There is no question of the power of video for: Brand Awareness, Engagement, Education, and Conversion.
- If you need convincing, here are some stats from Forbes, HubSpot, and Vidyard’s Video Benchmark Report:
- In 2022, online videos will made up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic — 15 times what it was in 2017.
- 90% of customers say video helps them make buying decisions, and 64% say that seeing a video makes them more likely to buy.
- Adding a video to marketing emails can boost click-through rates by 200-300%.
- Video is shared 1,200% more than links and text combined.
- Pages and posts with video hold the viewer for seven times longer than pages or posts without video.
- Video is now favored in search results even if it is older and has less authority than an equivalent article or blog post.
For those who think a video is not as relevant for B2B, Forbes research suggests otherwise. These are three years old, so I expect the numbers to be higher now.
Those stats reinforce the importance of video as part of a company’s content marketing strategy. But where do you start? What video form can you use to drive your intended results?
Here are 12 video content ideas that can deliver your marketing message:
How-To Videos
Seeing a product or service in action says more than any text or still photo. People learn more and faster by seeing it in action. YouTube reports how-to searches are increasing by 70% every year. How-to videos are easy to produce. Start by brainstorming a frequently asked question. Then, create a short segment that provides an answer or solution. If your product lends itself to humor or fun, your video will reach a broader market with sharing potential. Short segments can be used as social posts or support for a blog post. As always, post everything on YouTube for its organic search value.
New Product or Service Introduction
A successful product or service Introduction should show what problem is being solved and emphasize the unique features or service. Condense your message to a short, informal video. If you can’t tell the story in a minute, the new product or service might be too complex to sell with video. Dollar Shave Club created an engaging new product video. The short, humorous video costs less than $ 5,000 to produce. (A little raunchiness rarely works, but they did it well.)
Blog Content Video Opportunities
Drive traffic to your blog with social video posts of authors describing their articles. Twenty seconds is all you need for a short, insightful, or humorous summary. Post the video on your social channels with a strong CTA. An added benefit to this tactic is demonstrating some of your brand’s personality. Use video in your blog occasionally instead of static graphics; here is one of my videos about blog marketing. The video sure beats reading all the stats.
Event Announcements, Updates, and Recaps
Videos can generate excitement for the events you are producing. Make the video an invitation with a sneak peek into what it’ll be like. Posting short, newsy snippets from the event will update those who aren’t there. These will make your social network feel like part of the action, or you can use the shorts for your following event video invitation.
My example is a video promoting a marketing conference that uses footage from previous events. Other video elements could be simple, dynamic text or a selfie providing information. Another video version to increase your professional credibility is an event recap selfie at an industry event. The possibilities are endless because this kind of video is promotional.
Real-time Videos
Use video to capture the excitement of current events concerning your business or industry. Though lacking control of what is seen or heard in these settings may be stressful, transparency triumphs. Showing your audience what’s happening in real-time can remind them that business can be human, fun-loving, and spontaneous. Bradpoint describes the myriad of production options available for creating live video content.
Another direction for live video is a Q&A session for customers or a company office tour. This real-time direction is especially suitable for providing a view of your brand and creating a deeper connection with your audience.
Videos that Say Thanks
There are lots of video opportunities to say thank you. Use a thank you following an excellent fiscal year or a successful product launch. Use video to voice your appreciation for your customer’s business. A nice touch is having employees thanking customers. Your positive acknowledgment produces multiple benefits, with increased engagement from current customers and the opening of new networks.
Our “Thank You” video example is a small-budget video from the International Center for Journalists. It’s not only personal, but it uses photos (not video footage) with text. This production technique demonstrates that even companies with a small budget can do a lot.
User-Generated Testimonials
Organic product reviews provide lasting value as social currency. It’s estimated that 90% of consumers read reviews before they contact a company. You can imagine the power of a customer talking about why they love your product or service. Consumer testimonials are surprisingly attainable, especially after a positive customer experience. Get the most out of this user-generated content by posting videos on your website and social channels.
Behind the Scene Videos
Patagonia’s unique company culture makes the behind-the-scenes video especially interesting. Behind the scenes, videos are most suitable for companies that manufacture products, but showing your teamwork in an office can be equally engaging. All you need to capture engaging footage is people who love their job and enjoy talking about their contributions. This type of video performs well on social media, adds personality to a website, and can serve as a recruitment tool for your business.
Leverage your employees’ networks.
Another version of behind-the-scenes video content involves featuring employees. My example is a fireside chat scenario that is easy to do and fun for everyone. There’s a personal incentive for employees to share the video on their social channels, which generates awareness of the brand and traffic to your website.
Another way to leverage your employees’ networks is to encourage them to create video content about your industry or company. The pride of authorship is a big incentive to share videos on their social networks.
Video Interviews
Although interview scenarios are part of many video ideas, they are incredibly potent if they feature a specific topic. You can build legitimacy for your brand by interviewing a company’s thought leaders and getting their views on significant industry developments. Discussing how a company contributes to an industry can also position it as cutting-edge. Credibility benefits can also be achieved using a Q&A video with your company’s top executives or knowledgeable employees.
Case Study Videos
My video example may not fit your budget. It is still beautiful and demonstrates how a complex idea can be condensed to a minute or 90 seconds. Case studies make perfect middle-of-the-funnel content (my next post about videos will discuss content that fits buyer funnels). Still, most case studies should be shorter to read. If you post to a social platform or blog, link to the complete case study or offer your branded pdf download. Case study videos work well on websites. Always include a strong CTA in your description.
Animation video
Animated content is another fun way to engage online audiences. While these videos’ success depends on your goals and target audience, they’re always lighthearted and keep eyeballs on your brand. There are several free resources, like animaker.com, but consider professional services for polished, strategic content. Here’s an example from Bibliate: They use an animated video to explain their service’s value. Some of you might find their helpful service. Bibliate translates dense scholarly articles into easily understandable content.
