Even the most successful companies can find themselves stuck on a plateau — not necessarily losing ground, but certainly not gaining any. They often respond reflexively with their marketing strategies, maybe buying more ad space or sending more emails to subscribers. We’ve all been there, wondering how to turn leads into sales and get performance metrics back on track.

While every company’s situation is unique, an investment in video production is proven to attract new clients, engage current clients on a deeper level, and broaden overall marketing reach.

Sure, good video isn’t cheap, but the power of video marketing is indisputable. Internet traffic in 2017 is expected to be 74 percent video, and it’s not hard to see why: Video is more eye-catching than text and easier for the brain to digest quickly. In fact, merely including the word “video” in email subject lines can boost the effectiveness of a campaign, with 19 percent higher open rates and 65 percent higher click-through rates. Consumers want more high-quality video, and the companies that can deliver it will win.

Plan Before You Play

A vital component of video marketing that many people underestimate is preparation, which is key for developing campaigns that engage consumers and draw them to your company. At Lemonlight, we’re pretty big sticklers about preproduction dialogue and getting the most accurate assessment of each client’s full vision and goals.

Occasionally, though, clients insist on a more off-the-cuff approach. A plastic surgery office, for example, asked us to “just come and film a bunch of footage.” Afterward, the client decided to create four very specific product commercials — a plan that should have been derived during preproduction. Spoiler alert! We didn’t have enough content for the videos, so the client had to pay for us to come back out and shoot again.

Having a plan means establishing an end goal first. Use that goal to guide production and give you something to build on. For example, setting extra footage on production day gives you more options later in case you want to repurpose your video. Shooting a few different scenes for your call to action allows you to A/B test and optimize your video after you begin advertising.

Knocking Your Campaign Out of the Park

Not only is shooting for a planned video easier, faster, and more effective than trying to create a cohesive final product out of random shots, but it also saves you the frustration of wishing you had captured more footage. To ensure your video marketing campaign is a home run, try these three additional tips:

1. Know your audience. By now, you’ve already determined to whom you’re marketing. If you haven’t, stop! Do not pass Go; do not collect $200. Video can be an incredibly effective advertising medium, but like any marketing method, it requires some level of precision.

When working with franchises like BurgerFi, we shoot a unique intro or call to action for each location. This allows us to personalize each ad without having to spend a fortune making a brand-new video for each restaurant.

2. Keep it short and deliberate. Whether you’re communicating your brand story or the features of your latest product, it’s easy to go overboard and try to include too much in a short video.

Instead, keep in mind that many of your views will be on mobile devices, where attention comes at a premium. Shorter videos will garner more views, and more of these viewers will watch until the end. Give the video a singular purpose, and stick to it.

3. Plan ways to repurpose. Part of your planning should be determining how you’ll repurpose the content. Even an average professional video that’s only a few minutes long can cost thousands of dollars, so it’s essential to do everything possible to increase your ROI.

Using stills from your video on your website or posting short clips on social media are just two simple examples of how to get the most out of your investment. There are tons of ways to repurpose your video, so plan ahead to ensure you reap the biggest return.

What other strategies do you use to make sure your video campaigns are a smashing success?

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Hope Horner is CEO and founder of Lemonlight Video Production, a company that produces and distributes branded video content at scale. Hope is a three-time entrepreneur who has been featured in Inc., KABC, Extra, and other publications highlighting her successes in the Silicon Beach community over the past decade.