Category: Mainstream Video Video

Video doesn’t always have to sell.

Sometimes it’s just recording something you find yourself saying over and over again.

A good video can answer questions, train new people, explain a process, or share information without you having to repeat yourself 100 times.

It’s like being in a million places at once.

In this week’s video, I’m sharing how some of Mainstream’s clients use video to save their trainers time, create consistency, and make sure people get the information they need.

Even when the trainer isn’t in the room.

Check it out and see if there’s something you’re saying over and over that could be a video instead.

Anyone else feeling like you can’t go anywhere right now without ending up in a conversation about AI and what it all means?

Us too.

AI in video isn’t exactly new. We’ve been using tools powered by AI for years. But the recent explosion of “AI video experts” has definitely created a little fool’s gold in the industry.

Our take?

The tools are getting smarter, faster, and scarily impressive. But strategy, storytelling, taste, communication, and knowing what actually works for your audience? That still takes humans who know what they’re doing. The tools just make more possible.

In this week’s #BehindTheStream, our team talks honestly about:

How we’re using AI in our process

What excites us about it

What makes us nervous

Check it out here.

If any of this resonates, here’s what we’ve seen work: getting crystal clear on your audience and your top 5 videos before you touch any tool or hire any vendor.

That’s exactly what our Video Clarity Sessions are designed for.

Its two focused 45-minute conversations where we map your audience, identify what content will actually land, and give you a prioritized video plan.

No chasing shiny tools that will waste your time and money. Just clarity on what to make and why it will work.

If that sounds useful, just reach out and we’ll find a time.

You know what doesn’t inspire me to buy your product or service?

Feeling dumb.

Confused people don’t buy.

You know what helps with that?
Video.

Watch this week’s #BehindTheStream here to learn more!

If you’ve been following along, you know we’re breaking down video data in a cool way so we actually know if our videos (and our clients’ videos) are doing well.

Because “doing well”… is subjective.

And if you’re responsible for marketing, that’s a problem.
You need to know what’s actually working.

The only way to know if a video worked is simple:
Did it do the job you wanted it to do?

That’s it.

You give the video a job.
Then you measure if it did that job.

Out of all the metrics we look at, you know which one I think is the sexiest?

Completion rate.

Did someone actually watch the video all the way through?

Because honestly, if they stayed till the end… it did its job.

They stayed. The whole time.

In a world where we move on pretty quickly… that matters.

And most videos don’t earn that.

Our highest completion rate is both surprising and not surprising.

But I know what was different.

This is about as passionate as I get when talking about video marketing… and I think it showed.

The last couple of weeks, we’ve been taking you behind the scenes of the 40 video ads we created last year.

Here’s the thing about ads. They are one of the hardest parts of video strategy.

You’re balancing creative and math at the same time. You can have a solid plan, but you still don’t know what will actually work until you test it.

So that’s what we did.

We created a set of awareness ads and let the results tell us what stuck.

This week, we’re breaking down the #3 top performer.

And honestly, this one surprised me.

The message is something I say all the time. But the editing leaned more trendy and “influencer” than what we usually create.

Turns out, when you pair the right message with a touch of trend, you can grab attention and hold it.

Watch this week’s #BehindTheStream here to see what worked and why.

And if someone comes to mind who is putting out video but not seeing results, feel free to send this their way. This is exactly the kind of shift most teams are missing.

Last year, we posted over 40 video ads on LinkedIn and we are here to tell you ALL about what we learned.

When we set out to build an awareness campaign, our goal was to create 12 videos, each speaking to a different pain point our audience feels.

That’s a lot of content for just the awareness stage. But here’s the thing: video is subjective. What really matters is if your audience connects with the message and 12 is a good sample size.

We thought they were all good (we wouldn’t have made them otherwise). But in business, things either work or they don’t…the same goes for video ads. The market decides.

And honestly? The results surprised us.
Our second-highest performing ad was one we were a little nervous to put out.

It also goes directly against a lot of the video advice people hear all the time.
Our takeaway?

It resonated with people struggling to make video work.
“What if the reason my content isn’t working… isn’t what I think it is?”

If you’re creating video content for your business, this one is worth a watch.

Watch the video here →
And if you (or someone you know) needs support with your video strategy, we’d love to help.

I used to think I knew when a video was performing well.

Then we started running LinkedIn ads and realized we’d barely scratched the surface of what video data could tell us.

Now we look at things like:

CPM – What you pay to get in front of people (per 1,000 views)
CPC – What you pay to get a click
Video dwell time – How long someone watches in the moment
Retargeting retention – How many people watch enough to be worth targeting again

And that’s just to name a few.

To say it’s changed how we think about every video we make is an understatement.

At Mainstream, one of our goals is to walk the talk, testing what works before our clients try it. Last year, we made over 40 videos. And one outperformed everything.

There was a lot to learn from it.

Check out this week’s #BehindTheStream vlog to see our top-performing video ad across every metric. Then tell us…why do you think this one beat all the others?

Our analysis:
Copy – Written by Seth. Funny (a little snarky), but still makes a clear point and is our brand.
Visuals – A strong, clear match for what we were saying.
Pace – Short, tight, and always moving. Perfect for an awareness ad! Grab attention, spark that “this is me” moment, and keep them watching so we can retarget with a solution.

So, what do you think made it work?

And by the way if you know someone who needs help creating videos that actually perform, send them my way. Consultation booking link in the comments below!

A question I hear a lot:

Why hire a video production company when I can do everything on my phone?

Honestly? That’s a great question. And I’m not insulted by it at all. 🙄

The short answer is: you absolutely should be using DIY video tools.

But if you rely on DIY video too much, it can quietly start costing you.

In this week’s True Confessions, we talk about when DIY makes sense… and when it doesn’t.

In fact there’s a moment where Erica starts breaking down something pretty specific about how video is shot, and I (someone who has been doing this for 20 years) admit that I’m not exactly sure what she’s talking about or why it matters.

That moment kind of says it all.

And if someone comes to mind who’s been trying to figure out whether to DIY or bring in a team send them our way. The 15 minute call is free.

Most video projects take longer than they should. And the reason might surprise you.

While filming our latest True Confessions of a Video Company episode, the whole team suddenly stopped mid-conversation to look something up.

The content was about tight turnarounds something the Mainstream team has never been afraid of.

But somewhere in the middle of it, I referenced a term no one else in the room had heard before.

Steph hadn’t heard it.Erica hadn’t heard it.Seth definitely hadn’t heard it either.

Turns out there’s actually a law that explains why projects expand to fill whatever time they’re given. Once you hear it, you’ll start noticing it everywhere.

This week’s #BehindTheStream is worth a watch for that moment alone.

And if someone comes to mind who’s been putting off a video project because they assume it’s going to swallow their calendar, send them our way.

The best thing you can do for someone about to start a video project is connect them with the right people early.