Just as you have brand guidelines for print and online communications, your video marketing strategy should be no different.
Brand guidelines are imperative when it comes to making sure consumers can recognise your video content. They ensure all aspects of a marketing strategy are consistent, regardless of the platform through which they are presented.
When developing these guidelines, there are a number of factors you should take into consideration.
Logos and images
A logo is an integral part of a brand, and it makes sense that it should appear at some point in your video.
Try to be consistent with its placement (e.g. always shown at the end of each video), and how it will be implemented on screen.
Brand colours
Make sure you take brand colours into account when drafting up the imagery and colour scheme used in your video content. If you are an existing brand, make sure you integrate your colours into your video marketing to help foster instant recognition.
For example, in a Coca-Cola video you’d expect to see red, as this is pretty much synonymous with the brand.
Audio
With video you have another channel through which to promote your brand – the audio.
From the music to the voiceovers, the sound of your video content should be in line with the visual components to present viewers with a clear, cohesive package.
Tone of voice
Does your target market have industry knowledge or do you need to present the content in digestible chunks?
If you are an established brand, the tone of voice and language used in your video should be consistent with what’s already in place. If you are a new brand, decide on how you’d like to communicate verbally with your audience, as this will impact the script, references to the company on screen, and the written content that complements your video on web pages or blogs.
Font
If your logo contains text, it’s a wise idea to continue this brand identification throughout the text shown on the video: whether that’s in the opening titles, subtitles or anything else on screen.
By outlining your typography requirements, you can make sure they are consistent throughout all of your written and video branded materials to avoid any miscommunication or confusion.
Whether you’re an established or emerging brand, having clear guidelines in place for all video content will help strengthen your overall brand. And in today’s competitive marketplace, this is something more important than ever.
