CREATING

SUCCESSFUL
ONLINE VIDEOS

HOW-TO GUIDE
 Creating Successful Online Videos
HOW-TO GUIDE

Most humans are visual learners. If you give people a choice between watching a short instructional
video and reading a manual, most will choose the video. Confirming the popularity of video as a
form of content are these numbers: a mind-boggling four billion videos are viewed daily on YouTube,
and 60 hours of new video content is uploaded every minute.

These numbers are more remarkable considering that video was traditionally one of the most
challenging forms of content to create, at least in a quality fashion. It was also one of the most
expensive. Just over a decade ago, bandwidth issues challenged online video adoption.

All of these barriers are gone. We live in a world of social media, 4G mobile data speeds, easy-to-use
video editing and publishing tools, and video-capable smart phones. Publishing and producing
online video continues to get better and easier. Smart brands are exploiting online video as the
channel to engage customers when other channels are ineffective. They provide an opportunity
for your audience to see your brand as something more than a faceless corporation. Online video
represents a way to expand and lock in a new audience for your business.

This How-To Guide explains the purpose behind creating online videos for your brand, provides a
list of key factors in a successful video, details how to measure your success, and outlines an action
plan on how to start creating successful online videos of your own.

Use Demand Metric’s Video Marketing Playbook to empower your video marketing
strategy with proven best practices.

2 CREATING SUCCESSFUL ONLINE VIDEOS HOW-TO GUIDE

Benefits
Here are many compelling reasons to produce and publish online video content. In this section, we’ll
examine the most prominent reasons:

Value
Video production was once the exclusive domain of experienced professionals with expen-
sive, high-end equipment. This made the cost of video very high compared to other forms
of content.
Affordable cameras, even those on the newest smartphones, are now capable of producing
high-quality video.
Editing software is relatively inexpensive and sometimes even free.
Editing software is also user friendly and easy to learn.

Permanence
When posted online, the video is available for viewing indefinitely, until you decide to remove it.
A single video shoot can yield material and clips you can use repeatedly or repurpose.
Older video can have a certain nostalgic value or retro feel that viewers or appreciate.

Shareability
Social media makes posting video online very easy.
Once posted, social media sharing mechanisms help online video find its intended audience.
Likes and sharing activity serve as a gauge for the effectiveness and popularity of all content,
including video.

Reach
Putting videos online makes them accessible to virtually anyone.
Everyone with a smartphone is a potential viewer of your video content.
Online videos can increase your website’s search rankings.
Video attracts visitors to your website and your social media channels.
Prospects and customers will view video content, even while spurning other forms of
marketing content.

3 CREATING SUCCESSFUL ONLINE VIDEOS HOW-TO GUIDE

Key Factors of Successful Videos
To understand the ingredients of a successful online video, consider what has made you favor
any video content you’ve seen. Most of us value videos that are clever, helpful, inspirational and in
almost every case, not too long. While we’ll tolerate videos that lack production quality if the other
ingredients are present, we prefer quality when we can get it.

Keeping these criteria in mind, let’s consider where to place the emphasis when it comes to
producing online video content:

Quality
Make sure the lighting is adequate so that the subjects (people or things) of your video are
easily recognized.
Optimize the audio environment. Subjects that are too far away from the camera microphone
will risk having their audio wash out. Too much background noise will compete with your
subject’s audio.
Avoid “shaky camera syndrome,” which makes your video look amateur. Set the camera on a
solid surface if you can, or invest in a tripod.
As with developing any content, understand who the audience is and produce content that
addresses their needs and interests.
Don’t assume that viewers of your video have the necessary background to know your brand
or what you do.
Provide appropriate explanations and background information.

Length
Be as concise as possible, but don’t sacrifice clarity.
Willingness for viewers to consume video content is directly related to its length. A two-minute
video will enjoy far more views than a 10-minute video.
For subjects that you can’t cover in a single, short video, instead of producing one long video,
produce it as a series of shorter videos.

Recycle
You will typically shoot far more video than you’ll use. Save all your video content for potential
future use.
Analyze your most successful videos. Often, you can capitalize on their popularity by updating
and re-releasing it, producing a sequel or expanding on it.

4 CREATING SUCCESSFUL ONLINE VIDEOS HOW-TO GUIDE

Be Brave
Don’t fear the production process. Current cameras and editing tools are easy to use and don’t
require lots of technical savvy.
Practice shooting and editing to get comfortable with the process and to evaluate the quality.
Your initial efforts may not impress, but with a little time and effort, you’ll produce quality video.
There are lots of good resources on producing video, on video! Use YouTube to search for
instructional videos that will help you learn the process and the tools.
Don’t be afraid to take creative risks. Playing it safe all the time may seem comfortable, but the most
memorable videos are the ones that surprise us, and show us something we didn’t expect.

Measuring Success
As with any marketing activity, it is important to measure the success of your video efforts to
determine what is working and what isn’t in order to improve our online videos.

Online social media provides an excellent channel for online videos, helping establish and promote
a video. With social media, we have the means to do more than simply speculate on the popularity
and reception of an online video – we can measure many things about it, including

How often is a video being viewed?

What is the duration of the viewing time? (Does the audience quit watching before the end?)
Are viewers sharing the video online?
Who is doing the sharing and how often?
Are viewers commenting on the video, and if so, what are they saying?
Is the video getting discussed in other forums?
Is the video increasing sales?
Is the video attracting new customers, members or clients?
If support oriented, are related support inquiries decreasing?
Are you receiving more job applications?

These are just a few methods of evaluating the effectiveness of your video. Favorable responses
to any of these indicators would suggest that your online video is working, representing your brand
well and increasing its reach.

Bottom Line
A successful online video can help generate buzz for your brand and increase your audience.
The costs are reasonable and the tools make video accessible to businesses of all sizes. With a
little effort you can produce video that will add some “pop” to your content mix. Take appropriate
creative risks to make your videos memorable, and keep them as short as possible. The use of
video is one of the best ways to help your customers get the picture!

5 CREATING SUCCESSFUL ONLINE VIDEOS HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 1 - Define your Goals

Know Your Goals and

1 Define your
Goals Plan Your Video Content
Accordingly

Identify your
2 Audience
Determine what you want to
achieve with your online video
content. Examples include
improve SEO, increase brand
awareness, gain customers, etc.

Create a Stay true to the goals you set

3 Budget for your online video content. It
is easy to stray down a creative
path and produce content that is
not aligned with goals.

4 Be Creative

5 Be Consistent
Video Marketing Strategy Scorecard

VIEW RESOURCE

6 CREATING SUCCESSFUL ONLINE VIDEOS HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 2 - Identify your Audience

Define your Get to Know Your Target

1 Goals Audience & Their Media
Channels

2 Identify your
Audience
Who is your target audience?
Study them to understand what
they know, what they need, who
influences them and how they
like to get their information.

Create a Learn which social media chan-

3 Budget nels they prefer so that you don’t
put your video content in the
wrong place, or produce it opti-
mized for the wrong channel.

4 Be Creative

5 Be Consistent Buyer Persona Template

VIEW RESOURCE

7 CREATING SUCCESSFUL ONLINE VIDEOS HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 3 - Create a Budget

Define your Building A Budget for

1 Goals Video Marketing

Establish a budget for equip-

Identify your ment, lighting, software, training
2 Audience and other production expenses.

If you will use acting talent, can

existing staff play the roles, or
will you need to hire professional
talent? Budget for outside talent
3 Create a
Budget if necessary.

If you plan to shoot video on

location, plan for the costs to
transport staff and equipment,
as well as any needed permits to
4 Be Creative complete the shoot.

5 Be Consistent

Video Marketing Budget Template

VIEW RESOURCE

8 CREATING SUCCESSFUL ONLINE VIDEOS HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 4 - Be Creative

Define your Establishing A Video

1 Goals Marketing Playbook for
Best Results

Identify your
2 Audience
Before shooting a single frame
of video, spend plenty of time
developing concepts. Collabor-
ation with a team will stimulate
the creative process and yield
the best ideas for video.
Create a
3 Budget Get inspiration from customers.
Poll the sales team to get their
input on customer sentiments.
Read social media posts
and blog comments. Get the

4 Be Creative customers’ perspective on what

will resonate in a video.

VIDEO MARKETING PLAN

Playbook & Toolkit

5 Be Consistent

Follow this simple step-by-step guide to create an effective

video marketing plan and produce engaging video content to support your marketing goals.

VIEW RESOURCE

9 CREATING SUCCESSFUL ONLINE VIDEOS HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 5 - Be Consistent

Define Your Weighing Creative Value

1 Goals and Production Challenges

Promote your online video

content through all your
Identify Your
2 Audience communications channels.
Blog about it, post it to social
media, include a link in company
emails, use QR codes on printed
materials, etc.
Create a
3 Budget
Unless you’re a large, well-recog-
nized brand, don’t expect 10,000
views the first day you post video
online. Give your video content
time to find its audience.

4 Be Creative

5 Be Consistent Video Marketing Metrics Dashboard

VIEW RESOURCE

10 CREATING SUCCESSFUL ONLINE VIDEOS HOW-TO GUIDE

 About ANA

The ANA (Association of National Advertisers) makes a difference for

individuals, brands, and the industry by driving growth, advancing the
interests of marketers and promoting and protecting the well-being of the
marketing community.

Founded in 1910, the ANA provides leadership that advances marketing

excellence and shapes the future of the industry. The ANA’s membership
includes more than 1,000 companies with 15,000 brands that collectively
spend or support more than $400 billion in marketing and advertising annu-
ally. The membership is comprised of more than 750 client-side marketers
and 300 associate members, which include leading agencies, law firms,
suppliers, consultants, and vendors.

Further enriching the ecosystem is the work of the nonprofit ANA

Educational Foundation (AEF), which has the mission of enhancing the
understanding of advertising and marketing within the academic and
marketing communities.
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