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In the midst of the video goldmine, businesses of all shapes and sizes are jumping into creating content head first, without professional experience or training.

Whilst this seems innocent, the result of quickly planning, filming, and posting video content online leads to one of the most important elements of business being forgotten - branding.

You may have noticed it yourself. A sea of similar-looking videos posted by a wide range of businesses, yet they’re indistinguishable from one another.

Here’s how you create videos that build ‘brand’, not short-term clicks.

It’s easy to create videos on TikTok that feel ‘authentic’ and are filmed on a phone to keep costs low, but it comes at the cost of blending in with other businesses doing the same.

Establishing a brand, in my opinion, is one of the most powerful things a business can do this year. A few of my favourites are:

• Verifone

• Surreal

• Wild

• Who Gives A Crap

• Lick

• Monday.com

They excel in building their brand through colours, style and format, content, marketing, communication, and everything in between. A good bunch of businesses to get the inspiration flowing!

Here’s what I would be doing if I worked in the marketing department of a small-medium-sized business to build ‘brand’ with video in 2023:

• 1) Post Less Content, But Give More

Posting more doesn’t mean better success. In fact, posting more can hinder your success by focusing your time and attention on irrelevant aspects such as posting frequency.

Instead, prioritise planning, filming, and posting exceptional brand-focused videos that encapsulate what you’re all about, and spark a greater impact. Trust me, consumers will excitingly await your next post, as opposed to being bombarded with generic content that floods the feed.

• 2) Build A Story Brand

Donald Miller fans will know that telling stories is a powerful way to engage consumers and keep them on the edge of their seats, whilst developing a tight-knit community of brand advocates that support your every move.

Founders’ journeys, mission statements, exciting news and celebrations are just a few of the great story-focused ideas that can help to establish emotion and feeling, which supports the building of ‘brand’ and not just the promotion of generic marketing material. So get out there and start filming these videos!

• 3) Find Your Format

Nowadays, businesses fluctuate too much in their format. One day they’re posting videos from an iPhone, other days they’re working with multiple agencies to create different styles of content, and it doesn’t feel consistent.

Whether it’s snappy videos filmed on a phone for an authentic look and feel, or a nostalgic approach that makes you instantly recognisable and separates you from the pack, find your format and stick to it.

• 4) Focus On Language

Building an identifiable brand that stands out isn’t just about visuals, and is equally about the language you choose to use within it. Monzo is an exceptional brand in this case, as they publicly highlight their Tone of Voice Guide on their website. Smart move.

When it comes to video, the scripts you write and the language you use are what sets you apart. Be that the terminology you use, or the humour that script entails, be sure to keep your language consistent across your entire marketing arsenal - video and all.

• 5) Get Colourful

Think of McDonald’s. What colours do see? Red and Yellow. What about Barclays? Blue and White. These recognisable brands use colour in their videos to solidify their branding. Be that a quick social post, a video case study, or even a behind-the-scenes video, their colours are always prominent.

Create animations, graphics, and brand assets that you can use throughout your videos to establish the colours of your business, and before you know it, you won’t need to use your logo half as much as you currently do. Your colours will do all of the hard work!

As always, these only scratch the surface of what’s really possible when it comes to creating exceptional videos, and there’s always more to learn. But focus on these five bits of advice, and you’ll find yourself stepping away from the generic, and into the exciting journey of building a recognisable brand.

TLDR 💁🏼‍♀️

• Prioritise quality over quantity in content.

• Use storytelling to engage and create a brand community.

• Consistently stick to a chosen video format.

• Pay attention to language and script for distinctiveness.

• Incorporate consistent brand colours in videos for recognition.

 Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help you:

1. Book a {60 MINUTE} Content Power Hour with me, and unlock the secrets to making your social media videos stand out online as I tweak your approach, and analyse how to improve your current videos.

2. Don’t have time to create great videos yourself? Focus on your business, whilst we focus on creating the videos that you’ve always dreamed of. Get in touch to find out more.

Until then, I’ll see you in next week’s newsletter!