Long gone are the days when we were all stuck with painfully slow dial-up Internet connections and the Web was largely text-orientated.
Sitting at third place in the list of the world’s most visited websites, YouTube is also the second-largest search engine with around one-billion unique visitors every month.
It shouldn’t come as any surprise that the streaming video giant has also become an essential content marketing resource for businesses of all types. Video is the perfect medium for getting a point across, whether in the form of product demonstrations or more educationally orientated content that helps people to get more out of your products and services. In this article, we’ll take a look at six of the most effective video types that any business can profit from.
1 – Product Demonstrations
While text and image content is still an essential part of any online marketing campaign, what better way to demonstrate a product than to use the medium of video? Whether your business sells more complicated technology, a simple everyday tool or even software, a video demonstration can help to convince your customers of what your product is capable of. To show off your product in the best way possible, you may consider hiring a professional video production company, though this likely won’t be necessary if you are as confident and knowledgeable in your product as you should be.
2 – Customer Testimonials
Among the easiest and cheapest types of promotional video to product is the customer testimonial. However, testimonials have to be completely authentic; most people will quickly find out if they are not. Generally speaking, potential customers are less likely to trust written testimonials, particularly if they are posted on your website. A video testimonial, particularly when combined with a product demonstration or more educationally orientated content, is likely to be more convincing. To make a video testimonial, try approaching your most valued customers at a company-related event.
3 – How-To Videos
Many of the most successful online marketing videos are those which are entirely educational. Rather than trying to drive sales directly, a how-to video helps to show potential customers how they can get more out of your product while also helping your existing customers to take advantage of their new purchase to its fullest. How-to videos don’t necessarily need to be step-by-step tutorials either; you can also provide tips and tricks and other content that provides a deeper insight into your products. If you are marketing a software product, you can use screen capture utilities to provide guides and demonstrations.
4 – Company Introductions
Video is a great medium for telling a story, but it is also important to avoid an overly sales-orientated tone such as the type used in television commercials and paid online advertising. Particularly if your company has been around for a while, the medium of video provides a great way to tell your company’s story in the form of a case study. A company introduction or case study video allows you to show how your company has helped people while also giving some background information. On the other hand, if your company is a startup, an introductory video can be excellent for telling your audience about your goals and plans for the future.
5 – Interviews
Taking an interview is usually a relatively cheap and easy way to produce an engaging online marketing video that provides your audience with invaluable insights into your brand and its products and services. An interview also offers a great deal of potential when it comes to building up your brand image, especially if you can interview a trusted authority in your niche. In such a way, a video interview acts as an important endorsement for your company while also being educational, informative and entertaining. Trade fares and other similar events are great ways to seek out new interviewing opportunities.
6 – Behind the Scenes
Behind-the-scenes content might sound like a bit of a cliché, but it can actually be surprisingly effective, particularly when it comes to nurturing your existing customers. Taking a behind-the-scenes look at the development of your products and/or services helps to give your brand a more human face, building up trust and rapport in the process. Such content also helps your target audience to feel more privileged, and thus more likely to invest their money in your company. Behind-the-scenes videos can be both educational and entertaining in their own right, and adding a little humour can also go a long way into giving your brand a more human image.
