Kelly Groover July 21, 2020 If you’ve been brainstorming new ways to better interact with your prospects and clients, video marketing may be your ticket to increased engagement. After all, internet users spend an average of nearly seven hours watching video a week, and want to see even more videos from the brands they love. But saying you’re going to start creating videos is one thing. Taking the time to produce them is another.
If you’ve struggled to figure out what types of videos to create or what tools to use, we got you covered. Here’s a look at both and some tips to strengthen the quality of your video marketing production.
Types of Videos for Your Strategy
When most people hear “video” in reference to their favorite companies, they probably instantly think of a commercial. A commercial, or “spot” video, is the most classic kind of video brands produce. These 15 or 30-second snippets quickly tell a story in an attention-grabbing way – but they’re not the only kinds of video you can shoot.
Explainer
Explainer videos do precisely as the name suggests; they explain your product or service in-depth, so nothing is misunderstood. Organizations typically use these if their visitors don’t immediately understand their solution. More often than not, these types of videos are animated and reside on your website’s homepage, but they can vary.
Demos
Your sales team can connect with leads by recording a personalized demo to send before, during, or after a consultation. A demo video can also be general and highlight the features, perks, and benefits.
How-Tos
Like explainer or demo videos, a “how-to” seeks to showcase how a specific function or feature of your product works. Consider SMSZap as an example. A how-to video for this product may show how to use the “send-time management” or scheduling feature.
Introductions
Land a new qualified lead or customer? Introduce that person to the sales rep or service team members they’ll be working with as they move into the next stage of their customer journey. These videos can be super short, but be sure to make them personal.
Company Culture
The intention of this type of video isn’t to sell your product or service but rather to market your organization’s identity and voice. These videos are great for prospects and customers as they highlight your values and aesthetics. They’re also great recruiting tools for potential new employees because they can get a sense of who you are as a company.
Announcements
Whether it’s a new product, a shift in leadership, or something else significant, announcing company news via video can help spread the news. Like some of the others on this list, these videos can be quick and personalized, depending on the content.
Interviews
With an interview-type video, you can brag about your team with a video that shows off your company’s knowledge. You can also use it to emphasize the expertise your employees have. For example, in our video series Lynton Cast, Lynton employees interview each other on different inbound marketing topics, showcasing their skills and passion.
Testimonials
Not only are videos entertaining, but they play an essential role in a person’s purchasing decision. In fact, eight out of 10 people have bought software from a business after watching a video. With that kind of power, shooting a case study or testimonial video can help users see how happy other customers are with your service and convince them to go with you.
Our Favorite Video Software Tools
No matter what type of video you’re creating – whether it’s on our list of ideas or something entirely different – you’re going to need a solution to help produce and host it. Fortunately, with the surge in popularity of video marketing, there’s a bevy to select from. Here are some of our favorites:
Wistia
Wistia provides software to easily make and host videos that engage and grow your audience. With its Soapbox feature, you can quickly record your screen to produce fast videos. Or, you can dive deep and film and edit an entire series by uploading your video directly into the platform.
With options for integrations with HubSpot, Marketo, and Pardot, Wistia helps you capture and nurture leads with ease. The company also has some of the most in-depth analytics on the market to optimize your strategy over time.
Vidyard
Another screen recording and video creation service marketers gravitate toward is Vidyard. Like Wistia, Vidyard has an integration with marketing automation platforms such as HubSpot to make creating and hosting videos that target every stage of the customer journey a cinch.
Filmora
Filmora is a video-editing service that utilizes a drag and drop interface to make editing videos quick and easy. Once you’re done, you can use services such as Wista, Vidyard, or YouTube to host and market your video.
Videoscribe
As we noted, some popular video types include animated features. Videoscribe is a tool that marketers can use to make animated whiteboard videos in no time. Similar to Filmora, you’ll need another service to host and monitor your video’s performance.
If you want to produce live video content, you can use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. However, with live video, you don’t have the option to edit or utilize other video services’ marketing features.
Tips on Making Your Videos More Effective
With your ideas and tools in tow, there are some considerations to keep in mind as you produce your videos. The following tips can help make your videos more impactful – and more fun to watch:
- Make sure to produce high-quality content (i.e., opt for equipment to enhance lighting and sound if you can)
- Speak clearly so everyone can hear you
- Avoid overly lavish language or phrases
- Don’t wear white against a white background
- Try and keep your space clean as not to be distracting
- Be educational and informative
- If appropriate, try and add some humor
- Pose questions that people can respond to in comments
- Keep them short if you can
- Include a URL in your video (if your hosting platform has the functionality)
- Don’t forget on-page SEO (i.e., meta tags, title tags, when posting and embedding videos)
- Remember to have fun!
Work with a Partner
Starting a video marketing strategy is exciting, but it can be daunting. There’s a lot to consider from deciding what types of videos to make and narrowing a service to create them!
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