We challenge you to see how long you can scroll the Internet without coming across a video. 5 minutes? 20 seconds? Images flash around our ears. They are wonderful entertainment while waiting for the bus but in the meantime they also increase our brand awareness, positioning and can really get us out of a jam through helpful tutorials. Video has become 2nd nature. But how do you get started? Videos themselves are very threshold lowering, but the threshold towards video content creation still seems a step too high for many. No worries. Get inspired with these 10 forms of video marketing.
1. Corporate video
The corporate video is the frontrunner of video marketing. Long before companies were even engaged in their video marketing strategy, they already had a company video on their homepage. And that’s good because corporate video is ideal like no other to support your company’s findability (SEO), usability (UX) and efficient communication. A good corporate video explains who you are, what you do and, of course, it sticks. It should fit in with your corporate culture and so will be very barrier-free. But in the meantime, we do know that one-video-doesn’t-fix-all. So be sure to take full advantage of your corporate video by integrating it on social media, your outbound communications and on-site as well.
2. Interview and Q&A
These are videos that answer your audience’s most pressing questions, and they come in all shapes and sizes. You can have a coffee chat with a thought leader, customer or team member and talk about a particular topic closely related to your service/company/product. But it can also just be a live solo video where you answer questions that people submitted in advance. Often now we also see podcast and video go hand in hand. First, do some thinking about your script so that your video works even without images et voila, 2 birds with one stone.
3. Explainer video
An explainer video is perfect to use in ads and campaigns because they are very effective thanks to their higher conversion rates. Even better is the animated explainer video. They are very hip and can provide a lot of information in a short time since they are action-packed. Too difficult, too expensive? Not with the right partner! With a simple briefing, an initial storyboard can already be created with an accompanying quote. That way you’ll know right away what can and can’t be done with your available budget. Here, for example, our client <a href=”https://vil.be/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>VIL</a> needed a short but clear video about Databots to use in a presentation.
4. Aftermovie
Often you put so much time into an event but still forget to budget for an aftermovie. Sin! Because an aftermovie is the perfect way to do employer branding. You show prospective employees and customers what they can expect from you and showcased the qualities you possess. An aftermovie also always does well on social media and it adds that extra touch to the after-event communication because it also allows you to reach the people who didn’t end up registering, to show them what they missed. That way they know that your events are really worth attending. Bring on that FOMO! The aftermovie is also a boulder of positioning. You highlight the solution you brought to the event. If you manage to snare some interesting people for a testimonial in the aftermovie, you can also profit handsomely from their reputation. This aftermovie is another creation of JDI with accompanying drone shots.
5. Webinar/online event
Brooded by Covid but enduring thanks to their super effective way of informing your audience , the webinar is a form of video marketing not to be underestimated. It comes in all shapes and sizes. As a simple slide deck with presentation, a panel discussion or even as a capture of a live event for those who cannot physically attend. JDI has also leveraged webinars in Covid times with our online #Growthstreams.
6. Product video
These show-and-tell videos put your product in the spotlight. No bla bla, just boom boom. They help potential customers learn more about the product and should convert prospects. Therefore, more than the other forms of video marketing, the production value of the product video is crucial.
7. Live video
Almost every social media platform currently has a live feature. And with good reason because nothing builds community as quickly as a live video in which you can answer your customers’ questions à -la-minute. A live video is also very versatile. A quick update on the warehouse, a showcase of the new garments, an interview with a new partner,…. Also know that there is a lot of great software online that often works with a free entry-level subscription. They we at JDI like to work with Streamyard to professionally combine different cameras, already recorded videos and live videos into cool live streams. So that was the software we used in broadcasting the Women and Girls in STEM Forum which brought together policy makers, industry leaders and students to inspire gender equality in STEM and ICT disciplines.
8. How to video
In the video marketing funnel of attract, instruct, convert and retain, the “How to video” sits at the back of “retain. The customer has already chosen you and now it’s a matter of indulging them and keeping them with you with relevant content. Make your video short, to the point and relevant to your own business. Then a good tutorial will gain your audience’s trust, showcase authority in a particular area, showcase the product in a relevant context and draw attention to article B which fits perfectly with article A.
9. Testimonial
A testimonial always works and especially if you turn it into a fun video. The production budget doesn’t even have to swing the pan, it’s mostly about the charisma of the client and how well they know how to explain it (check the video and you’ll quickly notice what I mean). So put enough time into pre-production and screening and the job is already half done. The convenient thing about testimonials is also that in almost every case, the interviewee will also share the video themselves through their social media channels. At that point, your testimonial becomes a first step toward ambassadorship.
10. User-generated content
Depending on your product and buyer persona, you can achieve a lot with user-generated content. People sometimes make fun of influencers, but a study by the Arteveldehogeschool and Comeos shows that 1 in 3 Belgians who follow influencers on social media have bought something in the past 3 months after seeing it advertised by an influencer. If you are marketing to young people, it is important to know that nearly 9 in 10 (87 percent) of Belgian young people follow influencers. So hop aboard that influencer train.
And is your product is so good that others mention you or engage with it without you having to ask them, then you have truly achieved the holy grail of video marketing.
