5 Types of Videos to Boost Your Content Marketing Strategy
If you’re allowed to choose a single method of marketing, what would that be? We know what 80% of all marketers feel.
For the majority, content creation and marketing is at top of their priority list. The fact is also reflected in their marketing budget, with 26% of their budget allotted to content marketing alone.
With so much hinging on content marketing, it makes perfect sense, to use only the most effective and versatile tool in the form of video content to spearhead your content marketing campaign.
Videos are undoubtedly the top choice for marketers because you can use them to drive traffic, create brand awareness, and boost conversions and sales by moving customers through the different stages of the sales funnel.
That said video content is only effective when it’s tailored to suit the goals, audiences, and an array of other elements.
What this means is that marketers need to use the right type of video content at the right time to boost their content marketing strategy.
You might have a million and one things to work on. So, let us make it easy for you to choose the top types of videos for content marketing.
#1 Customer Testimonials to Build Trust
Sometimes customers are faced with a buying dilemma because of too many options or a reluctance to spend cash on something they don’t fully trust. In such situations, they often turn to others for advice.
Earlier they sought the help of family or friends, but now they turn to customer testimonials for advice or referrals.
Potential customers trust a testimonial video because it comes from a person with experience of using a product or service.
Customers drop their guard and listen to honest options of peers; in this case, fellow customers who have faced the same or similar pain points and benefited from the use of the product.
In case, the customers have already picked a product, testimonial videos reaffirm their choice and encourage them to take the final leap.
Reasons to include testimonial videos in your content marketing strategy
- A testimonial video humanizes a brand and makes up for the lack of human-to-human connection like in in-store shopping.
- These videos are hugely popular and versatile. Marketers can use them on websites, email marketing, and social media.
- Although video content is a single medium, it offers three channels of communication: the message, tone, and expression. This three-way communication helps make an emotional connection with the customer.
#2 Brand Videos to Create Awareness
One of the foremost functions of content marketing is to create brand awareness. At the initial stage of the customer journey, people only have pain points or a problem for which they are seeking solutions.
Brand videos help connect the customer with your brand/product/service. Through brand videos, they’ll gradually learn about the product, the people behind the brand, the brand’s vision, purpose, and values. If you want your brand to reach a wider audience, it is crucial to learn how to add subtitles to your videos because it will improve your user experience since it enables your audience to watch your product video in silence and will also allow people with hearing impairments to learn about your product/service.
For example, customers are gradually turning to eco-friendly products. Nowadays, they are leaning towards ethical brands that follow environmentally sustainable practices. Brands can attract customers by highlighting this aspect of their business practice.
Through the various types of brand videos, marketers can also highlight the qualities that make the brand unique.
Including brand videos in your content strategy is the first step of building a relationship and earning the trust of the customer.
Reasons to add brand videos to content marketing strategy
- Brand videos give the audience a complete and clear picture of your brand identity.
- Brand video conveys more information (about the company, team members, product, features, functions, etc.) in less time.
- Brand videos help companies create the initial human and emotional connection with the customers.
#3 Explainer Videos to Generate and Nurture Leads
Once the customers become familiar with the brand, the next step is to explain how the product/service can solve their problem. They also need to know the features and functions of the product.
Explainer videos or educational content at this stage can greatly increase the chance of a conversion.
One of the hottest trends and a sure-shot idea found in most content marketing tips is to use animated videos.
With the right approach, marketers can use animated videos to develop content that’s engaging, educational, and easy to understand.
For example, a simple animated whiteboard video can explain the toughest of concepts clearly and succinctly in less than 90 seconds.
Another reason to include explainer videos in content marketing is versatility.
Marketers can use them in every stage of the customer journey and achieve a variety of marketing goals – from generating and nurturing leads to satisfying and retaining customers. Integrating the best AI voice generator adds an extra layer of appeal to your explainer videos. With lifelike voices and seamless narration, AI-generated audio enhances the overall viewing experience, captivating audiences and reinforcing your message effectively.
Reasons to add explainer videos to content marketing strategy
- According to a report in Forbes, 90% of the customers agree that video content (as opposed to text) has a huge bearing on their purchasing decision.
- Explainer videos, more particularly animation, are not only cost-effective, but they also help you stand out from your competitors.
- Explainer videos are mobile-friendly and with the right web page design, keyword usage, and message, they can also help your SEO marketing.
#4 Live Streaming Content to Change the Way You Interact with the Audience
Nowadays, people can live stream videos with a click of a button. Many social media platforms include features that facilitate live broadcasting. Plus, numerous tools offer similar functions.
What explains such popularity of live videos? Live streaming is not just a comparatively new strategy, it’s also an effective and powerful method to reach, interact, and convert potential customers.
Live videos also make it to the list of tools to include in your content strategy because of their versatility, like the other options you see in this blog post.
Live streaming must be part of YouTube marketing and other social media marketing campaigns. It’s an effective tool in creating awareness, converting leads, and providing customer support.
Reasons to use live streaming Videos
- The use of live streaming results in genuine interaction which is not possible in recorded video content.
- There is no time gap between a customer query and a reply from the brand’s representative. The interaction is genuine and honest which enables the customers to trust the brand.
- Live streaming is the fastest growing marketing strategy compared to other video types, with the YoY growth rate estimated at 113%.
#5 User-Generated Videos to Boost Engagement
Earlier in the article, we discussed testimonial videos, but user-generated content (UGC) doesn’t start and end with testimonial videos.
It can take several forms and will certainly include unboxing videos, demo videos, top-n list videos, reviews, and influencer videos.
The reasons to use UGC are plenty. It adds variety to the content mix and offers social proof of your brand’s popularity.
Potential customers are more likely to trust the content that originates from peers and people whom they trust and follow.
Marketers can post UGC on social media platforms, display on websites, and send videos directly to the inbox using email newsletter software – the ways to use UGC are endless.
Finally, since the brand’s involvement in developing UGC is comparatively less, this content strategy is highly cost-effective and less time-consuming.
Reasons why UGC is indispensable for content strategy
- UGC is a great way to grow your YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram following.
- UGC will supplement your branded content in engaging and converting your target audience.
- UGC is another powerful method that focuses on emotion and relationship building.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, each type of video in this list performs a specific function, from creating brand awareness to building trust and boosting sales.
While there are many video options, the ones presented here are the most versatile and effective in achieving the specific goals allotted to them.
In this highly competitive digital age, knowing what videos to use, when, and how to use are the key to the success of your content marketing strategy.
Cristian Stanciu is a freelance video editor, owner and post-production coordinator of Veedyou Media – a company offering video editing services to videographers, marketing agencies, video production studios or brands all over the globe. I can catch up with him on his blog or on LinkedIn.
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