Understanding the different types of videos and how to use them.
Video is the top form of content on most social media platforms, a tool to drive engagement on landing pages, a way to sell your products more effectively and the rest…so let’s take a couple of minutes to understand the advantages of video (to ensure that we’re utilising it correctly) and outline the primary forms of video you’ll see online at the moment.
We’re going to use a customer pathway framework to define the purpose of each of the video types. This helps us to see what we’re trying to achieve - because we sure aren’t just making videos for the fun of it!
1. Awareness
You’re looking to introduce your brand to your customers and show them that you understand them. This is often the first touchpoint a customer will have with your brand.
2. Consideration
You’re looking to introduce your brand to your customers and show them that you understand them. This is often the first touch point a customer will have with your brand.
3. Conversion
You’re looking to illustrate the solution for your customer and lead them to make a purchase decision or enquire about your services. This is the part where you’re asking for commitment - more plainly, “let’s dance baby!”
4. Purchase
Well fairly self-explanatory. For some, this is actually where the bulk of your video comes into play. (Think training provider.) This is where you deliver on your promises - WOW them with your incredible content.
5. Delight
You’re looking to develop long term, loyal customers who become ambassadors for your brand. This is where you go over and above to connect with and build long-term relationships with your brand community.
So that’s the Customer Pathway. Think about where the gap is in your current marketing and how you can create a video to strengthen that part of your marketing. Or don’t, and let us do the heavy lifting.
Here are the video types broken down into purpose categories.
Of course, there’s a little overlap, but the point is that the outcome is slightly different: Do we want the customer to like our Facebook page or submit an enquiry or visit our website etc?
1. Awareness
Content marketing video (entertainment): A video or series of videos that can entertain and educate the customer about the problem they’re facing. If you’re selling tyres, create a series of videos about ideal Tyre types for different adventures around Australia.
Documentary video: A video that explores a key idea or theme at length. Businesses undertaking these are generally intrinsically connected to the subject matter being discussed and want to produce media that explores it more meaningfully. A bold and high-value move that shows a high level of commitment from the businesses into that theme.
Branded content/Product placement: Videos that feature your product or service within them without explicitly connecting back to you. This may be produced by you or someone else. Ever noticed that the bad guys in movies don’t have iPhones? Apple wants their product associated with the good guys - brilliant product placement.
Launch video: A video that is announcing something new for your brand (and business) - a new initiative, a new product that is worth hearing about, a new opportunity people can get involved with.
Event promo video: A video that promotes the event you’re running and why it’s worth coming along. The video has a focus on the experience of the event - not just the details.
Instagram promo video: A video specifically made to engage viewers on the Instagram platform and invite them to engage with your brand through that platform. Could be for a lead-gen campaign/deliverable. Important to note that Instagram has specific specifications around video length and aspect ratios, so you can’t just cut down any old video and repurpose - intentionality is key.
Facebook promo video: Similarly to above, a video specifically made to engage viewers on the Facebook platform and invite them to engage with your brand. Think about what point the audience is in the funnel and what the next thing you’re inviting them to do is. Generally, this is for video views and page likes.
Corporate promo video: A video that focuses on promoting the vision and direction of a brand/business. These can go either way, because they generally fall into the consideration stage, but are still worth being viewed as awareness because they are often the first touchpoint for enquiring customers.
2. Consideration
Content marketing (education): Similar but distinct from above, this is a video or a series of videos that serve as more of an educational tool for curious customers. Generally is a little more focussed than just entertainment. Could overlap with a product video, but you’re still educating in the context of a larger idea, like “choosing the right Tyre for your Australian 4wd adventure”
Product promotional video: A video that promotes a specific product or service that you offer and why it’s worth paying attention to. While this is critical in the conversion stage, the value at this point comes from giving the customer more background information and verification about your brand (and why they should trust you).
Product explainer video: As above, but a video with a focus on the specifics of how the product works and the details of it. Helpful for businesses that offer more complicated (and often high-value) products or a range of products that have distinct differences that need to be noted. This is for the customer who is saying, “I need more information.”
Customer testimonial video: A video of one of your customers giving testament to your product/service and credibility to your business. These form a key part of verifying the business in the eyes of potential customers - through these you’re able to have your customers vouch for you, essentially saying, “Trust them, because they did for me what they’re saying they’ll do for you, and it’s worth it.”
Customer success video: A video that looks quite similar to a testimonial video, but with the focus on the transformation or achievement that has occurred through the interaction with your business. It might be that they’ve developed a new healthy habit, or achieved a milestone they’ve been working on and your product/service has been what has empowered them to achieve it.
User-generated Video content: A video, or more accurately a series of videos, produced by your customers showcasing how your product has had an impact on them. This style of video is often driven by incentive-based campaigns or themed campaigns inviting users to contribute to a public collection of videos and be featured on the brand channel. Brilliant for capitalising on specific demographics and user-groups that are more likely to engage in this way.
Company vlogs: A video that is a short-form version of content marketing. This would generally be understood as the entry-level option as it isn’t quite as entertaining or educational as longer-form content. It could be a series of videos filmed around a particular theme that help maintain top-of-mind awareness. Think: a chef at a leading restaurant talks about what goes into preparing a series of entree dishes and takes you behind the scenes into his kitchen.
Company BTS videos: A video that gives your audience a look into the life and daily experience of the business. Similar to a vlog but perhaps with less of a teaching element and more focussed on bringing meaning to the things that appear mundane. Think: a manufacturing business have their manager take you through the development stages a product goes through to be created.
Corporate interview video: A video that communicates professionally and clearly, filmed with the purpose of communicating with key stakeholders connected to a company/corporation. This might be an update with the CEO or key leader on the vision and direction of the company, a new direction or further insight into an arm of a rather complex organisation. In the consideration category, it’s about deepening the connection people have with the company.
Corporate responsibility video: A video that captures the vision and execution of how an organisation cares for its community beyond simply their product/service. This type of video offers a more holistic look at the passion of an organisation to go above and beyond and invest themselves in making their part of the world a better place. This could be an inspiring video that gets inside of employee give-back opportunities, or a big-picture video that helps stakeholders at an annual review, or even a documentary-style video that tackles community issues and invites people to think more deeply about the topic.
Corporate culture video: A video that captures either the current culture or desired culture of a business in an effort to reinforce a set of values to employees and potential customers. This type of video is about the impact of a business and asks what are we beyond our service/product? What culture do we possess and how does that drive employee engagement and brand value? This could be a video interviewing a series of key team members or a reflective piece about where you want to be as a business.
3. Conversion
Product promo video: Similar to a consideration stage promo, but different in that the intent of the video is to invite the customer to purchase. Often driven by a scarcity offer, this video is a key video for getting people over the line. It’s saying, “you’ve seen our stuff, you know we’re a legit company, you know this product will make your life better in these specific ways - what are you waiting for?”
Company overview video: A video that gives interested prospects the big picture of the business and why you’re a good fit for them. It unpacks the key customer story - who they are, the problem they’re facing and how you solve it. This is commonly a landing page video but isn’t limited to that placement.
Brand video: A video that is similar in outcome to the company overview but is centred on the story of the brand and is a little more aspirational in nature. It asks questions like, "What does your life look like after you interact with our brand? How do our products help you become the type of person you’re looking to become?” and attempts to visualise that transformation in a video.
4. Purchase
Live-stream video: a video that is a time-based interaction your customers have paid to attend. This could be a conference or event that people can obtain digital tickets to. Generally is made available to people who can’t travel to attend the event, or as a means of furthering engagement and profit for the event.
Live event video production: a video, or more accurately, a broadcast of an event to help attendees engage more meaningfully. Generally, the visuals of an event are broadcast onto screens in the near vicinity. Think cooking demonstration showing the details of the chef chopping food in a particular way, or music performance showing the musicians to attendees a little further back.
Training video: A video that is the product of your business. Typically for RTO’s or the like, the video is what you sell or part of the resources of what you sell. It could be an extensive course covering a particular topic, or a series of short courses considering a range of topics.
Webinar / Course material: A video that is generally an entry-level product/experience or lead generation tool to engage newer customers. The webinar video serves as an educational tool that allows for live interaction with guests, and the means of adapting content and teaching to specific situations. A webinar might address the customers problem more broadly, and then position your product/service as one of the ways to resolve it.
5. Delight
Corporate responsibility video: A video, similar to the consideration stage video but that offers a less-formal, and perhaps more “insider” down-to-earth look at what the business is doing to empower others in its community. Could be a series of employee-led videos where they communicate from their perspective, or if you’re killing it in this space, user-generated content from your customers engaging with your vision for social responsibility.
Customer support video: A video that offers an outline of key obstacles customers may face after purchasing the product. This could be an outline of FAQ along with the easiest way to resolve the common problems. Further to that, this video outlines the easiest to discuss the problem further within your customer support structures.
Product explainer video: A video that provides the functional or logistic explanation for a product that the customer has already purchased, with the purpose of making the experience as smooth and enjoyable for the customer as possible. Think: purchased a tent and need simple instructions on setting it up for the first time.
Culture/BTS video: A video, similar to other styles, but is designed to prolong the after-sales conversation with the customer to continue their engagement with and connection to your brand. It may be that you have an engaged ‘tribe’ or ‘community' of customers who provide substantial value to your business that you deliver additional value for.
So there’s an essential outline of the video types you can take advantage of - the important thing to consider is where your marketing needs to be stronger so you adapt outcomes to fit that gap. Don’t buy into the lie that you just need ‘more content’ - think strategically about which solution will fit the gap most effectively and have a crack!
What I’ve just shown you is helpful, but it doesn’t necessarily give you a strategy for which one to pursue now. We’ve helped hundreds of other businesses get clarity on the media outcomes they need and would love to help you. Let’s schedule a call when we can figure out the ONE MEDIA ITEM you should do first.
