Let’s talk about the elephant in the marketing room: AI-generated video content. Artificial Intelligence is capable of producing impressive video content, including conjuring up lifelike people that can’t easily be identified as AI. But is this always the right tech to use? When should you rely on AI-generated videos, and when is it better to stick to old-fashioned human authenticity?
The answer depends on a variety of factors. In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into the benefits, drawbacks, and ethics of using AI-generated marketing videos.
If you’ve been in marketing for any length of time, the following factors might be leading you toward using AI in your video marketing campaigns:
· Email marketing is tough. The average email has about the same chance of getting a response as your cat has of using that expensive bed you got them for Christmas (less than 2% in most industries). It’s getting harder to get people to respond to text-based emails.
· Video marketing is highly effective. Video is the #1 form of media, and it’s no surprise that personalized videos get 16x more opens and 4.5x more click throughs than general content.
· Finding prospects takes a lot of time and effort. This makes it urgent to close as many deals as possible, and AI seems like it might help.
· Creating videos is exhausting. There are only so many videos you can make before you run out of ideas and energy to create content (AI seems to solve this problem).
· Marketing budgets tend to shrink while expectations grow. (AI promises to make video production more affordable at scale).
Despite being highly effective, video marketing can be time-consuming and exhausting, not to mention expensive.
Artificial intelligence isn’t exactly new, but it’s finally made its way into video marketing. Here’s what AI can bring to your video marketing campaigns:
· Effortless automation. Polished and near-polished content can be created faster than you can manually write the script.
· Fast scaling. Scaling without AI isn’t hard, until you realize you can generate thousands of personalized videos before your coffee gets cold.
· Perfect brand consistency. AI won’t make those little mistakes that create inconsistencies in your messaging.
While these are big benefits, AI isn’t always the right choice. Let’s explore when AI is great to use for video marketing – and when it’s not.
Sometimes robots do a better job than humans… sometimes.
1. Initial contact with a prospect (when you’re playing the numbers game)
In the first stage, most video marketers send all of their prospects to the same landing page with the same video at the top. That’s not by accident. When you’re playing the numbers game, it’s the only way to generate and qualify leads at scale. Nobody has time to create a custom video for the first contact with every prospect. In fact, when you don’t know who your leads are, creating a custom video isn’t even possible.
In this case, AI can do an excellent job at creating simple videos for your first touch with a prospect. With the right input, AI can introduce prospects to your brand and offerings in a professional manner. These videos don’t need to be in-depth or complicated. You just need to grab their attention and write an effective script that gets them to respond.
With non-personalized videos generated by AI, once you create the video, it’s done, and you can use it on any company website or landing page.
2. Follow-up sequences (the “did you get my email about my email?” phase)
Sometimes prospects get annoyed when you email them asking if they got your previous emails or watched your presentation. Using AI to create follow-up videos can make your follow-up communications smoother and more welcomed.
Everyone knows that most follow-up email sequences are automated, but they don’t have to feel robotic. It just takes a slight amount of personalization – like using a prospect’s name – to create rapport and make them feel comfortable.
3. Large-scale personalized outreach efforts (when you’re going big)
Let’s face it, creating custom videos for a bunch of prospects isn't practical when you have other priorities. If you have quotas to meet, important business responsibilities, or a family life, you don’t have time for that.
If you happen to know something about the prospects you’re reaching out to, AI can support your efforts at scale, while personalizing each video to make them more effective.
Naturally, the more you know about a prospect, the better you can tailor your marketing messages to get a response. When you know enough to categorize your prospects, AI can create large-scale personalized outreach messages in a fraction of the time it would take to do the work manually.
4. International outreach (when your high school Spanish won’t cut it)
When you need to make a video in a language you don’t speak fluently, you have two choices: hire someone to come to your office and hope they look good on camera, or let AI do all the hard work. An AI video created in another language will be smooth and professional, not to mention, much cheaper.
5. Event reminders (because nobody likes a no-show)
Many marketers create “save the date” videos for events, like conferences, festivals, and summits. Event reminder videos are far more engaging than plain email text, but they don’t need to be complex to work. This is where AI-generated video can really shine. All you need is a video that tells people about your company, the event, and gives the dates and times.
6. Faceless video ads (when you need to seem professional, but don’t want to get out of your pajamas)
Faceless video ads are popular for a reason – they work really well. These ads use stock images and stock videos in the background with text overlaid on top and are typically published as YouTube Shorts, TikTok videos, and genuine advertisements on various channels.
Generating a video with a beautiful background – video or image – is right up AI’s alley it’s what AI does best. You’ll still need to follow all the basic rules for creating a successful video ad, but as long as you nail that, AI can create an amazing final product.
7. When you just need a good script
Sometimes it’s easier to come up with a video script using ChatGPT. Your final video may or may not have AI elements, but leaning on AI to write your script is completely acceptable as long as you verify the output for accuracy.
If the world only contained robots, AI-generated videos would rule the world. Since humans still dominate the Earth, there are several instances where human-made video content reigns supreme.
1. VIP relationships
If they’re important enough to have your personal cell phone number, they deserve to see your actual face in the video. A real video will feel more personal and that can help you close deals.
For example, if you’ve been working on closing a deal with a big client for a while, and you need to send them a video, make sure it’s human-made. If you use AI at that point, potential clients will feel like they don’t matter and the relationship will seem transactional.
2. When specifics matter
Making authentically human videos is always the best choice when you need content that would take longer to explain to AI than it would take to grab a camera and do it yourself. Unless you’re feeding AI a specific and complete script, a human being will do a much better job at explaining nuanced details.
3. Big money is being spent
Nobody wants to feel like they’re being sold to by a robot when they’re about to drop some serious cash. Keep it real when you’re using video to market to people who will be spending big money with your company. This includes individual clients and prospects you’re targeting for high-ticket items.
4. Complex topics
Some things need a genuine human touch, especially when you’re explaining why people should buy your product over the competition. It’s easier to persuade consumers by keeping it real and making authentic videos. AI-generated sales pitches aren’t personal enough to build genuine rapport.
Making real, human videos gives you a chance to share important stories that strengthen bonds with your market, which will ultimately influence more sales.
If you’re not comfortable with speaking to a camera, find someone on your team who can speak clearly and concisely about your offerings. If not, don’t shy away from reading a script.
5. Proposals
Human-made video proposals make prospects more likely to sign a contract or make a purchase from your company. The more personalized the proposal is, the better, because it creates the impression that the video was made just for them. Prospects who feel valued are more likely to buy.
1. Track all video performance
Tracking is essential for optimizing your outreach strategy, but when AI is involved, you need to expand your awareness for troubleshooting. Normally, when a video isn’t performing well, you’d consider changing factors like your opening statement, the message, filming location, and maybe even your outfit.
With an AI video, you need to consider AI itself as a potential reason for poor performance. To find out, you’ll need to conduct some split tests with human-made content to convey the same message to the same audience. And don’t just track views – track click through rates and other conversions that matter more.
2. Invest time and effort into segmenting your audience
If you’re going to use AI-generated videos in your marketing campaigns, be sure to segment your audience so you can target them properly. Different audiences require different approaches, and the more information you collect about your leads, the better.
3. Determine where AI benefits you most
When mapping out your video marketing plan, determine which videos will be made with AI ahead of time. Don’t just use AI for everything because it’s easy. Consider whether each video needs a human touch on a case-by-case basis. To help others make the right decisions, create some guidelines for identifying the best use cases for AI.
4. Give your AI videos some personality
Adding personality to your marketing videos is essential, even when they’re AI-generated or you’re using ChatGPT to create your script. If you can feed an AI actor a script, don’t forget to include humor and make the script sound like natural speech rather than a perfectly polished dissertation.
5. Combine AI with a human touch
Not all videos need to be purely AI. Sometimes AI is great for creating B-roll or other simple shots that get integrated into a final production that features a human.
6. Create consistency with AI
Make sure your AI-generated content remains consistent with your brand image and message. If more than one person creates AI video content, create set standards for which models, filters, variations, and settings to use when generating videos.
7. Pay close attention to auto-generated claims
When using AI video generators, carefully scrutinize all claims before publishing, especially if the AI system creates information beyond your original script. Misleading and inaccurate claims need to be removed and replaced to avoid legal consequences.
8. Never use AI to generate fake reviews or testimonials
Lately, the FTC has been cracking down hard on AI-generated reviews and testimonials, which now includes videos.
Many people incorrectly believe nobody will ever know their reviews and testimonials are fake because who’s going to check? The harsh reality is if someone files a complaint against your business with the FTC, you will be investigated, and you will get penalized for using fake testimonials and reviews.
While this isn’t a complete list, most people aren’t aware of the following legal requirements set forth by the FTC, which can destroy your business if you let AI take the lead:
· Business owners are required to independently verify all claims made in testimonials they use. You can’t take a customer at their word if you publish their testimonial. For example, if a customer sends you a testimonial claiming they earned $15,000 in seven weeks using your program, you’re legally required to obtain copies of their financial statements to substantiate their claim. If you get investigated, you’ll need to provide this documentation to the FTC. If you can’t substantiate the claim to the FTC, you will be held legally responsible for making a false claim.
· Business owners are required to get a signed release form from the owner of every testimonial they use. If you’re investigated by the FTC, you’ll be asked for signed release forms for every testimonial you’ve ever published. If investigated, all testimonials will be treated as false claims when not accompanied by a signed release form.
There are more regulations you’re at risk of violating when using AI, but these are the top two. Visit the FTC’s website to read the full consumer protection trade regulations on consumer reviews and testimonials.
Remember, AI is a tool, but it’s not the end-all-be-all. Use it wisely, but don’t let AI run the whole show. Video marketing is evolving, and AI happens to be a big part of that evolution. However, keep it real and human when possible. Sometimes there is no substitute for the human touch – especially when you’re trying to get people to give you money.
Partner with Vid.co and make video marketing easier
Truth be told, video marketing isn’t easy unless it’s your passion. If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance it’s not. That’s why we’re here.
At Vid.co, our team of video marketing pros have extensive experience crafting every type of marketing video you can imagine for big brands, corporations, small businesses, and individuals. If you’re on a mission to achieve a specific goal, we’d love to help. Contact us now for a free consultation!
Getting a lot of views on your videos can be a good ego boost, but the true return on your investment in video marketing strategy goes beyond visibility metrics. Measuring the full impact of video content requires analyzing multiple data points alongside long-term business outcomes that impact your bottom line. For instance, some of your videos might make excellent lead magnets that bring customers into your business. When you nurture those customers over the long term, they’ll regularly spend money with your company, and that success isn’t measurable by counting views.
To get a handle on your true video marketing ROI, you’ll want to measure more than views. However, it’s important to note that you’ll need a variety of video types to get the best results. Videos serve different purposes, but they all work together to support your brand as a whole. Not every metric can be measured from every type of video, but many are interconnected. For example, video ads can generate traffic, but it’s up to your sales copy and landing page to generate conversions. However, if you have a video sales page, that video can turn traffic into sales.
Some of your videos will be made with the intention of generating direct revenue through sales, while others will be created to get leads. These types of videos can include sales presentations, evergreen webinars, product demonstration videos, and any other content produced with the intention of getting customers to buy from you either now or in the future.
When done right, lead-generation videos will help you generate sales over time, so you want to generate as many email leads as possible on a regular basis. According to the data, the ROI on email marketing is $36 for every $1 spent. That’s a good return.
If you only measure a video’s success by its views, you won’t know its true value as a lead generation tool. For instance, say you have a video that only has 5,000 views compared to other videos you’ve published that have close to 300,000 views. The video with more views might be popular, but if your less-watched video has a 10% conversion rate for lead generation, then that video is highly valuable.
The important metrics to track related to conversion and revenue include:
Track the number of leads you get compared to video views. For example, this would apply to your video sales pages and short content you’ve published to YouTube (or any other platform) in order to get leads.
Use pixels and UTM codes to accurately track the source of your revenue. Wherever you’re getting the best results, that’s where you should put more of your money.
Run tests to see if your video content drives larger purchases, like with cross-sells and upsells. You’ll need to be running a split test or at least upselling with video content during the purchase process to measure this factor.
Click through rates
Tracking the number of people who click on a button or link as instructed in your video is important. Better videos will get more clicks, and more clicks turn into sales.
When tracking conversion metrics, it’s a good idea to run split tests to determine which videos perform the best as well as which calls to action are generating the most leads and sales.
Another way to measure ROI from your videos is through brand impact. Do people remember you after seeing your videos? Do they think of you when they see products in your market? This can be tough to measure as a small company, but when you have an impactful product or service, it’s easier. Measuring content marketing ROI can also give you insight into this.
Big corporations spend a lot of money on marketing and advertising just to get their name and image out into the world. Repeated exposure makes people more familiar with a brand, which influences their choices when faced with a purchase decision. Key metrics, such as website traffic, can help you determine the effectiveness of your video campaign in achieving this familiarity. This is how brand names become interchangeable with generic product names. For example, Kleenex is a brand, while facial tissue is the product, but most people use the brand name exclusively to refer to all facial tissue.
If you don’t already have videos designed to bring awareness to your brand, it’s not too late to create some. These videos can serve multiple purposes, but you’ll want to craft them in a way that verbally and visually gets people familiar with you. Consider using Google Analytics to track relevant metrics and further measure content marketing ROI effectively.
One of the best metrics to gauge your ROI is to find out who’s talking about you, where, and how often. If you’ve done quite a bit of video marketing, there should be some kind of buzz out in the world about you, at least online. This is also known as social proof.
Start searching platforms like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Reddit to find out who’s talking about you and what they’re saying. Hopefully it’s all positive, but negative press isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Keep track of these discussions and search once every week or two and see if it’s happening on a regular basis. If the conversations about you are increasing, that’s a good sign. Although, it’s important to implement the right tracking strategies to know if your video marketing is responsible for the buzz and not some other type of campaign.
When people are talking about your brand online, pay attention to what’s being said and the sentiment behind the statements. If you’ve started promoting your videos through social media ads, and people are curious about your brand, or looking for more information, this is a good sign that people are interested. If they’re praising your products and services, it’s a sign that your video content is not just converting, but your customers are happy. Most customers won’t email you to tell you they love your product, and many won’t even leave reviews when asked. Sometimes monitoring brand mentions is the only way to gauge customer satisfaction at a higher scale.
If for any reason you find that customers are not happy or their expectations aren’t being met, that’s a great opportunity to revisit your video content to make sure you’re not accidentally making false promises or misrepresenting your product. This is where professional video marketing services can come in handy. By hiring a pro to script and film your videos, you’ll get a more accurate representation of your product or service since they’ll be a neutral third party.
If you’re making product demo or instructional videos for your customers, you can measure the ROI of those videos by tracking the frequency of support requests. If your videos are working well, you should see a general decrease in the number of support tickets you receive. When your videos are intended to help people solve issues independently, you should see a difference in these numbers.
This one might seem counterintuitive, but it’s very important to note. Sometimes successful video marketing content will correlate with a drop in sales, but not in a bad way. Often, marketing videos are made with a lot of hype that gets people excited in the moment to make an impulse buy, and then they either return the product or initiate a chargeback when the product doesn’t meet their expectations.
The better your videos are at explaining who your product or service is for – and who should not buy your product – the fewer impulse buys you’ll receive. This is a good thing. It means you’ll have fewer returns and chargebacks, and better customers overall. You really don’t want customers who are looking for a quick and easy fix because they’re never satisfied, they can get needy, and they won’t stick around long. Monitoring audience engagement and leveraging analytics tools to collect data about your video performance can help refine your approach.
If you start a new video marketing campaign and see an initial drop in sales, pay attention to your return rate and chargeback numbers. If you see a decline in returns and chargebacks, your drop in sales is likely caused by an increase in your video marketing content’s ability to qualify (and disqualify) leads. This can also improve customer lifetime value and help you better understand how much revenue your video generates.
Looking past vanity metrics, like views and likes, will give you valuable insight that can help you determine your true ROI. When it comes to successful video marketing efforts, there are plenty of metrics to track and strategies to employ, and that’s why most businesses work with a marketing partner to do all the heavy lifting. It’s not easy to script and film your own videos, especially when you don’t have access to studio-quality equipment and lighting isn’t your strongpoint.
If you’re ready to get measurable results with your video marketing, whether you’re looking for product demos, professional corporate videos, or engaging content to post to TikTok or Instagram, we can bring your ideas to life.
If you’re ready to take your video marketing to the next level, we’d love to add a professional touch that will help you get results. Whether you need ideas, a full script, or just want us to craft a video for you, we can help you achieve your goals.
Contact us today to learn more about working with us!
Creating viral YouTube content might seem like a game of luck, but it’s more of a science than you think. While there’s no guaranteed formula for making a video go viral, there are tried-and-true strategies that can significantly increase your chances of breaking through the noise and capturing the internet’s attention.
If you’ve been dreaming of skyrocketing your YouTube channel to success, you’re in the right place. Let’s dive into several actionable tips that can help your videos go viral and keep audiences coming back for more.
The first 15 seconds of your video are the most critical. This is when viewers decide whether to stick around or click away. To grab their attention immediately, you need a strong hook.
Your hook might be a thought-provoking question, an unexpected statement, or a quick glimpse of something exciting coming up in the video. For example, if your video is a DIY project, you could start by showing the finished product before rewinding to the beginning.
The goal here is simple: Intrigue your audience so they can’t help but watch more. The longer they stay engaged, the more likely YouTube’s algorithm is to recommend your video to others.
People love stories – it’s human nature. Whether your content is funny, educational, or emotional, weaving a narrative into your video can make it more memorable and shareable. Think about what you want your viewers to feel by the end of your video, then structure your content to evoke that emotion.
Even a tutorial or review can benefit from storytelling. Instead of diving straight into a list of features, share a personal anecdote about how the product solved a problem for you. Stories create connections, and connections lead to shares.
Your thumbnail and title are the first things viewers see, so make them count. A great thumbnail is visually striking, clearly conveys the video’s topic, and piques curiosity.
How do you execute on this? Use bold, readable text, vibrant colors, and an image that tells part of the story without giving too much away. You want to generate insatiable curiosity – which makes people feel like they have to click.
When it comes to titles, balance intrigue with clarity. Clickbait titles may get initial clicks, but they can backfire if they don’t deliver on their promise. Instead, aim for titles that are specific, benefit-driven, and emotionally engaging. For example, “How I Lost 20 Pounds in 30 Days (Without Giving Up Pizza)” is more compelling than “My Weight Loss Journey.”
One of the fastest ways to gain traction on YouTube is by capitalizing on trends. Whether it’s a viral challenge, a popular meme, or breaking news, aligning your content with what’s already buzzing can help you get discovered.
However, don’t just copy what’s trending. Be sure to put your own unique spin on it. If everyone is doing a certain challenge, how can you do it differently? Perhaps you add humor, approach it from a niche perspective, or use the trend as a springboard for a deeper conversation. The key is to stand out while staying relevant.
YouTube’s algorithm plays a significant role in determining which videos go viral. To get the algorithm to work in your favor, you need to focus on metrics like watch time, click-through rate, and engagement (likes, comments, and shares).
Here’s how to optimize your content:
Remember, the algorithm rewards videos that keep people on the platform longer, so focus on creating content that’s engaging and valuable.
If there’s one thing all viral videos have in common, it’s that they evoke strong emotions. Whether it’s laughter, surprise, awe, or even outrage, emotional content gets shared because it makes people feel something.
Think about what emotions align with your video’s purpose. If you’re creating a comedy sketch, aim for laughter. If you’re sharing a personal story, tug on the heartstrings. And if you’re showcasing an incredible talent, leave viewers in awe.
Viral content often strikes a balance between relatability and the unexpected. When viewers see something that resonates with them emotionally but also surprises them, they’re more likely to hit the share button.
Collaboration is a powerful way to reach new audiences and gain subscribers. Partnering with creators in your niche allows you to tap into their fanbase while providing fresh content for your own audience.
When planning a collaboration, think about how you can create a win-win situation. For example, you could team up to produce a challenge video, conduct an interview, or co-host a livestream. Make sure the partnership feels authentic and benefits both parties.
Cross-promotion is another effective strategy. Encourage your collaborator to share the video with their audience, and do the same for them. This mutual support can help both channels grow.
Creating viral YouTube content isn’t just about luck – it’s about understanding your audience, telling great stories, and leveraging YouTube’s tools to your advantage. And while going viral is exciting, it’s important that you think beyond just one big video. To have long-term success, you need consistency in video quality.
At VID.co, we’re a leading full-service video marketing and video production company that specializes in helping individual creators and companies create better video content. From production and editing to platform-specific optimization for YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, we’re here to help you build a consistent video content machine.
Want to learn more about our services or how we can help you? We’d love to chat with you.
Whether you have dreams of making it big or you just want to support your brand in a fun and engaging way, starting out on YouTube can be tough.
If you make good content and you have some fans or followers already, it's not hard to generate an initial base of subscribers.
But once your small YouTube channel starts gaining momentum, it's going to become increasingly difficult for you to pick up new subscribers and continue growing.
Obviously, much of your success depends on your ability to earn new subscribers. More subscribers lead to more views, more engagements, and ultimately more revenue.
So how are you supposed to get those subscribers as a small YouTube channel?
Start by analyzing your current position. Take a close, deep look at the types of videos you've made, the types of results you've seen, and your current subscriber count.
Pay especially close attention to:
Who is your target audience? What types of people are subscribing and what types of people are currently watching your videos as you publish them? This is one of the most important questions you'll need to answer, and it's going to be nearly impossible for you to see growth unless you can answer it confidently. If you don't know who your audience is, you won't be able to make videos for them successfully.
It's also important to look at your top competitors. Unless you've stumbled on a totally novel, niche area that no one else has touched, there are probably multiple YouTube channels doing what you do, or something similar. What kinds of subscriber counts do these channels have? What do you think is responsible for their success? What are they doing differently from you and how can you distinguish yourself in an even more compelling way?
Finally, examine your past and current strategy for producing and distributing videos. Which of your videos have been most successful? Which ones have fallen flat? How have your subscriber rates changed over what time and what do you think is responsible for these changes?
Hopefully, this analysis will allow you to identify some key strengths and weaknesses associated with your channel, allowing you to generate some initial ideas for how you can improve.
Take a look at your approach to production, post-production, and editing. If you want to consistently earn more subscribers, you need to produce videos that look and sound professional in quality. With the abundance of relatively inexpensive professional equipment and production tools, there's no excuse for not having videos that look amazing.
It can be challenging as a relative newcomer in the world of video production to achieve this professional quality. So if you need some extra support, consider working with a video production agency who can help you give your videos a better final polish.
Many struggling YouTube content creators suffer from their inability to recognize audience generation opportunities. By looking at search trends, you can identify strategically valuable videos to create, fulfilling demand while avoiding competition at the same time.
Take a look at search terms used by your audience. The sweet spot is going to be keywords and phrases that have high search volume, meaning lots of people are searching for them, but relatively low competition, meaning there are few competitors producing videos for these people. This is a niche with high demand and low supply, giving you a critical opportunity to get attention on your work.
You can always make your video content more engaging by pursuing stronger relevance to your target audience. This is one reason why it's so important to know who your audience is, inside and out. What are the demographics of these viewers? What are their values? What's important to them? What styles of video do they prefer?
Additionally, these audience members probably have burning questions and strong desires to see certain types of content. If you can give them specifically what they want, you should have no trouble generating more subscribers. Even if it means alienating portions of your broader audience, it's typically worth the investment to dig deep into a specific niche.
Generally, when people subscribe to, follow, or engage with brands, it’s not a logical decision; it’s an emotional one. Human beings are emotional creatures, whether we like it or not, and most social media platforms are geared toward spurring strong emotions.
To the extent possible, optimize your video titles and descriptions to cater to the emotions of your target audience. Can you make them shocked or excited? Can you make them nervous or intimidated? Can you evoke in them a sense of morbid curiosity?
Obviously, you'll need to be careful here. You don't want to emotionally manipulate your audience, nor do you want to exaggerate your subject matter in pursuit of more clicks; this is typically a losing strategy in the long run, as it erodes trust and respect. Still, if you walk this tightrope carefully, you should be able to generate far more subscribers.
Many YouTube creators have avoided producing Shorts, because they want to primarily focus on long-form content. There's nothing wrong with prioritizing long-form content and you can still pursue it as your primary avenue of video creation. However, if you aren't producing Shorts regularly, you could be missing out on some serious subscriber generation potential.
Shorts are quick, punchy, and appealing to a wide range of people. They're also extremely discoverable. Even if you only produce a couple of Shorts a month, it could help get more eyes on your channel and ultimately earn you more subscribers.
Storytelling is at the heart of every successful YouTube channel. Each YouTube creator tells different types of stories and tells them in different ways, of course, but in every successful video, you'll find some kind of compelling narrative. What kinds of stories do you tell? What are your strengths as a storyteller?
If you've never thought about this, now could be the perfect opportunity to delve into the narrative side of things. Can you illustrate your talking points with the help of narrative examples? Can you introduce characters and a beginning, middle, and end to your stories?
Pay close attention to what's popular on YouTube, even if it's outside your sphere of influence. What are the most popular creators doing? What are the most viral videos of the past couple of weeks?
There are two major reasons for this. First, this gives you a crucial opportunity for inspiration. By studying what other successful youtubers are doing, you can come up with ideas for how to make your own videos better. YouTube creators sometimes find themselves in a rut, producing similar videos over and over. But you need to adapt and incorporate new ideas if you want to continue growing. It doesn't mean sacrificing your brand identity or your style of video, but it does mean gradually evolving.
Second, this is an opportunity for you to plug into the zeitgeist and see what's resonating with people. There is no single formula for a successful YouTube video, in part because any formula that might exist is constantly changing. New technologies, new trends, and changing demographics force significant changes in video production. You need to be attuned to these changes if you don't want to become irrelevant.
Find a way to reward your subscribers. Do subscribers get access to bonus content or other special privileges? Do you regularly enter your subscribers into giveaways? Do you ever shout out your subscribers and thank them for subscribing? Even the smallest rewards can incentivize your existing subscribers to continue subscribing to you while simultaneously inviting new numbers into the folds of your long-term viewership. You don't want to bribe your subscribers, but you do want to make it worth their while to continue subscribing to you.
Collaborating on content production is one of the best ways to increase your subscriber count – and you might be able to boost someone else’s subscriber count at the same time! Collaboration is almost always mutually beneficial, so it’s well worth considering in pursuit of advancing your channel.
Consider reaching out to video creators with similar approaches. Channels with more subscribers have more power to lend to your collaboration, but they also tend to be harder to reach and harder to collaborate with, so use your discretion as you climb this ladder.
In any case, come up with a good pitch that would be relevant to both your target audiences. Depending on the nature of your channel, this could be something simple, like interviewing each other on each other's channels, or something more complicated, like working together on a multi-video story.
No matter what, you should spend more time cross-promoting your videos. In other words, you need to market and showcase your video on other social media channels. YouTube remains the most popular online video platform in the world, and likely will remain in that position for the foreseeable future. But it's certainly not the only video channel, and video channels represent only a small fraction of all social media channels.
It's typically free to share, promote, and comment on videos on social media, so there's no reason not to take advantage of these channels. Doing so could get more eyes on your work and ultimately help you generate the subscribers you want.
If you're not seeing results as quickly as you'd like, you can also consider paying for advertising. Not every YouTube content creator is going to have the budget for this, but for those who do, it's a convenient shortcut that can immediately introduce people in your target demographics to the type of content you produce.
Next, work on closing the gaps in your content strategy. Are there any major topics within your sphere of expertise that you haven't yet covered? Are there any newsworthy events that you haven't commented on? Are there things that all your competitors do that aren't present on your channel? Tightening these things up can make your channel much more attractive.
Finally, be willing to experiment. It's important to be consistent in your video production in terms of both topics and style. But unless you occasionally try new things and measure the results of your changes, you won't be able to meaningfully advance your strategy or grow your subscribers.
Are you hoping to boost the subscriber numbers on your YouTube channel?
Are you ready to seriously invest in your video platform?
We’re here to help. If you’re ready for your free consultation, contact us today!
As a YouTuber, you know that compelling, engaging content is the lifeblood of what you do. However, the challenge of consistently coming up with fresh content every week is a tough one. But thankfully there are plenty of tools you can lean on to make the painstaking parts of being a YouTuber simple and stress-free. This is where ChatGPT comes into play.
ChatGPT can step in as a valuable tool, acting like a virtual assistant to streamline your workflow and help you create top-quality content more efficiently.
At a basic level, ChatGPT is an AI language model that processes and generates text based on prompts you provide. Think of it as a virtual assistant that you interact with by typing questions or commands, much like having a conversation. You simply give ChatGPT a prompt – a clear question, idea, or instruction – and it responds with relevant information or suggestions. ChatGPT has been trained on a wide range of topics, allowing it to offer responses that can be helpful in areas like brainstorming, writing, summarizing, or even handling SEO tasks.
For YouTubers, this means you can use ChatGPT to support every stage of your content creation process. Need video ideas? Just ask! Writing a script or optimizing titles for better search visibility? ChatGPT can help with that, too.
Although ChatGPT doesn’t access live information or understand visuals, it’s highly effective at processing language and can be a real time-saver for text-based tasks.
In terms of the different ways in which you can use ChatGPT as a YouTuber, there are literally endless opportunities for creativity and innovation. However, here are a few of the best use cases:
One of the most challenging aspects of YouTube content creation is consistently coming up with fresh ideas that will captivate your audience. ChatGPT can act as an endless source of inspiration, helping you brainstorm unique video ideas and explore new angles for content within your niche.
For example, you can prompt ChatGPT with something like, “Give me 10 unique video ideas for a fitness YouTube channel,” and it will respond with a list of potential topics. If you’re looking for specific trends, you can ask, “What are some current fitness trends I could make videos about?” ChatGPT can provide suggestions based on popular interests and themes, which you can tailor to your channel’s audience.
Additionally, ChatGPT can help you identify ideas based on current events or trending topics. Just ask, “What’s trending in [your topic]?” and explore ways to align your content with what’s currently popular.
An engaging title and an eye-catching thumbnail are essential to attracting viewers to your video. You can ask ChatGPT to help generate catchy and optimized titles for your videos that include relevant keywords and phrases.
For instance, you might say, “Give me some title options for a video about beginner cooking tips.” ChatGPT can offer a range of titles that you can tweak or refine to better fit your style. It’s a quick way to get fresh ideas if you’re struggling to find that perfect combination of words to make viewers click.
And while ChatGPT can’t design thumbnails, it can offer insights on text, colors, and visual elements that could make your thumbnails more appealing. You could ask, “What elements make a YouTube thumbnail attractive?” and use ChatGPT’s advice to design thumbnails that resonate with your target audience.
Scriptwriting can be a time-consuming process, especially if you’re trying to balance being informative and entertaining. ChatGPT can assist by helping you outline or write scripts for your videos. For instance, you could start by asking ChatGPT for an outline: “Create an outline for a video about the best productivity apps for students.”
Once you have an outline, ChatGPT can expand each section into more detailed content. For example, you might input, “Write a short introduction for a video on the best productivity apps for students,” and ChatGPT will generate a few introductory lines for you. You can also use it to generate additional information for each point in your script or to offer variations on your closing remarks.
For interviews or Q&A-style videos, ChatGPT can even suggest questions. Simply ask, “Give me 10 interview questions for a video with a successful entrepreneur,” and you’ll have a list ready to go. ChatGPT helps remove the pressure and ensures your videos stay engaging and professional.
SEO is crucial for getting your videos noticed on YouTube, and ChatGPT can help you optimize your content with relevant keywords, tags, and descriptions. When writing video descriptions, you might ask ChatGPT: “Write a short description for a video about how to start a meditation practice.” It will generate a description that includes keywords related to meditation and mindfulness, making it easier for viewers to find your video.
Additionally, ChatGPT can suggest tags to include in your video’s metadata to improve visibility. Just ask, “What are some keywords I can use for a video about meditation for beginners?” This can save you time researching popular search terms and give you a head start on SEO-optimized content.
Building a loyal community on YouTube goes beyond uploading videos; it’s about engaging with viewers on a personal level. ChatGPT can help you create engaging community posts and replies to comments, helping maintain a consistent tone while keeping your viewers engaged.
If you want to announce an upcoming video, for example, you could prompt, “Write a community post teaser for a new video on productivity tips.” ChatGPT will provide a compelling snippet you can post to build anticipation.
Similarly, responding to comments in a timely and personalized way can strengthen your community. If a viewer asks a detailed question, you could prompt ChatGPT: “Write a reply to a comment asking for more tips on productivity,” and it will generate a thoughtful response. It saves you time and helps you maintain a consistent level of engagement with your audience.
Your YouTube videos may not go viral, but they can certainly have the intended effect.
Providing accurate subtitles and captions makes your videos more accessible, which is essential for growing your channel. Once you have a video transcript, you can use ChatGPT to edit it for readability, ensuring that it’s clear and engaging for viewers reading along.
If you’re creating subtitles in multiple languages, ChatGPT can assist in translating shorter text sections. Just paste the original text and ask ChatGPT to translate it into another language. This can be especially useful if you’re looking to make your content accessible to non-English-speaking audiences.
A successful YouTube channel isn’t just about uploading videos; it’s also about promoting those videos on social media to reach a wider audience. ChatGPT can help you brainstorm promotional ideas and write posts for platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Ask ChatGPT for social media ideas like, “Suggest ways to promote a new video about home workouts on Instagram.” ChatGPT can provide strategies for posts, stories, and other interactive content that will encourage viewers to visit your channel. For each platform, you can request captions or hashtags to ensure you’re reaching the right audience in an engaging way.
Email newsletters are an excellent way to keep your audience informed and engaged outside of YouTube. ChatGPT can help you create professional and engaging email newsletters to update your subscribers about new videos, upcoming projects, or special events.
If you’re planning to send out a newsletter, you can prompt ChatGPT with, “Write an email newsletter announcing my latest video on productivity hacks.” The result will be a clear and engaging newsletter that highlights the content of your new video and encourages subscribers to watch. ChatGPT can help make your communication polished and on-brand, helping you retain and engage your audience even beyond YouTube.
Understanding your audience is key to growth, and analyzing viewer feedback can give you valuable insights. ChatGPT can help summarize comments or extract recurring themes, allowing you to focus on what’s most important.
If, let’s say, you receive thousands of comments on a video, you could copy a few examples into ChatGPT and ask, “What are the main points viewers are making in these comments?” ChatGPT can provide a summary that helps you understand your audience’s preferences and respond more effectively to their feedback. This feedback loop lets you continuously improve your content based on what your viewers value most.
If you’re looking to expand your channel with series-based content, ChatGPT can help you brainstorm concepts that align with your channel’s theme. For instance, you could ask, “Suggest ideas for a content series on mental health for my YouTube channel.” ChatGPT can provide a list of themes, topics, or episode ideas that fit together into a series format.
By establishing a series, you can build momentum and encourage viewers to return to your channel for the next installment, helping boost watch time and engagement.
Are you looking for a partner to help you scale your video production quality and create better, more engaging content on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram? At VID.co, we’re proud to be a full-service video marketing and video production company specializing in strategy, scripting, production, editing, and optimization.
Want to learn more about working with us? Please check out our video production samples and contact us today!
If you've gotten to this guide, you're probably already interested in video marketing.
You know that videos can be a gateway to more visibility, greater reach, and ultimately, more conversions and revenue.
But before you can start capitalizing on those gains, and before you even make your first video, you need to have a video marketing strategy in place.
How are you supposed to start making one?
Video marketing is becoming increasingly important, not only because of the massive benefits of video marketing itself, but also because of the competitive pressure of businesses of all shapes and sizes getting involved in the video marketing game.
If you can fully harness the power of video marketing, you stand to benefit in several ways:
· Visibility and reach. Video is quickly becoming the dominant medium of the online world. Successfully making and promoting your videos means greatly increased visibility and reach to new audiences. This is especially true if you can distribute your videos across many platforms, and in ways that enable more people to find them.
· Engagement. As a medium, video is especially engaging. By combining both visual and audio elements, and avoiding demands for readership, you'll have the opportunity to connect with your audience on a more meaningful level.
· Authority. Producing great videos is an opportunity to showcase your authority. You can demonstrate your expertise on a topic, talk to your audience directly, and showcase your brand prowess by putting forth the highest quality material. If done successfully, it's a gateway to building trust.
· SEO. Video marketing can facilitate better search engine optimization (SEO). If you optimize your videos correctly, those videos can show up immediately in Google search results or relevant keyword terms. Additionally videos can be a powerful way to build links and boost your website’s domain authority, thereby increasing your chances of ranking for relevant search terms.
· Support for omnichannel marketing. Marketers love videos because they offer tremendous support for omnichannel marketing. Good videos can be used in a variety of ways, being featured on your website, being included in your emails, being showcased on social media, and beyond.
So how exactly do you start creating your video marketing strategy?
Keep in mind that your video marketing strategy is a high-level set of objectives and ideals that's going to dictate what types of videos you make, how you make them, how you distribute them, and even how you evaluate them.
Accordingly, you don't need to work out all the ground-level details of your video production at this point. Instead, it's better to focus on the big picture.
· Define your goals. Start by defining your goals. There's nothing wrong with having a general interest in using videos as part of your marketing strategy. But if you want to be successful, you should have some specific, concrete objectives dictating your approach to video marketing. Not only will this help you create more relevant, powerful videos, but it will also give you a way to measure your progress and an objective standard by which you can determine your results.
· Choose and research your target audience. As with most other marketing strategies, video marketing only works if you fully understand and commit to a specific target audience. If you try to make videos that appeal to a general, broad population, they probably aren't going to make much of an impact. Accordingly, one of your earliest objectives should be choosing and researching your target audience fully, so you can understand how they think and feel and make the kinds of videos they want to see. It's perfectly fine to choose multiple target audiences, but if you do, you'll likely want to segment your strategy.
· Figure out your overarching story. If you've already done some work on your core brand and general marketing objectives, you probably have an idea of what your overarching story is. What is your brand? What does it represent? How do you want people to perceive it? How are your videos going to convey these strategic elements to your audience at large?
· Set a timeline (and stick to it). Even if you don't know all the specifics, you should set a general timeline for yourself. When do you want to release your first video? How often are you going to release videos? How often are you going to measure key metrics and calibrate your efforts?
· Keep a reasonable budget. Budgeting for video marketing can be tough. Video isn't a cheap medium, so you'll need to be willing to spend a bit of money to get access to quality work. At the same time, you don't want to overspend, or you'll jeopardize your overall return on investment (ROI). Allocate spending that allows you to get access to excellent video material without exhausting your marketing budget in the process.
· Consider your team. There are many options for creating videos. You can build an internal team. You can work with a video production agency. You can even work with a loosely assembled team of contractors. Each of these approaches comes with strengths and weaknesses, so you'll need to consider them carefully.
Once you nail down these elements, you'll be ready to dig into more details about the types of videos you want to create.
There are many types of videos that can be strategically useful in your marketing strategy. These are some of the most common:
· Explainer videos. Around 62 percent of your website visitors are going to go directly to your videos (if you have them). Explainer videos attempt to capitalize on this traffic, showcasing your brand and its core products and services in a concise, brief piece of content. The goal of this type of video is to explain the basics of your offers to your target audience, while simultaneously compelling them to take some kind of action, such as signing up for a free trial or purchasing one of your products.
· Advertisements. Advertisements are probably the most familiar type of video in a marketing strategy, and they tend to be the most straightforward. Your goal with ads is to persuade your target audience to purchase your products or services in most cases. You can distribute these on a wide variety of platforms, though you'll typically have to pay for that exposure.
· Product showcases. Product showcase videos have some overlap with explainer videos and advertisements, but they can also be treated as a distinct entity. Product showcase videos highlight one or more of your most important products, fully explaining all the benefits and convincing people why they should purchase the product. They can be used on your website, as peripheral materials for prospects, or even as advertisements generally.
· Social content. There are many types of videos that belong on social media, but generally, these videos tend to be shorter, more digestible, and more entertaining in nature. Depending on the goals of your strategy, social content videos might take the form of short, punchy advertisements, informative or entertaining tidbits, or exciting videos meant to stimulate interest and attract more people to your social media platforms overall.
· Testimonials. Many brands also take advantage of testimonial videos, having previous clients and customers detail their experiences with your brand as a form of social proof to persuade new prospects to take action. Testimonial videos should be as authentic and honest as possible to persuade the greatest number of people.
Obviously, you can use some or all of these types of videos as part of your marketing strategy, or you could choose to go a more novel path.
There's nothing wrong with experimenting with different styles, especially if you're using them in different applications or for different platforms. But many brands benefit from specifically focusing on one signature style so they eventually become more recognizable.
· Natural. Natural videos focus on authenticity and honest portrayal. For example, you might showcase how your product is used in a live environment or show off a day in the life in the office.
· Documentary. Mini documentary videos take a more professional approach, attempting to relay specific facts or illustrate certain concepts with the help of narration and other guiding elements.
· Interview. Interview videos can be very useful, especially for testimonials and demonstration of expertise. You can choose to interview people inside the company, your clients and customers, or external experts, for example.
· Narrative. Narrative videos attempt to tell a story, and they can do so in any number of ways. You can literally show the story unfolding with actors and scenic recreations. You can showcase a narrative through illustrations. You can even tell a more abstract story by connecting different pieces of your products and brand together.
· Animation. Animated videos take some of the burden of video creation away; you won't need a dedicated studio or hired actors if you choose this route. There are also many ways to make your animation style unique to your brand, so all your videos appear consistent and original.
Regardless of what types of videos you want to produce or what styles you want to pursue, the video production process usually goes something like the following:
· Pre-production. The pre-production process is all about establishing the foundation of your video and laying the groundwork for future phases. It includes things like concepting, outlining, scripting, and securing the resources necessary to produce the video.
· Production. The production process is arguably the most important, but it also tends to be the shortest. If you've done all your prep work, you should be able to act out, film, or illustrate the core video with relative ease.
· Post-production. After all the filming and initial animation is done, you'll spend significant time adding graphics, making edits, and generally polishing the video for distribution or syndication. This is a crucial step of the process if you want your video to look as professional as possible.
Be sure to detail the individual steps of your video production process as part of your video marketing strategy. If you choose to work with the video marketing agency or professional contractors, they can help you with this.
Creating the videos is only one part of your video marketing strategy.
You also need to figure out how you're going to distribute and syndicate your videos. In other words, you need to figure out how you're going to make sure that people can see and watch your videos.
You can start by featuring relevant videos on platforms that you already own. For example, you can feature them on your website, and include them in your blog, or host them on a YouTube channel of your own. This is usually the best option for things like explainer videos and testimonials.
You can also pay to have your videos placed on external channels. This is usually the best option for things like advertisements and product showcases.
In some cases, you can also earn placement for your videos. For example, you might work with other collaborators or partners who would be willing to share and highlight your work.
Keep in mind that you'll always have the option to repurpose and reuse your videos. For example, you might have a long explanatory video on your website, but you can break it up into smaller videos and reuse them as advertisements with only minor tweaks. You can also distribute the same video across multiple channels to increase its potential reach.
As part of your general video marketing strategy, you should have a plan for how you're going to measure success. This will help you calculate your overall ROI, determine whether you're meeting objectives, and help you figure out how to improve your video marketing strategy in the future.
There are several objective metrics you can look at to determine the effectiveness of your videos. These are some of the most popular:
· Views. Views are a relatively straightforward measure of how many people are watching your videos. More is better, but keep in mind that audience targeting is also relevant; lots of views from irrelevant viewers may not be beneficial to your overall marketing strategy.
· Retention. Retention figures show you how many people stick around for your full video and how many people leave prematurely. This can tell you whether your video is sufficiently engaging for your target audience.
· Subscribers. Similarly, subscriber counts are good indicators of how many people want to see more content like what you've already produced. A high subscriber count isn't enough to tell you whether your video marketing strategy is succeeding by itself, but it is an excellent indicator to evaluate alongside other factors.
· Comments and ratings. A large number of comments typically indicates that your video material is engaging, but it's also important to look at comments from a subjective standpoint. What do people have to say about your videos? How are they rating your videos? What suggestions do they have about future videos?
· Shares. Shares measure how many people are sharing your video on social media. A share is a great indication that you've made a good impression on someone, and it's also an opportunity to reach new people.
· Conversions. Of course, the Holy Grail metric for video marketing is the same golden metric as most other marketing strategies: conversions. For most of your videos, you'll want to pay close attention to how much traffic they're generating and how many people they're persuading to make a purchase.
Your video marketing strategy shouldn't be static. Your overall goals and vision might remain the same, but as you start producing videos and measuring their impact, you'll likely find that you need to make some adjustments with your approach. This is natural and to be expected, as the most adaptable brands tend to be the most successful when it comes to video marketing.
Of course, video marketing is very tough, especially if you're new to the game. That's why it pays to work with a video marketing agency who can help you with everything from initial video marketing strategic planning to video production and distribution.
At Vid.co, we have a full team of experts in almost every conceivable aspect of video marketing, and we’re on standby to help you achieve your video marketing goals. If you're ready to get started, contact us today for a free consultation!
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