Content Marketing: Video Marketing with bestselling author Jon Mowat (episode 076)
by April Buencamino-dyJon started his career directing award-winning TV at the BBC, and since 2005 has been helping brands leverage the power of video marketing via his agency Hurricane. He’s also the bestselling author of “Video Marketing” which is all about creating engaging video campaigns to drive brand growth and sales, now in it’s second edition, and translated into 5 different languages!
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Getting Started
Before launching Hurricane, Jon worked for the BBC creating documentaries including stories on the Gulf War.
When he came home, he decided to take a break from documentary films and started Hurricane Media. In its first few years, the agency was mostly doing production. They evolved to doing content marketing when it became apparent that their clients were using video as part of their marketing strategy.
It was a gradual shift, says Jon, and he became an expert at video marketing by learning on the job.
Just A Tool
Jon says video is really just a format, a tool used in marketing much like email, but it’s best to use different versions of it across your sales funnel.
What this means is that given one central idea, create different types of videos based on where you intend to place it.
A 15 or 30-second ad may work at the beginning of your funnel, while a 2 or 3-minute video may best be used in the mid-funnel. An even shorter version can be used at the end. Make variations of your video depending on its purpose and how your audience wants to consume it.
Emotional Storytelling
For Jon, the most important thing video does is emotional storytelling.
Stories have always been central to how humans communicate, and video is a good way to make stories come to life and affect human emotion.
If you’re able to connect deeper with your audience using video, you’ll be able to drive behavior change and motivate them to take action.
Using Video The Right Way
On its own, video may not work in the way you expect it to.
Combine it with good copy and other elements, and use it based on what your marketing objectives are.
Additionally, it takes planning to use video effectively. Activation and knowing where to place it will dictate the kind of content you’ll need to do, but make sure your video makes that emotional connection.
Keeping It Easy
Like anything in marketing, make sure to plan, test, and iterate quickly.
Start with messages or pages that resonate with your audience and are doing well. Make videos for these messages and pages because you already data around them, and see the positive impact this will bring to your sales.
With video having a higher entry point compared to other formats, it’s best to use it to boost already good sales rather than to put it on something that’s not performing.
Insider Tips
If we’ve inspired someone to take their first step with content marketing – what do they need to know to give themselves the best chance of success?
Start by knowing who you’re talking to and what they care about. When you dig into and utilize genuine emotional motivators, your content will become more effective.
Once you’ve started of course you’ve got to ‘keep optimising’! So what’s your favourite way to improve content marketing performance?
Keep an eye on your data. After which, Jon says to do the 4 Rs: review the content you have, then renew, refresh, or reiterate.
So test or try different content, review and look at their performance, then decide what you need to do next.
If someone listening wants to learn more about content marketing is there one cheap/free resource you’d recommend?
You can grab a copy of Jon’s book, Video Marketing Strategy: Harness the Power of Online Video to Drive Brand Growth or join his online course on Udemy.
Crystal ball time – what’s coming up in the next 6-12 months that we should be getting ready for in content marketing?
Jon says it’s increased personalization and increased interactivity for video.
With new technology and the use of interactivity such as hotspots or choosing how you want to respond to the video’s elements, people are becoming more engaged. And with increased engagement comes an increase in conversion.
Interview Links
Jon on Social media:
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