Did you know that 53% of customers engage with a brand after watching one of its videos on social? Video marketing has, without question, become one of the most effective forms of marketing available. It’s easy to digest, it’s engaging, and entertaining, and it can quickly provide information to a curious audience of potential buyers. Introducing video into your marketing strategy seems like a no-brainer.
But not all videos perform at this high of a level. In order to use video marketing effectively, you have to do it right by making sure you’re creating the kinds of videos your audience actually wants to be viewing. Otherwise, you’ll lose them before you even have them.
We’ve done a little digging and uncovered some information that might help you better hone your video marketing strategy. Take a look below for the types of video content you should consider creating:
Vlogs
Short for video blogs, vlogs are a powerful way to bring a story to life. And for brands, vlogs are a great way to demonstrate your “human” side, which can do wonders for connecting and engaging with your audience. One marketer that does a great job vlogging is Gary Vaynerchuk. In his DailyVee episodes, Gary documents his everyday work life and shares it with his audience. It’s a simple approach that has amassed Vaynerchuk, millions of subscribers.
The pairing of music with inspiring clips of Gary’s life and the tips that he shares with other entrepreneurs and professionals assist viewers in forming a connection with him. Viewers get a glimpse into what it’s like to be Gary Vaynerchuk, learn about him, why he has the knowledge he’s sharing, and ultimately why he’s worth following and looking to for advice.
Behind the Scenes
Another powerful type of video content that seems to resonate with prospects and customers is video clips that show a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes of a company. Nowadays, workplace culture is one of the biggest differentiators for a company, and bringing visitors on a journey into the day-to-day workings of your business is a great way to showcase your unique culture. Not only could it win you more customers, but you might also find some great employees to join your team as well.
Pulling back the curtain and showing what it’s like behind the scenes of your business does more than just showcase your culture to prospective new hires. It can also show your clients and potential clients how your team delivers your company’s product or services to those you work with. These videos take the guesswork out of what your company does and how your team is the most qualified to provide that service. Plus, they can be pretty interesting to watch.
Take, for example, the iconic Mr. Roger’s episode where he showed us how crayons were made. For most of us who grow up watching that show, that’s one episode we’ll never forget, and mostly because we learned something new about something we loved. Make more customers grow to love your brand by using behind-the-scenes videos in your strategy.
Tutorials
How many times have you broken something from IKEA due to frustration from reading the assembly instructions incorrectly? While it may be a totally infuriating and isolating feeling, the truth is you aren’t alone. Many people (myself included) find reading instructions anything but helpful. Doing so leaves a ton of room for error and not only that, it’s pretty boring. Video tutorials, on the other hand, can be fun, more informative, and easier to follow. Watching someone put something together or walk you through how to use a product is just a more effective way to educate and lead someone through a process. No wonder video tutorials make up a huge portion of what’s consumed on YouTube on a daily basis.
When creating your own video tutorials, it’s important to start with an area or product of yours that is commonly hard for your customers to understand or that typically prompts a lot of questions. Go to your FAQs for some of the common questions being asked by your prospects and customers, or meet with your customer support team and pick their brains on what sort of obstacles they encounter when they are consulting with customers. Then, create a fun, informative tutorial that walks prospects through your product and that addresses these concerns. Don’t forget to share this video with customers and prospects, as well as make it easy to find on your site so that it can be viewed as much as possible and easily provide support.
Webinars
One great way to gain trust and earn the loyalty of your target audience is to give something away for free. I’m not talking about free products or services. I’m referring to knowledge – something that won’t cost your company a dime to distribute to the masses. Enter: webinars.
Webinars are great tools to not only generate more leads for your company but to provide real-time knowledge and expertise to your audience. What’s even more beneficial is to keep the recording of your webinar accessible so that it can continue to serve you long after the broadcast. Create a resource page on your website to house all your webinar recordings (along with other gated content) so they can be easily downloaded and viewed by your prospects.
Below is an example of how BenchmarkONE has done that with their previous webinar, “The Best Channels for B2B and B2C Lead Generation.”
Testimonials
Customer reviews are like gold for your company. People trust online reviews from strangers just as much as they do recommendations from friends and family. A great way to bring some of those reviews to life is to record some video testimonials. Not only will you be showing your prospects your real-life customers, but you’ll also be putting your successes with those clients front and center.
Third-party credibility is hard-earned, so it should be shown off. Just make sure authenticity is at the forefront of these videos. No scripts! If the person being interviewed, sounds rehearsed or like a robot reading lines, you’ll end up costing you trust rather than earning more of it.
If you weren’t thinking of jumping on the video marketing bandwagon, hopefully, after reading this post, you’re reconsidering. Remember – in order to do so successfully, you have to remember that there are a right way and a wrong way to approach things. The five types of videos listed above tend to resonate better with audiences, which means they have the potential to produce much greater ROI when used correctly.