Video content is something that every business needs to be thinking about. As digital production costs continue to fall, video marketing content has grown to become the most powerful and cost-effective way to communicate.
It’s estimated that the average person watches more than 100 minutes of online video content each day. It’s why 92% of marketers who use video say it has become the most important element of their marketing strategy.
But for many marketing teams, video content is something new. It means diving into an unexplored world of different formats and terminology. And with so many options, it can be hard to figure out what types of videos are the best fit for your business.
So here’s a look at some of the basic format types and how they can help you to engage, communicate and convert:
1. Explainer Video
Want to explain how a product or service works or what your business does? That’s the job of an explainer video. An effective video will manage to do this in a short (usually 1-3 mins), snappy and engaging way.
A good explainer video won’t just demonstrate what something does but also why you should care. It should get across the practical benefits of that product or service. This is what makes them such an effective video for marketing.
Animation is a popular format for explainers. It clearly communicates even the most complex of technologies and concepts. Explainer videos will often be embedded into a website landing page to explain that business’s core product or service.
2. Product Video
With so many purchasing decisions made online, great product videos play a vital role in converting online visitors into customers. They aim to show off a product or service in an enticing way that goes beyond what text or static graphics can achieve.
It doesn’t just showcase a product and its features. Showing how it works will demonstrate the advantages that it delivers. It’s a format that benefits from high-production values to show a product in the best possible light.
Product videos will often be used as part of an online catalogue of items or services on offer. Its short, ‘no frills’ format makes it ideal for sharing across social media.
3. Onboarding Video Content
The way we work is changing and so is the hiring process. Instead of sending a new starter a pack of company blurb and brochures in the post, you can give them the link to an onboarding video. It’s a friendly, informative and inspiring way to welcome them into an organisation.
An onboarding video aims to give a person a ‘feel’ for the company they’re joining and any info they need to help them through the first few days and weeks. This will typically include a personal welcome message and a company taster – what you’re about and where you’re heading.
Effective onboarding videos are increasingly important as a higher ratio of the workforce is now operating remotely. It’s a way to make people feel part of a business without the traditional experience of them entering a workplace and having face-to-face meetings with colleagues.
4. Promotional Video
These are videos that have a specific goal or ‘call to action’. This could get the viewer to buy a product or sign up for a service, newsletter, or petition. The focus of a promotional video is simply on achieving that end goal.
You can achieve this with something as simple as a direct appeal to the camera or it could be a more ambitious project with animations or a high-production approach. A benefit of a promotional video is that it provides a clear metric on which to judge its effectiveness.
5. Company Culture Video
Behind the products or services that your business provides – what’s your company about? That’s what a company culture video aims to communicate. It’s a way to convey the attitude and ethos that makes up the culture of a business.
This could be a ‘Meet the Team’ format showcasing your employee or a short social-media friendly ‘behind the scenes’ snapshot taken from everyday life within your business.
A company culture video can serve multiple purposes – for marketing, to build an internal culture or to act as a recruitment tool that helps you to attract the best talent. The most important element in all of these types of videos is that they feel genuine.
6. Testimonial Marketing Videos
When somebody’s considering a purchase, they’re searching for reassurance. A video testimonial delivers exactly that. It lets them see a real-world example of how somebody has benefited from the product or service they’re currently thinking of investing in.
The power of a testimonial video is its simplicity. It’s seeing a product out in the real world and hearing the reassuring experiences of a recent customer, client or user. It’s the same kind of powerful influence that’s provided by positive user reviews and ratings.
Testimonial videos often serve a dual purpose. They promote a product or a service but also provide a showcase for the business of the client. They will often be linked to a case studies page or embedded into a website’s landing page.
7. Social Video Content Marketing
Social media networks provide incredible opportunities for video marketing content. It’s a simple and cost-effective way to get your videos out there via Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram – to name just a few.
But it’s also ferociously competitive. A social media video has to be designed to survive in an environment where users are scrolling through hundreds of posts every minute. Success comes from being able to find hooks that can grab attention.
Often, a social video will re-purpose existing content but package it in a shorter, hookier and social media savvy style. Find something that works and the sky’s the limit when it comes to how many users will see your content.
8. Internal Training Video Content
An internal training video is a much more engaging way to share information with a workforce than the traditional PowerPoint presentation or paper booklet. They can share details on new product lines or communicate important compliance and safety policy information.
Workers can access internal training videos wherever they have an online connection. This, therefore, makes them an effective hybrid and remote workforces approach. They can also convey information more effectively and engagingly than a static presentation.
Products can be demonstrated and animations and sequences included to show how things work or the correct protocols for safety procedures. The use of humour and a touch of quirkiness can also help to improve the effectiveness of the communication.
9. Sales Video Presentations
Technology may be changing the format but the power of a great sales pitch remains the same. In the past, these sales presentations would be confined to boardrooms or industry events. By creating a video, you can instantly share a pitch with anyone across the globe.
It doesn’t have to be anything fancy – just a salesperson showcasing a product or service. This could be a quick overview or a more thorough drill down into all its features and capabilities. It could be a presentation done especially for the video or a recording from an event.
Formatting and tagging longer presentations will allow viewers to jump to the specific section of the content they’re interested in. It’s a simple and inexpensive way to make the most from the power of a sales pitch.
10. Live Streams
Not all video marketing content has to be carefully crafted. Sometimes the most effective format is to simply live stream an event. It could be a Q&A with some team members or coverage of a product or company update announcement.
A live stream gives the viewer the immediacy of experiencing it all as it happens. It removes the complexities of having to package and edit video content but it also removes your control over what’s shown.
If things go wrong, viewers will see them. However, once a live stream has finished, the recorded footage can be stored and used to create more polished and shareable clips.
11. Video Voicemails
Video content doesn’t have to be complex. A video voicemail is a simple and surprisingly effective way to better connect with people. It’s simply a personalised message that you send to a customer, client or prospect.
Typically a short and chatty message, it answers a question or shares some relevant info. It’s a fun and friendly way to build better connections with contacts and to show a more human side to your business.
Video voicemails are generally sent as email links. They’re lo-fi by nature but it still pays to take care of how they look and sound.
12. Podcast Video Production
This medium started life as being a mostly audio format but video has played a major part in the rise of the podcast. These are long-form chats about specialist topics with fixed camera shots of the presenter and guests acting as the video.
It’s a simple format that requires little more than a room, a microphone and a camera (or two). What makes it effective is delivering info and expertise that the viewer values. By linking this to a business, it helps to build trust and brand reputation.
Video podcasts can be shared in their entirety but also used to create more short-form and shareable content. Find the right combination of guests and topics and podcasts can build over time.
13. Teaser Videos
Want to push your social media audience towards a sales presentation, testimonial or podcast? The most effective way to do that is with a short teaser video that’s designed simply to grab attention and direct people towards the content.
It could be something quirky, funny, compelling or intriguing. Teaser videos will typically use a short edit of the content it’s linking to with a reason for the viewer to want to find out more. Impressive teaser videos will speak the ‘language’ of the format – what works for LinkedIn isn’t always going to work for TikTok.
14. Video Series
A video series is a great way to establish your expertise. It’s a commitment to prove in-depth information or analysis on a subject across a series of videos. It could be a series that traces a project from brainstorm to the final product. Or it could be a deep dive into the various issues and challenges that face an industry sector.
A video series allows you to go beyond the surface level and share the kind of comprehensive and informed content that builds brand reputation. Properly mapping out this video format will ensure the finished series is coherent and engaging.
The format will depend on the subject matter but will likely use interviews as its basis and make the most of knowledge and expertise within a workforce.
15. Features and Documentaries Marketing Videos
Most marketing content is made quickly and within tight budgets. This means that quality content that has a slightly more polished feel can make a big impact. This could be a feature or a documentary-style film that highlights an aspect of your business.
This doesn’t require any kind crazy of Hollywood style budget – just a commitment to creating something with more care and attention than the norm. It’s a format that’s great for telling powerful stories – for campaigns or inspirational tales of lives and communities.
The marketing and branding in these films will typically be subtle but the impact can be all the more powerful. What matters is telling an engaging story and creating the kind of distinctive high-quality content that stands out from the crowd.</span
Conclusion: How to Tell a Story
We’ve looked here at just some of the different formats that you can use to build an effective marketing video strategy. But rather than thinking about formats, the starting point for video content should always be – what do you want to say and who do you want to say it to?
Team up with a good video marketing company and they will help you to find the best way to achieve this objective. It could be using one of these formats or it could be something that uses a blend of different approaches – whatever it takes to tell your story.
With over 2000 videos, both animated and live-action, we can sort all of the logistics associated with your video, meaning no hassle or stress on your part. Still interested? Give us a call to get our creative partnership started.
