Video has a brilliant way of allowing your brand to expand and express itself in ways that other media cannot. Nothing quite captures the attention of an audience like a video, which is why it is fast becoming one of the most popular forms of media content on the internet. In fact, most people spend over 10 hours a week watching videos on their devices. And there are so many forms of video that you can use to help your brand stand out amongst the crowd.
One form of video content that has proven effective in recent years is a series. Not only does this give your brand the chance to begin a project that will be built upon each week or month, but it is also a brilliant method of bringing customers back to your website time and again. And video series themselves can vary greatly. From training videos to product reviews to documentaries, the options are limited only by your imagination.
Whether you intend to upload a new podcast series, develop a series of video blogs or spruce up the company YouTube channel, here are some ideas for video series that will help build your brand and engage with your customers in new ways.
Training Videos
Staff training videos are a category that has recently seen massive growth in the video industry and we ourselves have noticed a recent rise in requests for this kind of content from our clients. Unsurprisingly, this is partly thanks to COVID-19 restrictions making regular training a difficult task to manoeuvre. It has also raised the requirement for extra training regarding working from home and hiring new staff who can’t actually go to the office.
Every good manager knows that their staff are the company’s most important asset, so helping keep morale and productivity high in equal measure is vital. Training videos are an excellent way to help this happen.
There are a number of elements that go into the creation of a training video series, from the creation of an enticing and educational script to the choice of video style to the final production stage. As a video production company that specialises in remote video production, the adaptation to operate during COVID-19 restrictions didn’t require much of an adaptation at all.
Training video series are an excellent way to engage with staff in a manner that won’t be ignored in the way that training manuals will. More focus on the training will make work easier and safer for staff, in turn leading to a happier workforce. Its that simple.
Health Information
As a video production company that specialises health and medical content, this is a category that resonates with us. The variety of video series options available in the health and medical industries are as varied as the industries themselves.
We have worked on a series of patient testimonials with Macmillan Cancer Support following the support they received throughout treatment; a series of medical animations with Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust which helped to simplify complex medical terminology and procedures; and, touching on the subject above, a series of training films for Abbott.
Whatever the message you are attempting to portray and who you are trying to portray it to, health information videos can be altered to the finest detail, which allows them to suit the needs of any video series project. The right video series can not only help to excite, inspire and educate those in the health and medical industries, but also assure and educate those outside the industry.
Using video also has its benefits when communicating with patients. Read our blog on the benefits of using video as a means of communicating with patients.
Product Videos
Whether you are looking to promote a product of your own or review someone else’s, video series are an excellent way to draw customers to your site time and again. The power of video when it comes to selling a product is undeniable, with 73% of Americans stating that they are more likely to buy a product or service having seen a video explaining what it is or how it works.
But before you begin setting up the camera you must consider the purpose of the videos and how you would like them to look. It is important when creating a product video to consider what it is you would like to achieve from it. In terms of product video styles, there are a variety to choose from when planning your series:
Video Reviews
An excellent means of building trust in your product. Video reviews (from you or somebody else) are not only an excellent way of showing off the best features of your product in a believable format but are also relatively easy and affordable to produce. They are also an excellent means of getting information across and a popular form of video for use on social media.
Stills or GIFs
Whilst it may seem basic having recurring images or simple GIFs advertising your product, they can prove to be an affordable and effective means of video marketing if properly produced. With the right effects, music and text, they can add a professional touch to a blog, product page or piece of social media advertising.
Overall, product videos are a great way to display your product is a manner that cannot be done via images and text. If you are selling multiple products then creating a video for each and drip feeding them to your customer base is a great way to market your business through a video series.
Website Demonstration
If you have a particularly impressive range of products on offer or wish to show off the functionality of your website, screen capture can be used as an affordable tactic to draw customers to your website. Allowing the customer to see exactly what they can expect from your website often draws attention, as they are viewing the experience first-hand. This isn’t a technique that can be used by every business but can be a useful tool for those that do choose to use it.
Product Demonstration Films
An excellent way to show of your product in its element. This is the best way to show the customer why they should buy your product and what it is they will be gaining if they do. TV adverts tend to fall into this category but product demonstration videos are also a great piece of content to feature on the product webpage itself.
Video demonstrations are a means of showing your customer what the product is all about and how it should be used. A solid marketing campaign plan is vital to ensuring that you get the best possible out of this kind of video series. Make sure that you set your goals for the campaign, identify your audience specifically and adhere to the wants and needs of that group at all times. Otherwise it doesn’t matter how much you spend on production; it won’t leave the right mark.
If done correctly, product demonstration videos can be useful and diverse marketing tool that can be on your website, on social channels and on TV. Depending on the product that you are attempting to market, animation can often prove to be an effective video marketing tool, given that it is eye-catching, reusable and often more efficient than alternatives.
Documentary Series
Documentary series are a great way of showing customers behind the scenes and demonstrating how your business can have a positive impact through the perspective of those that have experienced the benefits of your products or services first-hand. They can be both personal and inspirational, helping to connect with the watcher on a deeper level.
When it comes to creating a documentary series it is important to take inspiration from large scale documentary series that have connected with you (whether it’s the latest show on Netflix or the next big thing on the BBC) as well as smaller scale documentary series from fellow businesses. A great example of the latter is Mailchimp’s Second Act series, which follows the life changes of a wide variety of individuals, from a postal worker turned violin maker to a finance worker that became an oyster farmer.
Without directly throwing their product in your face, the company uses this documentary series to insinuate the benefits of their services by displaying the impact that it has had on people’s lives. This is the power of using a documentary series to show potential customers the benefits of using your company through a powerful, relatable story.
To learn more about how to master the art of storytelling in video read out blog.
Case Study Films
Creating a case study video series featuring your customers brings a human side to your work, advertising the difference that your brand has made on people’s lives. For many industries such as charities or the health industry, they can prove to be an essential piece of video marketing strategy. When customers are looking to put their trust in a business, they are far more likely to do so once they see the positive, real life effects that the business can have through genuine experiences.
Case study films are designed to help your customers understand who your company is and how you can help them. These are essentially putting testimonials of real-life stories in front of potential customers, bringing your company and its values to life. We have extensive experience producing videos of this nature, having created this type of video series for companies like Macmillan Cancer Support.
User Engagement Videos
Many see the sale of their product as the final stage in the process with customers, but that couldn’t be further from the truth in many cases. A perfect example of the continuation of the customer journey can be portrayed through the tech industry. 77% of an app downloads result in the app being uninstalled within the first 3 days, 90% within the first 30 days. A great way to avoid this is through user engagement videos.
User engagement videos ensure that the customer has exactly what they need to help get the best out of their product once they have it. An effective user engagement video can help increase customer satisfaction and reduce support queries, eventually leading to more positive reviews and, in turn, more customers. It may sound like an overly simple solution to an issue but if produced correctly, they can prove extremely effective. Think of them as an instruction manual of sorts.
Conclusion
When it comes to creating video series to help market your brand, they are as effective as they are varied. There is no one size fits all solution, as each company and its customer base are completely different. Instead you should consider what you want to achieve through your video series and through this decide which style will achieve the results that you want.
Regardless of how you choose to utilise a video series in your marketing content strategy, they are perfect for creating large amounts of content that can keep customers, new and old engaged over long periods of time. If executed correctly they will have your customer base returning to your website time and again, which is never a bad thing.