Pair annotations with insights from video analytics to refine your approach and ensure they complement your marketing team’s goals.

Whether you’re sharing an AI-powered video or a series of educational clips, annotations provide an effective tool that can help expand your reach and increase engagement. 

Design Custom Thumbnails to Attract Viewers

Custom thumbnails are essential for grabbing attention and encouraging viewers to watch your videos. Like a mini-billboard, thumbnails can entice users to click and see your video. To maximize impact, design high-resolution thumbnails that align with the kind of video you’re creating. A catchy title or headline is equally important, but avoid misleading titles or clickbait, which can harm your brand’s reputation.

Thumbnails are a crucial part of the video creation process, offering a preview of your content while increasing its appeal. For example, they work particularly well on social media video platforms, where users scroll quickly and need visually compelling reasons to stop and engage. Thoughtfully crafted thumbnails not only improve click-through rates but also enhance overall viewer retention.

Create End Screens to Promote Additional Video Content

End screens are a versatile feature that can amplify the impact of the existing video content you’ve created. By appearing in the final seconds of a video, they allow you to put your video in front of an engaged audience and drive further interaction. Use them to link to related playlists, websites, or other calls to action that align with your video goals.

These customizable screens enable you to highlight key elements of your video marketing campaign. Whether promoting a one-video feature or a library of content, end screens provide a seamless transition to keep viewers engaged. For example, you could guide viewers to a detailed explainer video or a video-a-week series that aligns with your broader content strategy.

Experimenting with timing and placement using video editing software ensures your end screens feel natural and unobtrusive. Analyze their effectiveness using video analytics, and refine your approach to maximize viewer retention and drive conversions.

Choose WSI for Your Video Marketing Strategy

Now that 87% of businesses use video as a marketing tool, savvy businesses that take their video marketing above and beyond will be the ones that maintain a competitive edge. The importance of successful video marketing has become undeniable. The noise and competition surrounding video marketing have definitely increased in the past year, and it’s time for businesses to invest in the right areas to stay ahead. As social media channels, particularly platforms like LinkedIn, become key arenas for reaching audiences, mastering the art of impactful video content is paramount. Videos play a dynamic role in brand communication; staying up to date with the latest trends is no longer an option but a requirement. Regularly revisiting and refining your video marketing strategy ensures successful video marketing.

Make sure to get your video out there and launch compelling video campaigns that effectively engage with your audience. Taking your video marketing to the next level requires creating diverse types of content that resonate with your viewers. These efforts will help you improve your video production and ensure your video content remains top-notch. Keep these tips in mind to polish your videos and help businesses establish a strong connection with their audience. By providing valuable content for your audience, you can help increase engagement and find ways to maximize your video marketing impact.

Do your best to stay updated with the latest trends, and keep coming back to your video marketing strategy to see how you can enhance your content and take it to the next level.

WSI is here to help you stay ahead of the latest trends and ensure your efforts align with a strong video marketing strategy. Ready to get started? Contact your local WSI Consultant today.