Every production needs a purpose: whether it’s to raise awareness of your brand, generate leads, or encourage job applications. Your film’s format is therefore closely aligned with its place in the video marketing funnel: whether it’s at the top, the middle, or the bottom.
As a production company, we know what kinds of live-action and animated content can achieve your goals. Here’s where each type lands in the video marketing funnel.
TOP
Editorial video
An editorial video is at the top of the video marketing funnel. It’s therefore not usually sales-focused: ordinarily, the priority will be creating interesting, unbiased, relevant content that captures the target audience’s attention.
In this respect, it’s like much PR activity – and in fact, is often used within PR campaigns in conjunction with whitepapers, email marketing, and paid/organic social. These can be live-action or animated.
Thought leadership/Educational video
Educational and thought leadership videos are similar to editorial videos but have the specific aim of positioning the client as an expert – if the production brings in leads, great, but that’s more a happy byproduct than the specific intention.
They can also be live-action or animated, and as with the editorial video, it’s used largely for PR purposes, and promoted largely through the same methods and channels.
Brand film
The brand film is the most explicitly self-promotional top-of-funnel video: it’s about your company, what it stands for, and why it matters. It’s usually live-action content, with lots of interviews from employees and senior figures explaining the business’ general ethos, but more and more organisations are opting for animated content as a means of distinguishing their brand identity.
Though they’re used to generate awareness and are therefore most suited to the top of the video marketing funnel, they can also be used at the end – nudging leads along, enhancing your value proposition and burnishing your overall credibility (much like a testimonial).
Social video
Short, sweet, and usually made as part of a series, social videos are used to drive awareness – or traffic – to a website or a specific CTA (i.e. phone this number, contact this person, click this link). Like brand videos, they’re typically considered top of the funnel but can be used elsewhere: in this case, social videos can be used mid-funnel to help convert leads.
MIDDLE
Explainer video
An explainer video is exactly what it sounds like: a 60-90 (the shorter the better) video that sits on your homepage – or certain landing pages – and explains what you do in simple and direct terms. It’s what you need if you’re looking to convert leads, but it can also be used for email marketing and top-of-funnel campaigns on social media: just make sure you can cut it down with a shorter edit.
Hype video
Another exactly-what-it-says-on-the-tin video: designed to generate excitement and attention toward a company and its products or services. Like hip-hop’s traditional hype man, it serves a largely introductory purpose: it’s not the thing, but the thing before the thing – be it a conference, a speech, or a product launch.
The hype video is mainly used on social media.
Event video
If you’re serving a global audience, if tickets are sold out, or if you just want to capture something for posterity, an event video – or even a livestream – is perfect. The other kind of event video refers to content made specifically for the event (usually without sound). These videos are usually promoted via email or social media.
BOTTOM
Product demonstration/How it works video
Perfect for prospects who are already on the hook, the aim of a How it Works video is to make a complex product simple, straightforward, and appealing: explaining its features and benefits and why the end-user should care about them. Because the aim is to get the potential customer to buy, it’s usually located on the website – on the home page or a product page – with little social presence.
Testimonial video/Case study
A companion piece to the How It Works video, the case study is all about how brilliant you are – in the words of your customers. The best of these videos aren’t overly salesy or pushy: they instead highlight your brilliance by letting a happy client tell a happy story. These are often used on social channels (promoted organically) and your company website.
Whatever video content you require, at whichever stage of the funnel, we can help. Contact our head of production to find out more in our video strategy company.