Video is king in the world of digital marketing. From Tik Toks to YouTube videos, video content continues to be one of the key ways to engage with your audience and grow your customer base. But, making video content is also one of your marketing plan’s most challenging and time-consuming aspects.
Viewers can quickly discern if your video content is authentic or just a far-reaching attempt to be relevant, and even a quick 30-second video involves production, scripting, and editing. As a leading video marketing agency in Philadelphia, we hear from our clients all the time about their struggles with video marketing.Authenticity in your markets can take several forms, but ultimately it has to do with shifting from “selling” to providing “value.” The most authentic brands understand what their audience is looking for and deliver their video content in an empathetic and targeted way as they think about what their customers think, feel, and want. When your video content is authentic, you’ll notice your audience engages more and will take action based on your value — not just your product.If you want to make your video content truly authentic, consider these tips to ensure you create successful content.
Understand your brand
Before you can be authentic to your brand, you need to understand what your brand is and what authenticity looks like in your video content. You should ask yourself, “what is the purpose of this content?” and “what pain point am I addressing?” Make sure you understand your value proposition and how you can differentiate yourself. Being authentic to your brand means truly understanding your mission and how your service or product fits in with the market. It’s less about selling your product and more about understanding the value you provide to your customers. You should keep this in mind as you create your video content.
Understand your audience
While it might seem counterintuitive, your brand’s value is derived from your audience. What your audience thinks is valuable trumps what you personally see as value. Do the research and understand what your audience is looking for. Is it short, quirky video clips that are easily scrollable? Or is it more in-depth tutorials that highlight your product or service and its value? A video marketing agency in Philadelphia like Padula Media can help you do this research to make sure you’re resonating with your audience in all your video content. We can help you understand your audience by conducting competitor research to audience analysis, so you send the right message every time. Without a proper understanding of your audience, your video content is unlikely to reach its full potential.
Embrace spontaneity
Being authentic means capturing the unscripted moments that show the genuineness of your business. It can often feel uncomfortable to pull the curtain back and go off the cuff, but it’s exactly what people look for when judging a content’s authenticity. Audiences can discern how much your video content is scripted or pre-planned. But capturing those unscripted and spontaneous moments will ensure your content has an authentic, less produced feel that resonates with audiences in today’s digital world.
Show, don’t tell
Big mistake brands can make when creating their video content is by telling their audience about their brand without actually showing them. At Padula Media, a video marketing agency in Philadelphia, we walk our clients through the storyboarding process to ensure their video content provides value to their audience through real-life situations and valuable content. Instead of just putting a talking head in front of a camera and reading a script, we encourage our clients to create video content that invites engagement. We’ve seen that this type of authentic content drives better results and resonates deeper with digital audiences.
Stay true to your values
Does your video content reflect your company’s values and core mission? In all of your communication, you should strive as a brand to speak consistently to what your company stands for. Today’s younger generation is keen to notice when companies stray from their values or are performatively trying to fit in with what is trendy or popular. By keeping a laser focus on your own values, your video content will be perceived as authentic. This is why doing the initial research and exploration into your brand’s values is key before diving deeper into video content production.
Speak your mind (respectfully)
Taking a stand or speaking your mind in your video content can help bolster authenticity and trustworthiness among your audience. Your audience wants to see in your video content that you’re not just a script-reading robot without thoughts or feelings. Whether it’s responding to current events or speaking directly to the customer, authentic video content will feel sincere and direct. By working with a video marketing agency in Philadelphia like Padula Media, you’ll have a partner in creating content to respond quickly and genuinely.
Consistency is key
Consistency is key with any type of digital marketing, and this holds especially true with video content. This doesn’t just mean consistency with the frequency of your content. You also have to be consistent with the messaging and tone of your video content. If you pivot between serious and funny, your audience will be confused about what you’re trying to accomplish. You’ll be seen as less authentic and, therefore, less trustworthy as a brand. One way to ensure consistency is to plan out your content in advance. This will allow you to see the big picture of your content calendar and how your audience will perceive it as a whole.
Creating authentic and consistent video content is a challenge many companies struggle with. It can feel overwhelming to tackle video content without help from the strategy to the execution. If you’re looking for a video marketing agency in Philadelphia, we can help. Through brand storytelling and strategic planning, we can help you develop video content that will resonate with your audience and grow your business. Contact us today to get started!