There’s nothing worse than a video with no reason to exist. Granted, many pointless clips become immensely successful – from the dancing CGI baby of the late ‘90’s to the Numa Numa guy. But that’s like lightning in a bottle: knowing what inexplicable thing is going to capture the popular consciousness is nigh impossible.
As with any other piece of marketing or sales content, you’re much better off orienting your video around a defined purpose. The actual substance of your video will vary depending on this goal, but here are some types of videos that get great results.
explainer video
Do your salespeople get tongue-tied when they’re trying to demonstrate the value of your product? Well, get better salespeople. Being able to sell stuff is sort of a prerequisite for that job.
But even so, sometimes a product can be pretty tough to describe, and an explainer video is a great way to get an audience engaged with your product (hint: they’re especially effective when they’re animated).
case study video
Got a happy customer? Of course you do. Now put ‘em to work (if they’ll let you). A video testimonial reassures prospects that yours is a good product or service – after all, other people are saying so, and if other people saying so, it must be true!
Get your customers to sing your praises and you’ll see excellent results.
recruitment video
Hey, they’ve been doing these since World War II. You’re probably not quite THAT eager to get people on board, but it’s still an avenue worth exploring if you want to give prospective hires an idea of your company culture.
A recruitment video is there to show off your company at its very best – and to let potential applicants know what they’re in for.
training video
We said it before, and we’ll say it again (this time with italics): training manuals are boring as hell. Even the most patient employee will struggle to sit there and read all of it.
It’s like school. Nobody in history class really wanted to read Antony Beevor’s Stalingrad, definitive account of WWII’s major battle though it may be, but they happily watched the Stalingrad episode of The World at War. Why? Video, basically, doesn’t feel like work in the way that required reading often does.
And because of that, audiences retain information communicated through the medium much more easily – whether it’s an instructional video to induct or upskill employees, a company-wide health and safety video, or anything else you need to get your staff up to speed on.
Us, filming with Ivan Wood
new product demo video
Look, it’s one thing to say you’ve invented the first hoverboard/genuine artificial intelligence/talking toilet, but it’s quite another to prove it. When you’ve done something incredible, your customers want to see it in action.
If you have a product that simply must be seen to be believed, a demo video can help you show off its design and functionality.
call-to-action video
A call-to-action video is exactly what it says on the tin (yes, videos do come in tins. Don’t question it). You’re trying to compel your customers to action, but a simple button isn’t doing it for you. If you want to get people to sign up for that free trial, download that eBook, or fill out that survey, a little video encouragement goes a long way.
annual report video
Business updates don’t have to be mind-numbingly dull. Let your employees and shareholders know how well or poorly you’re doing with an engaging annual report video – there may be no better way to give a fairly robotic business a human face.
event video
It’s good that your company’s exhibiting at a trade show or taking part in conference panel discussions, but there’s no denying that the audience for these things is, by design, limited to attendees. A highly relevant audience, for sure, but a fairly small one nonetheless.
Make the most of your event by recording it! If you’ve got clients in attendance, use it as an opportunity to film their stories; if you haven’t, be sure to capture any panel discussions your company’s experts are taking part in. This way, you’ll get returns that far exceed the boundaries of the conference hall.
faqs and customer help videos
Are your clients or prospects bugging you or your customer service team with the same questions over and over again? A one-off FAQ video can address their needs quickly and easily – and without taking up too much of your staff’s precious time. Be sure to place it somewhere prominent, though: if they can’t find it, it won’t be much good to anyone!
crisis management video
If you’re having a communications crisis, you won’t always know how to get everyone to chill the hell out about it. Just running around yelling ‘WE’RE SORRY’ isn’t likely to accomplish much: you need to find a way to control the messaging.
Guess what? Video’s good for this, too! In particular, it lets you broadcast statements and key clips across a number of different channels, on a really tight turnaround. Whether you need to show people how contrite you are physically (some classics include: single tear rolling down cheek, full-on inelegant blubbering, the downcast Charlie Brown walk, self-flagellation – feel free to put your own spin on it) or issue a defiant rebuttal to imbalanced critics, video is pretty much the perfect way to go about it.