You need a video for your business. Do you really, though? Of course, you do. Everyone has one. But how will yours be different?
What sounds like an internal conflict is something we actually hear frequently from our clients. They realize that in many ways, video is the future of marketing. They want to tap into that. But they also don’t quite know how to give their videos enough purpose and value to stand out.
That’s a problem. Fortunately, it’s not a problem without a solution. As you begin to incorporate or advance your video efforts in marketing, consider the importance of branding.
Branding, of course, is all about giving your company that key differentiator. It gives you a voice, a personality, and a position. Value, even. In a few words, it helps your audience understand just why your company should be chosen over all others in your marketplace.
That’s something any digital marketer, especially those prioritizing videos, should tap into. Not convinced? Here are 6 top reasons no digital marketer should overlook branding as part of their daily efforts:
1) Give Your Video a Purpose
Even the most beautiful videos matter little if they don’t have a deeper reason for existence. Your audience might watch them, but they probably won’t become customers. The video becomes pretty fluff that doesn’t matter all that much in the grand scheme of things.
Branding, on the other hand, gives your video a purpose. It is, in many ways, the why behind the video. It communicates your core value proposition, the key differentiator and unique selling point that hooks your audience and has them wanting more. In other words, it elevates your video to more than just a momentary tactic or message.
2) Guide the Steps of Your Video Production
Producing a video, done right, takes time. You need to come up with the core concept, write the script, and plan out the shoot. Don’t forget about editing or voiceover. Each of these steps needs to make sense together to make the final product great.
That’s difficult to achieve. If you have a strong brand in place, it becomes much more intuitive. Now, you have a common thread that can guide all of your production decisions. Is the tone right? Does the script hit the point? Are you editing at the right pace and pace? Who needs to be your voiceover? The answer might just be connected to your brand platform.
3) Elevate Your Branding Through Multiple Channels
The beauty of a good brand is that it’s a common thread, and not just in video production. Instead, it becomes the guidepost to everything else you’re doing. Whether you build your website or expand your social media presence, you can start to communicate a consistent, compelling, and convincing message.
Imagine the benefits. A potential customer who sees your video snippet on Instagram will be reminded of that when they view a Facebook post. They get to your website, and voila – the same message carries through. Even the emails you send reiterate the same point. You’re elevating your brand, emphasizing your difference, and maximizing your marketing effectiveness.
4) Build Your Digital Marketing for the Long Run
Let’s face it: you’re not going to stop marketing anytime soon. That tweet might only last a few hours. Your brand presence will not. That’s why you have to plan for the long run. And guess what: a strong brand can help you do just that.
Do you have a long-term plan in place? Where do you see your business in five years? Branding, done right, can help your marketing sustain success over time. Consistency matters both now and into the future, as well as the ability to help your business stand apart from its competition.
That doesn’t happen by chance. It requires a strategic approach to find your differentiator and understand how to elevate it. Only then can you make sure that what you do now has ramifications, years into the future.
5) Generate Trust and Credibility With Your Audience
We all want to be loved, your business probably even more so than you do. Without credibility and audience trust, it won’t get anywhere. No one wants to buy from a business they don’t believe or trust.
According to one study, 92% of consumers take brand trust into consideration when making a purchase decision. For 31%, it matters ‘a great deal’. The brands consumers trust the most? They happen to be billion dollar businesses. So what can you do about it?
Building credibility depends on strong branding, precisely because of all the arguments above. Only consistency through each individual tactic, your strategy, and over time can build that. If you can deliver actual value in your content and not just a pretty visual, you’re on your way to winning that trust.
6) Drive Home Your Value Proposition
What do you stand for? We don’t mean your mission statement. How do you promise to provide value to your customers?
Too many businesses can’t precisely answer that. It’s a problem. A big problem. If you don’t know how to articulate your value, how is your audience supposed to do any better?
Building that value proposition, once again, depends on branding. You only know what your audience needs if you’ve studied them. You only know if you can provide what your competitors can’t if you understand the environment. You can only drive home your value proposition if you have one and consistently communicate it over time.
You Know You Need Branding – So What’s Next?
The above six reasons make it clear: branding is absolutely crucial for the success and efforts of any digital marketer. If you’re not convinced, we don’t know what to tell you. Actually, we do: go to your favorite brand and articulate what you like about them. Then, think about how they got there. There you have it: the brand underlying the communications.
Of course, you also need to know your next steps. Hopefully, you’re convinced that you need digital marketing, including video, and that your videos should build on a strong brand you’ve developed. Now, consider hiring a digital marketing firm that fits within your budget and can help you not just build individual tactics, but connect them through a larger strategy.
We want to help. Our equal emphasis on video and branding makes us unique in this space. Learn more about DigiVid360 on our website, or contact us to get the conversation started.
