Ben Amos Of Engage Video Marketing On Why Businesses Should Use A Video Strategist

Last updated on June 15th, 2024

Ben Amos has made a specialty out of showing why businesses need not just a video producer, but a video strategist, and what the difference is. And in his courses, he also trains video producers the skills they need to become video strategists.

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PRODUCER: Jason Perrier of Phizzy Studios

TRANSCRIPT

Dane Golden:
It’s time for the video marketing value podcast. This is the podcast where we help marketers and business owners just like you get more value out of your video marketing efforts. My name is Dane Golden from VidAction.tv where we help you up your game on YouTube for business and transform your viewers into loyal customers. And I’ve started a new business VidTarget.io where we help you save time and money through more targeted YouTube ads. Along with my cohos, she’s the powerhouse video marketer from San Francisco. It’s R-E-N-E-E T-E-E-L-E-Y, Renee Teeley from Video Explained. Hello, Renee.

Renee Teeley:
Hello Dane. Today I am happy as a clam to be co-hosting this podcast with you.

Dane Golden:
Happy as a clam, but are you thrilled?

Renee Teeley:
I’m thrilled. I’m happy as a clam. I’m delighted. I am all of the things,

Dane Golden:
She’s all the things and Renee, what do you do at Video Explained?

Renee Teeley:
Yeah. So at Video Explained we offer video production and consulting services to help companies use video to build credibility, generate leads and convert leads into customers. All those important things,

Dane Golden:
All the things. Okay. And for you, the listener, you should also know that as always, you can follow along on your podcast app, because we’re going to have the transcript and the links and please share and review us, it really does help. And today we have a special guest it’s Ben Amos from Engaged Video Marketing. Welcome Ben.

Ben Amos:
Good day Dane, good day Renee. Awesome to be here.

Dane Golden:
From the Gold Coast, is that right?

Ben Amos:
Sunshine Coast in Queensland Australia.

Dane Golden:
I should know my geography better. Yes.

Ben Amos:
The better coast in Queensland.

Dane Golden:
The no longer quarantined Sunshine Coast. And you’re actually calling from something we know as an office.

Ben Amos:
Yes. Yep. Yeah. We’re out of lockdown and we’re back in the office, which is awesome.

Dane Golden:
So Ben, we asked you on today because you’ve done a really great job of educating businesses about when they need to hire a video producer, but when they also may need to hire a video strategist and what the difference is between the two. Does this topic workout for you?

Ben Amos:
Yeah. 100%. It’s something I’m really passionate about. And particularly the idea of helping video producers understand the role they can play as video strategists. I don’t think they necessarily are different people or different companies. So keen to dive into this with you guys today.

Renee Teeley:
That is an awesome segue into the actual interview because my first question is about what is the difference between a video producer and a video strategists and do companies typically need both?

Ben Amos:
Sure. So a video producer is basically a content creator. You know, their role is to produce video. It’s there in the name, right? And which is the idea of you’re basically working to a brief, typically, maybe you’re putting some creative input into it. A client comes to you and basically you’re going to get paid for the output that you provide. In other words, the video that you return back to that client. And for me, my background in my company is a video production company. So that’s what we did for years. And what kind of changed the direction for what we do for me is around about six or seven years ago, we produced a video for a particular client. They’d spent about $5,000 on this video. They loved the video. We loved it. We got paid, everybody was happy. And we moved on to the next video production client.

Ben Amos:
But I checked back on this particular video, six months later and all that they’d done with the video is just stuck it up on YouTube. And in that time it had amassed like 34 views. So I realized there was something missing here. Like clearly there wasn’t a return on the investment on that video because potentially there wasn’t any strategy behind what they were doing. So they didn’t know what to do with the video that they had. So they just did what they knew, which was stick it up on YouTube and that was it.

Ben Amos:
So that kind of kicked off for me and understanding that as video producers, we really need to be helping our clients do better with the videos that they’re producing. And that’s the role of a video strategist.

Dane Golden:
And I think probably every single person listening to this podcast has had that exact scenario. So this is really helpful to know. A lot of companies now, they value video marketing so much that they’re taking it in house, but when can that work out well for them, but where might they be missing something?

Ben Amos:
Yeah, I mean, definitely seeing a trend across the board to producing content in-house, whether it be small businesses, larger business, enterprise level businesses, the idea that the demand for video production, video content is higher everywhere. And so businesses are seeing a need to be regularly producing content, which takes the video production company potentially out of the mix here when they are equipping themselves internally to be able to produce content.

Ben Amos:
Where I see this failing though, is when they’re not having that strategic discussion or there’s no one within the organization really looking at what’s the bigger picture here? Why are we creating this content? And how is this content actually going to move the right customers to take the right actions with our company? And so can just be content for content’s sake, which is I think a failing and when businesses invest in producing lots of video content and it just becomes noise, then it’s not good for anyone. Right?

Renee Teeley:
Yeah, absolutely. So I’ve much like you, I found that there are a lot of companies that produce content for the sake of content and without a strategy behind it, it really falls flat. The video doesn’t do what they thought it was going to do, but not having kind of that in advance. There’s no clear path to get them to those goals.

Ben Amos:
Yeah.

Renee Teeley:
So in terms of strategy, so that kind of means lots of different things, but typically with some type of strategy, there’s a goal in mind. Can you talk a little bit about some goals in terms of video marketing?

Ben Amos:
Absolutely. So at a foundation of any strategy, business strategy, marketing strategy or video strategy, it’s really about understanding the action that you want a particular person to take. So you need to understand your audience first and foremost. Really know who it is that you’re trying to reach with your content and really understand the journey that they potentially go on to buy from you. So in marketing terms, there’s the idea of the customer journey, which is that people are moving from a phase of awareness of a need through a process of consideration where they’re weighing up their options through a decision making process around whether they’ll buy or not. So the conversion end of that journey. Then through to after they actually buy, then we can kind of look at the advocacy stage or whether they’re going to buy from you again or refer other people or become your word of mouth champions.

Ben Amos:
So when you look at that customer journey across those four main segments of awareness, consideration, conversion, and advocacy, that’s how I like to frame goals for a video strategy around those. You want to basically create videos that are going to reach people at those different stages of that entire funnel, that entire journey, and those videos are going to be used in different ways. They’re going to consist of different types of messaging. And we can break that down further if you like, but at a top level, that’s effectively the different goals that we’re wanting to affect within a strategy.

Dane Golden:
Yeah. And I remember we had this exact talk last year at Social Media Marketing World, there in the networking area, which I really enjoyed. And I specifically remember we were talking about one of the presenters, one of the leaders in our field that said it’s often actually better when you’re having someone watch a series of videos, if they don’t click off to your website right away, but watch a couple of other videos first and I wondered, do you think this is a true concept? Or when might this be a good thing or a bad thing?

Ben Amos:
Yeah. It’s an interesting point you make Dane and the idea really at the heart of what good inbound marketing is about. Your good content marketing is about creating content that people want to engage with and putting it in places that they’re actually hanging out or where they can find it. So the reality is, is people aren’t hanging out on your website, so they are hanging out on social media. They are hanging out in search engine results or on YouTube. That’s where they are actually going to find information that they care about.

Ben Amos:
So when we recognize that it’s critical to recognize that we want to connect with customers at that stage of their journey, but well before they’re even aware of who we are as a brand or a business and definitely well before they’ve made a decision to come and explore us on our website. So the better you can build solid relationships and get customers to buy into you and your brand and what you offer before you get them to move through to your website, then the more likely that whatever that conversion is that you want them to do on your website is when they actually get to your website. So I would definitely say that don’t discredit the value of time spent engaging with your brand off your website. It’s all about just making sure that your content provides value to people, right?

Renee Teeley:
Yeah. I think that a lot of companies sort of undervalue that aspect of it and companies want people to quickly go to the website because that’s where conversion will happen. But-

Ben Amos:
Yeah.

Renee Teeley:
It is important to take the time to build up that relationship. And then once they get to your website, there probably is a better chance that they’ll actually make a purchase or sign up for your service, whatever it is that you’re selling. So I really like that.

Ben Amos:
Yeah. I’ll just go a step further with that as well and recognize that when people do actually get to your website, that’s now your opportunity to further build that relationship and to move them towards the conversion, not just try and pitch a sale. So a good video strategy on your website is where you actually still consider this funnel approach where maybe the video on the front page of your website or the landing page of your website is going to be more emotionally driven and kind of touching on the pain points that someone’s feeling. And then as they scroll further down the page, there’s some video that provides some education or some value kind of proves your value as a brand or a business. And then maybe at the bottom of the page next to the kind of buy now button or the add to cart or the book an appointment, is a video that overcomes objections and is more about making the sale. So on your website as well I think we need to recognize that you don’t just want to try and shove your product or service down someone’s throat.

Renee Teeley:
Yeah. I don’t actually remember who said this quote, but there’s a quote that says that, people like to buy, but they don’t like to be sold. And I think that’s pretty important when it comes to marketing that it’s not just like constantly pitching things, but really adding value there.

Ben Amos:
Absolutely.

Renee Teeley:
So for companies who have embraced video and video marketing as a core part of their marketing and they potentially have an in-house video producer, but they recognize that there’s a need for a video strategist and they want to hire a video strategist. How should those two people work together? So who’s responsible for things like the overall video concept.

Ben Amos:
Yeah. Okay. So it definitely it’s going to look different in different businesses depending on the skill set of the marketing team and that kind of thing. The way that I look at it is kind of for an effective video strategy to be in place, there really needs to be three things that are taken care of. And kind of think of these as like three legs to a three legged stool. And if any one of these is missing or it’s wobbly, then the stool’s potentially going to fall over, right?

Ben Amos:
So one of these is content production. So the actual making of the content. The role that a video production company or a video producer or an in-house video producer would play. The actual making of the content. Most people are just focused on that when they think about video and they don’t really think about the other two legs to this stool.

Ben Amos:
So the other leg to think about is what I call strategy design. Which is the plan. So a marketing strategist, video strategist, someone who really understands the bigger picture of the journey that you want, the ideal customer to move through to buy from you and how are you going to reach them with different videos at different stages of that journey. Different platforms you’re going to use, how are you going to measure the right metrics to determine whether it’s successful? That’s your strategy that needs to be designed before content is produced. So someone needs to play that role in some way.

Ben Amos:
But then the critical third thing is what I call strategy management, which is who actually implements the strategies. So typically this might be, say a social media manager or content marketer within a business. Someone needs to actually do the things with the videos and make sure they’re used in the right way. So that’s kind of the implementation side of things.

Ben Amos:
So if you’ve got good content production, you’ve got a good strategy designed and you’ve got a good strategy management happening then you’re going to have a solid video strategy within a company. That can be done by one person. That can be done by a team of people, but someone needs to be playing those roles. So I don’t know if I directly answered your question, but I don’t think it’s as clear cut as just saying, right, you’re the video producer, you’re the video strategist. You guys go and do your things and then we’ll have success.

Dane Golden:
I think we all realize that all of those team made decisions can vary from project to project, group to group and it’s important to be able to work together. And you have a course about video strategy don’t you? Could you tell us about that?

Ben Amos:
I do. Two different ways that I work with people in this way. And I guess my main way of working with video producers specifically is my online video strategy blueprint course. And this is basically a full detailed program, which is all about helping video producers make that transition into being a video strategist, which is basically the journey that I’ve been on myself. So that’s closed currently, but that’ll open again later this year. And also have a Engage Video Marketing Academy, which is more of my way of coming alongside and helping the small business, the DIY marketer, the entrepreneur person trying to figure this stuff out for themselves. And the Engage Video Marketing Academy is how I come alongside and help those people.

Renee Teeley:
Yeah, it’s great that you offer those two different aspects of it so people can kind of select where they’re at in that process and get what they need. So I think that right now is a pretty interesting time. We talked about this a little bit before we started the podcast, but I think depending on where you are in the world right now, there’s still a lot of places that are shut down and a lot of companies have had to adapt to teams working remotely. So how do you think that this has changed the role of a video strategist or impacted the value that they can provide to companies?

Ben Amos:
I think if anything, it’s made it more important. So the desire for video content of all sorts has gone through the roof across the board. And we’re not talking necessarily highly produced content. In fact, more and more companies now are just seeing the value in just producing content with what they have. Whether it be webinars, whether it be smartphones, whether it be content that’s created rough and ready in different ways. And that’s where the role of a video strategist becomes even more important to help guide that content creation and ensure that it’s being done in a way that’s actually going to get the results that the company is desiring or requiring.

Ben Amos:
So for me the really solid feedback I’m getting from video strategists within my blueprint course, for example, is that now more than ever, that they’re being able to have these conversations with clients who previously were just looking at them as video producers, and now they can start to have that strategy discussion, because to be honest, they’re not able to produce content like they typically would with crews and on location and getting out there with the clients. So I think it’s an exciting time for the role of a video strategist. And it’s only going to get better as we move forward.

Dane Golden:
Excellent. Ben Amos, how can we find out more about Engage Video Marketing, your courses, what you’re up to all of that?

Ben Amos:
So two things obviously engagevideomarketing.com is kind of the hub for where people can connect to those different ways that I can help them. But the other thing is if you’re a podcast listener, which I assume those listening are, I do have the Engage Video Marketing podcast, which Dane’s been on before where I have to get you on as well. And yeah, I always love people to come and discover what’s going on over at the Engage Video Marketing podcast.

Dane Golden:
Excellent. Thank you, Ben Amos. My name is Dane Golden with my cohost she’s R-E-N-E-E T-E-E-L-E-Y, Renee Teeley. And we want to thank you the listener for joining us today, don’t we Renee?

Renee Teeley:
Yes. Absolutely. And today I want to leave you with a quote, as I once told my good friend, Henry Ford, whether you think you can, or you think you can’t you’re right. So make sure you have a good mindset and you’re setting yourself up for success.

Dane Golden:
And you can have any kind of car, as long as it’s black. I want to invite you to review us on Apple podcast. And if you can’t find that review button on your podcast app, click the share button instead and let your friends know that we’d also like to help them with their video marketing tips via this podcast. Renee and I do this podcast and there are various other YouTube videos and other projects because we love helping marketers and business owners, just like you do YouTube and video marketing better. Thanks to our special guest Ben Amos. Until next week here’s to helping you help your customers through video.