6 Types of Video Marketing (and When To Use Them)

If a picture can speak a thousand words, what can video do for your brand? It’s no secret that video is an incredibly effective tool for marketing. With video responsible for generating leads for 84 percent of businesses last year, and the trend looking to grow more still, video is proving itself to be more a necessity than a nice-to-have.

Whether you produce your own video in-house or outsource your efforts to a marketing agency, video should definitely be part of your marketing budget. There are few better ways to get attention in the market, position your brand, and gather new leads.

The real question, then, is what kind of videos you should produce.

As with all marketing efforts, the answer is that you should focus on the desired outcome. Do you want to capture the reality of your organization and build trust with your prospective customer? Do you want to highlight the expertise at your firm and establish yourselves as a thought leader? Or do you want to highlight a particular problem and solution that will naturally drive viewers to seek your help?

Here are six examples of different types of video that you can create in 2023.

One of the best ways to build trust between you and a prospective customer is to give them some insight into who you are and what you do. A behind-the-scenes look at your organization will quickly demystify your brand and show your viewer the realities of your day-to-day work.

Bonus points for glamor shots of expensive and state-of-the art equipment, of course—but even something as simple as showing people working at a location is enough to bring down the barriers.

The goal here is to highlight the people and processes behind your product or service and show your capabilities rather than simply talking about them. Invaluable insight for a prospective client, and a fantastic introduction to your company.

Kinetic text is at the other end of the spectrum to live action. The only people appearing in this kind of video are perhaps a narrator, and even then, they are not a requirement. “Kinetic text” refers to moving text that tells a story in an interesting way. If you have the capacity in-house, this is where you’ll combine your skill of writing with your skill as an animator.

Words moving in and out of frame, different sized typefaces, variations in opacity and speed, and some motion blur… the possibilities are endless. Kinetic text is a way to convey information quickly and precisely in an engaging and entertaining way. When used sparingly, it can really make an impression and get your message across.

Whatever your industry and whatever the size of your business, you almost certainly have some industry experts within your four walls. That expertise, however, usually only sees the light of day when a customer interfaces with those people directly.

What if you could shine a light on your very own industry experts and make them the star of a video? Interviews highlight the expertise and passion in your organization and can build trust and dependency from the get-go. More importantly, they establish you as a thought leader in your industry. When you become the go-to resource in terms of content, it follows that the next time someone needs the help of a team of experts they’ll seek out the best that they know.

If you have people in your organization with the smarts to explain problems and solutions in a clear way, get them in front of the camera and show the world. Only good things can come of it.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could whet the appetite of a customer before you even meet them? Presenting a demo of software or a presentation to a prospective customer is a complicated and often time- and energy-consuming process. If only there were some way of showcasing your wares before the customer even picks up the phone or fills out a form.

Well… there is!

Screen casts of software demos, presentations, and interesting virtual interviews and meetings offer real-time authenticity and clarity. We all know the benefits of showing our products and services to a room full of people or via a Zoom call. A screen cast is a recording of your screen that you can share anywhere, with anyone. A pre-pitch pitch, if you will. The production value here can either be high (music bed, professional voiceover, animated transitions) or low (no script, just screenshots), but the impact is undeniable. You’re showing your prospects a snippet of your software functionality or your presentation, and if they want more… they’ll have to call you.

Ever used a YouTube video to learn how to do something? Then you’ve used an instructional video. Instructional videos help your prospective client understand a problem and see how your product or service can solve it. You don’t have to teach them everything there is to know about a solution—you just need to show that it works.

Instructional videos serve double duty. They genuinely help someone understand the process behind a solution, and they solidify your role as the expert on providing that solution.

Don’t be afraid of giving away your secret sauce here. If this is information you’d share with your current customers, don’t hesitate to share it with prospects. An instructional video is just another option for positioning your business at the top of your industry.

Animated videos are exciting and engaging and help you tell a story in an interesting and dynamic way. Like kinetic text, they can be a little more challenging to produce in-house if you don’t have the expertise on staff, but animated videos are well worth the investment.

Animated videos are especially helpful for when you want to present complicated concepts. Something that might be impossible or extremely expensive as a live action video can cost pennies on the dollar to replicate with animation.

An animated video doesn’t have to compete with the latest Pixar release. Of course, if you have the budget and inclination, you can always produce a masterpiece. But agencies can produce simple animations fairly inexpensively nowadays, leaving you with a video you can promote and repurpose anywhere that you want to make a good impression.

Animations also make for engaging displays at trade shows, too.

Video is here to stay, and you should be using it to promote your brand. Whether you’re looking to drive more sales, establish yourself as a thought leader, or create interest in your product or service before a prospect even calls you, video can help.

Get creative and start planning your next video today!

At ADVAN Design, we produce video content for our clients that is creative, optimized, and effective. Check out our capabilities and get in touch with us for your next video project.