In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, staying ahead of the game requires more than just occasional content creation—it demands a strategic approach. One tool that has proven to be a game-changer is the video content calendar.
In this blog post, we’ll explore what a video content calendar is, its impact on marketing, the optimal planning horizon, types of videos for your calendar, deployment strategies, the balance between professional and in-house creations, and, crucially, how to measure the return on investment (ROI).
What is a Video Content Calendar?
A video content calendar is a structured plan that outlines the schedule for creating and publishing videos. Much like an editorial calendar for written content, it serves as a roadmap for your video marketing efforts. By strategically planning when and where your videos will be released, you can maintain consistency, engage your audience, and align your video content with broader marketing goals.
How Can Planning a Video Content Calendar Help Your Marketing?
You have a business plan, financial plan (budget) and marketing plan and they help you to plan and execute certain strategies through the year. But you can break these broader strategies down into specific areas, and a video content calendar is one of these areas. Having this content planned out allows you manage budgets, resources and have collateral ready for key occasions during the year where you can exploit occasions and events. For example would your brand benefit from creating video content that aligns to the Olympics, International Women’s Day, Easter, Valentine’s Day, G20 meetings? Look at what is happening over the year and see how your marketing can align to specific calendar events. This proactive planning not only saves time but also allows for a more cohesive and effective communication strategy.
Choosing the Right Planning Horizon: Monthly, Quarterly, or Annually?
Determining the ideal planning horizon for your video content calendar depends on your business goals, industry dynamics, and the nature of your content. While monthly calendars offer flexibility and responsiveness to current trends, quarterly and annual calendars provide a broader perspective and enable long-term campaign planning. Striking the right balance may involve a combination, with quarterly planning providing a middle ground for many businesses.
Types of Videos for Your Content Calendar
Variety is the spice of life, and the same holds true for your video content calendar. Consider incorporating a mix of video types to keep your audience engaged and cater to different preferences. Explainer videos, product demonstrations, customer testimonials, educational videos on your sector or expertise, meet the team content, event specific content and behind-the-scenes glimpses are just a few examples. Tailor your content to address different stages of the customer journey, from awareness to conversion and retention.
A great example of a simple video to celebrate a business milestone we created for nTrust to celebrate 20 years
Deployment Strategies: Where and How to Showcase Your Videos
Creating fantastic videos is just one part of the equation; deploying them effectively is equally crucial. Leverage a multichannel approach, considering platforms like LinkedIn, YouTube, social media, your website, video brochures and email marketing. Each platform has its strengths, and a well-planned deployment strategy ensures your videos reach the right audience at the right time.
Finding the Right Balance: Professional vs. In-House Videos
The age-old debate of professional versus in-house content creation often boils down to a trade-off between quality, speed and available budget. Striking the right balance is key. While professionally crafted videos can add a polished touch to your brand, in-house videos can offer agility and authenticity. Consider the nature of the content, your budget, and your audience’s expectations when deciding which approach to prioritise. Ultimately to have vast amounts of content created can require a decent amount of budget, but mixing professional content with in-house videos created using phones, simple camera set ups or webcam can yield equally great results. Consider all approaches in your strategy.
An example of educational marketing content for LinkedIn and social media deployment
Measuring ROI: Key Metrics and Best Practices
The success of your video content calendar is measurable, and understanding the return on investment is crucial – after all how will you justify the time and budget spent and be able to secure additional budget if you can’t prove it has been a tangible success! Metrics like view count, engagement rate, conversion rate, watch through metrics, comments, engagement and social shares provide valuable insights. The real gold is when you implement tracking tools, conduct A/B testing, analyse audience feedback and ask customers how they found out about you, this means you can continually refine your approach and point to an uptick in revenue, sales, downloads, etc. But remember, a successful video marketing strategy is not just about views or likes; it’s about fostering meaningful connections and conversions. Don’t get sucked into the ‘follower trap’ – an old colleague of mine used to say “celebrate the outcome, not the activity” and it couldn’t be more true in this scenario!
Summary: Your Action Plan for Q1 2024 and beyond
As you gear up for the new year, here’s a concise action plan to kickstart your video content calendar:
Define Your Goals: Clearly outline your marketing objectives for 2024. Whether it’s boosting brand awareness, driving sales, or enhancing customer loyalty, your video content should align with these goals.
Choose Your Planning Horizon: Decide on the planning horizon that suits your business. Consider a mix of monthly, quarterly, and annual planning to strike the right balance between agility and foresight.
Diversify Your Content: Plan a variety of videos to keep your audience engaged. Mix educational content with behind-the-scenes glimpses and customer testimonials to create a well-rounded content calendar.
Optimise Deployment: Identify the platforms that resonate most with your audience and tailor your deployment strategy accordingly. Leverage the strengths of LinkedIn, YouTube, social media, and your website to maximise reach.
Balance Professionalism and Agility: Evaluate the need for professional production versus in-house creation based on your content and budget. Strive for a balance that maintains quality while allowing for quick and authentic content creation.
Measure and Iterate: Implement robust tracking tools to measure the success of your videos. Analyse key metrics, gather audience feedback, and use the insights to continually refine your video content strategy – and don’t get carried away with interactions or activity that doesn’t actually matter.
As you embark on this journey, remember that a well-executed video content calendar is not just a plan; it’s a dynamic tool that evolves with your business. Embrace the power of strategic video marketing, and may your January 2024 be the beginning of a year filled with engaging content and measurable success.
And of course, the obligatory soft sell at the end – we can of course help to advise on content planning as well as delivery of the actual video assets. Here is to a great 2024 for all of us.
