1. VIDEO ACTIVATION GUIDE How to reach more of the right people

2. CONTENTS 1 2 3 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Planning and strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Distribution channels . . Native content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . . Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 . . Email . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 . . Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 . . Social media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 . . Television . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 4 5 Measuring success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 About Skeleton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 BACK TO CONTENTS VIDEO ACTIVATION GUIDE 2

3. 1 INTRODUCTION You’ve got a video. What now? 93% of businesses are already using video in their marketing strategy (Hubspot), and people watch an average 16 hours of video online each week (Wyzowl). It’s clear that brilliant, creative video is engaging and effective, but for it to really perform well, it needs to reach the right audience at the right time, and in the right places. In other words, you need an activation plan. At Skeleton, we don’t think planning should be an afterthought. Instead, we combine strategic and creative direction right from the beginning. That’s because we know that a video is only ever as good as the thinking behind it. In this guide, we’ll share our key tactics and approaches, and walk you through the details of the main distribution channels to help you work out what to post when, where and why. We’ve covered each platform and how best to use it, outlined where your video could fit in your sales funnel, and even given practical advice on watching the budget sheet. Because when you get all that right, you’ll get your video seen by more of the people you want to reach, so your video both looks the part, and does its job. Dive in, and take a bold step on your journey to remarkable video. BACK TO CONTENTS VIDEO ACTIVATION GUIDE 3

4. 2 PLANNING AND STRATEGY Questions to inform your activations A brilliant video won’t go far on its own. You need to make sure you’re targeting the right people and reaching them through the platforms they use the most. That’s why planning should come first in the video process, so you can work out who it’s for, where it will go and why you’re doing it before you even touch the brief. That’s exactly what we do at Skeleton, but if you already have a video, you can still use this guide to make your content work harder. By thinking about some of these questions — like what you want to achieve with your video, and what budget you have to play with — you can decide where it’s most worthwhile to invest your time, money and effort. What do you want to achieve? Every business has their own goals, from boosting awareness, to increasing sales, to better engagement on social media platforms. Your goal will ultimately shape what success looks like to you, and whether your campaign has gone well. But it also defines how you should distribute your video. Think about your sales funnel: consider whether you’re trying to raise awareness, push leads, drive decision making, or keep customers interested, then decide how your video can help you do it. For example, if you’re launching something new? You should think about promoting your video with paid social. Helping customers out with an explainer video? Put long-form content on YouTube for them to view while they research. But if you’re not sure how to reach your goals with video? We can help you there. Just ask. Who is your audience? 90% of customers agree product video aids buying decisions, and 85% want more video from brands (Forbes), but who, exactly, is your audience? Take a step back and build a clear picture of the group you’re trying to reach. Think about the channels they use, the shows they watch, and ultimately, which platforms are worth pursuing. Is there anything your target customer is looking for or expecting from your sector? Knowing the answers to all these questions will help you figure out the best platforms to achieve your goals. For example, you might know you want to use social media advertising to boost awareness — but your target market is under 18s. So, you’re better off using TikTok or Instagram, which have more users in that demographic than Facebook. Or, if you know you want to speak to an audience that watches DIY shows, you might think about spending on pre-roll ads or Sky AdSmart. Ultimately, to reach the right people you have to be in the right place, because if you don’t think it through from the start, you risk wasting your budget — and your chances. BACK TO CONTENTS VIDEO ACTIVATION GUIDE 4

5. Do you have the right formats? Once you’ve answered the questions above (and taken a look at our distribution channel summaries, which starts on p. 6), you should have an idea of how you want to activate your video. But just as one video won’t work for all people, on a technical level, it won’t work for all channels, either. That doesn’t mean you necessarily have to create additional content, though. It’s often a case of adapting what you have for different platforms. It’s worth setting aside some budget to create edits of your video, so it can be trimmed and tailored for all kinds of applications (more on that on p. 7). If you’re not confident or comfortable with doing this, ask us to step in and take the reins. What’s your budget? 93% of marketers agree video is an important part of their marketing strategy (HubSpot), but whether you’re using social media, TV or another channel, budget is crucial. It all depends on what you’re trying to achieve and which platforms you use. But, even a small budget will stretch further than you think. TV is no longer just for big brands; there are lots of advertising options on streaming and on-demand platforms, which allow you to target specific audiences too. And on social media, you might want to invest in more targeted advertising to reach particular people, or to give your video content wider reach. You’ll always need to set some money aside for media spend, or you won’t be able to get your video out there — but if you’re unsure how to use it wisely, we can help. BACK TO CONTENTS VIDEO ACTIVATION GUIDE 5

6. 3 DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS DISTRIBUTION Where, how and why to post your video Each channel and platform has its own rules and quirks. But, before you dive in, take note: one thing they all have in common is that native content (posted on that platform, rather than linked to) performs better. In an ideal world, you should be adapting your video content to every distribution channel. That aside, here are a few technical things you’ll need to consider to get the most out of your video everywhere it goes: Dimensions: Specs and sizes differ between social platforms. Check which orientation works best (portrait or landscape) and the height and width limits for your video — use Influencer Marketing Hub’s always-up-to-date article for the latest guidelines. Duration: Different lengths of video do better on different channels, and it’s always worth checking the latest guidance in case limits are changed or a new format is added. Generally speaking, video adverts on social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook and Instagram should be kept short, depending on the theme and content you’re using. Common lengths are 6, 20 and 30 seconds. But, for platforms like YouTube, longform content performs well, and you can be less restrictive with time limits. Also, if you have a long video, you could cut it down for other channels. One more thing to bear in mind: 45% of people who watch the first three seconds of a video will keep watching it for at least 30 seconds (WordStream), so however long you make your video, ensure it’s engaging enough to hold your audience’s interest. File Size: This, and the video format (such as MP4 or .MOV), goes hand-in-hand with duration. Platforms like YouTube, which prize longform content, allow for larger file sizes. Wherever you’re thinking of posting, you’ll need a range of sizes and formats to post across the different platforms. Audio: Does your video involve sound effects, music or a voiceover? Surprisingly, many people on social channels prefer to watch videos with the sound off; like 40% of those watching Instagram Stories, for example (Hootsuite). And, at events, you could be battling against a noisy environment. It all means your messaging could get lost, so don’t rely on audio alone. Edits with captions, on-screen text, subtitles and more can help you communicate your messaging even when the volume’s off. BACK TO CONTENTS VIDEO ACTIVATION GUIDE 6

7. Structure: Even if you’ve already shot your video, how it’s edited can help to convey key messaging that’s fit for your channel. For example, a video designed for your website won’t work as a 30-second ad. Set budget aside to edit different cuts of your video with different narratives that fit the different platforms you’re using, and you’ll have greater impact. Thumbnails: The best-performing videos have a custom thumbnail. YouTube Creator Academy advises to choose one that looks clear and great in any size and on any platform, while conveying information about your video. Your thumbnail can mean all the difference between clicking play and scrolling on by, and is crucial on your website, YouTube and social media. People are naturally drawn to human faces (Hubspot), so you could use this as a starting point. Ultimately, there’s one key thing to remember: if you use the exact same video across lots of different channels, it’s not going to cut the mustard. And posting a video on your website or YouTube, then sharing the link on social, won’t work either. Set time and budget aside to tailor your video to each platform/channel, then post it there to get the best results. WEBSITE Why Your audience expects to see video on your website, and it’s shown to reap big rewards for businesses, too. Embedding videos in landing pages can increase conversion rates by 80% (Forbes), and can boost engagement while reducing your bounce rate (Upcity). It also helps with dwell time, meaning visitors stay longer on your website: 88% longer, in fact (Renderforest). So, all in all: it’s a great place to start. How Even if you’re publishing your video content on your website, you’ll still need a place to host it. Different hosting platforms have different functionality — like the ability to add CTAs or make your video interactive — and there are lots to choose from. We’ve used them all, so can advise on what will work best for your video. Generally, though, we recommend platforms such as Wistia or Brightcove over more common platforms like YouTube. That’s because they give you better functionality and control over your content, for example creating gated content or adding interactive elements. Once you’ve uploaded your video to your hosting platform, it’s not as simple as just popping your video on your website. At least, not if you want people to watch it. To make your video optimised, accessible and engaging, we’ve got a few pointers: Size and positioning: These affect functionality, views and engagement. Because in simple terms, if people don’t spot your video — they won’t watch it. Make it easy to find by putting it somewhere prominent, like on your homepage or high up on your about page, rather than hiding it away at the bottom. And make sure it’s big enough to see. Too small, and your video will make for a difficult viewing experience and put people off watching (if they even notice at all). SEO: Most hosting platforms let you optimise your content for search engines (SEO). When uploading your video, be sure to upload a text file of the narrative. This helps Google ‘understand’ the content. The title of the video needs to work hard to do several jobs: include relevant keywords, reflect or describe the content, and entice your audience to watch. BACK TO CONTENTS VIDEO ACTIVATION GUIDE 7

8. EMAIL MARKETING Why 54% of email subscribers prefer emails with videos (WordStream), and it boosts key metrics, like open rates (by 19%), CTR (up 65%) and unsubscribes (down 26%) (Campaign Monitor). Yet, some marketers are still late to the show, either not using video in their emails at all, or not using it to the best advantage. How There are several ways to add videos to your email body. You could use a static image or thumbnail that clicks through to the full video, embed it, hard- code it in, or try a GIF (a short clip or animation). There’s really no ‘right’ way of doing it, so choose the approach that works best for you. We often recommend using GIFs, as they’re popular across the web and make for more appealing content, drawing the eye and boosting engagement. Whatever you decide, here are some things to think about. Technical details: Some email clients may not support videos, such as Gmail and Outlook. While video has a positive effect on your opening and click-through metrics, you’ll need to be sure your email pool can actually play the video, so including it is worthwhile. After all, if the video doesn’t display properly or isn’t supported, you could have the opposite effect on your audience. Size: As we’ve mentioned, you’ll need to host your video somewhere on the internet (or on your website) so you can stream it to your audience. Larger file sizes and longer videos could be costly, and could put people off watching, so take this into account. Overlays: Whether it’s a satic play button icon or an animated one that flashes or loads, you’ll need to consider how your video will appear in your email and whether it’s obvious enough to your audience. EVENTS Why Videos are a great way to engage audiences in the corporate world, such as at trade shows, conferences, workshops and company events. Even complicated messaging can be captured and relayed in an engaging, attention-grabbing way when using short, dynamic video. How It’s important to consider the size (and shape) of the screen where your content will be played, as well as whether you need text or subtitles to relay the narrative. Audio isn’t always possible for events and, effectively, your content should speak for itself. Again, it’s all in the cut, so you could use a video made for a different purpose if it’s cleverly edited. BACK TO CONTENTS VIDEO ACTIVATION GUIDE 8

9. SOCIAL MEDIA Why Your brand’s social media channels are an obvious point of distribution for your video, and generate 1200% more shares than text and image content combined (WordStream). One of the big benefits to social media is the ability to post organically (i.e without paying to boost or advertise your content). You’ll have an open bank of prospective customers already subscribed to your channels, who’ll be seeking your updates and posts, so it makes sense to start your journey by targeting those who are already interested. But, organic social has a limited reach — so keep in mind you’ll need to set some budget aside to promote your posts, too. How Your content needs to be hosted natively, on the platform you’re posting on, within the specifics of that platform (size, duration, live or on-demand, etc). While every platform has slightly different demographics and purposes, audiences expect to see video content from the brands they’re interested in — and increasingly, the algorithms of the main social channels prioritise video too. That means, if you’re posting organically, video posts will be shown to more of your followers than they might have otherwise. Here are some considerations to bear in mind: Channels: There’s a huge variety of social media channels you can try, but always start by thinking about your audience and where to find them: YouTube is the most popular of all the social media channels, particularly with younger people (81% of 15-25 year olds use it, mostly for short-form content), but it’s spread right across age ranges. Platforms like LinkedIn are geared towards professionals (specifically those aged 46-55), but millennials also make up a quarter of users. It has over 738 members, many of whom are highly educated and high earners, too. TikTok is one of the fastest-growing social networks, with 10-19 year-olds making up roughly a third of the viewership. ROI: While it costs to produce your video content, you don’t have to spend a penny on social media if you don’t want to. But, keep in mind that social algorithms are designed to encourage ad spend, and most of your followers won’t see your content — even if your page has thousands of likes. In other words, you likely won’t get huge numbers of views and/or engagement without paying to boost your post or spending on ads. B2B vs. B2C: If you’re running a B2B campaign, focus your time and money on LinkedIn. It’s the go- to channel for brands looking to reach and influence a B2B audience. With sophisticated targeting options, it is pretty unparalleled. Paid social: You won’t reach many followers without paid social, but even if you have a small follower base, it’s still worth the investment for advertising potential alone. Paid social can also help you go beyond your existing followers, though you’ll need to do careful edits of your content to appeal to different groups. While you don’t need deep pockets for advertising on social — you can spend as little as £5 per week on a Facebook post to boost your reach — we’d recommend allocating 30% of your budget to creating content, and 70% to your media spend, to make the biggest splash. BACK TO CONTENTS VIDEO ACTIVATION GUIDE 9

10. TELEVISION ADVERTISING Why TV remains a hugely effective way to advertise to your audience, whether you’re looking to drive brand awareness or lead generation. In fact, £559.9m was invested in TV advertising by online businesses between January and July 2021, an increase of 37% from the equivalent period in 2019 (The Drum). Larger audience sizes boost reach and earn a bigger ROI (generating £1.73 per pound spent short-term and £4.20 long-term; Guerilla Scope), and while it can be more expensive than other platforms, the rise of on- demand channels means there are now more ways to be savvy with your spending. If that wasn’t enough, adding TV to an ad campaign increases effectiveness by 40% (Thinkbox), so really, it’s a no-brainer. How TV is no longer limited to expensive, prime-time TV advertising. There are now loads of options for a vast range of budgets and more targeted audiences, which can be much more cost-effective. Depending on the exact media, you can target based on genres, device types, regions and audience demographic (all of which will affect your spend and have slightly different demands). Here are some key considerations. Regional advertising: Reach smaller, more local areas through regional advertising. Firstly, you’ll be connecting with audiences geographically close to where you operate, giving greater opportunities for business growth. Secondly, costs relate to the population size and proportion reached, so your budget works harder. Digital services: Platforms such as Sky AdSmart allow you to spend more carefully, enabling you to target audiences based on what, where, and when they’re watching. That makes it easier for you to speak directly to your key demographics, and avoid wasting budget on speaking to huge, general groups of people unlikely to be interested in your brand. Video on demand (VOD): Free-to-watch services, such as YouTube, capitalise on advertising, with the advantage of having ads placed before, during and after the viewer’s chosen video (pre-rolls, mid-rolls and end-rolls). VOD watching increased by 30% in 2019 (Toast) and it’s still growing. Again, you can choose where best to advertise based on your target audience. Addressable TV: This lets advertisers segment TV audiences down to a household level through a range of systems (from set-top boxes to satellite). During a break, different ads are shown to different audiences, based on demographics, geographics and more. Content creation: You can create a TV advert out of content you already have, but it’s really not something we’d recommend. TV has very specific demands, and the narrative will likely need to flow a bit differently than something designed for social media or your website. Talk to us if you’re unsure what this means for you. BACK TO CONTENTS VIDEO ACTIVATION GUIDE 10

11. 4 MEASURING SUCCESS How did you do? 80% of marketers say video impacts sales, 84% say it helps generate leads and 87% say it gives positive ROI (Wyzowl). Measuring the results of your video content marketing lets you continually learn what your audience likes — you can then use these insights to make better decisions and improve your content. One way to do this is through ROI, which can help you to justify further video content spend to others — but it can be tricky to show clear links between sales and specific campaigns. Instead, by establishing business, marketing and content goals at the beginning of your video project, you’ll be able to see how your content is performing. Here are some ideas for how to measure just that. Business goals The biggest one of these is the number of sales you make, whether it’s a product or service. But you might also be looking to increase brand loyalty, purchase frequency, or something else. By measuring your progress alongside key campaign launches, you can make conclusions about the impact. Marketing goals There are a number of paths to success, whether it’s generating leads and enquiries, building awareness, reducing bounce rates, or boosting clicks and open rates. All of these are measurable through analytics, and you can track the impact of specific pages to measure the influence of your video. Engagement goals While there’s some crossover with marketing goals, on social specifically, you’re likely to want to boost engagement, tracked in the form of likes, comments and shares. Videos that perform well suggest the content is high-quality and will keep people on the platform, so social media algorithms show them to others outside your original target audience, which increases your organic reach. But, a word of warning: attributing the success of your video content isn’t always easy, as there are lots of variables to consider. With our help, and through understanding your goals, we can help you work out the best pathway to measure and assess the business impact of your video. BACK TO CONTENTS VIDEO ACTIVATION GUIDE 11

12. 5 ABOUT SKELETON Why Skeleton? Because we have the knowledge and expertise you need to do remarkable things with video. Skeleton is a specialist video production agency that helps brands and businesses make bolder, braver and better video, and we’ve been doing it for 15 years. We work with innovative and ambitious brands, just like yours, from all over the world — and we always have your goals, not ours, at heart. Here’s why you need us for your next video project: Content that cuts through Rise above the clutter with remarkable video content that engages your target audience, inspires action and makes an impact. Reach more of your target audience Content creation is just the beginning at Skeleton. We maximise your video content’s reach throughout the buyer’s journey with social edits, optimisation techniques and paid promotion. An expert team Producers, motion graphics designers, scriptwriters: our in-house team and creative network is a force to be reckoned with. Whether you’ve done this before or it’s your first ever video project, you’re in seriously safe hands. A stress-free process With over 15 years of experience creating remarkable videos for world-class brands, our process is simple, smooth and straightforward from day one. BACK TO CONTENTS VIDEO ACTIVATION GUIDE 12

13. READY TO DO SOMETHING REMARKABLE? GET A QUOTE. Whether you’ve got a spark of an idea or a fully formed plan, our door’s always open. And it all starts with a conversation. Call us up or send an email to book a kick-off meeting, where we’ll build a picture of your brand, talk you through our process, timings and costs, and decide the next steps together. Call us on: 0845 003 7720 Or if you prefer to type, email us at: hello@skeletonproductions.com Dryden Enterprise Centre NTU, Dryden Street, Nottingham NG1 4FG 0845 003 7720 | HELLO@SKELETONPRODUCTIONS.COM

14. SOURCES 93% of businesses are already using video in their marketing strategy (Hubspot, https://blog.hubspot. com/marketing/state-of-video-marketing-new-data) Users spend up to 88% more time on websites with videos (Renderforest, https://www.renderforest.com/ blog/video-marketing-statistics) People watch an average 16 hours of video online each week (Wyzowl, https://www.wyzowl.com/video- marketing-survey-2020/) 54% of email subscribers prefer emails with videos (WordStream, https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ ws/2017/03/08/video-marketing-statistics) 90% of customers agree product video aids buying decisions, 85% want more video from brands (Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/ forbesagencycouncil/2017/02/03/video-marketing-the- future-of-content-marketing/?sh=26321f0f6b53) Videos boosts key metrics, like open rates (by 19%), CTR (up 65%) and unsubscribes (down 26%) (Campaign Monitor, https://www.campaignmonitor. com/blog/email-marketing/surprising-video-email- marketing-statistics/) 93% of marketers agree video is an important part of their marketing strategy (HubSpot, https://blog.hubspot. com/marketing/state-of-video-marketing-new-data) Video generates 1200% more shares than text and image content combined (WordStream, https://www. wordstream.com/blog/ws/2017/03/08/video-marketing- statistics) 45% of people who watch the first three seconds keep watching it for at least 30 seconds (Wordstream, https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2017/03/08/video- marketing-statistics) £559.9m was invested in TV advertising by online businesses between January and July 2021, an increase of 37% from the equivalent period in 2019 (The Drum, https://www.thedrum.com/ news/2021/10/01/online-born-businesses-fueling-tv- advertising-tipping-point) 40% of people watch Instagram Stories with the sound off (Hootsuite, https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-to-use- instagram-stories/) TV generates £1.73 per pound spent short-term and £4.20 long-term (Guerilla Scope, https://www. guerillascope.co.uk/service/tv-advertising/) People are naturally drawn to human faces (Hubspot, https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/youtube- algorithm) Adding TV to an ad campaign increases effectiveness by 40% (Thinkbox, https://www.thinkbox.tv/research/ thinkbox-research/marketing-effectiveness-in-the- digital-era-media-in-focus/) Embedding videos in landing pages can increase conversion rates by 80% (Forbes https://www.forbes.com/ sites/forbesagencycouncil/2017/02/03/video-marketing- the-future-of-content-marketing/?sh=7a5e61b06b53) VOD watching increased by 30% in 2019 (Toast, https:// www.toasttv.co.uk/tv-advertising-costs/) Adding videos to your website increases user engagement and decreases your bounce rate (Upcity, https://upcity.com/experts/video-increases-brand- engagement/) 80% of marketers say video impacts sales, 84% say it helps generate leads and 87% say it gives positive ROI (Wyzowl, https://www.wyzowl.com/video-marketing- statistics/). BACK TO CONTENTS VIDEO ACTIVATION GUIDE 14