3 Popular Types of Video and Why They’re Useful
Ramp up your marketing strategy when you add these videos to the mix.
The pandemic has forced organizations to reevaluate and change strategy. Maybe you’ve already discovered video content is the special sauce that creates a well rounded marketing campaign. But if you are new to using video in your marketing, and with so many different types to choose from—the latest being ‘live streaming’—how can you know which type of video will bring you the most marketing impact?
While any successful digital marketing strategy focuses on customer education, brand awareness, and online engagement, certain types of video can further enhance these objectives in a campaign. In this blog, we will expand on and explain the top three types of video content that marketing strategists prefer to use: customer testimonials, demonstrations, and tutorials.
Testimonial: Peter Nelson, Glenwood State Bank, gives a testimonial for Innovative Builders.
The Power of a Good Testimonial
In a survey of 228 marketing organizations that are already successfully using video, conducted by Ascend2 and Vidyard, the majority of these companies have stated that testimonials are overwhelmingly the most effective form of video, generating almost double the impact of case studies.
The key to a good testimonial is found in results, sincerity, narrative, and perspective. Mastering these key points is what ultimately sells a story—the main goal of any good testimonial. Through telling a story that has specific data intertwined with personability and a narrative, testimonials have been proven to be the leading tool in a video marketing campaign.
Why does it work? Simply put, testimonials are rooted in credibility. According to a study by Yocale, a majority of consumers view brands as part of the ‘establishment’ rather than individual entities.
Testimonials break the barrier between organizations and their audience to tell a relatable story that viewers see as a stand alone story rather than an advertisement. After all, people trust people and are more inclined to listen to peers than faceless companies.
At AMS Digital, we believe testimonial videos are so important, that we intend to devote an entire piece to this topic alone, something to look forward to in an upcoming blog!
Demonstration: Joel Seela, ATCC, demonstrates how Ellingson’s Automated Technologies system benefits the college campus.
With Demonstration Videos, Seeing is Believing
First coined in the ‘70s before becoming mainstream in recent years, demonstration videos focus on demonstrating a something to its full capacity. This is a chance to show off what your product, or service, can do, while using the opportunity to showcase the best features and highlight benefits to your audience.
The internet has empowered consumers with additional information that allows them to make more informed decisions about products and services that they purchase. A good demonstration video takes someone unfamiliar with a product and walks them through how it works to display the benefits of purchasing the offered product.
Why does it work? Demonstration videos showcase proof that a product or service does what it claims to do. As consumers grow skeptical of marketing claims, well produced demonstration videos combine testimonials with tutorials to explain a product’s key features, benefits, and process of how the product works.
A demonstration video allows you to showcase your knowledge and quality of the product or service.
Tutorial: Rebecca Davis, LRAC, instructs grant recipients on how to complete an online final report.
Tutorials: Step by Step Towards Success
In this day and age, users are at least 3 times more likely to watch a video tutorial than read a handout or instruction booklet. Because of this, video tutorials are a necessity when developing a video marketing strategy.
A step-by-step video is invaluable to any website offering goods or services.
Fitting right in with ‘customer education,’ tutorials provide step-by-step information on how to perform or use a particular product or service. The primary goal of video tutorials is ensuring that the user is able to accomplish a specific task successfully, and with ease. With the added ability to pause, rewind, and rewatch, an effective tutorial helps viewers of all comprehension and skill levels without the hassle of reading long winded text.
Another benefit of tutorials is the drastic drop in support phone calls and emails. With the help of videos to explain and show in real time how something works, companies can better shift resources to other important aspects of a business.
Why does it work? Tutorials work through showing and telling. Viewers are more likely to purchase a product or use a service if they can easily navigate how it works. Through a good tutorial, consumers can learn how to use a product or service more efficiently.
Other Effective Videos Often Used for Marketing Campaigns
While testimonials, demonstration videos, and tutorials are the most commonly used successful video genres to use, there are a few other types that have also proven to be effective. Those worth noting are:
Thought Leadership Interviews: These videos feature industry experts who share new concepts and ideas with an educational purpose. Effective Thought Leadership Videos inspire action and encourage others to explore their methods.
Project Reviews/Case Studies: Including a beginning, middle, and end, these videos feature detailed stories of something done/achieved by a company. Successful videos of this genre have well written and engaging information that tells an easily understandable and concise story.
Webinars: Videos of this style use various speakers to share presentations, videos, web pages and other multimedia content to audiences. The best Webinars include both audio and visual components and offer interactive information that educate audiences on specific topics.
There is no shortage of video options to add value to your marketing campaign.
Vlogs: Also known as a ‘video blog’ or ‘video log,’ these videos often consist of one or more persons speaking directly to a camera about subjects such as reviews of a product or event. Well done Vlogs share direct experiences and honest thoughts through personable conversation that is both creative and engaging.
Event Videos: Surprisingly underused, these videos promote and cover a specific event or events hosted and/or sponsored by a company. A good Event Video often includes footage and information from before, during, and after an event. They specialize in displaying the unique selling points of a brand and what it can offer/offered in an event setting.
While less popular than the three previously outlined (testimonials, demonstrations, tutorials), these videos are also great tools when developing original video content for marketing.
The Takeaway
Video works. Marketing oriented organizations need to put video into their strategies, especially during a pandemic that has driven audiences to screened devices more then ever. If your business or nonprofit is just considering video, most likely you will start with one of the eight video genres described in this article. We suggest prioritizing at least one of the three most popular: testimonial, demonstration, and tutorial.
When all is said and done, most businesses and organizations know the power behind video content, but many are unsure how to best utilize it. However, even with an inventive marketing idea, a lack of organization and leadership can cause the most well conceived strategy to fall short.
So, how does one produce a good video marketing campaign?
Well planned and executed campaigns mixed with good ideas and quality video are the key to success to any marketing strategy. At AMS Digital, we work with you to encapsulate both your vision, and create concise and compelling videos to engage your ideal audience. The only question that you have to ask yourself, is this:
“What is it that I want viewers to walk away with after seeing my video?”
By answering this question and reaching out to contact us, together we can develop a video marketing strategy that best represents your brand.
Learn More About Video…
Why Your Business Needs Video
As they grow in popularity with consumers, videos become even more important to successful businesses.
A Powerful Video to Benefit Every Organization
Explaining about your company in your own words may be effective, but nothing works better than a testimony from one of your customers.
How Can Video Benefit An Organization?
Whether you run a one-person business from your garage, work in a small startup just getting off the ground, or manage the marketing for a large corporation, there are many ways to use video to your advantage.