If you are a business owner, training professional or a marketing manager and have decided it’s time to implement video into your marketing campaign, then this blog is for you. There are a plethora of video types, which can make things confusing and daunting, and it’s hard to know which video type is the best option for you.
Before deciding which video you will need you need to ask yourself on question: what do you hope to achieve by using video? This should be the first thing you ask yourself. Simply stated, you need a video that will satisfy your businesses needs.
We have worked with companies that range from the pest control industry, technology solutions, communications to the food industry and from this, we have been able to narrow what businesses need into 4 simple video types: Explainer, Promo, Intro and Lifestyle/Narrative.
Explainer Video
These are videos that focus on explaining an idea or process through engaging and appealing visuals. It is both informational and educational. It generally explains what the company offers, how it can help the customer with their problem and why this product/service is the best option for them. You can break down an explainer video into 3 categories.
Overview video – These work well as a main cover video to your website, a “main attraction” to your landing page to get a higher level of information about your product/service at first glance.
“How To” video – These explain specific topics or procedures of your product/service in greater detail. These are great to use if your product is a device or there is a user interface the customer will need to know how to navigate after the buying process.
Testimonial video – These are more authentic pieces of content to provide credibility and build trust with your audience.
Promo Video
A promo video is best used with the intent to promote your products and services to potential clients, but without outright asking them to purchase anything. Their purpose is to get the audience excited about what you are offering. If you are hosting an event or releasing a new product, promo videos are a good choice for you.
Intro Video
An intro video is a short, direct, introduction that tells the viewer everything they need to know about your business. This option allows you to set the tone for your brand and the rest of your content that will follow. The difference between this type of video and an explainer is the amount of detail given into the brand. The intro video is more focused on letting the people know who you are and what you do, nothing on the process of how the business works.
Lifestyle/Narrative Video
These videos can range from DIY vlog content to your more traditional commercials. This video, unlike the others will generally include a larger budget with filming and production days at a larger scale. Despite being a larger project, these can be the best videos to create and then use to repurpose smaller versions or ‘snackable” content for your audience to consume across your social media channels.