Crimson Convo with Carrianne Polo
Our latest Crimson Convo is with a creative #bosslady with whom we’ve worked with for two years now! Today, we’re diving into the what’s, why’s and how’s of video marketing, and are excited to tap into the experience and knowledge of Carrianne Polo. Roll it…
Tell us a little bit about your background, and your current role.
Hello! My name is Carrianne Polo and I’m the founder and CEO of New Park Creative, a digital agency located in Hartford, CT. My background is in art and creative design. I’ve always been an artist and got into digital marketing at a young age. My career started in content creation for broadcast journalism. I transitioned to freelance and built my portfolio of clients to eventually found my first company, Studio 73. Since then our service offerings have grown substantially, moving from purely content production (web, video, graphics) to full-service digital strategy and execution. I play the role of creative visionary but wear many, many hats as organizational leaders do!
Since you produce video content in-house, and are an expert in video strategy, what does video mean to you?
Video marketing is really the future of content marketing. Search engines and social sites rank video/give higher exposure than any other form of content. It’s the most engaging form of content – it’s the best vessel for long-format storytelling and gets the highest engagement rates of all content. Video is still very much the wild-west of content. Large organizations are on board but small-to-mid sized businesses are still struggling with what/how to produce quality video content, regularly, and without breaking the bank.
From an art direction standpoint, it’s the best way to tell stories, especially long format storytelling. It provides a type of impactful experience that a still image or written word simply cannot. The combination of audio and moving visual elements creates fantastic impact. It allows us to show our audience vs. telling them.
In an ideal marketing plan, what purpose(s) should video serve within the conversion funnel? What is the best way for a brand or its agency to implement video marketing across digital campaigns?
Video can be used in both marketing and sales, and at any point in the conversion funnel. For example, video ads are a great way to provide exposure to your product or service, generating interest and warm leads. Once people are familiar, videos such as product demos, FAQ, behind-the-scenes, etc. are a fantastic way to educate and inform your audience, and gain trust by showing what your brand is all about.
We don’t typically think of video as playing a large role in sales but it can make a huge impact on the bottom of the funnel conversions! Consider using video introductions in your emails or process explainer videos in your proposals. We started using video cover letters instead of written ones in all our proposals. It’s been a fantastic way to show off our personality, brand, and give a personal touch at the beginning of a client engagement.
The best way to implement video? Get started producing videos today. Pick one area of the funnel where video will make an impact and build from there. If you have someone in-house who’s video-savvy, assign them the task of creating video for your organization. If not, consider contracting with a production company or agency that has the creativity and equipment to get the job done. And remember, video doesn’t have to be professionally produced to be effective. Get started using your phone or computer camera and just go for it. Our imperfections make us seem real and genuine which is great for building trust with your audience.
What are the core components of an engaging video, and would that vary based on placement?
The content of your video should come before anything else. Even the most professionally produced video will fail if the messaging is not effective. Understanding your brand, your core purpose, and your audience is the first step to writing and producing engaging video.
Engaging video is built around the audience’s need. What do they need? What does your audience care about? What compels them to purchase your product or service? What kinds of questions are they asking about your product or service? It’s your job to answer that call.
Engaging video prompts the audience to act. What is the call to action? Consider placing your call to action ⅓ of the way through your video. Statistics show that viewership starts to drop off after the 30-second mark (varies depending on the length/placement of video) so you want to ensure that CTA hits the viewer before they lose interest.
Any additional thoughts or tips?
Work backward from the goal of your video. Does it serve to inform? Educate? Solicit feedback? This will help determine the kind of video you should produce. From there, consider your customer’s needs and be sure to write/record content that speaks to them. Give them something of value! This gets them to your website, interested in your product or service, and allows them to trust you as the industry expert.
