Video has become an ever-increasing part of marketing and communications strategies. Organisations of all shapes and sizes rely on videos to pitch their products, win attention from prospective buyers, and reshape the image of their brand. Yet, even if you’ve reached the point that you’re convinced of the value of video production for your marketing efforts, it can be difficult to know where to start.

Every company is different. Target markets, marketing budgets and other challenges vary from one organisation to the next. The rule that applies to any other type of campaign applies here—it should be guided by your specific goals, limitations and challenges. As a result, an assessment of your key challenges should come before any decision on what you might create.

At Wooshii, we’ve had the pleasure of working with hundreds of companies as they embark on the adventure of video production. Our clients have been as varied as their goals. We’ve helped large, global enterprises as well as small startups just getting their feet wet. Our experience has taught us that there are a handful of key video types that tend to have the greatest positive impact for our clients. We’ll highlight each of these in the hope that this information may give you a starting point for your own video projects.

CONVERSION

Ultimately, your goal is to drive people to conversion. That is, you want visitors to your website to click through to another location or take some other action during their visit. Video is a proven way to increase the likelihood of conversion. There are even sophisticated tools, like Optimizely, that can help you track conversions on your website so you can see the effects of posted videos on your site’s traffic.

1. ‘Explainer’ Videos

Video is a great way to explain products or services, especially if your target market is unfamiliar with your product or service. Dropbox, the popular cloud-based storage site, used explainer videos to great effect when launching their service. As this article highlights, “...a simple explainer video had a lot to do with early-stage (and continued) success [for Dropbox].” Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi, the founders of Dropbox, used the very same explainer video to pitch to investors and to increase their customer base. Clearly, it worked. For another example of solid explainer videos, check the front page of Wistia. Each benefit of the Wistia product is explained through short, entertaining videos, making it easy for potential customers to understand what Wistia offers.

For an increasingly mobile customer base, video is an easy way to invite potential customers to explore and understand your products and services better. Attempting to read lengthy text or click through several links on a mobile device can be painful, but watching a 90 second clip is quick and hassle-free.

2. Product Demos

Similarly, videos can be used to explain specific parts of your products and services. Maybe there is a part of your ordering process some customers find confusing. Video can be used to directly address that issue, guiding users through the process with ease. If there are several elements of your product you’d like to demo through video, break these into small chunks. Ideally, each video should be between 20 and 60 seconds long.

Be sure to keep these product demos specific to the issue the user is encountering right then. If there is another issue you’d like to address, make another video. Zendesk has used videos like these to great effect throughout their website. For example, this video walks Zendesk users through the process of adding agents in less than two minutes.

Watch this awesome product demo that helps sell.

AUTHORITY & SOCIAL PROOF

Authority and social proof are two major drivers for human behavior. We are far more likely to engage and take action if either (a) an authority figure has endorsed the potential action, or (b) our peers have taken the potential action and recommend it. As this article points out, “Display[ing] content from professionals with credentials” is a powerful way to capitalize on the concept of authority. If experts in your field recommend your products or services, let your customers know!

Similarly, the same article has this to say about social proof: “because we are social creatures, we tend to like things just because other people do as well, whether we know them or not. Anything that shows the popularity of your site and your products can trigger a response.” (You can read more about the concepts of authority and social proof in Influence by Robert Cialdini.)

Video is an excellent way to highlight authority and social proof for your products and services. When real people, both experts and average Joes, endorse your products and services, potential customers notice.

3. Company Profiles

Profile videos put a face to your company. They humanize your organisation. A company name is just a label and a logo until potential customers are given an opportunity to see it as more. Profile videos can help you accomplish this.

By utilizing profile videos, you can present your company as a business that is transparent, personable and trustworthy. For some businesses, this is essential. McInnes Cooper, a leading Canadian law firm, has used profile videos to differentiate themselves from other law firms and lay the foundations for trust with potential clients. Their “Our People Make It Possible” video gives the impression that they are a talented organisation, top to bottom, with a focus on people, both internally and externally. In an industry that is often viewed with mistrust, this kind of video marketing has certainly set them apart.

4. Testimonials

There is no better advocate for your business than a previous customer. A potential customer that comes to you as a result of a recommendation is far more likely to buy than one who comes to you ‘cold’. However, websites generate a high amount of cold leads. A potential customer may know very little about you or your business when they arrive on your website. One way to present some form of a recommendation is to ask your satisfied customers to appear on camera.

While it may feel daunting to ask a customer to be filmed, video recommendations are particularly powerful specifically because the customer on camera has agreed to advocate publically for your business. Authentic testimonials can turn a cold lead warm in the absence of a direct recommendation.

ACQUISITION

Acquiring new customers is an ongoing challenge that all businesses face. There are a number of ways marketers can put their products or services in front of potential customers. Video is a powerful medium for this.

5. Content

Videos that provide value to existing and potential customers is one way to place your products and services in front of your target audience. What are some of the common challenges your potential customers face? Are there tips, instructions or insight you could share via video that would be helpful? If so, consider making that kind of content freely available on your site.

While not a video, take this post as an example. At Wooshii, we help people make videos. That’s our service. However, an increasing number of our clients have asked basic questions about how they can most effectively put videos to use in their marketing efforts. Hence, this post. We share this information in the hope that it will be genuinely helpful, knowing that those who find it helpful may turn to use in the future when they need assistance with their video production.

Since the majority of users do not convert on their first visit to a site, a video that provides useful information will give them a reason to come back and you have another shot at converting them without having to pay to re-acquire them.

6. Interviews

One way to gain attention for your products and services is to interview key people who can comment on or advise your potential customers on a related topic. For example, suppose you run a bedding company. You might consider interviewing this chap on his top ten tips for getting a great night’s sleep. This strategy benefits both you and the interview subject. It’s great exposure for him and valuable content for your website.

If your interview subject isn’t local, consider utilizing online tools like Skype or Google Hangouts to conduct an online interview. (Be sure to read up on Wistia’s notes regarding lighting and other considerations.) Preplan your questions, and even send them to your interview subject in advance to ensure a good flow of conversation. You may also find these tips from Mixergy helpful.

7. Ads

Whether you love them or loathe them, video ads are here to stay. There are a number of networks—everything from YouTube’s TrueView to Brightcove's video ad network—that can help you place your video in front of your target audience. Through these services, you can associate your video content with target keywords, demographics and web searches.

Depending on the venue used, there are rules regarding length and video structure. Be sure to familiarise yourself with these before you begin video production. (There are too many to delve into here.) Regardless of your video’s style or length, one thing always holds true: quality will make the biggest difference in reaching potential customers. To insure top quality, pay particular attention to the video’s storytelling, and don’t skimp on the planning stage.

Check out this great example of effective use of Youtube preroll ads to find missing Australians

Dollar Shave Club used this ad to shape user perception of their products and set a tone of voice that was distinctly different from their competitors

Before embarking on any ad campaign, video or otherwise, clearly define your objectives, agree on the voice of the campaign (be it fun, serious, informative or entertaining), and summarize your objectives in a written one-page brief. And, of course, have a script (30 seconds is ample) before beginning video production.