Video is an outstanding tool to bring your brand personality to life and create a memorable impression. There are few other mediums that enable you to humanize your story in the same way.

It’s no wonder the use and demand for video in marketing has grown exponentially in recent years. A HubSpot article states that in early 2017, Wyzowl found that 63% of businesses were using video as a marketing tool and by early 2019 that number has increased to 87%.1 Over 1 billion hours of video are watched on YouTube daily. 2

At the same time, professionally produced video can be a significant investment, especially if it includes original footage. That means it’s imperative to develop a game plan and consider multiple ways to repurpose your video before you even get started. And, by following video planning best practices, you’ll be able to maximize your investment.

Download a summary of this article to start your video plans – Video Marketing Guide: Maximize Your Video Investment.

Follow These 3 Steps to Maximize Your Video Investment

Step 1: Plan Ahead – developing a detailed plan for your video production may seem like extra work. However, in the long run, it will save you time and money. Use these questions as a starting point for your planning process:

  1. What is the goal of your video(s)?
  2. Who is your target audience(s)?
  3. Where and how will it be used or shared? Website? Landing page? Social media? Video mailer? Sales meeting or sales calls? Special presentation or event? Online advertising?
  4. What content do you want to feature?
  5. What approach or style do you want to take? Product promotion? Corporate overview? Testimonials? Interviews? Scripted? Explainer video?
  6. What approximate length will work best for your needs?
  7. Will one video accomplish your goals, or will several shorter videos work harder for you?
  8. Consider whether you have multiple uses for video so you can maximize your shooting time and budget. For example, if you are shooting footage for a corporate overview for sales, can you also shoot individual product videos or even employee recruitment and welcome videos at the same time?
  9. What do you want your audience to do as a result of viewing the video? What will your call to action be?
  10. What is your budget? If the video is multipurpose or can be repurposed, perhaps more than one department can share in the costs?
  11. Will you be able to produce your video with in-house resources or do you need a creative agency partner?
  12. Who will need to review/approve the video content?

Step 2: Outline Your Content – create a written plan that you can share with your stakeholders to get their input and buy-in before you start shooting. This will help you ensure that your messaging is on target and you obtain all the footage you’ll need to create your video. It may include some of the following elements:

  1. Introduction and overview that identifies the purpose, target audience and background.
  2. Content outline and/or key messages to be covered in the script.
  3. List of potential interviewees (include names and titles) and questions for interviewees.
  4. List of potential video shots. Consider what B-roll you may need to tell your story so you can maximize your shooting day.
  5. Stock video footage list. Consider whether you will need to purchase stock video to augment your original video.
  6. Identify shoot locations, include addresses and important contacts with phone numbers.
  7. High-level timeline for the overall production.
  8. Shorter term timing for the video shoot day or days.
  9. Identify any other products, props or equipment you will need.

Step 3: Scout Locations & Plan Shots – Share all the above information with your video production team, so they can determine what equipment they’ll need for your shoot. Visit the shoot location(s) prior to video day, so you’ll be organized to make the best use of your interviewees’ and video crew’s time.

  1. If you are shooting at multiple locations, determine the best flow for efficiency.
  2. Plan the timing and order for your interviews and shots, including B-roll.
  3. Provide participants with the timeline and content outline/questions ahead of time so they are prepared.
  4. Determine logistics for equipment unloading and loading and if there are any special requirements or permissions.
  5. If you can afford a stylist, that’s great. If not, bring a basic makeup kit, including matte foundation and powder to match participants’ skin tones.
  6. Determine if your marketing will benefit from still photos of any of the subjects or scenes and plan for that as well.
  7. Consider sending your video out for transcription to facilitate a faster editing process. This will enable you to more easily identify the best sound bites.

By planning and thinking through the goals, approach, key messages and uses for your video, your production will be smooth and efficient. And, you’ll also be able to get the most out of your video investment.

See this example of video planning in action.

1 https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/state-of-video-marketing-new-data
2 https://www.youtube.com/yt/about/press/