I don’t know about you, but I barely print anything as it is — and the thought of having to 3D print something is something I’d never even entertain. In my head, 3D printers are the insanely expensive, half-broken things you see in museums, not something that’s a readily available tool you use at home.

But as it turns out, they’re not as prohibitively expensive as I thought. In fact, they’re actually pretty affordable. Just take a gander at this list of 3D printers you can buy for under $500. They’re perfect for getting your feet wet with 3D printing … without investing thousands of dollars.

Same about videos.

1. Create a content calendar

If you don’t already have a content calendar, now is the time to start. This will help you keep track of your videos, blog posts, social media posts, and other content.

Your calendar should be organized by week or month, and it should include your video topics, publish dates, and any other relevant information. This will help you stay organized and make sure you’re publishing content consistently.

You can use a simple spreadsheet or a more robust tool like Circleboom Publish, CoSchedule, Bulkly or Trello to create your content calendar.

2. Determine the purpose of your videos

Before you start creating videos, you need to know why you’re doing it. This will help you set goals and KPIs for your video content strategy.

The purpose of your videos could be anything from increasing brand awareness to driving website traffic and conversions. It could also be to educate your audience or to entertain them. In some cases, the purpose of your video content might be to do all of the above.

3. Create a story

Stories are a great way to connect with your audience on a personal level. They can be used to introduce a new product, share a customer testimonial, or simply show off your company culture.

The key to a good story is to keep it short and sweet. You want to get your point across quickly, so your audience doesn’t lose interest.

If you’re introducing a new product, for example, you might want to start with a customer testimonial that explains the problem they were having and how your product solved it.

Then you could briefly show off the product and explain its features.

Finally, you could end the story with a call-to-action, like encouraging your audience to check out your website to learn more about the product.

4. Determine the best platform(s) for your video

Not all video platforms are created equal.

When you’re deciding where to post your videos, there are a few things you should consider:

• Where your audience spends their time online

• What type of content your audience prefers

• How your audience will be watching your video

For example, YouTube is the go-to platform for most video content. But, if you’re trying to reach a younger audience, you might want to focus on TikTok.

If you’re creating videos for a specific campaign, you might want to post them on a landing page or create a video gallery on your website.

And, if you’re creating videos for social media, you’ll want to think about things like video length and formatting.

5. Optimize your videos for search

Optimizing your video content for search is just as important as optimizing your blog content. In fact, it can be even more important, since video content is more likely to be found on the first page of Google search results.

To optimize your videos for search, start by doing keyword research to find the best keywords to target. Then, use those keywords in your video title, description, and tags. You should also use your keywords in your video script and captions.

Finally, make sure to include a link to your website in the video description. This will help drive traffic to your site and improve your SEO.

6. Make your video content shareable

You can create the best video in the world, but if you don’t make it easy for people to share, you’ll limit its potential reach.

First, make sure your video is accessible on all platforms and devices. Then, make sure it’s easy to embed on other websites and blogs.

Finally, make sure your video is optimized for social sharing. This means including a compelling thumbnail image, a catchy title, and a brief description. You can also add social sharing buttons to your video player to make it easy for viewers to share your video on their favorite social media platforms.

7. Create a channel for your business

If you haven’t already, create a YouTube channel for your business. Your channel should be an extension of your brand and should include your logo, brand colors, and a well-written “About Us” section.

In addition to your branding, you should also categorize your channel based on the type of content you’ll be creating. This will help you stand out in your industry and make it easy for people to find what they’re looking for on your channel.

For example, if you’re a fitness coach, you could categorize your channel into sections like “Workouts,” “Nutrition,” and “Lifestyle Tips.” This way, people can easily find the content that’s most relevant to them.

8. Use a call-to-action

Every piece of content you create should have a purpose, and video is no different. Your video content should have a clear and compelling call-to-action (CTA) that tells your viewer what you want them to do next.

Your CTA could be to visit your website, download a piece of content, sign up for a webinar, or to contact you. Whatever your CTA is, make sure it’s clear and easy for your viewer to take action.

9. Make a series of videos

If you have a lot to say on a particular topic, consider breaking it up into a series of videos.

This is an effective way to keep viewers interested and coming back for more. Plus, it can help you rank for multiple keywords instead of just one.

Just make sure that each video in the series is self-contained and can stand on its own. That way, if someone stumbles upon the second video in your series, they won’t be lost.

10. Use video in email marketing

Email marketing is a tried-and-true way to reach your audience. And, video is a great way to boost your open and click-through rates.

Simply including the word “video” in your email subject line can increase open rates by 19%, and reduce unsubscribe rates by 26%.

You can also embed videos directly into your emails, or use a video thumbnail with a “play” button that links to your video.

No matter how you use video in your email marketing, it’s a great way to boost engagement and get your audience to take action.

11. Use video on social media

If you’re not already using video on social media, it’s time to start. Video content is incredibly popular on social media platforms, and it’s a great way to engage your audience and drive traffic to your website.

There are a few different ways you can use video on social media. You can create short, eye-catching videos to post on your feed, or you can create longer videos and share them on your social media channels.

You can also use Facebook and Instagram Stories to share short video clips with your audience. This is a great way to keep your brand top of mind and connect with your audience in a more casual, personal way.

No matter how you choose to use video on social media, it’s a great way to boost your video content strategy and reach new potential customers.

12. Measure the success of your videos

Finally, you should measure the success of your videos on a regular basis. There are a number of different social media metrics you can use to determine how well your videos are performing, including views, likes, shares, comments and watch time.

You should also keep an eye on your audience retention rate, which tells you how many people are watching your videos all the way through. If you see a lot of people dropping off before the end of your video, you may need to make some changes.

By measuring the success of your videos, you can identify what’s working and what’s not, and you can use that information to improve your video content strategy over time.

Conclusion

Your video content strategy is an important part of your overall content marketing plan, and it can help you attract leads and boost conversions. Now, you’ll be able to create video content that aligns with your blog, website, and social media pages, and grow your business online.

Keep in mind that we only scratched the surface of video production in this post. If you want to learn more about video production, check out our free video series, Video for Business.