Studies show that over 55% of the world’s population watch videos every day. As a species we can’t get enough of video content, it appeals to so many because of the mediums ability to quickly and entertainingly give us information and stimulate emotional reactions from us.
Video is one of the most powerful marketing tools these days… But how can you harness the potential of video? Where do you start when you want to add video content to your marketing strategies? We have broken down 5 simple video ideas which can provide an attainable jumping off point to springboard you into the world of video marketing.
1. Testimonials/Case Studies
According to Hubspot, after watching a video, 64% of users are more likely to buy a product online, in our opinion this is mainly down to trust. Certain types of video are key in helping build trust with the customer. Testimonials & case studies are great examples of trust building video content which aren’t too hard to plan, film and publish. All you have to do is find some of your best customers (ones who will really wax lyrical about how great you are) and do a quick video with them. 1-5 minutes are long enough for a case study, any longer can put people off. It is also important to bear in mind that if the case studies look & feel too contrived and staged they can do more damage than good. Be authentic and people will believe what the case study is telling them.
Quick Tip Number 1: Video in an email leads to 200-300% increase in click-through rates. Case studies/Testimonials are great examples of videos which work well with emails. Why not try experimenting with your next round of email marketing? But remember, don’t try to ‘sell’ too much. If you tell people what to do, these days they are more likely not to listen, but if you invite them, you might be onto a winner.
2. Product Videos
90% of users say that product videos are helpful in the decision process. A video which clearly sets out the features, USPs and benefits a product (or service) can offer, are a great tool for finalising a sale. It is beneficial to keep the product videos short and focused. You don’t need to point out every single feature, every little detail of the product, just the main, headline grabbing features which make it stand apart from competition. It is harder to imbue more creativity into product videos as they are more about persuading and selling than other video content, but using animations and graphics to call attention to the important features can be a good option. Again, keep these videos short, in 1-3 minutes you will either secure the sale or the customer will be looking elsewhere, put the most eye-catching, interesting features/USPs at the start of the video. Here’s an example of a product video we previously made for a client.
Quick Tip Number 2: Product videos can work well on product pages of websites. They offer a visual aid to help customers make their buying decision. Clothing brands like ASOS and MISSGUIDED use very short videos on product pages to show the fittings of the cloths, and let customers know what it looks like in real life much better than any picture could.
3. Behind the Scenes
People are nosey by nature. Even if we profess our disinterest with what anyone else is doing, we can’t help but want to find out more about them and what they do, to investigate and to snoop (for lack of a better word). This is how social media has become so engrained into our culture, and why when many of us wake up in the morning the first thing we do is scroll on our phones to catch up on what we have missed. This point is important because it means that now more than ever there is a market and an interest in behind the scenes content. More so these days people are fascinated with the inner workings of things, they see the finished products and want to know what goes on to get that product from an idea to a reality. Behind the scenes content is a great tool for promoting brand experience (for more info on brand experience check out this blog). BTS can offer the opportunity to form a deeper connection with an audience/customer, let them know who you are as a company, what you stand for and why you do what you do. Google are brilliant at this, and they have made a lot of great content based on BTS of what working at google is like, the video below focuses on what it is like to be an intern at google. Now they are the Hollywood studio of behind the scenes content, but videos like this can offer great inspiration to give smaller companies ideas of the kind of content they can make.
You could also show some BTS of how products are made, looking at the production process, the raw materials and how they get to the finished product. These videos are great for building trust with customers, because they can physically see the process from A to B, they know where the product comes from. Or just film a bit around the office and highlight your companies’ culture and how hard the employees work.
4. How to Videos & Tutorials
Educational content is a really good avenue to pursue these days. Teaching customers is a brilliant way to increase trust and promote yourself as a thought leader in the respective market you operate. These videos can be some of the most time consuming to plan and create, but they can be really impactful content if they are done right. Of course, it depends on the market and nature of your business as to whether educational content comes naturally or not. For The Creative Side, we have found that educational content is very beneficial for us to make (hence this blog). We use it to highlight our experience and show off a bit of personality in tandem. Educational video content is a step up from blogs like this because you can actually teach a visual lessons to customers, teach them how to use your products, show them more efficient ways to work. The possibilities for what educational content you can be are endless, but you just need to make sure the content is on brand and has a defined goal and purpose.
5. Event Coverage
Many modern-day marketing “gurus” promote the idea of documenting rather than creating. Gary Vaynerchuck has long been a supporter of this method of content production. In his article on the matter he argues that people and businesses simply aren’t producing enough content to fill the insatiable demands of modern society (this ideology links back to the previously discussed nosiness of society these days). His idea for how to make more content is a simple one, to document rather than create. This effectively means filming whatever you are doing at the time, editing it together and posting it online. I very much agree that people and businesses aren’t producing enough content to reap the full benefits digital marketing offers, but I also understand that many people and businesses may lack the confidence or motivation to ‘just film’ whatever they are doing. The middle ground is event coverage. Filming events is a great way to get the most out of the event itself, and also leads to an extra piece of valuable content, which you can re-purpose for online use.
A great place to start with video marketing is in what you already do. Begin with what you know and then work your way up from there. If you have great products and are really knowledgeable about them focus on product videos, if you have amazing customers then a case study will work well. If you have a really interesting office and are always out and about doing interesting things, then the BTS content will be brilliant. Try them all and see what works best for you.