5 Expert Video Marketing Tips from Superside’s Creatives

Take a deep breath and repeat after me: Video marketing is tough, but I’m tougher. There’s a reason why our latest survey found that 90% of marketers want to improve their video channels. That reason is, it ain’t easy!

Besides putting together an actual video, you have to compete with more and more brands on social every year, changing algorithms and customer attitudes, and what feels like a new AI tool launching every month.

How do you break through and get the right people to notice your video? And how the heck do you produce video that connects with your audience, is fun and engaging and doesn’t cost as much as a Hollywood movie to make?

Keep these five tips in mind, and you’ll do just fine.

5 Video Marketing Tips From Actual Experts

Tip #1: Let platforms inform your approach

By now, we all know content performs best when it’s optimized for the social platform it’s on. But what does that really mean?

Superside’s Associate Creative Director, Kyle Weber, explains:

Marketers know to always reach their audience where they’re at. With video, you almost need to take that literally because where you publish should impact your approach. If you’re running ads on Instagram, you need to consider what your audience is doing on the platform. Whether they’re sending videos to their friends or taking in the latest trend, your video should be modeled after what your audience is looking for. Otherwise, they’ll instantly recognize your video as an unwanted ad and scroll on by.

Kyle WeberAssociate Creative Director, Superside

A brand’s social post feels like an ad when it’s an interruption. But if it blends in with what someone is already doing, it becomes an invitation to enjoy the content, and ideally, deepen their level of trust with your brand.

This ad fits into the average scroll sesh on Insta because it’s modeled after trending content: A “day in the life” style vlog. One that also makes the exhausted marketer behind the screen feel seen and understood, encouraging engagement—and most importantly—connection. (Because we all have at least one secret crying spot at work, right?)

Tip #2: Practice smart storytelling

Springboarding off the tip above, optimizing for each platform doesn’t have to mean “create something completely different.”

Though platform-native content is always best, you can (and should) repurpose stories, ideas and footage across platforms to make the most of your resources. Kirsten van Rooyen, Head of Video Strategy at Superside, sums it up:

Smaller marketing budgets and fragmented audience consumption mean that we need to be even smarter about telling brand stories in consistent ways that are then tweaked to be platform-native. Efficiency in storytelling means instead of creating separate content for every platform, craft one compelling story that resonates with your audience everywhere. This unified approach saves time and ensures a consistent brand message, increasing impact across all channels.

Kirsten van RooyenHead of Video Strategy, Superside

You don’t need to think of one idea for Instagram, one for Facebook, and so on. Provided your target audience is the same across channels, you can use the same story but tweak the footage or delivery for the platform you’re posting on. That could look like a “day in the life” style vlog on Instagram vs. a shorter POV style video with trending music applied on TikTok. And don’t forget to turn on platform-specific features, like Remix on Instagram Reels or stitch on TikTok to encourage others to share.

This video is especially cheeky on LinkedIn, where you’re likely to see dozens of “download my ultimate guide” posts in your feed on any given day. But in a vertical format, it also fit in perfectly on Reels:

Tip #3: Focus on the feels

It can be overwhelming to start a new project. As a writer, I’ve battled Blinking Cursor Syndrome more times than I can count and starting a video project can feel the same way.

But Piotr Smietana, Director of Brand & Marketing Creative at Superside, reminds us not to focus on what counts and not get bogged down by production budgets or scripts:

My strategic advice is to weave emotion, authenticity and storytelling into the fabric of your video content. It's not about the size of your production budget; it's about the size of the emotional imprint you leave on your audience. Dive deep into the narrative, stitch in relatable human experiences, employ colors and visuals that evoke emotions and remember—people might forget what you say, but they’ll never forget how you make them feel. A video that resonates emotionally will echo in the minds of your audience far longer than any high-budget production.

Piotr SmietanaDirector of Brand & Marketing Creative, Superside

Even the highest budget movie won’t succeed with audiences if it can’t deliver an emotionally compelling storyline. While you’re not trying to make the next Blockbuster, the same logic applies.

Gear worries are out: Just use your smartphone.

Production worries are out: Video editing for social media content doesn’t need Hollywood-caliber software. Almost anyone can do it (or hire Superside for flexible video services, including editing).

Story worries are… in? OK, gear doesn’t matter, but don’t let the thought of crafting the world’s most meaningful ad paralyze your creativity, either.

Start simple: What’s something your audience struggles with? What’s a challenge they face? If you’re creating B2B video ads, how do they feel at work? Or better yet, when they get home or before they start their day?

The video below taps into a relatable feeling most people have had at work at one time or another: Being nervous or feeling unprepared in a meeting. Once you identify a feeling to base your video around, like a workplace worry, it’s easier to craft a small story around that feeling and build a video that’s simple to execute, yet highly relatable to your audience.

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Tip #4: Make value your mantra

Scrolling social media may be something that doesn’t cost money, but it’s not free. Your audience is paying you in their time and attention when they watch your content and both are much more valuable than money.

As Darren Suffolk, Creative Director of Video Services, explains:

View every piece of video content your brand creates as a value exchange with your audience. Technology has created an environment where every second of your audience’s attention is increasingly valuable. With platforms and content aggressively fighting for every second of headspace, you need to do two things with every video you create: (1) Make it compelling. (2) Make it valuable. Your audience needs to come away from a brand interaction feeling like it was worthwhile. If they don’t, you’re unlikely to get any meaningful action.

Darren SuffolkCreative Director of Video Services, Superside

The tricky part is there’s not one definition of “compelling.” What someone else’s audience loves, yours might hate. And some content will do better with a subset of your audience rather than everyone you usually reach.

Value, though, is easier to qualify. When crafting your video idea, ask yourself:

• How will this address a customer’s problem or question?
• Will it entertain or delight my audience?
• Does it make an emotional connection with my audience?
• Will it provide social currency worth sharing?

And my personal favorite:

• Is this video going to capture attention because it’s just plain fun?

This video strikes the perfect balance between emotionally relatable and silly fun.

Tip #5: Be consistent, build relationships

You’ve heard a million times how important consistency is in all forms of marketing content: Publishing blog posts, YouTube videos, Instagram Reels and so on. It’s true. Consistency helps you build habits with your audience and has compounding effects. So, pick a publishing schedule and stick to it. As of now, you can also embed Instagram reels, YouTube shorts and TikTok on your web pages.

Nina Caplin, VP of Video Services, elaborates:

If you want to create a meaningful relationship with your audience, frequency and consistency trump beautiful production value every time. Think of your video content as an ongoing conversation with your audience or customer. Whether it's daily, weekly or monthly, build a coherence to your video strategy that adds value to your audience's life and soon they will start to seek it out.

Nina CaplinVP of Video Services, Superside

Better still, match your cadence with what’s usually expected on a given platform. For example, many YouTubers consider a weekly video the standard. Do you need to upload weekly to be successful? Not necessarily. But… it’ll probably help.

Not because it guarantees you a spot in the algorithm, but because it’s an expected frequency for the typical YouTube viewer. If you tell them you upload weekly, they think, “Okay, sounds good, most of the other YouTubers I follow do the same.”

Ideally, they’ll subscribe and get notifications when you upload a new video. But if not, they’re more likely to remember you post weekly, and if they haven’t seen a video from you in a little while, seek out your channel directly.

The same applies to any channel, not just YouTube. Though if you want to build an audience for consistent, long-form video content, this is definitely where you should be. If you’re looking for an example of a consistent, platform-native strategy, HubSpot’s YouTube channel promises weekly videos on all things marketing, like the one below.

One Last Video Tip? Get Started Today

The tips mentioned here are all valuable to keep in mind but the most important one of all is to just start. Film your first ad, tutorial video or funny Reel right now. If you already produce videos, commit to improving your next one by even one percent. Over time, that commitment to constant improvement builds momentum.

Who knows where your video channels will be six months from now? A year?

One thing’s for sure, if you start today, you’ll have made progress tomorrow.

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