A Marketing Plan Could Save Your Video Production Business

In this digital age, content creators are familiar with utilizing online platforms to

showcase their work. They understand that a clear and user-friendly online

presence is imperative to the success of their content. Although this may seem

like the basis for a successful digital media career, it can quickly fall into chaos

and stagnation without the correct marketing plan in place. This post will

introduce a must-have marketing plan to ensure your video projects move

beyond last-minute advertising and give you the tools to create an organized

approach for promoting your productions.

Why is a marketing plan important?

When creating content of any kind, it is essential to consider the key aspects of

the production. We can think of this as building a house. We know that any

home without a firm foundation will collapse. Your productions work the same

way. Social Impact Expert in Revenue, Yanyn San Luis, states that one of the

aspects of a marketing plan is called the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses,

Opportunities, Threats) analysis. This post will explore how we will apply it tovideo production. Before the production is created, filmmakers need to start by

asking these important questions:

• What is my production about, and what can I do well?

• Who is my target audience?

• Who are my competitors?

• What am I trying to say with this production?

• How can I get my message to be heard/seen?

By asking these questions, you will be able to create a structure for your

production to build from. Let’s take a look at each question and describe the

various ways you can answer them.

What is my production about, and what can I do well?

This is the first step in your marketing plan. When creating a production in film,

documentaries, or personal videos for online platforms, you must develop a firm

understanding of what you are trying to say with your production. Think of it like

a conversation with someone else. If you approach without knowing what you

want to say, you may stumble over your words and fail to communicate

effectively. Treat your production the same way. Start by evaluating your

strengths in your industry. Are you good at social justice work, fashion, or

education? Finding your strength will help you stay the course during your

production, as you can find ways to showcase your skills in your work. You also

want to take a moment and analyze your weaknesses in yourself or your team.

Start by asking yourself (and your team) the following:

• Are we organized?

• Can we communicate effectively?

• Where do we struggle?

Finding these now will save you a lot of trouble later on in production.

Who is my target audience?

Once you have decided what to say, you need to figure out who you are

speaking to. Think about how you can provide a new source to your audience.

What makes your content unique? Are you creating content for school-aged

children, such as educational videos? Or maybe young professionals are trying

to improve their public speaking skills? What about the age group? Is your

content for young children, teenagers, college students, or working-agedadults? How can you make this content interesting and fulfill a need? Asking

yourself these questions will ensure you have a solid understanding of what you

want to say and how to say it.

Research your audience

Once you have your audience in mind, you want to conduct research on what

that group likes/wants, and by what medium they are most likely to use. This

type of marketing research will be vital in ensuring your message is heard. This

research will have primary and secondary components:

Primary is your first-hand information will be gathered from group discussions

and surveys. You can survey your audience and their behaviors. If you are

marketing to teenagers, you can create online surveys that describe their most-

used platforms and the style of content they consume. You can also ask groups

of teens in your life about their preferred media outlets. This will help you decide

the best way to release your content after production.

Secondary research is research that has already been conducted. Using the

teen surveys as an example, you can pull past surveys on teen media usage

from reputable online sources to gain a better understanding of the best

platform to release your productions.

Who are my competitors?

Now that you have a solid audience demographic, you can start looking at your

competitors. You want to take a look at other industries/ creators who are

creating similar content. For example, if you want to make videos about

improving public speaking skills, you want to take a look at other sources that

are making similar content. With the oversaturation of content online, you want

to create a way to make your products stand out. What are the other creators

doing/not doing? How can I create unique content that interests my audience?

What am I trying to say with this production?

Once you have your theme and audience research, you can now think about

what you are trying to say with your production. What are your short-term and

long-term goals? Are you trying to raise awareness of living conditions in

different areas of the world? Or do you want to address a local problem in your

hometown? Or maybe you want to show helpful math tricks for students.

Defining your goals for this production will create a blueprint for you to work with

throughout the production.

How can I get my message to be heard/seen?

Once you have a clear idea of your content and audience, you can think about

how you want to release this content into the world. There are a few different

aspects to think about when marketing your content. For example, if you are

creating a short film, you want to look at local film festivals or shows to

showcase your work. If you are making educational videos, online distribution

on sites like YouTube, Vimeo, or paid subscription sites like Patreon may be

suitable for that content. In the ever-changing world of digital media, a well-structured marketing plan is needed more than ever. Whether you are an independent filmmaker or content creator, a marketing plan can help you stay on track to create content that inspires and captivates your audience.

Topic: Components of a Marketing Plan