Building a Video Distribution Strategy That Works
So you production company delivered your video and it’s now in your hands. What now?
An amazing, beautifully crafted video is only as good as the action it inspires in viewers. Without a good video distribution strategy, it won’t have as much viewers as it ought to. This guide will walk you through the steps to maximize your video and get it in front of the people who matter - from defining your target audience to choosing the platforms/channels to testing, optimizing, and managing everything you need to execute a successful distribution strategy.
Video Distribution cannot be an afterthought
It should be in place before anything is written, filmed, or animated. Yes, production is important, but it’s just as important to consider how you’re going to distribute it when deciding to produce a video. The decision should be made early in the production process. Right from the start, you should consider:
A paid distribution strategy. This needs to be incorporated in the entire production budget
Audience demographics. How will you engage with your people? How do they engage with your brand? What platforms do they prefer?
Aspect ratio. Is it vertical 6:19? Or Horizontal 16:9? Make sure the video is optimized according to the platform it will reside
Sounds. Will subtitles be more effective?
CTA. Calls to action - what do you want the viewer to do?
If this is going on television, ensure that it meets the standards required .
What works on one platform will not necessarily work on another. YouTube videos should be no longer than 2mins. Instagram limits video to 60esec. Twitter videos are 45sec.
Objectives: why do this?
Without any objectives in place, you can’t set KPIs (key performance indicators). At HADJI Studios, we typically categorize objectives based on their place on the conversion funnel: awareness, consideration, conversion, and engagement.
Awareness:
Increase brand recognition.
Get noticed by a specific audience.
Drive search rankings of a keyword.
Raise awareness of an issue.
Attract investor attention
Consideration:
Position the company as a thought leader.
Showcase an amazing project.
Demonstrate investment value.
Drive wider reach for an event.
Conversion:
Generate leads.
Attract job applicants.
Drive website conversions.
Secure investment.
Drive event registrations.
Engagement:
Reduce calls to the customer service.
Onboard an employee.
Onboard a customer.
Increase customer referrals.
Understanding your target audience
Ask your prospective customers: what do you want to see?
Conducting surveys targeting relevant communities - SMB owners, millenials, Gen Z, HR directors, IT managers - if you want their attention, ask them what gets their attention. If you don’t have qualitative research, then ask your immediate network how they consume content. Some things to vonsider:
their favorite social networks and how they use them
the media they consume
professional organizations they belong to
how they use their email
how they stay on top of the news
how they choose new suppliers or vendors
events they follow or attend
Setting KPIs
Knowing your objective is important. Knowing your KPIs lets you know whether you’re achieving them. They are designed to measure, and they are a pillar to your distribution strategy. They will vary depending on where your objective sits on the conversion funnel:
Awareness:
Total number of viewers
Thumbnail impressions. How many people have had the opportunity to see your video?
Consideration:
Watch time. How long are viewers watching?
View through rate. Total Number of views / Thumbnail Impressions
Engagement. How many likes and comments? Has your video gotten viewers talking?
Conversion:
Subscribers. How many people are signed up? How has a new video impacted the number?
Video shares. Has your audience been sharing? (also relevant to engagement)
Leads generated. How many leads have been a direct result of watching your video (see the article how to use video for lead gen).
Choosing your distribution channels
This depends on your target audience. For example, Gen Z likes TikTok. Millenials prefer YouTube. HR Directors and IT managers prefer LinkedIn. SMB owners gravitate towards Facebook and YouTube.
We typically break distribution channels into owned, earned, and bought.
Owned:
Company website.
Company blog.
Company social channels.
Email campaigns to your own database.
Email signatures.
Own events.
Own podcasts.
Earned:
Company website.
Company blog.
Company social channels.
Video cards.
Email campaigns to your own database.
Email signatures.
Own events.
Own podcasts.
Bought:
Paid social.
Broadcast advertising.
Demand-side platforms.
Paid email campaigns to partners’ databases.
Pay-to-play events.
Content Creation
Remember - plan your distribution channel BEFORE you begin creating content in order to maximize your chances of a successful video marketing campaign. By gathering all the data from your target audience and deciding where they typically like to engage, you can develop a distribution strategy that will deliver results. You’ll be able to select the formats that work best for your selected channels with ease.
Budget
Don’t just release your video into the wild and expect it to flourish. It requires money. A good distribution strategy requires a budget that makes sense and aligns with the goals you are trying to achieve. You may not know how much to start with - but it’s always a good idea to start small. If your budget is $20k, start with $1k and test, refine, build, filter out irrelevant targets and messages, and repeat. Doing this consistently will eventually result in higher ROI.
Launch. Measure. Refine.
Video marketing is a long game. Deciding on a proper video distribution strategy will set you off on the right path to success. Right from the start, it’s necessary that you’re spending effort ensuring that you’re reaching the right people. Doing so reduces time and money wasted.
Check your performance consistently over planned periods across various distribution channels and collect data to see on what can be improved and how. Pay attention to the KPIs and adjust your next cycle accordingly. Create a feedback loop while listening to your audience - otherwise, things will fall apart and fail. Overcommitting to methods that aren’t working are dangerous, and so modify, refine, and learn from your mistakes weekly, monthly, and quarterly. Determine what’s working and what isn’t and make the appropriate adjustments. With the right prep-work and a good quality video in your hand, you should be pleased with the results.
