A brilliant video won't go very far on its own.

Planning should always come first in your video process, so you can work out who it's for, where it'll go and why you're doing it before you even touch the brief. Without it, your video could be failing to reach your target audience.

Luckily, the Venture team have pulled together a Video Activation Guide, so you can make sure your content is hitting your target audience in the right place, at the right time. 

To start you off and give you a little taster of what's in the full Video Activation Guide, we want to get you thinking about some of the following questions, so you can decide where it's most worthwhile to invest your time, money and effort.

And if you've already got a video ready to go but haven't done any activation planning yet, don't fret! You can still use this guide to help make sure your content works harder for you.

4 essential questions to help you figure out where to publish your video

1. What do you want to achieve?

Every business has their own goals, from boosting awareness to increasing sales, to better engagement on social media platforms. Your goal will ultimately shape what success looks like to you, and whether your campaign has gone well. But it also defines how you should distribute your video.

Think about your sales funnel: consider whether you're trying to raise awareness, push leads, drive decision making, or keep customers interested, then decide how your video can help you do it. For example, if you're launching something new? You should think about promoting your video with paid social. Helping customers out with an explainer video? Put long-form content on YouTube for them to view while they research.

But if you're not sure how to reach your goals with video? We can help you there. Just ask.

2. Who is your audience?

90% of customers agree product video aids buying decisions, and 85% want more video from brands (Forbes), but who, exactly, is your audience? Take a step back and build a clear picture of the group you're trying to reach. Think about the channels they use, the shows they watch, and ultimately, which platforms are worth pursuing. Is there anything your target customer is looking for or expecting from your sector? Knowing the answers to all these questions will help you figure out the best platforms to achieve your goals.

For example, you might know you want to use social media advertising to boost awareness, but your target market is under 18s. So, you're better off using TikTok or Instagram, which have more users in that demographic than Facebook. Or, if you know you want to speak to an audience that watches DIY shows, you might think about spending on pre-roll ads or Sky AdSmart.

Ultimately, to reach the right people you have to be in the right place, because if you don't think it through from the start, you risk wasting your budget, and your chances.

3. Do you have the right formats?

Once you've answered the questions above, you should have an idea of how you want to activate your video. But just as one video won't work for all people, on a technical level, it won't work for all channels, either.

That doesn't mean you necessarily have to create additional content, though. It's often a case of adapting what you have for different platforms. It's worth setting aside some budget to create edits of your video, so it can be trimmed and tailored for all kinds of applications (more on that on p. 7 of our Video Activation Guide).

If you're not confident or comfortable with doing this, ask us to step in and take the reins.

4. What's your budget?

93% of marketers agree video is an important part of their marketing strategy (HubSpot), but whether you're using social media, TV or another channel, budget is crucial. It all depends on what you're trying to achieve and which platforms you use. But, even a small budget will stretch further than you think.

TV is no longer just for big brands; there are lots of advertising options on streaming and on-demand platforms, which allow you to target specific audiences too. And on social media, you might want to invest in more targeted advertising to reach particular people, or to give your video content wider reach.

You'll always need to set some money aside for media spend, or you won't be able to get your video out there, but if you're unsure how to use it wisely, we can help.

Have we sparked some ideas?

Download our full Video Activation Guide where we share:

• Our key tactics and approaches
• The details of main distribution channels to help you work out what to post when, where and why
• How best to use each platform
• Where your video could fit in your sales funnel
• Practical advice on watching the budget sheet. 

Whether you've got a spark of an idea or a fully-formed plan, our door's always open. And it all starts with a conversation. Call us up or send an email to book a kick-off meeting, where we'll build a picture of your brand, talk you through our process, timings and costs, and decide the next steps together.