When planning an online marketing strategy, video content is critical, and Video content marketing has become a staple type of content strategy in the last few years. Not only because it’s pretty — it’s now the medium of choice for peer-to-peer content sharing, and for brand-to-customer communication too.
Why? Because, video content is useful. It’s processed by the brain 60,000 times faster than text, and it’s great to map and nurture a marketing strategy. But not every video is the same.
Each type of video has a specific role in the marketing world: different kinds of videos will help you nurture various stages of the sales funnel and accomplish specific goals.
Let’s break it down and analyze the most important types of videos, with some examples. Ready, set, go!
Educational Videos
You may have noticed how instructional videos have become popular in the last few years, especially with social media users. This can be explained very easily– people love to learn new things.
.Because of this, educational videos actually provide a real value to your audience: they entertainingly teach something. Its purpose is to attract new audiences, people that are investigating the problems that your product or service can solve.
Also, by providing useful information to your prospects, you’re positioning your brand as a referent in the field, and your audience will be more inclined to trust you and the products that you’re offering.
Educational videos are placed at the top of the sales funnel, in the awareness stage.
Let’s look at an example!
Explainer Videos
The magic of explainer videos is that they deliver the perfect sales pitch every time. This is another type of video that has increased in popularity very quickly because they turn any complex concept into something easy to grasp.
For example, you can show how your brand and your product works, and how they can solve your prospect’s problems. The great thing about explainer videos is that they can do this in just a few seconds, and simply and entertainingly for your audience.
The goal of explainer videos is to increase conversions, so their rightful place in the middle of the sales funnel (the consideration stage).
They’re also very versatile, because there are many types of explainer videos, and you can choose the one that’s the best match for your marketing goals.
Let’s look at an example, and notice how animated explainer videos give these concepts a fresh, entertaining and straightforward take:Walmart.
Product Videos
Product Videos are great for those customers who like to try before they buy, because, with them, you’ll be showing your product in action.
With this kind of video, you get to show all of the advantages of your product and exactly how it will solve your prospect’s problems; convincing your audience in advance that your product is going to cover all their needs.
By showing instead of just telling, your audience will have more trust towards your product. This is why they increase sales, and work great in the bottom of your sales funnel (the decision stage) because product videos showcase the features of your product, and close deals.
Company Videos (or Culture Videos)
A potential customer will always want to know the company that they’re buying from because people like to do business with companies they know and trust. They want to know the real story behind your brand and your team!
This is why company story videos are so compelling. A transparent company is one that’s trustworthy, and these videos work great to build a strong brand image.
The important things to show in these videos are your company’s values, objectives, and the team behind the brand. Use them at the bottom of the funnel, in the decision stage.
Let’s look at this example, by Hubspot: Hubspot About Us
FAQ Videos
If your audience has questions that seem to repeat every time, you can save time and resources and create an FAQ video, or a series of them. If your leads have too many unanswered questions, they won’t be inclined to make a purchase.
So, answer those questions in a video, which will make the explanation much more clear and rich than a simple text Q&A. Use these videos in the last part of the sales funnel, the decision stage. Let’s look at an example!
Customer Testimonial Videos
Did you know that 85% of customers look for reviews before buying a product? If this is a usual habit for such a high percentage of customers, then the best thing you can do is to help them get the information quickly.
And for that, there are customer testimonial videos. This type of video shows real customers talking about their (positive!) experience with your company. They’re very useful at building brand trust, because your prospects will be looking at real people, and customers just like them, that used to have similar problems and found practical solutions with your product.
When your prospects are about to make a buying decision, helping them identify with your past customers (and therefore, trust your product) is the best way you can convince them to make a purchase.
This is why testimonials work so well in the last part of the sales funnel, the decision stage. Let’s look at an example. Notice how, in this video, there are details like showing some context of the geographical location and insert takes that work as an example of what’s being said. All of these details help build trust.
How-To Videos
Just as I told you before, your audience loves to learn new things, and this is another field of teaching that has to be explored: Teaching them how to do things that are important to them.
Use different resources, like step-by-step explanations or animated characters to teach them important things, like how to use your product to solve their specific needs, or how to use new features of it.
How-To videos are highly engaging and useful, and by using them, you’ll be addressing the needs of your audience in the best way possible.
Social Media Videos
These are videos that are created specifically to be used on social media platforms. Or, more accurately, they are designed to attract new leads on social media platforms.
The idea is to charm them with short and powerful videos, enough to make them want to know more about the subject. Because of their short format, they’re great to give short pieces of information or answer simple questions.
But you can use them in any way you want, as long as they’re short enough to leave your viewers wanting to know more.
Commercials
Video advertisements or commercials (just like those that can be seen on TV or on the Internet), are videos that promote your company or your product. Unlike explainer videos, its goal is not to tell the details of what you do and how; instead, a commercial is a teaser — a way to attract the attention and interest of possible customers.
An ad’s job is to make people excited about your brand and your product! They come in a short format (30 seconds or less), and it must be very high-quality, have a motivating CTA and be share worthy.
Commercials are used in the awareness stage, the top of the sales funnel; because they generate awareness and excitement.
Let’s look at an example!
So, let’s review!
Video content must be involved in every stage of the sales funnel, because they will help you boost every single one of the goals of each stage. But not every video works the same,, in fact they’re very, very different.
Some videos, like commercial ads or educational videos, must be placed at the top of the funnel to attract new and fresh leads. These videos will promote your brand and product and position your brand as an expert in the field.
Other videos, like explainer videos, aim for conversions, so they’re useful for the middle part of the sales funnel, the consideration stage.
And some of them are really needed at the bottom of the funnel, the decision stage. These videos (like customer testimonials and company story videos) will create a strong bond of trust between your prospect and your brand, resulting in the much awaited purchase!
So, yes. There are very different types of video content, but not all of them are the same or work towards the same goals. Now that you know this, you’ll never watch a marketing video with the same eyes, ever again!
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