21 June 2015 Video production tips and best practices

5 Things You Must do for Successful Video Content Planning [Free Guide]

Get effective, successful video content with the 5 key steps to video content planning (and use our guide for even more in-depth info).

You've decided to create an amazing piece of video content to achieve your marketing goals, but you're just not sure where to get started. Can you treat it like any other piece of content? Are there certain best practices you need to follow? Don't worry, we've all been there at one time or another.

Whether you're producing a corporate video, a training video, a promotional video, or an explainer video, planning your video content is part of the wider strategic process behind your video projects. It's also very important to get it right so you can ensure your videos are successful. Luckily, there are just 5 simple fundamentals to video planning heaven.

5 Fundamentals of video content planning  Learn the key steps to planning engaging & effective video content.  Packed full of our expert advice on how to create a video strategy, set SMART  objectives, and generate the best possible video ROI. Download the guide

Below is a preview of the information you'll find in the guide (plus examples) to help you plan effective, results-driven video and achieve your marketing goals. Without further ado, here are the 5 things you must do for successful video content planning:

1. Outline Your Objectives

First things first, you need to know exactly what you want to achieve with your video content. That means identifying the issue you want your video to solve and how you will be measuring its success - in short, your objectives.

You must also ensure that the aims for this piece of video content align with the wider aims of your business, otherwise you run the risk of heading in the wrong direction without contributing to your overall company goals.

2. Understand Your Target Audience

Next up, you need to know who you'll be speaking to through your video content. We recommend using personas to help describe a standard person in your target audience.

To create superb video content that is deeply engaging for your viewers, you should search for and use insights about your target audience. Our guide shows you how.

3. Focus on Your Core Message

Now you know your target audience, you can consider what you want them to feel, think and do after watching your video content. This is where your core message comes in.

Try to narrow down the messages included in your video to just one core message, if possible. Focus on the one thing your audience really needs to know to take the action you want - the less information you try to cram in, the more effective your video content will be.

You'll probably find that building a simple message map will help you to boil down your core message. Download our guide for the steps to take.

4. Plan the Specifics

This part is all about logistics. Decide on whether you'll produce the video internally or if you'll hire a video production agency, where and how you'll use your video to maximise ROI, and your budget and timescale.

5. Write a Video Production Brief

Finally, you should write a video production brief, which will help you to condense all your planning up to this point into a single document. We even have a handy template!

Remember to be detailed yet decisive when writing your brief. Cut any unnecessary information, but include as much detail as you need to express all of your video content planning.

That's it - those are the 5 things you must do to successfully plan for your video content.

Our in-depth video content planning guide will lead you through these 5 fundamentals in much more detail, along with examples and additional useful resources. Download it today to achieve your marketing goals through effective, well-planned video content.

5 Fundamentals of video content planning  Learn the key steps to planning engaging & effective video content.  Packed full of our expert advice on how to create a video strategy, set SMART  objectives, and generate the best possible video ROI. Download the guide

 
Lydia Cockerham

Written by Lydia Cockerham Copywriter for Venture Videos — a full-service video production agency that specialises in producing creative videos & campaigns that get real results.

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