The times they are a-changing!

When it comes to creating a marketing strategy, older methods are quickly becoming out of date. These days, using a variety of internet platforms is key to expanding the reach of your business and finding new consumers. And recently, there is one type of content that is proving more effective than any other.

We’re talking about video marketing.

If the idea of developing a video marketing strategy fills you with fear, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve got all the information you need to:

Develop a strong video marketing strategy 💪
Create video content that boosts your sales 📈
Find your target audience 🎯
Start creating online video content that you are proud of 🥇

If you’re ready to start your B2C video marketing journey, we’ve got your back!

B2B vs. B2C

When it comes to creating a B2C video marketing strategy, it’s essential that you understand the style of business model you are operating under. B2B vs. B2C might seem similar on the outside, but the differences are key when it comes to creating video content.

B2B: Marketing to Businesses

B2B marketing is an abbreviation of “business to business marketing.” The name sums it up pretty well. A B2B marketing strategy is used when your business is marketing its products and services toward other businesses.

B2B marketing strategies are generally a little more concrete and evidence-based. Other businesses like to buy services based on results, so having concrete statistics and data on things such as ROI and results are a key part of B2B marketing strategy.

Examples of B2B style businesses include companies that sell:

Software
Subscriptions
Security systems
Office-centric accessories like desk chairs or supplies.

B2C: Marketing to Consumers

Similar to B2B, B2C stands for “business to consumer.” These businesses create products that are designed to be marketed directly to consumers. There are numerous examples of brands like this, both big and small, as well as online and brick-and-mortar style. Your local boutique would be considered a B2C business, as would a much larger company like Amazon.

B2C-style companies have different marketing challenges than their B2B counterparts. To start, they have the potential to be a much less niche business. This comes with both upsides and downsides. While this allows them to sell to a wider range of consumers, it can also be more challenging to nail down who their target audience is.

For today’s purposes, we’ll be focusing on how B2C video marketing can transform these businesses and draw in potential customers.

Why Video Marketing?

There are tons of marketing strategies available to today’s business owners. What makes video marketing so special?

This is a complicated answer, but here are some of our favorite reasons to incorporate video content into your content strategy.

Video Is Personal 🎥 – With so many brands on the market today, more and more consumers are looking to create a personal connection with the brands they choose to purchase from. Creating video content allows you to personalize and humanize your brand. This can be huge when it comes to swaying a potential customer to choose your product over competitors.
Social Media Friendly 📱 – Social media platforms aren’t just for sharing snapshots of your food anymore. These days, social platforms are a business’s biggest tool and asset. The leading social media platforms these days are Instagram and TikTok. Both of these apps are at their most powerful when it comes to sharing video content. The apps are particularly effective at getting users to share your content – and subsequently your brand – with others, giving you a wider reach than you could have on your own.
Google Approved 👍 – When you are looking to up your SEO strategy, you can’t go wrong with video content! Video has been proven to make prospective customers stay on your website for longer, which, in turn, helps boost your Google ranking.
Informative 🎓 – Videos don’t have to look like ads. Maybe you are more interested in making videos that help explain how to use your products! Research has shown that more and more consumers are more likely to watch explainer videos to learn about products than to read blog posts or other forms of written information. If an explainer video gets the most engagement, it is bound to lead to more sales, as well.

What Do I Need to Start Video Marketing?

Have we piqued your curiosity? Then it is time to get into the nitty-gritty details!

When it comes to starting your video marketing journey, the good news is that you don’t need much. In fact, you likely already have the #1 tool that you need to succeed!

Many people start their B2C video marketing journey with only a smartphone. However, if you’re looking to produce top-notch content, there are a few extra tools that we recommend that you keep on hand.

4 Video Marketing Tools You Need

1) Ring Light

If you’ve ever tried to take a photograph on your phone, you’ll understand when we tell you that lighting is key. Good lighting can help make your video look more professional and intriguing to potential customers. Luckily, you don’t need access to a Hollywood studio. Instead, try investing in a ring light!

This versatile tool can help illuminate any space and oftentimes can also be doubled as a tripod to help hold your smartphone so that you can talk to the camera hands-free.

2) Microphone

It’s no good looking your best if you don’t sound good, too! It may seem like your smartphone has all the power you need in terms of recording your voice, but a microphone can be useful for a variety of video styles. Recording a voiceover or interviewing someone? An external microphone will help your video marketing efforts be more successful.

3) Tripod

While many ring lights can be used as a tripod, having an extra tripod allows you to get angles you might not be able to reach if you rely solely on a ring light.

4) Editing Software

Depending on what sort of video content you are creating, you may be able to edit within the app. Apps like TikTok and Instagram will come with video editing features built in. However, if you are looking to create more long-form video content for platforms like YouTube and Vimeo, we recommend investing in some quality video editing software. Final Cut is a popular program for amateur and professional video marketers alike.

How Do I Create Video Content?

You’re fully onboard and have the equipment you need. Now how exactly do you create videos that will keep your future and past customers engaged and interested? Here are some of the key steps to take.

Determine Your Target Audience

When it comes to marketing, the first step is always to know your audience. For video content marketing, that takes two different forms.

First of all, it is important to imagine your ideal customer. Why do they need this product? Why should they buy it from you?

After that, it’s good to consider which platform this content will work best on. Is it longer and more informative? Perhaps YouTube is your best bet. Creating comedic content designed to go viral? TikTok may be the place for you!

Choose a Platform

If you are new to creating video content, you might want to choose just one platform to focus on in the beginning. It can take a while to learn the various functions and styles of a platform, and trying to do too much at once could burn you out. Additionally, each video hosting platform will have different algorithms for you to learn. We always recommend attempting to become an expert in one platform before trying to master them all.

Make a Plan

The best content has a solid plan behind it. Take some time to plan out where you want to film and what exactly you want this content to do. Are you showing off a product? Trying to boost engagement? Knowing what you want to accomplish will help you make more coherent, effective content.

Film

It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for. It’s time to film!

When filming your content, we recommend doing quite a few different takes in order to ensure that you have options. After all, nothing is worse than sitting down to edit and realizing that your favorite take is one where you had something stuck in your teeth!

It can also be a good idea to watch your takes back so that you can correct issues like lighting or your line delivery before you send it to editing.

Edit

Editing is a skill, and you can’t expect to be an expert on your first try. Doing some research into editing styles and software can help you expand your skill set and create quality content. Check out this video below to learn some editing basics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdfau9slFIE

Distribute

When your video is completely edited, it is time to share it with the world! Be sure to do some research on the best time to post on different platforms in order to increase engagement.

7 B2C Video Marketing Ideas

Not sure what kind of content you want to create? Here are some fantastic ideas to help get you started!

1) Introduce Your Employees

Letting your customers see “how the sausage gets made,” so to speak, can help them feel a greater connection with your brand and your products. Introducing your employees can bring a nice personal touch to your content. Ask them to explain their jobs and what they like about the company and its mission.

2) Product Trials

If you’ve got a new product, you want to show it off! What better way to do that than in a video? Showing your new products or services and telling your customers why they should be excited about them is a great way to build hype.

3) Informative How-Tos

We’ve already touched on how video is a powerful marketing tool when it comes to ranking on Google and increasing engagement. One of the best ways to do this is by creating explainer videos that show your customers how to use your products. By showing how they work in real-time, you can convince new customers of the legitimacy of your products and services while growing your web traffic.

4) Brand Collaborations

When it comes to marketing videos, your customers love to see a familiar face. One of the best ways to build engagement and expand your network is for you to collaborate with other brands and people with an audience. This may mean working with influencers or celebrities to increase your reach or doing crossover projects with like-minded companies so that both of you can reap the benefits.

5) Share Customer Reviews

Video is a great way to share positive customer reviews that you have gotten on places like Google or your own site. Sharing positive reviews is a great way to show that customers care about what you are doing enough to take the time to write one. This can help increase trust between you and your future clients.

Get Help From a Video Marketing Professional

Is the concept of making your own video marketing materials overwhelming? You don’t have to go it alone. Instead, turn to our team of quality producers at Stringline Pictures. As a full-scale video production company, we can help you with everything from planning your content to filming and editing.

Your business deserves the best, and we are here to help you create it. Contact us today to get started on your B2C video marketing journey!