Spring Cleaning for Video Marketers: Do these 4 things today!

If April showers bring May flowers, what do Mayflowers bring?

Pilgrims, of course! (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.)

April also brings the opportunity to throw open the windows and get a fresh start on the year by doing a little spring cleaning.

As video marketers, we acquire a lot of “stuff” over the course of the year that, when it was first created, purchased or otherwise acquired, served a useful purpose. Now, after some period of disuse, or outright obsolescence, it’s taking up space, cramping your style, or otherwise getting in the way.

So, here are some ideas to help you part with some of that old clutter, and spring forward toward a new start.

Get Rid of All That Obsolete Equipment

Every business accumulates a little junk over time. Old desk, broken chairs, outdated computers.

For video marketers, you can add lots of other stuff to that list: old cameras, broken LED panels, light stands, and old cables. (Oh, the cables!)

You hang on to that stuff because it was so valuable when you bought it. And you never know when you might need to put that old camcorder into service again.

Well, I’ve got news for you. You’ll never need that camcorder again, and you’ll never learn to solder that broken shotgun mic. (Something I’m dealing with, right now.)

So get rid of it! If it’s broken, beyond reasonable repair, throw it out. If it’s still in working condition, but seriously outdated, try selling it on Ebay, Craigslist, or any of the other auction/sale sites available. With the money you make, you can buy new toys that won’t be obsolete for at least another week or two.

Whether you toss it or sell it, the sooner you stop tripping over all that old equipment, the better. Find a weekend that works, roll up your sleeves, and get to it.

In the meantime, is anyone in the market for an old shotgun mic?

Archive Those Old Video Files

It doesn’t take long to acquire massive stores of data in the form of old video files. But, all those files fill up expensive drives, slow down your system, and make it harder to find the files you’re working on now.

If you have a system for archiving old files, there’s no time like the present for moving all those video files into storage.

If you haven’t already adopted a system for archiving old files, you need to do that sooner than later.

You’ll need to account for the safety of your media from camera to field backup, through post-production to distribution, and finally to off-site archival storage.

You’ll find plenty of good suggestions on the web. Pick a methodology that works for you, implement it, and stick with it.

Revisit Anything Automated

I’ve told this story before, but it bears retelling here.

Many years ago, during the first Bush Administration, I attended a conference for newsletter publishers. The speaker asked us to raise our hands, if we were certain, beyond any reasonable doubt, that none of our renewal notifications made reference to the Reagan administration.

There was a lot of embarrassed mumbling, but no raised hands.

Of course, that was at a time when there was far less automation. With marketing automation systems, website pop-ups, AI-powered chat bots, and everything else we have silently working away in the middle of the night for us, the chances are greater than ever that you’re trafficking in dated messaging.

Take a few hours to catalog all of your automations (you should already have a list like this), and make sure that they’re all up to date, and aligned with your sales and marketing objectives. Dated messaging reflects poorly on you, and there’s no better time to tune up that old stuff than now.

And, don’t limit yourself to old messaging. Now is a great time to prune some of your underperformers, too.

Update Your Social Media Profiles

Like all business people, video marketers derive great benefit from their presences on social media platforms.

Even if you’re regularly posting to social media, it’s easy to forget to update both your personal and brand profiles when things change.

A customer recently pointed out that my email address of record on a social media platform I use all the time was for a company I had worked for, three years ago.

Beyond basic communication protocols, it’s also good practice to update your professional experiences. (That college internship might not be as valuable as it once was.) The same goes for old accomplishments, and outdated recommendations (like from the supervisor of your college internship).

Even if you don’t normally get business directly from social media, you can be sure that customers are poking around there when trying to decide if they’re going to contact you.

Spring Your Business Forward with Video Marketing

Spring only comes around once a year, so be sure to use this opportunity to get things tidied up, and squared away. You’ll be happy you did.

And remember, video is a great way to freshen up your marketing communications, and breathe new life into old campaigns!

Check out these video marketing resources for more ideas and strategies for adding video to your content marketing mix:

· Technology Thought Leadership Through Video Marketing

· Video for the Final Stages of Your Sales Pipeline

· Is Video-First Content Marketing a Real Thing?

· [Download] 16 Powerful Types of Marketing Video and When to Use Them