Why should I choose video to strengthen my brand? And what kind of content is worth creating?
A video is something that most people want to incorporate into their business. However, it’s very hard to decide what exactly to do in your video. Should you introduce your product or service and say what it can do? Should you introduce your employees? Your customers? Should you tell your story?
There are so many possibilities but what content in your video will be right for you, your circumstance and your customer base? Today we’re going to dive into all of that and go into deep detail on all the different types of video content to choose from and how each one will help you.
But first let’s talk about videos in 2021 and why they are so useful. In 2021, did you know that…
- 65% of consumers are visual learners and respond better to videos than the written word.
- By 2021, the average person will spend 100 minutes every day watching online videos (19% increase from 2019).
- Just having the presence of videos on your website will dramatically boost the traffic for your website by up to 50 times over.
- 63% of businesses claim that video gets the best return on investment (ROI) on social media.
So now you know why video is so useful and even necessary in this time. However, not just any video will do. The wrong video for a certain situation will either do nothing for you or it could even hurt you by wasting time and money.
In order to maximize your video marketing effectiveness, you have to ask yourself the who, what, and why for your video.
You can try writing down these questions and answering them as best as you can:
- Why do you want to make a marketing video for your brand?
- How would you describe the demographic you are trying to target?
- How and where do they first get to know about you?
- How and where do they keep learning about you?
- What kind of free value can you provide to your target market before they buy?
- In its simplest form, what problem is your target market trying to solve? What kind of experience would they like to have with the solution you will provide?
- What would you like your market to know about your product/service, your employees and your company?
- What kind of videos for similar products/services has resonated with your demographic in the past?
Video can be categorized into 3 stages: awareness, bond building and closing.
1. Awareness
This is the stage where you use videos to introduce people to your product or service and your company for the very first time.
These are the type of people that fit your typical demographics but have never heard of you before. The goal here is to create a good first impression, set the right tone and provide value in some way. Getting attention and being remembered is crucial at this stage. If your video is easily ignored or forgotten then that is a failure.
Ideally you want to create some sort of emotional reaction and provide value in some way. This appeals to both the emotional and logical sides of our brain. That’s it. All you really want to do is get attention and create an emotional and value-based interest. You don’t need to make money at this stage. If you do, that’s great but it’s not the goal.
2. Bond building
With these videos you build off the first stage and deepen the connection you have with people.
You already have their attention and interest and they should like your company by this point. Now you want to reinforce how much they like you and begin to build their trust that you are an expert and a leader in your field. Build their confidence and how good they feel when they think about your company in this stage.
3. Closing
This is when you want to bring people to your store, contact you or visit your website as likely buyers who know, like and understand exactly the value that your product or service will do for them.
This is all about briefly recreating stages 1 and 2 and then asking for the sale.
Now let’s into great detail on every type of video you can use in each stage of video marketing.
Awareness Videos
1. The Spot
If you ever need convincing that videos are incredibly powerful tools for a business then just look at The Spot.
The Spot is a classic video format for TV commercials and commercials have been around forever. Companies have used The Spot format for years because it’s an easy way to get attention and clearly get your message across in just 30 seconds. The Spot is not just great for TV. With its brief format, it can be distributed everywhere.
The key here is to quickly and concisely show a problem people might be experiencing and then how your company is solving the problem. It’s important to be immediately engaging in order to capture attention and then keep attention for the entire 30 seconds.
2. Product or service demo
Often the best way to attract new customers is to let your product or service sell itself.
Find out what your product or service does that is desirable to your market and show it off in a Product or Service Demo video. Understand what people want and prove that what you have to offer is exactly what they need. If you offer the best results, the fastest speed or the most powerful then put it in a video.
People love to engage with something they see as extraordinary. You might even include some great music or a charismatic host to increase the excitement.
3. Brand video
Any company who does video marketing has a brand video.
Brand videos follow a simple formula. Introduce who you are, tell your story and rave about your values. It’s a video that should be on every website and it just lets people know why they should learn more about your company.
Big visuals help a great deal to add excitement. Most Brand videos have a voiceover too. It’s also a great idea to create some emotional stimulation with great audio and music.
4. The branded short film
The Branded Short Film is an actual fictitious movie but it might be based around your company or at least has your company embedded throughout.
A video like this would probably delve into the personal life of a character that happens to work for or closely with your company. It could also be about a character that uses your product or service to their great benefit.
This type of video is less common but can be very powerful. Think about the movie Transformers. One of the main characters was an alien robot that transformed into a brand new Chevrolet Camaro. The movie was so popular that it became a major driving force for Chevrolet to sell its Camaro model.
5. Product review
Product Review videos are among the most valuable videos for any audience.
If you’ve built up an audience that trusts you, doing a Product Review video will be very well received. It can be done for any product but it’s best when they are products that relate to your field without being directly competitive.
A Product Review video can be used by any business. Even B2B businesses can use them by reviewing other products used by B2B businesses.
If you consider yourself a social media influencer, it might be a great idea to frequently do Product Review videos. The more of these videos you do the more value you create for your audience.
6. Q&A
This video is simple but effective.
A Q&A video is simply one or more members of a business or organization answering questions from an audience. This can be filmed from an in person event or it can be from an online live stream.
The great thing about a Q&A is that it gives the audience answers to common questions they might have and even questions that members of a business might not expect them to have. These videos definitely help build trust because they eliminate the doubt people might have from anything that confuses them.
7. Presentation
If you want a shortcut to building massive attention, likeability and trust in one video then a Presentation video is right for you.
Think about it. You or a member of your business is standing on a stage giving out knowledge and value to an audience of hundreds or maybe even thousands of people. How can this not do amazing things for your brand?
In terms of real value and trust, you’ll be giving out valuable information and stories that can help other people and prove you’re an expert in your space. In terms of perceived value, video watchers will see you speaking to a large audience and not only will they get caught up in the emotions of the speech but they will see you with such a large audience and won’t be able to help but think you are a big deal.
All you have to do is film the speech and let people see it in the video.
8. Tutorial/How-To
For any company that is just starting out their video marketing journey, a Tutorial or How-to video is a great way to start.
For this type of video you want to show a way to solve a common problem or show how to create something many people regard as valuable. The great thing about a Tutorial video is that it appeals to a wide audience and it gives them a reason to think that more valuable videos may follow.
What you’ll be doing is casting a wide net and getting attention from a big audience. Some might not stick around to learn more about your company but many will. You’ll have a chance to convert these people to paying customers down the road.
Tutorial/How-to videos thrive on social media and they can certainly gain millions of views per video.
9. Email videos
Some people like to read and some people prefer watching a video. This is why adding the word “video” to your email headline can boost your open rate by up to 19%.
Email blasts can be great for certain companies and when that email either contains or leads to a video your ROI can improve dramatically. Email videos are usually brief, 1 minute or so and are structured and quick to the point. You’ll want to let people know about the purpose of the email, give them the benefits and provide a call to action. A call to action means you tell them the next step in the process if they want to proceed.
10. 360/VR
360 Degree videos and Virtual Reality videos give the user a no pressure opportunity to explore the product that you’re selling. Viewers can take time to view all aspects of a product and interact with pop-up information boxes.
These types of videos are especially great for large products like houses, vehicles, boats and planes. A person can explore in a completely no pressure way and it helps them foresee how they would use the product. 360/VR videos can even include pop-up information to show people features they didn’t know about.
360/VR videos especially help high ticket items because people really take their time to research the item before committing to such a large investment. Just imagine if your product has this kind of video and your competitor doesn’t. This creates a huge competitive advantage for your product and company.
11. The compelling question
These are fun and engaging education videos.
You start by asking the audience a very intriguing and rhetorical question. Then you follow up the question by clearly answering your own question, often in story format. These videos are great for getting information out there and your audience finds them valuable because they provide helpful information.
12. Humor/skits
Getting your viewer to laugh and have fun is a great way to build a connection and likeability to your brand.
Humor is incredibly relatable and can turn a boring product or service into a fun one. By instantly generating a happy emotion you will also help solidify your brand into your audience’s memories. Plus, in a world full of boring videos yours will really stand out.
These videos are usually short and are instantly entertaining. If humor doesn’t come natural to you, look on Instagram Reels and TikTok for some viral funny videos that can inspire you. You can dress up like an exaggerated version of you and your customers. It can be a funny voiceover with you mouthing the words. It can be a funny dance and music. The possibilities are endless.
13. Round ups
Most people have never heard of this type of video but everyone has seen one.
These are the “Top 10” type videos that are always all over social media and YouTube. These are videos about a curated list of people, places or things that relate to your business and provide valuable information to your market demographics.
Imagine the ‘Top 10 Apps in 2021’ or the ‘Top 15 Restaurants to Try in Toronto’
These videos are medium length videos and include visuals. These can be localized and often feature a voiceover and cool graphics.
Bond Building Videos
14. The Explainer/Animation
How do you explain a complicated product or process to people so they can understand and hopefully buy from you?
The Explainer video format is great for teaching an already interested audience that what you offer can work to solve their needs. These are especially great for Tech companies and B2B companies selling very intricate systems.
The Explainer video goes through the step-by-step process for how customers can use a product and how each aspect can help them. Most often, Explainer videos come with animation to better explain how things work in details that regular point and shoot filming can’t capture.
Think of an Explainer video as a very complex and dynamic infographic.
15. Company culture
Telling your company’s story in a video can really set you apart. Telling the stories of your employees takes that to a whole new level.
The Company Culture video is fantastic for lightly telling the story of your employees. By allowing the view to get to know them and know their personalities, you can also help your views understand the culture of your company as a whole.
These videos really help your market feel more comfortable with who they might be talking to and to help build an emotional connection to your employees. It makes it so easier to do business with someone if they also know and like your employees.
Moreover, this type of video is great for attracting fantastic new employees.
16. Behind the scenes
If you have a high-ticket item or a product in an industry that’s notorious for a lack of reliability, creating a Behind the Scenes video is great for building long term trust.
This is especially true if your process is smooth, fast and very coordinated. People love to know that what they’re buying wasn’t just slapped together and sold. People want to understand that a tremendous level of planning and detail went into creating a great product that will stand the test of time.
It might sound boring to put conveyor belts and specialized machines in a video. However, if it’s done right this video format can be as exciting as any video you can create.
17. Employee Portrait
An Employee Portrait video is kind of like a combination of a Company Culture and an Interview video.
What you do is you sit down with 1 of your employees and ask them a series of questions relating to working at your company. Now if they’re a great and passionate employee that’s easily going to come out in the video.
This video format is more structured than a Company Culture video and it can really zero in on the exact kinds of questions your target market might wonder about your employees.
18. Web Series
The great value in a weekly episodic TV series is that it can create intense loyalty and connection.
That is what’s so great about creating a Web Series for a company. People get so interested in what’s going to happen next that they can’t help but feel connected and learn about your company.
A Web Series can act like long-term Company Culture videos or it can be like a talk show with different guests every week.
These are best if you can get your most charismatic employees to participate. Don’t be afraid to show off your products or services along the way!
19. Branded mini documentary
If you want to go all out and make a long video full of interesting value that your audience will enjoy then a Branded Mini Documentary is a great way to go.
Think about the documentary movies you might see on the discovery or history channel and imagine your business and your industry is the subject. These videos are a lot of fun to do. They take a very in depth look at every aspect of your business and features your employees giving valuable insight.
These videos are absolutely fantastic for building maximum understanding and trust for your current and potentially future clients. They can really get people hooked on your brand. It can be very much like 100 brand promo videos in one.
20. Event videos
Event videos can be the messiest and most entertaining video you can make.
An Event Video is basically a compilation of a series of clips from one of your company events. You just take the clips as put them together in a way that will make sense to the audience.
They have elements of a Vlog and Webinar and depending on the event you can use them to sell your products or services as well.
These videos are especially great for ritzy events because people love it when they see others dress up. Try an Event Video on social media as well. They do very well there.
21. Vlog
A Vlog video can give every viewer a feeling of a 1 on 1 experience.
A Vlog is similar to a Live video but it tends to include an employee or owner with a close up camera shot and features them sharing their thoughts on a particular topic.
These types of videos aren’t easy for everyone to do because you’ll need to talk to a camera for a good amount of time and make it smooth enough to follow along. Vlogs are great for very bubbly and outgoing people who can create some excitement all by themselves.
You can talk about something that interests you or respond to a comment by your audience. It’s best if you keep the conversation to something that relates to your business.
22. Interview
An Interview video is fantastic for building massive amounts of trust with your audience.
The way to do this is to be interviewed by a well-respected person asking you hard hitting questions. Hopefully, your interviewer will have a well written script with good questions that encourage you to give in depth answers.
By being interviewed and then by being able to prove you can handle tough questions by giving thoughtful answers, you will present yourself as someone who knows what they are talking about. Your audience will see that and you’ll build their trust.
23. Podcast
This type of video is like an inverse version of an Interview.
Instead of being interviewed, you can interview various and respected people who work within or around your field by asking them questions. Typically, this is done either in person at a table or through a Zoom video chat.
By asking respected people questions you’ll establish yourself as a person on their level and you’ll attract people who are fans of that person. By attracting new people, you can build your audience.
24. Live stream
Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok all have one thing in common. They all give video creators the ability to do Live Streaming videos.
Live Streaming on social media means you click one button and instantly you are creating a video being seen by people in real time. This can be the most fun and scariest video you can create. The excitement for the audience comes from the unpredictability of what will happen. It’s a bit nerve wracking to think that if you make a mistake then you can’t take it back. However, that really only adds to the authenticity of the video.
Live streaming is great for creating an emotional connection to your market because people know that they are seeing a real person and really getting to know them in an authentic fashion.
Live Streaming is easy to do and can easily be done everyday.
25. User generated content
Nothing builds trust in your brand more than content which comes directly from your happy customers. So just like Customer Testimonial videos, User Generated Content videos are a fantastic way to not just build trust but to create sales.
A User Generated Content video is a compilation of happy customers using and enjoying your product or service. All of the clips are strung together and often there is some good music to tie them all together as well.
These are not only fun videos to make but they can be fun for your customers to submit as well. Typically, social media is the best means to gather this type of content. If you have a large enough social media following you can start a hashtag contest to see which of your followers can create the best clip of them enjoying your product or service. The prize should be large enough to get people excited.
Then download their content and create your video. Make sure you let people know their videos will be used in a larger video of course.
26. Preview
Want a great way to get attention, grow your market and help ensure that the next video does well? Try a Preview video.
In a very short video, show people a sneak peek on what you are working on for your next new product, service or event. This is a great way to create a thrilling mystery for people and an opportunity to get people guessing.
The idea is to get people’s imagination going and people will be sure to follow along to find out what you have going on next.
27. Announcement
An Announcement video takes the excitement of a new product, service or event and boosts that excitement exponentially.
The key here is to use entertainment, humor or drama to amplify the news you want to share. Try to get as creative as you want. These videos are fun and are great to share with an audience that already follows you.
28. Contest/Giveaway
If you want to increase your likeability and grow your market awareness then try Contest/Giveaway videos.
The key here is to create a video or two offering a free and valuable prize in exchange for people tagging their friends on social media. By tagging their friends, you grow your brand awareness in people’s social circles. Typically, you will randomly pick a winner out of all of the people who qualified for your contest.
You can even follow up with an Announcement video or a Live Stream to let everyone know who won the prize.
Closing Videos
29. Customer testimonials
Ultimately there is no better way to believe that a product or service is great, than with a recommendation from a third party source.
Who are your best customers who love your product and wouldn’t mind raving about them on video?
This is the beauty of a Customer Testimonial video. When you customer sees someone that they can see themselves in, there is an automatic sense of trust. When that person talks about all the ways your product or service was great for them, it really can solidify someone’s decision to go ahead and buy from you.
Customer Testimonials do really well on websites. Sometimes when a customer goes on a website and watches a Customer Testimonial video, that can really push them to go ahead and complete an order.
30. Webinar
A Webinar is basically a seminar on steroids.
Imagine being able to educate, bond with and sell to your audience in the most powerful way possible. That’s what a Webinar is. Webinars are engaging and actionable.
The way the Webinar works is you tell your audience about a link they can click and when they can click it. The link will take them to a website that specializes in Webinars. You’ll let them know that if they join in to watch they will learn all sorts of information about a topic they care about. Typically, companies pay for advertising as well to promote a Webinar.
Once the Webinar starts, you teach on a topic based on a script you’ve created and engage with your viewers along the way. Normally, at various times you will want to promote a product or service that you’re selling.
A webinar is great for selling because you can tell stories on a subject and then sell while you handle common objects. There’s also an unlimited number of people who can join so in that way they are more powerful than in person seminars.
31. Case study
A Case Study video is your chance to tell the story of the perfect customer experience.
A case study is similar to a testimonial except a case study comes from the company telling the story of how a product or service helped a customer. These videos are great because they are a little more structured than a testimonial and are a little better at making sure all of the main selling points are told.
Usually, these videos are right around 3 minutes and they are great for a website. People love to watch them right before they complete a sale.
32. Personalized video
Personalized videos are specialized videos that are meant to be seen by one person or one company.
Usually, they are either sent through email or through a link on an email that leads to a landing page with this personalized video. These videos are great for industries that commonly send out large email blasts that can seem impersonal to most people.
These videos are best for higher priced and low sales volume based businesses because of the large time consumption required. Normally what happens is most of the video is generic for everyone but a few personalized clips with people’s names are stitched in to make it seem like the entire video was created for them.
33. Classic sales video
A Classic Sales video is a very reliable video format for creating sales for your business.
It works best when it’s shown specifically to people who know, like and trust your brand and product/service. It’s great for landing pages and for a social media retargeting campaign. You can even put it in an order page on your website.
Here is an example of a basic format and script for what to say in a Classic Sales video
- If you have a business that sells educational products
- And you want more customers
- Here’s what we’ve got that can help. I’m Erik and my company creates commercial videos.
- Here’s what it will do for you. (We can attract your perfect customers by creating a promo video that will help them know, like and trust your brand.
- Here’s what to do next. (Go to our website, fill out the request a quote form and we will give you a free consultation and estimate on your very own video commercial.
This is a must shortened version of a classic sales video, but this should give you an idea about how it’s formatted. You can apply this script to your own business or organization by adjusting it to fit your situation.
34. Call out
The Call Out sales video is another example. This video format is better for service businesses.
Here is an example.
- If you/Do you/Are you (are the owner of a new puppy, own a new puppy, the owner of a new puppy)
- Problems/Desires (but your puppy is eating your shoes?)
- Educate (Here are three ways to stop your dog from eating shoes)
- Offer (If this sounds like you and you’re serious about getting your dog to stop eating your shoe, here’s what we offer. My name is Carl with Carl’s Dog Training. Here’s what we do. We train your dog so he won’t chew your shoe and here’s what I want you to do next. Go to my website and fill out the form to get a free consultation and estimate.
35. Indicator
The Indicator sales video is a format that’s great if you want to have an emotional connection with your prospect while you are selling.
Here is an example.
- Do You (have a mattress that is too firm and not very comfortable?)
- Enter the prospects mind (If this sounds like your mattress, you’re probably feeling pretty tired and sore when you wake up in the morning and you’re probably wondering if you should invest in a new mattress.
- Offer (If this sound like your mattress and you’re worried about how to find a good mattress you’ll love for years, then we’d be happy to take a look at your what mattress would match you the best. If you call us we will immediately have you answer a few questions to match you up with the perfect mattress.
- Here’s what to do. Call us at (###) ###-####) and then we’ll schedule a time to come in and we’ll conduct a thorough test to find you the mattress you will love. Thank you.
So there it is. That is every video you can use for your business or organization, when to use them, how to create them and what to expect for your ROI.
Obviously, there’s a lot of videos and within those formats there are endless possibilities for style and creativity. So how do you set the perfect plan for your video down to the last detail?
That’s where Bridge City Media comes in. Bridge City Media has been in commercial promo video production for years and with the combined experience of our staff and affiliates, we have what it takes to be the one stop shop for putting together the perfect video for you.
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