Video Marketing: Why Content Trumps Quality Every Time

You’ve heard it all before. Why isn’t your company doing more video? Lack of resources is typically the response. Whether you’re advocating for or against more video marketing, the number one deterrent is lack of time, money and other resources.

Getting into video production for the first time is a daunting task. Maybe you start by trying to hire out a production team, finding someone in-house, or trying to produce it all yourself. Each of these options can seem intimidatingly complex at first.

One reason the road to producing more marketing videos seems like a tricky one is that companies start off looking for the easiest and simplest way to get high-quality, professional-grade videos. This can really limit your options, especially when you don’t know where to start or you don’t have a ton of resources to start out with.

The truth is, not all videos have to be professional-grade in order to accomplish what you’re looking for.

More and more companies, large and small, are using video as a way to:

• Introduce themselves to new customers
• Teach customers about their products
• Educate and engage the viewers with new info
• Motivate the viewer to act whether it’s to purchase or simply learn more

As we’ve learned since the early days of YouTube and viral videos, sometimes the most compelling and popular videos aren’t high quality at all. Sometimes, we don’t even notice.

There are certainly various levels of standards for what differentiates a low-quality video from a higher one. Certain types of videos—such as more conversational and informal ones—lend themselves better to a kind of informal production quality.

Video Types

Here are a few examples of videos that don’t always need full-scale formal production:

1. Social Media Videos
   • These are quick (15 – 60 seconds) videos that present an idea quickly and concisely.
   • These can be made without using complex shots, editing or graphics to get a simple point across.
2. Product Demos
   • Product demos, especially in manufacturing, are all about movement. So as long as you’re clearly showing the appropriate features or mechanical movements of a product, you don’t need all the other bells and whistles.
3. On-Site Shots
   • At a trade show? An open house? Any kind of business trip can have an informal, vlog-style feel to it. And that means it doesn’t necessarily need a fancy camera or special equipment to demonstrate that your team is out on location.

Ways to Quickly Improve Content Quality

Here are a few quick tips to make sure your video still has the potential for success without needing extra equipment or software:

1. Set a goal and plan around it.
   • Never start producing a video without having a goal. This helps you to stay on topic, stay organized and focused on delivering that goal.
2. Eliminate distractions.
   • Eliminate elements in the video that can distract from the main point. This includes distracting sounds, backgrounds or movements that don’t contribute to the point.
4. Always review.
   • Make sure to review your video before posting. Look for opportunities to try again, or chances to eliminate distractions. Pay attention to the content. Did you say or show what you wanted to?
5. Wrap the video in context.
   • Whether you’re posting on social media, your website or using video in any of your marketing channels, take advantage of text to further enhance the content quality. Add a descriptive title, add a sentence or two of commentary in the summary.

Especially for those in manufacturing and industrial sectors, videos offer an opportunity for potential customers to learn more about the visual, mechanical and auxiliary features of your company’s product. Videos can be the dynamic, compelling and engaging content you need in your marketing arsenal.

Check out how Gardner Brands are using video below. Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channels to stay up to date on the latest trends and topics in manufacturing.

Modern Machine Shop YouTube
www.youtube.com/user/mmsonlinevideos

Additive Manufacturing Media YouTube
www.youtube.com/channel/UC-8kYw3osuUjTmfn7tWY-MA

Need more information?
Hannah Coombs
Project Manager, Custom Content
Gardner Business Media, Inc.
6915 Valley Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45244-3029
513-388-2200    800-950-8020    513-527-8800
Fax: 513-527-8801

About the Author

Hannah Coombs

Hannah Coombs is the Project Manager for Custom Content at Gardner Business Media. She works on all of Gardner’s brands working with customers to produce, edit and promote digital content through custom content marketing campaigns. The Custom Content team is responsible for managing several marketing programs that help customers promote their products and services across digital channels such as native advertising, social media, e-newsletters and custom e-prints, and custom video.