| By Aashish Pahwain Marketing & Sales Guides|Reader DisclosureOur content is reader-supported. This means we may earn a commission if you click on some of our links.
If I ask you when was the last time you watched a video, you would most likely answer “a few hours ago” or “this morning”. This is because we are now living in what is called the video age, where video has become the primary form of content that people consume on the internet.
As a business, this means that video should be a key part of your content marketing strategy. But what are the different types of video marketing? And how can you use them to get the most out of your video content?
In this guide, we will explore the six different video marketing strategies that businesses use to get the most out of their video content.
But for those who are new to video marketing, let’s start with a quick overview of what it is and why it’s so important for businesses.
Video marketing is the process of creating and distributing videos that promote a brand, product, or service. It can be used to raise awareness, generate leads, or drive sales.
It is one of the most effective ways to connect with customers and build relationships. It’s also one of the most efficient ways to deliver your message, as video is highly shareable and can be consumed in a matter of minutes.
Video Content Statistics
Video content is more popular than ever before. Here are a few video content statistics to keep in mind:
Online videos have a reach of 92% among internet users worldwide
Around 30% of marketers already believe video marketing to be more important than developing their websites.
83% of markers claim that they generated leads with the help of video marketing.
People watch an average amount of 16 hours of online video content every week.
One-third of all online activity is spent on watching videos.
84% of sales happen after customer watch an explainer video.
In simple words, video marketing is one of the most powerful tools in a marketer’s toolkit.
The Types Of Video Marketing Strategies
As a marketer, you need to understand that there is no “one size fits all” video marketing strategy. The strategy that you choose should be based on your business goals, target audience, and the overall tone of your marketing campaign.
Here are the six types of video marketing strategies that you can use to promote your business:
Explainer Videos
Best for: Introducing your brand, product, or service to your target audience
Explainer videos are short, animated videos that explain what your product or service is and how it can help your target customers. These videos are usually between 1-2 minutes long and are designed to be both informative and engaging.
Explainer videos aim to educate your target audience about your product or service in a way that is easy to understand and digest.
Which Stage Of Marketing Funnel Is It For?
Explainer videos are typically used in the awareness stage of the marketing funnel, as they are designed to educate your target audience about your offering. For example, a company that sells design software may create an explainer video to educate its target audience on what the software does and how it can be used.
However, explainer videos can also be used in the consideration stage to remind your audience about your offering and how it can help them.
How To Develop Explainer Videos That Convert
You can create an explainer video by either recording yourself and editing it in professional software or using an online video editor that will allow you to put together a video using pre-recorded (or stock) footage, animation images, and text.
To create an effective explainer video, you need to focus on a few key elements:
Keep it simple: Explainer videos should be easy to understand and digest. This means using simple language and avoiding industry jargon.
Focus on the problem: Your explainer video should focus on the problem that your product or service solves and not on the features of your product or service.
Tell a story: The best explainer videos are those that tell a story and illustrate how your product or service can help solve a problem.
Make it engaging: Engaging video content will keep viewers watching until the end. Use humour, emotion, and interesting visuals to keep people engaged.
Call to action: Include a call to action at the end of your video so that viewers know what they should do next.
Tutorial Videos
Best for: Showing viewers how to use your product or service
Unlike explainer videos, tutorial videos are more detailed and focus on showing viewers how to use your product or service. For example, if you run a web development company, you could make video tutorials on how to use different aspects of your platform.
Here’s an example of how Wix uses tutorial videos as part of their video marketing strategy:
Tip: Be sure to keep your tutorial videos short and to the point, as viewers are likely not to want to watch a long video on how to use a product.
Which Stage Of Marketing Funnel Is It For?
Tutorial videos can be used at any stage of the marketing funnel, as they serve to educate viewers about your product or service. Hoewever, they are most commonly used once a viewer is already interested in your product, as they provide valuable information on how to use it.
How To Develop Good Tutorial Videos?
Tutorial videos aren’t as easy to produce as one might think. In order to make sure yours is effective, be sure to keep the following in mind:
Keep it short and sweet: Only talk about what you’ve promised in the title, and make sure to do it in an engaging way.
Use visuals: People are more likely to retain information if it’s presented in a visual way. Utilise graphics, screenshots, and video footage to break up your text and keep viewers engaged.
Make it actionable: Be sure to provide viewers with clear instructions on what they should do next. If you’re teaching them what they should do, make sure to provide a resources section so they can easily follow your advice.
Testimonial Videos
Customers love social validation, which is why testimonial videos are so effective. In a testimonial video, a satisfied customer talks about their experience using your product or service. This type of video is the perfect way to build trust with potential customers.
Companies will often use video testimonials as part of their sales process. For example, a software company might include a video testimonial from a satisfied customer on their pricing page. This increases the chance that a visitor will become a paying customer.
Which Stage Of Marketing Funnel Is It For?
The testimonial video is most effective in the middle-to-bottom of the marketing funnel. At this stage, potential customers are aware of your product or service and are considering making a purchase.
How To Create Testimonial Videos
The best way to have a good testimonial video is to incentivise your most satisfied customers. You can do this by offering them a discount on their next purchase, or by giving them an exclusive product that they can use and show off to their friends.
Also make sure to record the testimonial video yourself, or hire a professional video company to do it for you. This will ensure that the video quality is high and that the customer comes across as genuine.
While shooting, ensure:
It’s a quiet location: Testimonials work best when the viewer can hear what the customer is saying clearly, without any background noise.
The lighting is good: You want the customer to look their best, so make sure the video is well-lit.
There are no distractions: Keep the video focused on the customer by making sure there are no objects or people in the background that could take away from what they’re saying.
It’s not too long: The video should be between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. Any longer and the viewer is likely to lose interest.
Keep the camera at eye level: This will make the customer feel more comfortable and ensure that their facial expressions are visible.
Product Videos
Product videos are a step ahead of static image ads, as they provide potential customers with a moving image of the product in action. Seeing the product in use can help potential customers to understand how it would fit into their lives and whether it is right for them.
The rising popularity of videos on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat has made product videos more popular than ever.
Companies use product videos to run ads on social media, as well as using them on their own website and in email marketing campaigns.
For example, this product video of a Samsung refrigerator may have been used for PPC ads, as well as being embedded on the company’s website and included in email marketing content.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7FonERxR9c
Which Stage Of Marketing Funnel Is It For?
Product videos help marketers at all stages of the marketing funnel, from awareness to conversion.
They can be used to raise awareness of a product, build interest in it, and encourage people to buy it.
Product videos are also useful for post-purchase support, helping customers get the most out of their purchases and keeping them happy with their decision.
Developing A Great Product Video
Creating an effective product video requires a bit of planning and creativity. You need to get into the mindset of your target customer and understand what they want to see.
Talk in terms of benefits rather than features. What will this product do for the customer?
Moreover, what does the customer want to achieve?
Your video should answer these questions and more.
Company Story Videos
Customers love stories. In fact, they’re more likely to remember a story than any other type of information.
A company story video is a perfect way to connect with your audience on an emotional level by sharing the origin of your company and what it stands for.
This video has the potential to build trust and credibility, humanise your brand, and inspire customers to do business with you.
And it is not just targets customers, it is also useful for employees. Storytelling videos can help new recruits understand your company’s culture and values, and get them excited about being a part of your team.
For example, here’s a great company story video from General Motors:
Company story videos are used to reassure customers that they’re making the right decision by doing business with you. They can be used at any stage of the marketing funnel, but they’re most effective during the consideration and decision stages.
Developing A Company Story Video That Works
A company story video requires a delicate balance of showing off your company culture without coming across as arrogant. After all, you want viewers to like your company, not resent it.
To pull this off, start by focusing on what makes your company unique. Do you have a mission statement or set of core values that guide everything you do? Is there a story about how your company got started that makes it special? These are the kinds of things you want to highlight in your video.
Once you have a good sense of what makes your company culture special, start thinking about how you can show it off in a video. Are there any fun traditions or activities that take place at your office? Do you have any unique company policies that you can share? These are the sorts of things that will make your video stand out from the rest.
Educational Videos
Different from both explainer and tutorial videos, educational videos are all about teaching your audience something related to your niche. For example, an SEO company may release a video series on the different types of SEO and how each one works. These videos are a great way to show off your company’s knowledge and expertise, and they can also be repurposed into other content marketing materials like blog posts or infographics.
The best thing about educational videos is that they form the base for your inbound marketing and content marketing strategy – you can use them to attract new leads and customers, and then nurture them further down the sales funnel with other video content.
Which Stage Of Marketing Funnel Is It For?
Educational videos primarily support the top of the marketing funnel – they’re designed to attract new leads and customers into your business.
For example, a person just getting into skateboarding might watch a video on the basics of skateboarding tricks, or someone planning a trip to Japan might watch a video about the best places to visit in Tokyo.
And once they are ready to make a purchase decision, your brand stands out as the expert in your industry that helped them get there.
Developing A Educational Video That Works
Educational videos only gain traction if they are truly helpful and informative.
To make sure your video is successful:
Do your research: Research on the niche not only to come up with video topics, but also to ensure that you are creating content that fills a need.
Solve a problem: The most successful educational videos solve a specific problem for the viewer. For example, a video on how to change a tire is much more likely to be successful than a video on how brand X tire is the best on the market.
Keep it short and sweet: Long videos are more likely to be abandoned than shorter ones, so make sure your video is under five minutes.
Bottom-Line?
Videos are a great way to improve your content marketing strategy, but only if they are done right. Keep your audience in mind when creating video content, and make sure you are providing value. With these tips, you can create video content that will help you reach your business goals.
Also know that not every video marketing strategy will work for every business. The key is to find the right strategy for your business and goals.
Go On, Tell Us What You Think!
Did we miss something? Come on! Tell us what you think about our article on video marketing strategies in the comments section.
A startup consultant, digital marketer, traveller, and philomath. Aashish has worked with over 20 startups and successfully helped them ideate, raise money, and succeed. When not working, he can be found hiking, camping, and stargazing.
