Have you chosen the right type of video to get the results you’re looking for? If you’re coming up blank, this article will help you understand how different videos work. You’ll also learn how you can use those videos to create brand awareness, convince people to buy, and establish trust with thought leadership.

But it’s not enough to create an engaging video (although that’s a solid step in the right direction). You also need to know where that video will work best online, otherwise your marketing will be like throwing spaghetti at a wall and hoping it’ll stick.

Brand Videos

There’s a reason why awareness sits right at the top of the content marketing funnel. It’s the first step when it comes to getting your business in front of potential customers.

Brand Videos are the perfect way to create brand awareness without talking “at” your prospects. That’s because brands that have inspired a higher emotional intensity typically receive three times as much word-of-mouth compared to brands that are less emotionally-connected.

Brand Stories

Have you got a compelling story to tell about your business? Maybe there’s a super interesting reason why you got into business in the first place, or your origin story is guaranteed to get people talking?

Brand stories can be hugely effective at creating awareness- as long as they’re interesting enough to hold viewers’ attention.

Company Culture

We’ve all read articles about the incredible company culture at organizations like Google and Facebook. When you think about the company culture at these businesses, you probably picture comfortable couches, free lunches, and fun slides, right? These glimpses into the inner workings of these businesses have increased their transparency and trust- something you can emulate.

By defining your company culture and communicating it in a clear, authentic way, you can give customers a behind-the-scenes look at your company and individual employees. This humanizes your brand and helps differentiate it from your competitors.

Where Do Brand Videos Work Best Online?

Want to avoid the typical About Page rundown of your business? Use a Brand Video instead. When visitors are already interested in your brand, an entertaining video can communicate your story and values in a much more engaging way than a few paragraphs of copy.

If you have a compelling brand story that’s fun or emotional, Facebook is also a great place to distribute it.

The below infographic from CoSchedule demonstrates why people share on social media. As you can see, 84% of people share to support issues or causes that they care about. And 49% of people share to bring entertaining and valuable content to others.

Videos that arouse strong feelings are more likely to be shared. If you have a brand story that tugs at the heartstrings or helps social media followers interact and engage with one another, Facebook should be a large part of your strategy when it’s time to share it with the world.

Product Videos

Whether you want to attract leads or increase conversions, product videos can help you connect with prospects who are either unaware of what your product does or are still sitting on the fence.

Here are a few examples of product videos:

Explainer Videos

With a little creativity, even the most complicated product or service can be explained in 1-2 minutes. Customers are four times more likely to want to watch a video about your product than to read that product’s description.

Product demonstrations are perfect for the engagement stage of the marketing funnel. That’s because they help prospects understand exactly how your product works so they can visualize how it would solve their problems.

Tutorials

How-to videos and tutorials can be valuable for years to come. Not only do they answer common questions, but they arm your viewers with knowledge and teach them the skills they need to use your product or service effectively.

Great tutorials are all over the internet. Personal trainers have made millions of dollars with workout tips and exercise tutorials. Vloggers have launched makeup empires after teaching their followers how to create the perfect cat-eye. And businesses around the world are using how-to videos to educate and empower customers and prospects.

Testimonials and Case Studies

You can toot your own horn all day long, but people are much more likely to sit up and pay attention if their peers are tooting your horn for you.

Video testimonials with real customers are more authentic than written testimonials which could have been written by anyone. They clearly show potential clients and customers how much of a positive impact your service or product has had on people just like them.

These testimonials can cover any hesitations your customers had before they purchased your product, the results they got from using the product, the features they appreciate the most, and any other unexpected benefits they received after trying the product. Most importantly, testimonials should be part of a story to grab attention and create social proof while building credibility.

Need to overcome a healthy amount of skepticism from your potential leads? A case study can get the job done. Case studies help convince middle-funnel prospects that your product is indeed the answer to their problems. Video case studies are excellent for B2B companies which need to provide stats and results but want to keep people engaged at the same time.

Where Do Product Videos Work Best Online?

Product videos can be used in a variety of different places. Send them in emails to prospects who are still in the consideration stage. Add video testimonials to your landing pages, integrate case studies into press releases, and use explainer videos in your blog posts.

be shared throughout your social media channels and posted on your Facebook Page. If you have a compelling testimonial, consider using paid video distribution and/or paid Facebook video ads.

Since these Product Videos are particularly great for middle-of-funnel prospects, it’s a good idea to create custom audiences. You can get a great ROI by targeting people who have visited your website in the past, liked your posts, interacted with one of your competitors’ pages, or have purchased from you in the past.

Thought Leadership Videos

Remember the last time you bought something important or expensive from someone you didn’t trust? Neither do we. Trust is a critical component when it comes to turning prospects into leads, and thought leadership videos help demonstrate your expertise – so prospects trust that you know what you’re talking about.

Here are two examples of Thought Leadership Videos:

Educational Videos

Educational videos allow you to connect with your audience in a way that’s not at all about the hard sell. Instead, you can provide an interesting or insightful perspective on some recent news, industry trends, or common misconceptions.

The key word here is “education.” These videos are often used early in the funnel to position your business as an authority in your industry. They increase your credibility and help you connect with your audience.

VIDEO SERIES

Can’t fit all your knowledge into one video? Make it a series. These allow you to delve deeper into a topic (or topics), and break it down so your audience doesn’t feel overwhelmed.

These can help you build a community around your brand and get people talking. When a video series is created well, fans will feel passionate about your message and will naturally share your videos with friends and family.

Interviews

Sure, you may be the bee’s knees in your industry, but there are probably also a number of other thought leaders that could chime in and help you spread your message. Video interviews don’t just help you bring another insight or point of view to your followers, but they also give you access to new audiences as well.

Great interviews allow you to leverage someone else’s knowledge while keeping your brand top-of-mind. You’ll also benefit from being associated with other credible experts since they’re likely to share the interview with their own audiences online.

Where Do Thought Leadership Videos Work Best Online?

Thought Leadership Videos can work well as a lead magnet. A video course or series can convince prospects to give you their email address in exchange for access, which you can then use for email marketing campaigns.

These types of videos are also excellent at generating social media shares since they’re not overly “salesy”. While you can use organic and paid options on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, you can also create teaser trailers using Instagram or share an inside look at the creation of your video on Snapchat.

Thought leadership videos can also do particularly well as part of an influencer outreach strategy. For this to work, you’ll need to reach out to a thought leader in your industry, explain how your video can benefit their followers, and ask them to share it. If your video is helpful, relevant, and engaging, they’ll often feature it on their blog or social media channels.

Ready to Choose Your Video?

Now that you know which types of videos are available and what they can do for your business, all you need to do is pick the best choice for your goals. If you’d like some help choosing the right video, get in touch so we can help.