It’s true: Videos are one of the most powerful tools in digital marketing today. There are all different types — they come in a variety of shapes and sizes — this is not a case of one size fitting all. In order to be effective, marketing videos need to be deliberate, targeted, and carefully created in order to hit their mark and have the intended effect on their audience.
Marketing videos could be described as the new unicorn of digital marketing strategy. As such, we need to understand exactly who our audience is and how to create the best video for that audience. More than likely, your audience will consist of different sub-categories, and all of these demographics need to be reached, and reached with real force. Video, once a strategy among many, is now the ultimate strategy in and of itself.
According to Hubspot, marketing videos are the most preferred method of content delivery, weighing in at a whopping 54% (as opposed to email marketing, which was preferred by only 46%). In addition to that stat, putting a kick-ass video on your landing page is “more likely to increase conversion rates by 80%.” Whoa. As if we need any further encouragement, Hubspot reports that using the word ‘video’ in the subject line of an email has a definite effect on open rates, increasing them by 19%.
The buzzword here is ‘authenticity’. Consumers want raw, real video content as opposed to over-produced, pretty videos that seem ‘salesy’. So how, exactly, are these amazingly powerful videos created? What makes one better than another? We’ll answer these questions and more below. Keep reading!
Types of Marketing Videos
Not all marketing videos are created equal. There are different types, and the types are created to reach different audiences in a variety of ways. Here’s a quick n’ dirty summation of what’s out there:
Educational/How To: These videos are made in order to facilitate or grow your customer’s knowledge about products or your company as a whole. Want to intro a new product? A how-to video not only grabs attention, it encourages the customer to interact with the product.
Demo: Not unlike a how-to vid, these explain how a product works, but in a more specific way.
Brand: These are storytelling videos that highlight the mission of a company. They are meant to intrigue and delight the customer, drawing them in.
Event: These showcase any footage from an event held by your company.
Animated: Animated videos are perfect choices to elaborate or explain more abstract, difficult concepts. Consumers are drawn to animation and are less intimidated when info is presented this way.
Expert: Expert videos showcase interviews with industry experts and professionals. These videos are a great way to confirm your authority and build trust with your clients.
VR: Virtual reality videos put the consumer directly into a scenario. These videos are experiential and hero’s journey-like in that they usually take customers through a cropped version of a story — beginning (goal), middle (conflict), and end (overcoming conflict using the product and thus achieving initial goal). Extremely effective.
AR: Augmented reality videos let the consumer apply additional elements to their reality using an additional digital layer. Warby Parker, for example, uses an AR technique on their site to allow customers to ‘try on’ frames virtually.
Customer Testimonials: Not just used in social media, these videos are some of the most powerful out there in terms of reach and authenticity. Customers are more likely to trust other customers than they are to trust sales people when it comes to product reviews.
How to Create an Exceptional Marketing Video
Be specific: The better you know your intended audience and their preferences (likes and dislikes, buying tendencies, etc.) the more effective your marketing video will be.
Tell a story: Let’s face it — we all miss storytime. Bring that back by really investing in your content, people. A good story is worth more than a thousand sales pitches. And you can quote us on that.
Keep it brief: Our attention spans are getting smaller. Say in five words what you started to say in twenty.
Get emotional: Tell the consumer why they ought to care about your product. Make things emotionally impactful — they’ll pack a better punch that way. Getting a customer to care leads to hooking them.
Make responding easy: Give the viewer a means of responding and engaging with your content. Caring is engagement, is retainment, is one shiny new customer.
These are only a few examples of how to create amazing marketing videos that will not only intrigue, but impress, your customer base. Just make sure you know who you’re talking to, and that you tailor your video content to fit their needs. You know what they say: Give the customer what they want. The more strongly you can harness the power of video, the more successful your marketing campaign will become.