Video content is not just the wave of the future in marketing. It’s one of the most effective strategies to consider right now. With the potential to be slick, engaging, and incredibly informative, video marketing is an excellent marketing strategy to employ for just about any small business. There are various types of video marketing to consider when implementing an advertising plan.
This article is all about the types of video content that can help small businesses grow. “Content” refers to that which actually goes into the video rather than the format of the video or how it’s delivered. So this won’t include the many styles of video, such as animated, live-action, streaming, doodle, and whiteboard.
Let’s talk about the types of video marketing content that can be used by any small company. We’ll also discuss which types of video content should be prioritized.
Types of Video Marketing Content
Here are some useful, flexible content ideas for devising a small business video content marketing strategy.
FAQ Videos
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) videos are used for answering the questions most commonly received from ideal clients. These can help potential customers understand a product or service more thoroughly. These can also help customers feel understood by a company before they even make a purchase, as many consumers’ concerns may be addressed in the video.
How-to Videos
These can be created for all stages of the customer journey—from awareness to consideration to decision.
Videos that show your ideal customer how to solve a problem, that address a significant pain point, will attract them at precisely the time they’re having that problem. The problem should, of course, be related to your product or service.
Then, a series of videos can educate the client on how your products work, including benefits and return on investment.
Once they become a client, videos can reduce customer support inquiries by showing how to operate and troubleshoot correctly.
DIY Videos
A variation on the how-to video is the do-it-yourself (DIY) video. In this case, the company teaches clients how to do something themselves. Ideally, it would feature someone using the company’s products as an element of the DIY video to show them how all facets of the product work.
Explainer Video
Some concepts are difficult to convey with text or speaking alone. Animated explainer video combines graphics, text and animation to illustrate a complex concept and make it accessible.
An explainer video can also be done in a whiteboard format or in a live, talking head format in which a demonstration is performed.
Like FAQ videos, these also answer questions customers may have while providing entertainment at the same time, making them a powerful selling tool.
Tips and Tricks Video
The best use of these is to offer tips on how to better use a company’s products above and beyond the official instructions. Product users are a good source of content for this kind of video. Customers get quite creative with making things work better or finding workarounds to unforeseen problems.
Interview Video
Interview videos bring people from outside the business into the picture. This may involve the owner of the business (or another employee) interviewing vendors, colleagues, or clients on a topic of interest related to the product or service. Interview videos can lend credibility to a business because the information is coming from outside the business and may be more authentic.
Event Promo Videos
An event promotional video is an excellent tool for businesses that rely on live events. Businesses that rely on vendor fairs, expos, or other large social gatherings such as conventions, carnivals, weddings, and parties will benefit from making event promo videos part of their marketing strategies.
Done well, these videos can provide attention-grabbing previews of an event or product while simultaneously improving SEO.
Presentation Videos
Ever watched a TED Talk? This is a great example of a presentation video in which a qualified speaker presents on a specific topic to engage an audience. A well-planned, engaging presentation can make an audience think about a specific product or need in a new way while answering questions that are applicable to that product or need.
Tutorial Videos
Tutorial videos are similar to how-to videos in that they show an audience how to do something specific. For example, a business that specializes in selling air fryers might produce a tutorial on making restaurant-quality chicken wings, or an independent makeup artist might put a Halloween makeup tutorial on her social media channels. Here are some of the best examples of video tutorials.
Promotional Video
Did you know over 80% of customers have been convinced enough by a promotional video to purchase a product or service? And over 60% are more likely to buy a product after seeing a video about it.
Promo videos engage potential customers through storytelling while also improving SEO. They can also be integrated with social media for more sharing and engagement. Another benefit is that promo videos can be used for just about any type of business.
Roundup Videos
This is the same popular concept used in blogging. A roundup is a curated list that centers on a theme. For example, “The Top 7 3-Axis Gimbal Stabilizers for Smartphones.” Roundup videos offer a way to feature other products or services related to a small business’s mission.
Teaser Videos
Think of these as the equivalent of a movie trailer. In a business, for example, they could tease the audience about a new product launch. A teaser could offer a glimpse of the product or deliver a promotional discount or other pre-launch offer. This is a great way to build interest in a new product and guarantee sales before it even launches.
Thought Leadership Videos
A webinar, which is a video workshop or lecture, is an example of a thought leadership video. This is typically a hybrid of a screen recording with one or more presenters on video. Or it can be a simple screen recording with narration. These videos can be live or recorded.
Testimonials
A testimonial is a video in which clients and customers tell their success stories with a product or service. These can be great selling features, as many buyers value quality reviews and real stories before making a purchase. Try reaching out to customers who have already left great reviews or established a steady relationship with the business.
There are two ways to handle a testimonial. One way is to let the clients themselves do the talking on a video.
These client-based testimonial videos can be as simple as a selfie video supplied by the client. Another excellent opportunity is to film them when they show up at trade shows, events, or the place of business.
The second testimonial video method is to use their words in a video format. This can take the form of kinetic typography or animation and graphics. There are no limits to the creative ways to produce this.
This type of video can include testimonials from multiple clients. Here is an example of a testimonial video using multiple clients.
Case Study Videos
Think of a case study video as a step beyond a testimonial. While a testimonial video may feature several clients, a case study will tell the success story of one good client. This can be a before and after story that features relevant and compelling specifics about the client’s experience with the product or service.
Company Culture Videos
Get behind the scenes of what goes on in the company as they produce products, service customers, and work with each other. Clients want to feel that a brand is truly authentic. This style of video is an effective way to do that. For example, a busy restaurant could show what it’s like in the kitchen on a crazy Saturday night. This is the perfect opportunity to connect with clients by getting a bit more personal.
Product Review Videos
A company can’t do this for their own products. However, they can hire influencers and review platforms. Good reviews from unbiased sources are great for credibility. The downside is the company does not have control over the information that gets shared. But if the product or service is truly good, it won’t be a problem.
Product Demo Videos
A product demo video will show someone demonstrating exactly how a product works. These can be done for both physical products and software. Like how-to and FAQ videos, these can answer clients’ questions before they even arise. Demo videos also provide a great opportunity to show how a product will make customers’ lives easier by solving their specific problems.
Recruitment Videos (paid sponsored updates on LinkedIn pages)
Recruitment videos are like ads for open positions. They frequently appear on job sites to appeal to job seekers, like a flashier “Now Hiring” ad that reaches farther than the local newspaper. These can have big budgets, depending on the industry, but they can also be done with just a smartphone.
Vlogs or Video Blogs
A vlog, according to Film Daft, is a “video blog where a person records and shares thoughts, opinions, or experiences, either for entertainment, educational, personal, or monetary purposes.” Most vloggers use YouTube as their preferred platform. However, social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have also made live streaming an option. Vlogging can be a quick, flexible way to reach customers by educating or entertaining them (or both!).
Humor
Everyone loves to laugh. Yet humor can backfire, so be sure to use it with sensitivity and caution.
A great example of humor is this one from the printing industry.
Personal Branding or Bio Videos
A personal brand video can be a company or owner’s biography in video form, or it could simply be a personal story that resonates with their audience. Like company culture videos, these provide a sense of personality and authenticity to help customers connect with the business (and its employees) in a deeper way.
You can see examples of personal branding videos here.
Documentary
This is a long-form way to tell a narrative story about a company. They can be created from a historical or social perspective and can provide a detailed look into a company’s history and even its role within the community.
Company Brand Films
This TV style of corporate branding video is better left for the major corporations. In a small business, “branding” is the side effect of how a company does business, how it relates to customers, and its perception on social media. When a business delivers great value to its clients, it will create a great brand.
Ask-Me-Anything or Q&A
Though Q&As and Ask-Me-Anythings are often done in emails or newsletters, they work just as well in a video. These can easily be done over a zoom call and work best when done on a schedule.
This video style is also perfect for live videos on Facebook or Instagram where viewers can submit their questions and get answers in real-time.
Personalized Videos
Personalized videos involve someone within the company (e.g. an owner) speaking one-on-one to a client. This could be a talking head video or a narration by that person as a welcome email to a new client.
Public Service Announcements (PSA)
A PSA is a short informational message meant to raise public awareness about an issue and, in particular cases, incite action or change. These are usually meant for hot-button emotional issues with a social impact.
Sales Pitch Videos
From Close, this is a “personal video that a sales rep sends to a prospect. This involves taking your sales pitch script and turning it into a video that prospects can watch on their own time. It’s a highly interactive, engaging method of pitching.”
These don’t need to be stuffy and formal. They can be engaging and conversational, all while allowing clients personal space to process the information they’ve been given.
3D Video
3D videos are often used in complex, technical fields such as medicine and engineering. They are created using sophisticated software and CAD programs.
Thank You Videos
There’s always a reason to say thank you! A video makes it even more special. Send a thank-you video directly to clients to tell them how much you appreciate their business – an excellent way to connect personally and spark their gratitude as well.
Customer Appreciation Videos
A variation on the thank you video is the customer appreciation video. Instead of only sending a thank you video directly to each client, thank a customer or group of customers in a public video. A company that respects and appreciates its customers is a company that will attract people. Plus, it could turn a one-time customer into a recurring customer.
User-Generated Video
User-generated videos are shot and produced by users themselves instead of professional production teams. The best example is this user-generated video content from GoPro, in which millions of users have filmed their sometimes notorious adventures (or misadventures). One way to get clients interested in producing content is to run a contest in which they have to submit videos using a specific product.
Video Podcasts
This is a podcast turned into a recorded Zoom call. It’s a long talk-show-style program where hosts can discuss topics in-depth for as long as they’d like.
Conclusion
In addition to being great marketing tools, videos can also add to a business’s customer service repertoire by answering common questions and showing how products and services can be used most effectively. They can also get a company’s message across more effectively by educating and entertaining at the same time.
Most of us who own or manage small companies don’t have Madison Avenue budgets. For companies just getting started with video, FAQ and how-to videos are the best bet. They answer clients’ questions and solve their problems. They can help clients at each stage of the customer journey and they are typically evergreen, so they’ll be effective for a long time.
The key, as always, is to start with a strategy and goal before creating video marketing content.
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