Video has long–solidified its essential role in communicating the vision of a business and its unique selling points, while creating genuine engagement with new and existing customers. It’s safe to say the medium of video is now heavily embedded as a crucial pillar of any digital, online or social media marketing campaign.
In part, this has been enabled and accelerated by easier and more affordable access to rapidly evolving video creation technology that’s skyrocketed in terms of quality, from cameras and video production equipment, to sophisticated editing software.
If you’ve been reluctant to jump aboard the video bandwagon, or would like to be doing more in this space, the great news is the tools are already available, right at your fingertips.
The big question, however, amongst business owners or decision makers with limited-to-zero video production experience is this: how do we create content that is both strategic for our business, and compelling for our audience? Furthermore, how can these advanced video creation tools and equipment with their ever-evolving technical capabilities be properly used to tell the right story and create the desired impact?
Here, we provide a handy overview of some of the most effective and creative ways that various corporate video types can engage with a target audience, and send a strong, compelling and memorable message about your business and its benefits.
Social media promo videos
Where is your audience finding its information? In some instances, the traditional 30-second television commercial (TVC) is likely to still serve a purpose, if there’s a specific program or slot during which you know your customers will be tuning into live-to-air TV.
But as viewing habits continue to change, so have the methods by which consumers discover new products and services. And where do they tend to spend most of their screen time in these modern times? We would wager you are much more likely to find your audience browsing online at their own pace, rather than enjoying appointment television, via some kind of tablet or hand-held device, probably on-the-go.
Step forward the social media promo video! This is essentially the internet’s answer to the TVC. The added advantages, however, include zero time-constraints. 30 or 60 seconds no longer need to be the parameters within which you must tell your story (… although you probably don’t want to create something so lengthy that your audience loses interest and fails to make it to the end, at the point where your call-to-action is likely to be placed!)
Equally, there is less expectation when it comes to social promo videos for the types of high-quality, elaborate productions found on traditional television. Considering the majority of the audience are going to view the video using a hand-held device, there is not as much of a need to invest in things like fancy sets, sophisticated lighting and audio posting. That doesn’t mean the execution can’t still be smart and the editing slick, but rather you can achieve an impressive end-result without the same level of financial investment as the traditional TVC.
Social media platforms also offer businesses the chance to start small and test video ideas. By starting slow and scheduling your promo video in a handful of spots on the likes of Facebook and Instagram that are targeted to your known demographic, you’ll soon get a sense of how your audience is responding, They can easily be scaled up in terms of visibility if you find it is working and engaging viewers, or you can take a slightly different approach to your next video, based on those learnings.
Client testimonial videos
Many promotional videos end up overlooked as we scroll through our news feeds and filter our inboxes. Particularly anything that looks like it’s trying to sell us something is highly unlikely to result in the type of engagement a business would desire.
Forget nameless spokespeople, company executives, external experts, celebrity endorsers and actors – a real person (likely a satisfied customer) who believes in and has directly benefited from what you do, who is willing to share their real experiences and the life-changing impact your products and services had on their lives is invaluable.
Consult with your team and identify those clients you know are passionate about your organisation, those who will be prepared to share their positive experiences with you, a camera, and a broader audience.
Utilising video to depict a passionate storyteller in a non-scripted, relaxed, natural way, as they share their excitement, relief, or even sadness around a situation your organisation has helped improve is the type of third-party endorsement money can’t buy. This approach will appeal to viewer emotions, offer a sense of authority and, crucially, inspire trust.
When your audience hears a passionate advocate directly and authentically explain how your product is everything you say it is, they will not only watch, engage with, and remember your video, but are much more likely to accept what they are being told is the truth.
The result? Potential new customers who are more likely to consider whether your business might be able to do the same for them!
Community outreach videos
In the modern world, every business needs to fulfil some sort of social or corporate responsibility function. From a coordinated effort to raise funds for a particular charity, to the clean-up of a local public space, to a regular partnership involving visiting residents at a local aged care facility, the public is savvy to the activities of a business, outside or product and service delivery.
Typically, we like to know we are backing businesses that offer a value-ad that benefits good causes within the local community and surroundings of your business.
These sorts of activities are perfect fodder for creating engaging video content. Map out the entire process from set-up, to preparation and training, right through to the actual execution. Ensure cameras are available to capture all key milestones in activity, and make sure your people are primed to talk with pride about what they are doing, and what they are striving to achieve.
Aside from your own people, you could also consider including snippets from a person or group that has benefitted from the generosity of your business and its people. Their gratitude for your generosity is bound to shine through, and is another way to inspire trust and genuine affection.
The footage you capture throughout these sorts of initiatives can be cut and spliced into many different formats, from 30 to 60 to 90 second videos that demonstrate the initiative itself, as well as the impact. This will serve to provide subtle and ongoing reminders to customers of the good work they are supporting in connecting and partnering with your business.
The list of creative, fun, engaging, different types of marketing video that can be used to tell the story of your business is endless. Of course, the most appropriate type of video for any enterprise will vary from case to case, based on industry, purpose, audience demographics, which platform it is intended to be used for etc. Identifying the most appropriate type of corporate video for your business, will provide a solid starting point around which to build your story.
Keen to find out more? To discover how corporate videos might work as part of your digital marketing strategy, as well as the process involved, call the WeMOV team for a chat! We are proud of our reputation as a provider of some of the best corporate video production Melbourne has to offer. So feel free to ask us anything questions about your video content needs!
