When thinking about video for business, people often wonder what ‘sort’ of video they need. What is going to be the point of this video and have they got the point right?
Well my point (!) is that there are no limits to the types of videos you can use for promoting a business, and the more creative you get with your ideas, the better. But here are some typical types of videos marketers make.
Tutorials
A tutorial is a video that teaches the viewer how to do something step-by-step. Take some process that you understand well but that your customers don’t, such as a common problem that you’re often asked about. Explain it step-by-step in a simple way and show how each step is done.
Product Demo
Take your product and show it to your viewers in action. You can show your viewers how they can use the product and emphasize the benefits it offers to make their lives easier. This is a much more powerful way to sell a product than simply listing its benefits in ad copy.
Promotion
A promotional video is basically a video version of your ad copy. It works in pretty much the same way. The intro draws them in by identifying a common problem. The heart of the video introduces your offer and explains how it works (remember that ‘offer’ could be your website or something else, not necessarily a product). Wrap it up with a call to action that tells them how they can gain these benefits.
Pure Entertainment
While your entire video marketing campaign shouldn’t be based around it, it’s perfectly acceptable to offer pure, mindless entertainment sometimes. Use your video to trigger the emotions we mentioned previously, especially laughter. Videos that are pure entertainment won’t necessarily sell your product or inform your audience, but they can help with branding and exposure.
Behind the Scenes
Take the viewer behind the scenes in your company or your industry. This is a great way to show the inner workings, which helps to personalize your company. Introduce staff members or take the viewer on a tour of your office or facilities. People are curious about what goes on behind the scenes.
Interview
Interview someone with expertise or experience related to your niche. This is an incredibly easy way to create very compelling content. All you need to do is secure the interview, prepare questions, and let the interviewee do the talking. One benefit of the interview video is that it can help you gain exposure through the name of the person you interview.
Webinar
Hold a webinar and record it. A webinar is a virtual seminar that’s held online. You can use software to create your event and invite participants. The webinar teaches them something related to your niche and the webinar is interactive so that they can ask questions and participate in other ways. Offer your recorded webinars as videos. You can even conduct a webinar using Google+ Hangouts on Air, in which case the video will automatically be recorded and posted to your YouTube channel.
Testimonials
Ask your customers to create video testimonials, telling others how your business or product has helped them overcome problems and attain their goals. This is very powerful social proof because the viewer can actually see the real person talking.
Whiteboard
A very simple but effective type of video is the whiteboard video. As the name suggests, it’s just you standing in front a whiteboard, explaining a concept and mapping it out for your viewers. It may sound too simple, but the simplicity is what makes it effective. Whiteboard videos can also be done in an animated way with special software that makes it look like a hand is drawing out all the words and pictures.
Vlog
A vlog is a video blog. It’s just someone talking into a camera. It may sound boring, but vlogs are very popular. The reason for their popularity is their simplicity and the personal touch. It’s like someone talking to you one-on-one. Vlogs are also extremely easy to make.
Event Videos
If you hold offline events, shoot plenty of footage. You can take this footage and edit it to make excellent videos. These videos can be used to promote future events, for branding or to entertain your viewers.
