Thinking of creating video content, but you’re not sure what you actually want it to do for your business?

You’re not alone. Video is one of the most effective tools for influencing buying decisions – 91% of people say they’d watch a video to research a significant purchase. That’s a huge opportunity.

But here’s the catch… if you dive in without a clear goal, even the slickest, most well-edited videos can fall flat.

The businesses getting real results from video aren’t winging it – they’re thinking strategically, setting clear goals, and making every second of video count.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the 5 steps that will help you decide on the right goals for your video content. So it doesn’t just look good, it actually grows your business.

Why goal-setting matters to your video content strategy

Video content goals should be directly tied to business growth.

In fact, 66% of businesses say their top aim for video content is to generate leads and sales. This isn’t surprising because video is a highly engaging format and, when used correctly, it can drive real results.

Our 2025 Video Content Research Survey found that 42% of marketers define lead generation as their primary video marketing goal. The second most common goal is building an audience (32%). But here’s the problem: audience size alone doesn’t mean success.

At Jammy Digital, we generally don’t focus on audience-building for its own sake with our clients. Because there’s a real risk of attracting the wrong audience.

There’s no point in having thousands of views or followers if none of them are your ideal customer. Your video content needs to resonate with the right people, not just more people.

That said, building an audience is the right goal for some businesses – depending on your stage of development and how broad the audience is for your products or services.

Step 1: Align video content with your business goals (not a vanity metric)

Usually, businesses have a particular bigger goal for a quarter. These will then be planned as smaller monthly aims, that are also broken down into weekly targets.

So you need to make sure that the content you produce is all loosely related to that overarching main goal.

It doesn’t have to all be on the same topic, but you need to keep that goal in mind when you plan your content marketing strategy. If your goal is to launch a new product at the end of the quarter, you need to think about how every piece of video and written content is going to link to that.

To achieve this synchronicity, before you hit record or write a single word of script, ask yourself, ‘Why are we doing this video in the first place?’

At Jammy Digital, we see far too many people churning out content because they think they should. And if you’re just trying to ‘go viral,’ you’re likely wasting time and money. Instead, start with a proper business objective, like:

• • Getting more leads
  • Warming up cold prospects
  • Launching a new product or service
  • Diversifying into a different market

This business goal is the foundation you build your video strategy from.

For example:

• • Business goal: Increase demo bookings by 25% this quarter
  • Video goal: Create a short explainer video that lives on the demo page and in follow-up emails to boost conversions

Clear, direct, and aligned.

Step 2: Focus on results, not reach

The hard truth is that no one cares how many views your video got if no one buys anything.

Yes, 10,000 views might look impressive. But if none of those viewers were remotely interested in what you sell, it’s just noise.

We’ve seen this play out with people who chase subscribers or social reach, thinking that visibility will magically turn into sales. It doesn’t.

Instead, think about the direct link between your video content’s performance and actual sales.

For example:

• • Got a video that only 300 people watched, but 20 of them booked a discovery call? That’s gold.
  • Created a customer case study that only got shared twice, but one of those shares landed you a dream client? That’s the win.

Lead generation, conversions, and engagement from your ideal audience – that’s what your video content should be achieving.

Step 3: Know exactly who you’re talking to and where they hang out

You need to get really specific about who your ideal customer is, what stage of the customer journey they’re at, and where you’re meeting them online.

Here’s what to consider:

• • Are you speaking to someone just discovering their problem? Or someone actively looking for a solution?
  • Are they time-poor business owners who need quick, high-impact content?
  • Or are they more detail-oriented, wanting step-by-step breakdowns?

For example:

If you’re targeting agency owners who already know they need SEO help, don’t create a generic ‘Why SEO Matters’ video. They already know.

Instead, create a short video on ‘3 Mistakes Agency Owners Make When Hiring SEO Experts’ and position yourself as the smartest choice.

You also need to know which platforms they spend time on and tailor your video content to the rules of each one.

Step 4: Make your video goals SMART (because vague doesn’t work)

When asked, ‘What do you want this video content to do?, the temptation is to give a well-meaning, broad answer like:

• • “I want to raise awareness.”
    “I want to educate people.”
    “I want to build trust.”

These are nice intentions, but they’re not goals. They’re vague and impossible to measure.

You need to get SMART about it:

• • Specific: What exactly do you want the video to do?
  • Measurable: How will you know if it’s worked? You really need to focus on the right metric – not just views.
  • Achievable: Be realistic about what one video can accomplish.
  • Relevant: How does it align with your wider marketing strategy?
  • Time-bound: With a full video content strategy, you’ll have planning and recording times in the calendar, and a clear publishing schedule.

For example:

I want to generate 50 leads from our downloadable website checklist video in 30 days, using a LinkedIn ad campaign targeting coaches and consultants.

Now we’re talking. That’s a video with a job to do.

Step 5: Watch what happens (then tweak it)

The work doesn’t stop when you publish the video. It’s where the fun begins, as you can track what’s happening.

• • Are people watching to the end?
  • Are they clicking the CTA?
  • Are you getting the right kinds of leads off the back of it?
  • What are people commenting?

If not, don’t panic, adjust. Maybe your hook isn’t strong enough. Maybe your title needs to be clearer. Maybe your target audience needs tweaking.

You don’t need to remake the video, sometimes a new thumbnail, better description, or fresh distribution strategy can make all the difference.

The goal is progress, not perfection. Get marginally better each time.

Get clear on what you want from your video before you hit record

If you want your video content to actually do something for your business, you need clear strategic goals. Not vague ideas.

So before you hit record, take a step back and ask: ‘What will this video do for my business?’ Get that bit right, and the rest becomes a whole lot easier.

Want more insights into how people are using video content right now?

Download our 2025 Video Content Research Survey to see what real businesses are saying.

Or book a call to discuss your Video Strategy – get a tailored, 6-month video content plan to smash your business goals.