There’s no question: For marketers, video is a hot topic these days. How can associations do it well? Kristine Covey, content marketing specialist at Personify, has some practical wisdom for associations ready to launch a video marketing strategy.

Is a video strategy right for every association?

I want to say yes, but video is a commitment. While you don’t need to spend a ton of money to produce videos, you need to commit to producing them regularly. And while you don’t need to invest in editing equipment or a studio, the video still needs to meet some quality standards. Videos should be clear and concise, they should provide value, and they should be easy to see and hear. If your association doesn’t have the time or capacity to create consistent and quality videos, then perhaps video isn’t for you.

How can associations get more out of video?

When we talk about video marketing, often the first thought is to make a commercial. But video can be involved in nearly every faction of an association.

Yes, your marketing department can benefit through producing a commercial, and regularly released news shows, documentaries, and interviews can boost your SEO and interest potential members. But videos can also teach members and prospects. E-learning, for example, is a huge buzzword these days, and video is a cheap, easy, and effective way to teach people across the country.

If you had one piece of advice for associations about beginning to implement a video strategy, what would that be?

Just get started. Marketers are writers. We spend countless hours reading and re-reading our copy to make sure that every word effectively displays the message we’re looking for. But with video, none of that is necessary. By putting an actual person in front of a camera and recording them speak, it automatically authenticates their words. They become a real person, instead of just a block of text.

Not every video needs to be perfect quality with great production value and well scripted. Often the conversation is more compelling than anything that could be written.

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