For companies in the digital age, it is time to experiment with different types of videos. Ranging from livestreaming to animation, businesses can experiment with various styles of videos that benefit their overall brand and marketing strategy.
Video marketing is becoming a valuable content marketing tool for businesses. As companies begin experimenting with video as a medium, it is important to figure out what type of video or style of video works best for your company’s message and branding.
When thinking about what style of video you want to create, it is important to think about your overall goal and what would work best for your intended audience.
This article is a guide to different types of videos that can easily capture the attention of any particular audience.
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How Videos Help Businesses and Brands
If used correctly, videos can lead to endless opportunities for businesses in various industries. Whether you plan to use videos for recruiting, social media, advertisements, or website content, they can be a great way to communicate information to your customers.
Importance of Video for Businesses
- Engage and convert customers
- Connect with established customers
- Educate audiences on their services and offerings
- Instill trust in your brand
- Encourage customers to make a buyer’s decision faster
Once your company has narrowed down your mission for producing a video, the next step is to brainstorm the types of videos your team can create.
10 Types of Videos for Your Company’s Marketing Strategy
- Company Culture Video
- Product Video
- Spot Video
- Explainer Video
- Behind-the-Scenes Video
- Employee Portrait Video
- Customer Testimonial Videos
- Video Emails
- Educational Videos
- Web Series
1. Company Culture Video
A company culture video is geared to capturing the employee experience. Giving your audience a look into how things work at your business is a great way to provide real insight.
These types of videos also work well for potential candidates looking to make informed career decisions. The best company culture videos position your company as a great place to work by having employees describe their connection to their job.
BambooHR focuses on how work/life balance is at their startup. By narrating their commitment to a 40-hour work week, the video shows employees spending time with their families, making adventures outside, and more.
The intention of these types of videos isn’t to sell a product, but to market your brand as a whole. These videos can be encouraging to potential customers and employees.
2. Product Video
A product video is an effective way to show your customers how your product or service works in practice. These types of videos can convince your viewers to buy your product by showing it in motion.
These videos can be a full overview of your product or a demonstration on how to use it. Tutorials are also one type of product video.
No matter the industry or company offering, a product video can be a dynamic way to get your services out there to potential customers.
3. Spot Video
A 15 to 30-second commercial video is commonly referred to as a “spot.”
Depending on what story you want to tell, that will determine the content you’ll produce. These types of videos are perfect for social media channels.
Like this example by LaCroix, a spot video needs to be immediately engaging so your story is told within the relevant time frame.
If you have a quick feature or element you want to focus on, a spot video might be a good marketing opportunity for your business.
4. Explainer Video
Not as short as spot videos, but an explainer video is another short video type that can communicate your company’s services for marketing or sales purposes.
Most explainer videos are between 30-90 seconds long and highlight a product, service, or business idea in an engaging way.
The goal with an explainer video is to hit your customers with your main goal quickly, which means that these types of videos should be dynamic and creative.
Explainer videos can also be animated or live-action depending on your company’s goals and resources.
Additional reading, ‘5 Ideas for Your Company’s 30 Second Explainer Videos.’
5. Behind-the-Scenes Video
Similar to product and demo videos, a behind-the-scenes video will give your audience a real insight into your processes.
If your company manufactures, develops, or distributes a good or service, a behind-the-scenes video can show the inner workings of what you make.
Take a look at this one from Rothy’s, an eco-friendly footwear business. The company uses plastic water bottles to create machine washable shoes.
The behind-the-scenes video gets into the production of the shoes from manufacturing to wear.
The video from Rothy’s shows how each of their shoes are crafting. With types of videos like these, customers can become more invested in your business by seeing how their favorite products are made.
6. Employee Portrait Video
Think beyond having a headshot and bio for members of your team. Have your audience get to know your company by creating an engaging employee portrait video.
These types of videos allow viewers to engage with your business on a more human level. By showcasing individuals in key positions, these videos can show your customers the “heart and soul” behind your brand.
Employee portrait videos can go into the day-to-day lives of certain roles at your company and how their job impacts your audience. That deepened connection can drive more trust and credibility to your platform.
7. Customer Testimonial Video
What’s a better way to attract new customers? Have your current ones sell your business for you.
Customer testimonials are types of videos that show your customer using your product or service or focusing on a key moment where your product benefitted their business.
Zoom released a customer testimonial video from HubSpot, which discussed the seamless connection between Zoom and Slack.
The customer highlights how the tools helped them break through the distance as they work with remote teams. Providing this real life example helps potential customers see how their product or service can benefit their business from a credible perspective.
Additional reading, ‘5 Steps to Make a Customer Testimonial Video.’
8. Video Emails
A lot of customer nurturing is done through email marketing – how about combining these efforts with a video?
Including a video in an email can catch the attention of users and even separate you from competitors.
It is important to ensure these types of videos are useful. They must act as CTAs for next steps in the buyers’ journey.
Brainstorm how your email marketing and video marketing teams can join forces for future campaigns.
9. Educational Videos
Most of your audience is likely searching for new information. Why not have them go to you to find out the latest news regarding your industry?
An educational video can help establish more credibility with your audience while producing a valuable piece of content in a quick and engaging way.
For example, if you are a marketing company, your team can create vignettes about the latest trends in the industry that are most relevant to your intended audience. These types of videos can be as long as you see fit – just make sure to balance length with innovative and interesting content.
10. Web Series
A web series is probably the biggest undertaking on this list. If your company has the time and resources to invest, a web series can be a unique opportunity to showcase your brand.
Slack released quick videos under the umbrella of “Things are better in Slack.”
All of these types of videos in the series showcase how Slack can be used for sharing updates, communicating with different teams, and more. The runtime for all of these videos are short enough that interested viewers will stick around to watch the next.
Web series are also an opportunity for your business to get a little more creative. How about experimenting with a short set of videos that show your employees tackling a problem only your product can solve?
The hardest part is conceptualizing your idea – once that is finalized, start thinking about how it ties to your overall video marketing strategy.
Read, ‘How to Build a Video Marketing Strategy.’
Choosing the Right Types of Videos for Your Business
The right type or style of video for your business varies – which is great since there are many types of videos to explore!
Before selecting your video type, determine which avenue will fit into your wider marketing strategy, what content you’d like to include, and what results you hope to achieve.
An engaging video can complement your entire marketing strategy and lead your intended audience to make a purchase.
Need help locating the right video production agency for your business? Explore our list of the top service providers.
Additional Reading