Contents
- When to think about video distribution
- Objectives: Ask yourself why are you doing this?
- Understanding your target audience
- Setting your KPIs
- Choosing your distribution channels
- Creating your content
- Setting your budget
- Launching, measuring and refining
So, you’ve invested in a beautiful brand film, explainer video or animation, and your agency has delivered on time, within budget and exceeded expectations. But now what?
Well, a video, however polished, is only ever as good as the action it inspires in those who watch it – and without an effective distribution plan, it won’t have as many viewers as it ought to. Which means it won’t deliver on its goals. If you can’t get your video content in front of your target audience, then it really doesn’t matter how good it is.
This guide is going to take you through the steps needed to get your video in front of the people who matter most to your organisation – from defining your target audience to choosing channels to testing, optimising and managing – everything you need to execute a successful video distribution strategy.
When to think about a video distribution strategy
Video distribution can’t be an afterthought: a distribution and amplification strategy should ideally be in place before anything’s written, animated, or filmed. I promise we’re not trying to spoil your fun. That’s also not to say it’s more important than production – but it is as important, and it’s one of the very first things your brand should consider when deciding to commission a video.
Of course, the process isn’t always linear: in some cases, you will find yourself working on a distribution strategy for existing videos following a video content audit, for example, in which case you will need to adapt this process as best you can. But in an ideal world, you should consider distribution at the start of your project. In fact, the video distribution strategy should drive many of the major decisions made early on in the production process. From the outset, you should consider:
- A paid distribution strategy. This might require you to reserve some of your production budget.
- Audience demographics. How do you expect to engage with your audience? How do they engage with your brand and which platforms do they prefer? For example, TikTok and Instagram reels are focused on visual storytelling, while company intros do well on LinkedIn, YouTube and X.
- Aspect ratio. To make your video look good, the size needs to fit the platforms you’re sharing it on. And they’re all a bit different – you’ve been warned!
- Sound. We live in a world where more and more video gets distributed without sound and many platforms turn audio off by default. Subtitles and onscreen text make videos more effective and, more importantly, more accessible.
- Calls to action. Think about where the video will live and tweak your CTA accordingly.
- Going on TV? Authorities like Ofcom and the Advertising Standards Authority place restrictions on TV ads. All content must stick to their standards.
- Socials? What works for one platform won’t necessarily work for another. TikTok videos should be 10-15 seconds. Instagram Reels 7-15 seconds. X/Twitter vids 6- 15 seconds. And YouTube? No longer than two minutes if possible (or really long, as YouTube also favours long-form content).
Objectives: Ask yourself why are you doing this?
This is the prerequisite for any video distribution strategy – and therefore the most important step.
Without an objective in place, you can’t set KPIs, and as you’ll see below, these are critical in determining the content and form of your video – and of course, measuring its impact. It’s therefore highly advisable to set SMART goals before you get started.
At Definition, we’ve produced over 5,000 videos and we tend to categorise objectives based on their place in the conversion funnel: awareness, consideration, conversion (and then engagement). These are just some of the types of objectives we have worked with:
Awareness-stage objectives
- Increase brand recognition
- Get noticed by a particular audience
- Drive search rankings of a keyword
- Raise awareness of an issue
- Attract investor attention
Consideration-stage objectives
- Position the company as a thought leader
- Showcase an amazing project
- Demonstrate investment value
- Drive wider reach for an event
Conversion-stage objectives
- Generate leads
- Attract job applicants
- Drive website conversions
- Secure investment
- Drive event registrations
Engagement-stage objectives
- Reduce calls to the customer service centre
- Onboard an employee
- Onboard a customer
- Increase customer referrals
Understanding your target audience.
To do this, all you have to do is ask your prospective customers what they want to see.
At Definition, we frequently survey different demographic groups – small business owners, baby boomers, millennials, HR directors, department heads, and C-suite execs – to discover what captures their interest.
If direct research isn’t an option, reach out to your immediate network to learn about their content consumption habits. Start by asking your customers, prospects, and sales team about:
- Their favoured social networks and how they use them
- The media they consume
- Events they follow or attend
- The professional bodies they belong to
- How they use email
- How they keep up to date with news
- How they choose new suppliers
The answer to these questions can often dictate your distribution methodology.
Setting your KPIs
Understanding your objectives is crucial, but KPIs are what truly measure your success. They represent the ‘M’ for Measurable in your SMART goals and are fundamental to any effective video distribution strategy.
Your specific KPIs will likely differ based on their position within the conversion funnel, aligning directly with your initial objectives. For example:
Awareness-stage KPIs:
- How many people are watching your video?
- Reach: This is the total number of unique individuals who have seen your video.
- VTR (view through rate): The percentage of viewers who watch at least 30 seconds of your video or complete the video.
- Brand lift: Measures how your brand’s perception or awareness changes before and after the video campaign
Consideration-stage KPIs
- Watch time: How long are your viewers sticking with your video?
- CTR (click through rate): Measures the percentage of viewers who clicked on a call-to-action (CTA) in your video, like a link to a landing page or product page
- Engagement with videos (comments, likes, shares etc.): Has your video got viewers talking?
Conversion-stage KPIs
- CVR (conversation rate): This measures the percentage of viewers who take a specific desired action, such as completing a form or making a purchase, after viewing your video.
- Subscribers to your channel: How many people are signed up to watch your content – and how has a new video impacted this number?
- Video shares: Has your target audience been disseminating your content for you? (Also relevant to engagement- and awareness-stage videos)
- Leads generated. How many leads have been a direct result of watching your video (we’ve written about how to use video for lead gen).
Sometimes, KPIs turn into vanity metrics that don’t actually align with your objectives. At Definition, we emphasise KPIs that encourage substantive actions. For instance, if your aim is to generate leads, track lead generation. If you’re looking to boost signups, monitor new user registrations each month.
It’s crucial to structure your KPIs around these concrete outcomes. After all, racking up a massive number of likes, shares and comments is meaningless if they don’t translate into real-world actions.
Choosing your distribution channels
The choice of distribution channels should be primarily based on your target audience’s preferences. For example, HR directors, generally prefer LinkedIn, making TikTok and X less effective for reaching them.
Gen Z gravitates towards TikTok, while millennials are more engaged on YouTube. Small business leaders also frequently use YouTube to gather information.
Typically, we categorise distribution channels into three types: owned, earned, and paid. For example:
Owned
- Company website.
- Company blog.
- Company social channels.
- Email campaigns to your own database
- Email signatures
- Own events
- Own podcasts
Earned
- Media channels
- Email campaigns to partner databases
- Events where you are a guest
- Guest slots on podcasts
Bought
- Paid social
- Broadcast advertising
- Demand-side platforms
- Paid email campaigns to partners’ databases
- Pay-to-play events
Regardless of the channels you choose, consider mixing free organic posts with paid ads. While organic strategies can yield impressive results, allocating a portion of your budget for paid ads is recommended to significantly enhance your video’s success.
Here are some core distribution channels to consider:
- Social media platforms
- Websites and Blogs
- Email Marketing
- Paid Advertising
- Video Hosting Platforms – Vimeo, Wistia, and other hosting services that offer advanced analytics and hosting solutions tailored for businesses.
- Third-Party Content Platforms – Sharing or distributing your videos through media outlets, content aggregation sites, or video syndication services
- Events and Webinars
- Internal Communications – Sharing video content within your organisation through intranets or dedicated communication channels.
- OTT Platforms – Over-the-top media services can be used to reach audiences on digital streaming platforms.
- Affiliate and Partner Networks – Distributing videos through partner or affiliate networks to expand reach in a cost-effective manner.
Creating your content
You might be surprised that we’re only just getting to the point where we recommend you create your content. But we firmly believe that if you want to maximise your chances of a successful video campaign, you need to do most of the thinking about distribution before you start working on the video. This will mean your creative brainstorming can focus on your objectives and preferred distribution channels. You can use all the data you have gathered on your target audience to really refine your planning and to develop ideas that will deliver results.
Armed with this information, you’ll be able to select your format, such as commercial, social video, case study (find out how to make a case study video), explainer, promo video. You will also be able to choose the style – are you appealing to the audience’s lifestyle ambitions? Will you go for a documentary style? Or will it be more editorial-led?
Setting your budget
Simply putting your video out there and hoping for the best won’t cut it. With consumer attention more fragmented than ever, effective results demand both financial investment and strategic effort. Developing a robust distribution plan also needs a reasonable budget.
Initially, you might not have a precise target strategy for your video, so it’s wise to start small. If your overall budget is £20,000, consider a £1,000 test run to fine-tune your approach, enhance your tactics, and eliminate ineffective targeting. By systematically optimising your strategy, you can expect a higher return on investment over time.
Launching, measuring and refining
It’s surprisingly easy to squander funds on ineffective targeting and budgeting. So it’s crucial at the start of your campaign to make sure you’re connecting with the right audience. Regularly review ad performance across channels to understand where improvements can be made – track your lead generation, sales, clicks, and impressions relative to expenditure. Without a robust mechanism for feedback and a keen ear for audience response, your video distribution strategy is likely to flounder.
Don’t expect flawless execution right from the beginning. If Facebook ads aren’t delivering the desired outcomes, consider shifting focus to other platforms like TikTok or LinkedIn. Sticking too long with ineffective tactics can undermine your entire strategy. Instead, continually adapt and refine your approach. Monitor what works and what doesn’t, making data-driven adjustments regularly. By doing so and following the strategic steps outlined, along with leveraging high-quality video content, you can achieve substantial results.
Ready to get your video content in front of the right audience? Speak to our video distribution experts today. They’ll work with you to develop a customised strategy that drives measurable results.
Written by Sian Evans, Head of Video at Definition
Reviewed and updated by Sian Evans (Head of Video) and Tom Pallot + Roxanne Relusco (Definition marketing team), on 14/05/2024