Measure Measure Measure! Why size DOES matter

Measuring what your marketing is doing is so important

When running a business time is vital. You are busy making sales, coordinating projects and overseeing staff. That’s why when something has worked in the past we think ‘Yep we can do that again this year.’ That previous newspaper ad brought in new customers, those same product images are working on the website and that video still tells our story.

But what has worked in the past may not work now. We need to know that our current marketing strategy is connecting to the customers we want now, is being seen by new markets and is telling our branding story.

How do we know if it’s working?

Measure. By measuring how many customers are seeing our products we know if its working. Are we getting less phone calls than this time last year? Are we getting less traffic on the website this month? Do we have less foot traffic coming into the store?

When you track your marketing and correlate that to sales numbers, inquiries and engagement we can see what is working and what isn’t. Maybe people want to read about your business online now and not in the Newspaper. Maybe people want to come into your store instead of calling you.

The more you can measure, the more information you have and the more informed decisions you can make. And that means your marketing budget is doing exactly what you want it to do.

What came first: The Idea or The Customer?

The age old question - the chicken or the egg?

You have an idea. That’s a great start. Now what's next?

As business owners it can be hard to know what the next step is. You know what you want to achieve; more sales, more traction, more market share but what do you do to make sure your idea actually works?

How do you take your idea and make it into something your customers will watch and connect with?

The first thing we always tell our clients is- how does your idea make your customers feel? Will it make them feel inspired? Will it make them think? Does it make them feel understood? Listened to? And most importantly Does it solve their problem?

It’s imperative to put yourself in your customers shoes and ask yourself ‘what will they think when they see this? Is it relevant to them?

When you focus your message and communication on the customer and their needs, they are much more likely to feel a connection to what you are saying. Basically you are telling your customers you care about them and their needs.

Whether you are selling cars, harvesters, jumpers or IT support, you should always focus on the customer and what you can do for them. Not just what you do.

Answer: The Customer

Key Message – What do you really need to say?

Too many messages can be overwhelming

When it comes time to marketing our business we usually have a lot to say. We are excited about our product or service and we want to share that with the world. But when it comes to video messaging, less is always more.

Less is always more

The more information you try to squeeze in the more diluted the video narrative becomes and it lessens the impact on the audience. You want your message to create an instant connection and maintain that during the entire video. By keeping the message short, concise and on track it allows the audience to connect, feel and react to what you are saying. Loading the audience with message after message makes them bored, confused and overwhelmed.

When you have a single strong central message it allows the video to communicate to the audience in a way that connects, informs, emotes and is memorable.

Stay short and concise 

Put yourself in your audience’s position. If you watch a video bursting full of different information packed in to 90 seconds you would probably turn off. Decide on what you really want to say, keep it on track and take your viewers on a journey that make them feel something.

One key message per video is a good rule to follow. Anything more than that will be tedious for the audience to follow.

The hardest part of key messages in video is not what you want to say but what you don’t need to say.

Video: Why the Where is important

TV or Online?

Video is an amazing tool in communicating with your customers. The how and why of the video are central elements to good communication but what a lot of people don’t think about is the where- Where should this video go to reach your viewers?

The where is important to think about as it can determine the type of video you will make.

After you determine what message you want to communicate and who your target audience will be then you need to know where your audience is and where they watch. Are they watching on YouTube, Facebook, on your website, Television or Instagram? Where do your customers consume videos? You need to know where your audience will be so your video can get the maximum views.

Once you know where you want to broadcast your video you can then craft your video to your chosen platform. This is a really important step in the video process. You wouldn’t make a 10 minute promo video for an online audience that will turn off after 30 seconds. You need to tailor your video for the correct platform. Remember online video needs to be short and to the point as it has a high drop off rate meaning you need to connect straight away.

Its important to know what you want to say but also where you want to say it. 

Other points to think about are the types of videos you make may determine the platform. Television need to be short with a duration of between 15 – 30 seconds. Instagram you have a maximum of 60 seconds to connect and hold your audience. Facebook you can target your videos to specific markets and demographics, YouTube you can play around with a more creative angle or utilise humour to communicate your message.

Keeping in mind the platform you want to use to broadcast your video will help shape and craft an engaging and exciting video that talks directly to the audience.