Demand for video content has surged among consumers in recent years. In fact, more than 90% say they want to see more online video from their favorite brands. In response to this demand, marketers have thrown their video creation engines into overdrive. As a result, today’s video marketing landscape has grown fiercely competitive. If you’re looking to gain an edge and leapfrog the competition, these video marketing tips will help get you there. 

The 4 tips we’ll outline in this article will transform your video creation process if you put them into practice. They’ll help you avoid common pitfalls that hold video marketers back while also setting your team up for success. Think of them as your own personal cheat sheet for creating more videos that drive better results.

If you find you’re lagging behind competitors and can’t quite figure out why, check out our real cost calculator. It’ll help you quickly identify the hidden costs that might be throwing unseen obstacles in your path.

Video Marketing Tip 1: Keep your budget and costs predictable

When it comes to managing a video marketing budget, you don’t want surprises. That’s why it’s critically important to not only keep costs in line, but keep them predictable. When expenses are all over the map, planning your video marketing strategy becomes more challenging than it needs to be. After all, you can’t expect your team to do their best work if they don’t even know what resources are available to them. Achieving all of your goals is a lot easier when your budget and costs are as predictable as clockwork. Budget and cost control are key to a smooth and efficient production process. That’s why it’s the focus of our first video marketing tip.

Use your budget wisely to get ahead of your competitors

For starters, you’ll want to ensure all available resources are being effectively allocated. Marketing budgets tend to fluctuate without warning, so it’s essential to account for every dollar you spend. This means carefully considering every video marketing campaign’s desired outcome, intended audience, and the channels you’ll use. You should also have an idea of the anticipated ROI of each campaign. If and when a strategy fails to meet those marks, you need to shift those resources where they’ll be put to better use.

Another key element of making budgets and costs more predictable is to carefully monitor expenses. One area that video marketers in particular should be mindful of is how much they’re spending on stock media for their projects. Many services charge for every individual video clip, photo, or audio file you use. If a video project requires heavy use of stock media, these costs can quickly spiral out of control and blow your entire budget. With an unlimited subscription plan like Storyblocks offers, you can get as many stock assets as you need for an affordable, predictable price.

Video Marketing Tip 2: Choose stock media assets without license restrictions

Many video marketers depend heavily on stock media assets for their production strategies, and it’s easy to see why. Shooting footage yourself isn’t always practical, and many teams lack the required resources or budget. Not to mention filming equipment like 4K or drone cameras, which can be prohibitively expensive. You also might not have a big enough team to create special effects or other creative elements in a timely fashion. These are just some of the scenarios where stock media comes to the rescue.

But stock media isn’t always as straightforward as downloading it and using it. Our next video marketing tip covers the all-important matter of licensing restrictions, which could land you in legal jeopardy if not carefully followed. That incredible bit of footage you downloaded might be just what you needed for one project. But are you sure you’re clear to use it in another? Licensing restrictions can make it much more difficult (and costly) to reach your audience on every channel.

Even the process of reviewing complicated licensing agreements can hold projects up. And the restrictions imposed can vary significantly from provider to provider. For instance, did you know some stock providers require you to register assets for every single use case? If you don’t read the fine print, you could unknowingly wander into a sticky licensing situation. 

How to find and use stock media assets without restrictions

Before signing up for a stock media subscription plan, look over their licensing restrictions. For minimal hassle, only consider plans that offer 100% royalty-free assets which are cleared for worldwide distribution in perpetuity (meaning you can use them in projects across the globe forever). Storyblocks checks all of these boxes, which makes navigating licenses a thing of the past. 

Some stock subscriptions only grant limited licenses, which can highly restrict how, where, or how often assets are used. Others only grant a license for as long as your subscription is active. Which means if your subscription lapses for any reason, you’re no longer able to use what you downloaded.

These kinds of restrictions stifle the creative process and add a totally unnecessary layer of complexity to your productions. Instead of tiptoeing around a minefield of limitations and legal complexities, go with a stock provider that makes everything simple. Storyblocks offers lawyer-approved licensing options tailored to both businesses’ and individuals’ specific needs.

Video Marketing Tip 3: Set your team up to move and test quickly

As anyone who’s ever worked in marketing knows, priorities can shift and turn on a dime. Having the agility and flexibility to pivot at a moment’s notice is a fundamental element of any successful video marketer’s skill set. That especially comes into play in learning how to quickly test and iterate on your videos to figure out what works and what doesn’t. If you do that, you’ll be much better positioned to make changes that add value and result in more successful campaigns.

Strategies for an agile marketing team

If you manage a production team, you’ll want to equip them with everything they need to get into that agile mindset. Doing so can take many forms. Creating a culture of cross-functional collaboration, for instance, can bring a wider range of ideas into your projects. You might have someone on your team just waiting for their opportunity to let their creativity shine. But you’ll never know unless you loop them in.

Then there’s the classic agile project management methodologies, which break down large, complex tasks into shorter phases, or “sprints”. Deploying these tactics can make even huge projects go faster, and encourage greater team-wide collaboration.

You can also turn your team into a lean, mean video production machine by carefully choosing your software and stock assets. Some will complement your processes, while others will only get in your way. Above all you want to be sure these decisions are working in support of your team’s goals, not against them.

Video Marketing Tip 4: Create a video marketing strategy for today’s economy

Our fourth and final video marketing tip is all about creating a video marketing strategy that’s right for today’s economy. The rapid fits and starts of today’s economy can often leave marketing teams feeling like they’re on a roller-coaster. Marketing budgets are closely tied to the current economic climate, so a rapid downturn can mean doing more with less. The good news is that doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be forced to do lesser-quality work. But it does mean getting strategic about budget and expense planning. 

Establishing a contemporary video marketing strategy will help your team take advantage of all available resources, even in a rocky economy. The ups and downs of the global economy can put pressure on teams. But another way to look at it is an opportunity to get more creative. You might just surprise yourself with what you can achieve when you utilize all available resources. Even when they’re limited.

Put these tips into action and get ahead of your competitors

Hopefully these video marketing tips have given you some new ways of thinking about your strategy. None of these changes are difficult to implement, but they will all make a big impact in your process. These tips highlight some blind spots for many teams that can increase costs and slow the creative process.

Creating rock-solid, predictable budgets will help you avoid any sticker shock when it comes to choosing which resources to spring for, including stock media asset subscriptions. Avoiding cumbersome licensing restrictions will free up time spent poring over complicated agreement terms. By setting your team to move and test quickly, you’ll get more done in less time. And of course, creating a contemporary video strategy will prepare you to do your best work in an unpredictable economy. Remember: not every team knows about these video marketing tips. Mastering these strategies will help you get ahead of your competition. Especially if they aren’t putting them to use.