How to plan and create Video and video content –
In terms of video as a medium, it is a highly eye-catching and ultimately, a highly engaging way to communicate with your customers and also a means to expand reach into new markets.
The creative process of working through ideation and the messaging delivery, working out how best to portray each in suitable imagery for frames is storyboarding.
In terms of the creative construction, this is an extremely helpful link – guiding you through the visual elements and importance of perspectives and how to achieve expert frame transitions providing expert tips for
The starting point has got to be:
What do I want to achieve?
Planning video content has to start with the basics – ideally, todays social audiences want short-form content – it has to hit all the right notes straight-up!
If you are looking at providing information for the prospective purchaser, you are likely to want to need to put together a fairly factual, demonstration type message – this can apply to both product and service businesses and often requires a set and on location filming services, allowing you to show your product/ service in action along with any awards, certifications, instructions that are useful to the purchaser.
The problem with this type of advertising, especially for the start-up is that you are essentially broadcasting, to everyone, and your competition, what your USPs are and unless protected by patents, is not the most advised strategy.
Brainstorm with purpose
On Target
Obviously, the degree of creativity applied to the messaging will serve the purpose of ensuring the delivery is purposed into a style and culture that will engage with your target audience.
How do you decide on who your target audience is – will mostly depend on the lifecycle stage of your company. However, it is vital that you understand both your customer and your proposed target market types – if you are a very niche product, you are likely to have a niche consumer, however, if you are looking at maximizing on your market share – you need to be careful as not to alienate existing clients. A good creative approach is the key to success, and more so, when there are multiple delivery channels utilised in a campaign.
For the product-based business
The categories are:
Health messages/claims and also Environmental
Claims/achievements and
Envy – (keeping up with the Jones’s)
Lifestyle – owning this makes you – successful, popular, sexy, interesting, knowledgeable etc
User generated content
Teaser and Eye-catcher videos
For the service-based business, categories are:
We make a difference to your day – the difference between being on-time, organized, happy etc is employing us!
Growth – we are moving, going places etc
The Human touch – who we are – or an exaggerated example of – We are meticulous, extreme geeks, obsessively dedicated, healthy etc
Teaser and Eye-catcher videos
This page should provide you with a guide on breaking down the content and ideation phases, and allow you to plan your video content and content schedules with a bit more confidence – however, if you are feeling a bit daunted or require specialists to create animation or interactive video and are mindful of keeping it nicely pulling towards achieving your campaign goals, the best option would be to find a freelancer or agency to develop your visions.
The button above will provide a simple breakdown of the costs associated with your marketing delivery plans. If you are looking for highly creative and bespoke video services, it is possible to do this quite affordably and I would recommend getting in touch with me, to sound out the possibilities.
My particular strengths are in areas of campaign, strategy and ideation. I have extensive experience working across a range of business types and sizes range from start-ups, through to agencies and large, global corporations. I am therefore skilled in co-ordinating digital projects that require the input from teams of specialists.
Interactive video formats
Now far more accessible and affordable than ever.
Instead of only bespoke productions costing in the tens of thousands, brands can now subscribe to platforms that enable ‘watch-and-buy’ or lead-capture video experiences with seamless ecommerce integration. For example, tools such as Qiwio offer hotspots and embedded product links for rapid deployment, while Videowise provides full video-commerce suites with shoppable video, personalization and analytics. These solutions allow viewers to click on items in the video, add them to a cart or fill in a form — all without leaving the player — improving engagement and conversion. As brands invest in these formats, it’s less about the novelty and more about designing the experience so the viewer feels in control, the journey is intuitive, and the click directly leads to action.
| Platform | What it offers | WooCommerce / Stripe / WordPress suitability & caveats |
|---|---|---|
| VidShop (WooCommerce plugin) | A WordPress plugin specifically for WooCommerce: upload videos, tag products, allow add‐to‐cart within video. WPCreatix |+2WordPress.org English (UK)+2 | Very strong for WooCommerce + WordPress. Works “natively” with your store. Payment flow is via your WooCommerce checkout (so whatever payment gateway you have including Stripe works). Lower cost/more DIY. |
| ReelsWP (WooCommerce plugin) | Allows shoppable videos & images in WordPress, UGC carousels etc for WooCommerce. WordPress.org | Also good for WordPress/WooCommerce. Slightly less focused on “video shopping + in-video add to cart” (but still supports clickable product links). Ensure your payment gateway (Stripe) is already set up via WooCommerce. |
| Pebble.by – Shoppable Videos & UGC plugin | Plugin that connects to a service, enables interactive video/UGC and integrates with WooCommerce. WordPress.org+1 | Slightly more “external service + plugin” rather than purely in-house. Check pricing and how Stripe / checkout routing is handled (might route via WooCommerce checkout or via a separate flow). Good option if you want more advanced interactive features. |
| Channelize.io – Live Shopping & Shoppable Videos for WooCommerce | Plugin + service for live shopping + shoppable videos integrated in WooCommerce. WordPress.com | Strong if you want live-commerce features in addition to shoppable video. Still WordPress/WooCommerce friendly. But likely higher cost/setup. Ensure your Stripe gateway remains your checkout path. |
| Vudoo – Shoppable Video Platform | SaaS that offers in-video shopping, product hot-spots, cart in video etc. Vudoo | More “platform” than pure WordPress plugin. You’ll need to embed/integrate via your site. Good if you are scaling or want advanced analytics. Need to check how it links to your payment/checkout (WooCommerce/Stripe) or whether you’ll route checkout via Vudoo’s flow. |
| Qiwio – Interactive Shopping Platform | Interactive/shoppable videos & photos, editor, hotspots etc. qiwio.com | Similar to Vudoo: high-end interactive video platform. Good for “wow” experiences. Likely higher cost. Check integration path with WordPress/WooCommerce and Stripe checkout. |