Designing an inbound video approach end-to-end was a lengthy process for us at Meticulosity - and we realized that this could take other agencies just as long to figure out as well. One of the reasons we initially hesitated with video is because we simply didn't know how to go about it, or where to start.
However, we knew we only had a limited amount of time to figure out an approach to video, not only how to do it for ourselves, but also how to bring it to our clients, before we risked becoming stale, or worse, lose customers to agencies who had already jumped on the video bandwagon.
The Big Questions Surrounding Video
So as we set out to create a video strategy, the big questions started rolling in:
- How will we acquire the technical abilities required for creating videos?
- How would we get a camera crew to our clients who are all across North America?
- Should we outsource video creation and risk poor production quality that could cost us our relationship with our clients?
- Would we be able to do it in a way where our clients could afford it, and that we'd be able to deliver enough of an ROI that they would keep investing in video?
A Meticulous Approach to Inbound Video
What we eventually figured out is that video is absolutely an essential component of any Inbound Marketing Campaign. You don't need a production crew. You don't need a room full of editing equipment. And you certainly don't need a massive, Hollywood-level budget.
What you do need is:
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To teach your clients how to script a clear content offer through a video. This should be a concise, standardized process and methodology that is easy for them to follow - not unlike creating a blog post, or an e-mail campaign.
Inbound video requires an engaging hook within the first few seconds of the video that will grab the audience’s attention and make them want to continue watching.
Since we can’t be with most of our clients in person, we rely on tools like Zoom to connect with our clients and actually coach them in real-time while they create their first few inbound videos. It doesn't take long until our clients are able to do it themselves without any hand-holding.
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A smartphone - Every one of your clients and every one of your employees probably has a smartphone with a camera on it in their pocket right now. You don't need a $3,000 microphone or fancy tripod - a $25 Lavalier mic and a simple tripod mount with a smartphone adapter will work just as well for your needs. All of a sudden you've got your own production crew.
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Good lighting - Natural light is usually the best option for shooting video footage, but if you need something brighter, buy a couple of ring lights and place them behind your camera.
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Guidance on quick lighting, framing and positioning tips, and how to shoot B-roll footage. No fancy sets or drone video required, we promise. With our Inbound Video process, you invest 15-20 minutes creating a video outline, and then just 15-20 minutes to shoot it. That's it. You only need 15 minutes or less of footage to create a polished, engaging, 3-minute video that your audience will watch all the way through.
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Expert editing to take the raw video footage and transform it into branded video that's engaging and has a cohesive story line from beginning to end, and ensures that the video fits within an overall Inbound Marketing framework.
Types of inbound videos
Don't settle for just one type of video on one platform. You should be creating a variety of videos across all marketing platforms. Videos that work for email and your website won't work well on Instagram, and vice versa. Here are a few video ideas to get you started.
- Demos/Tutorials: If you sell a product, demonstrate how it works in a video. If you have sell a service, make a video explaining what your service is and how to use it, or how customers can benefit from it.
- Educational: Do you have a great marketing tip that others would benefit from? Share it in a short video!
- Interviews: Interview a member of your team. Showing the faces behind the company can help establish trust between yourself and your customers.
- Live Videos: This is the perfect opportunity to get to know your audience in a casual, relaxed setting. You can show them the behind-the-scenes of your company, and answer any questions that they have in real-time.
- Entertaining: Not every video has to be so serious. Look at TikTok and Instagram Reels and see all the fun trends within these apps. Find other accounts from your industry, and get inspired by the kind of short-form video content they are making. Get creative, and find ways to apply specific trends and sounds to your niche industry.
The key with videos is to make them as short as you can, while simultaneously making them as valuable as you can!
A Video PROCESS for Inbound Agencies
Video is just not the same barrier that it used to be. Now that we've got our own process streamlined, we're excited to help other marketing agencies bolt-on inbound video to their service offerings.
We teach other inbound marketing agencies to teach their customers how to do inbound video. We guide them through the scripting process, filming techniques, shooting B-roll etc., that they can then take to their clients to create engaging video content.
Best of all, you don't even need to do the editing if you choose - send us the content along with your clients' logos, style guides and any other necessary brand assets. We will hand you back a polished video in both 16:9 and square video formats that you'll be proud to share with your clients and their audiences. This lets you focus on what you do best, which is Inbound Marketing. You already know how to build content offers and how to write great content. We're just going to take those skills and extend them to video.
At Meticulosity, we have a team of experts who can help you bring your video visions to life. Let us help you tackle video today and keep you ahead of the trends and the overwhelming need to do video now.
