Ideas for your next video project are usually the hardest to come up with. Whether you’re just starting out with video marketing or you’ve utilized this form of media before but you’ve just run out of ideas, it’s hard to brainstorm new video ideas!
The first thing you should understand is that it’s okay to do something similar to what you’ve done in the past. It’s also ok to do something similar to what your industry competition has created as well, so long as you aren’t copying it exactly. If you feel like doing something new, by all means, go ahead… But if your tried and true video idea still works well for you, there’s nothing wrong with using it again!
If you’re really struggling to come up with video ideas, here are some ways you can get your creative juices flowing!
Figure out what videos are appropriate for your industry
If you’re new to video marketing, your first step in preparing ideas is to know what should and shouldn’t be in videos for the industry your company is in. Previously, we’ve listed out a few different video types for different industries here.
You don’t want to make it a habit to post videos that have nothing to do with your business. That’s how you’ll lose not only followers but also customers both current and prospective. If people follow your social media platforms, they want to see content about your business, not just some comedy sketches that make fun of unreasonable customers.
Keep it classy and keep it relevant!
Research the Competition
One of the best ways to come up with ideas for your next video is to look at what other companies are doing! Taking a peek into your competitors’ Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook feeds can give you inspiration for not only content ideas but co-marketing opportunities.
The reason that searching social media is a good way for video marketing content is because social networks are all about being up to date on what’s currently happening. Many people use the “trending topics” section of Facebook to find out what’s going on in various areas. You can bet that if your competition is creating a video involving one of those trending topics, you should take notice!
By watching videos of other companies in your field, you’ll be able to get new ideas for what’s possible with video marketing. You can also find out what works and doesn’t work by simply watching the competition… And possibly even gain some insight into their customers, which is information you can use to create better videos for your brand’s Facebook page, YouTube channel, etc.
Make notes about what you see in the videos you watch. What are they doing? How are they doing it? What is it that their customers love or hate about what they’re doing?
By reading comments on these marketing channels, you may also be able to find out what fans and followers want.
Keep a notebook or a word document with you and keep notes as you go through this process. Sometimes it takes a few times watching their videos for something to really hit you… And if it doesn’t, maybe your next video idea will!
Make it a team effort
Some of our best ideas are the ones we get when brainstorming them with others! If you’re able to understand what works and what doesn’t work in video marketing by having an open discussion with other people you work with. They can be employees, coworkers, clients, or anyone you have a professional working relationship with. Even someone who doesn’t work a “creative” job for you might have amazing ideas for video content!
People who aren’t always looking for the next video idea can have some of the most genius ideas, even if they aren’t all the way fleshed out. A great idea is the beginning of something amazing! If you have a good team around you, chances are they’ll be able to help take your video ideas and turn them into amazing pieces of promotional content.
Not only will you get a range of ideas to work with, but you’ll also be boosting company morale by including your employees in creative work. Creating company videos for marketing is something employees can get excited about because it’s often their work or product that’s being featured.
Ask your customers what they want to see
A simple survey posted anywhere you digitally market can do wonders to help you and your company learn what your customer base is looking for in video content. This is especially helpful if you’re still getting your feet wet with video marketing, so you’ll have an idea of what types of videos are best for engaging your audience.
The keyword here is engagement… Video marketing helps build relationships with the people who buy from you. So ask them questions about why they plan on buying from you in the future, what video content they want to see and try to get a better understanding of their lifestyles.
Customers love feeling like they’re being heard, and asking them about what they want to see from your marketing is one way they can continue to be excited about your business and the products you sell or the services you provide.
Go back and look at your analytics
Are there certain videos of yours that have well exceeded all of your expectations? Those are the types of things you should focus on for future video production. Look at data such as what time the video was posted, how many views or likes it got. Try to brainstorm ideas based on those trends so you’ll be able to make videos that successfully hit those numbers again. Never underestimate the power of a video series!
If you don’t have any data to look at, this is another good time to turn to your customers. If you haven’t already, ask them what type of video they would like to see from you in the future. Also check out who else they follow and what kind of content those companies and influencers are putting out.
Attend Industry Related Conferences/Trade Shows
These types of events offer tons of new information that you can include in your video. What’s even better is that oftentimes there are several other companies at the trade show that use video marketing for their own company too. You can ask those companies’ employees what they would like to see from your company as a video. And of course, you’ll be able to gather lots of new ideas for future videos by simply talking with other marketers who are exhibiting at the trade show!
Even if you don’t have time to attend an actual conference or trade show, there are always news articles that come out about them that you can use for your video marketing content. You’ll also be able to follow along with the conference with people who are attending and posting their experiences on their social media platforms.
Also, your experience at conferences and trade shows itself can provide amazing video content! Your followers love to see what you and the company are up to when you’re out working with similar companies and learning the latest about your industry. For example, consider a cosmetologist attending a hair show. They’re going to be around new products that are available for them to purchase and use in their salons. So, making a video that introduces the new products while at the tradeshow can really get your clients excited about the new products right away! Booksellers at literary conferences can also make videos showing their customers the newest books coming out that year will create some excitement and possibly get the booksellers a bunch of pre-orders for those books.
If you have the chance to attend an industry conference or tradeshow, take it!
Take a Class
If you’re not able to come up with any video ideas on your own, take a video production class! Classes are an easy way for people who are creative thinkers to find fresh ideas. Going back to school may be for some people but if you aren’t one of them, small workshops are available in most cities that focus on video marketing.
Even taking classes that aren’t directly related to video production or marketing can be helpful in getting the creative juices flowing. If you’re thinking about sketch videos (scripted comedic videos that do well on TikTok), think about taking an improv acting class!
It’s ok to think outside the box on how to come up with ideas. There are infinite ideas out there for video marketing content. But remember, brainstorming is about gathering ideas, not about making decisions on what to do next with the ideas you have! You’ll be able to narrow it down once you’ve gathered your thoughts.
Read Industry Related Articles/Blogs
Traditional avenues of research should always be considered when thinking about your business, not just looking at another company’s social media presence. By reading articles and blogs that have to do with either your industry or marketing-specific blogs, you’re getting the information from a reputable source. You can get ideas off of blogs just like this one!
By reading this blog, in particular, you’re doing a great job in coming up with new ideas for your video project! Blogs like C&I Studio’s can keep you informed on the latest video and marketing trends as well as new technology and techniques you can utilize to create amazing content for your business!
You don’t have to be confined to just one type of brainstorming tactic. You can mix and match these different ways of finding video inspiration to come up with content for your own video marketing needs.
So, now that you know how to come up with ideas for your next video production as marketing content… Get out there and brainstorm!
Take a look at C&I Studio’s portfolio to see the amazing video content we’ve created for our clients. You might get a few extra ideas!
If you’re still having difficulty coming up with video ideas but you really want to break into or continue video production for marketing content, reach out to C&I Studios today!