It has been estimated that 55% of the population watch online videos every day, and more than 75% of people watch videos at least once a week. Videos are relatively cheap to make, and a single video can be used on multiple platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, and your business website. So, there is no denying that video marketing is an inexpensive and effective way to reach a lot of people. All you must do now is think up some novel ideas for your video content. But, in a world where people watch so many short videos, how do you come up with something new and engaging?
The first rule of video marketing is that you must tell a story. If people want to watch ads, all they will have to do is wait for the ad break on TV, or they could wait for the YouTube video they are engrossed in to get interrupted at a crucial moment by an advertisement. In other words, people are already overexposed to video advertising, so they are not going to click on another video ad voluntarily. Here are some ideas for topics around which you could build an engaging video marketing story.
1. Make Big Announcement
If you are opening a new store, releasing a new product, or holding a surprise sale, break your big news to the world with a marketing video. Video can be a theatrical medium, so it is perfect for the big corporate announcement. With drum rolls, dramatic music, and few special effects, you can create a mini-epic production for an affordable amount of money. And do not forget that videos can be shared as well. So, if you get the video right, word will spread that something exciting is happening with your business.
2. Share Your Failures
Millions of people watched the recent successful voyage of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS). Eighteen million people have also viewed the compilation video of SpaceX failures on the SpaceX YouTube Channel. Elon Musk has never shied away from admitting that things do not always go entirely to plan, and nor should you. If you prototyped a product that failed miserably, do not be afraid of showing the spectacular footage of your brainchild imploding exploding or falling to pieces. You cannot innovate without having some failures. Admitting that things have gone wrong in the past shows that you are human. It can also be used to highlight your stringent quality control procedures.
3. Prove Your Claims
If your product is waterproof and fireproof, do not just list out the standards with which your product complies; prove how good your product is! Set your shiny new product alight, drop it into a swimming pool, and then demonstrate that the product still works! If you say that your product is easy to use, shoot a video of a child using it. Proving that the claims you make about your products are valid will be far more convincing than asking people to take your word for it. Plus, videos of you deliberately trying to damage your products or disprove your claims will be entertaining and more likely to get shared.
4. Show How It Is Made
People often search on Google for answers to questions like “how do they make…?” and “how do they build…?”. So, whatever line of business you are in, someone will be interested in how you make your products or how you carry out your services. Do not worry if you do not actually make a product, because how you provide a service can also be remarkably engaging as well. These “how something is done” videos are an excellent opportunity to promote the quality of any type of product or service.
5. Customer Testimonials
Honest customer testimonials are a potent marketing tool. The third-party endorsement that testimonials provide can remove any last doubts that prospects may have about your products or services. Written testimonials have become commonplace on websites, but video testimonials are even more persuasive. People trust their peers far more than they would trust a salesperson, an actor, or an influencer.
6. Product Demonstrations
Marketing videos provide a way to show people your products in use in real-life situations. Product demonstration videos can be used on your web site and social media posts. Demonstration videos can also be sent by email to prospects after a salesperson’s visit. While people are living with the ongoing threat of coronavirus, product demonstration videos can also be used in place of face-to-face meetings.
7. Put Faces to Names
Technology, for instance online ordering, chatbots, and email, is excellent for streamlining business processes. Technology can also improve customer service. Even so, all this use of technology can alienate people who miss the personal interaction with real people. If you create a “meet the team” marketing video, you can show that there are real people behind the technology. That will allow people to put faces to the names of people who work for the company.
8. Tutorials
Another great way to showcase your products is to make video tutorials that explain how to use what you sell. Tutorial videos serve two purposes. Firstly, prospective customers might view your tutorial videos to learn more about your product. And, secondly, videos explaining how to use your products will cut down the number of customer support calls you receive. Publishing helpful videos like tutorials also demonstrate to prospective customers the importance that you place on supporting your customers.
9. Take People Backstage
When you share behind-the-scenes footage of your business operation, you give people the impression that they are getting an exclusive peek into how your company operates. Behind-the-scenes videos are also another opportunity to showcase the professionalism of your business. Behind-the-scenes videos can take lots of different formats. You could show how a customer order is processed, packed, and shipped, for example. In a service business, you might demonstrate how a customer’s project is managed.
10. Showcase Events
If you hold customer training days or you attend trade shows, these events can provide you with another source of material for your marketing videos. If your company is in line for an industry award, then this too would be an event that you could film for a marketing video. As mentioned in the introduction, marketing videos should not be all about sales. Marketing videos should tell stories that allow people to learn more about your company and the people behind the company.
Conclusion
The above are only ten ideas for marketing videos. There are lots of variations on the above themes, and there lots of other entertaining ways that you can reach out to your target market through video content. There are lots of people who would prefer to watch a video rather than reading written content. So, if you are not making use of marketing videos, you are missing out on a massive opportunity.
If you have any questions, our team would be more than happy to help. Call us today at 215-393-9787.
