Last year, 88% of consumers researched products online before buying them in a store or the web.
People don’t go to the store to learn about a product anymore. They jump on social media and the internet. Customers know who you are and what you do long before they make any contact.
Those same consumers love watching video. How do we know? Because YouTube has over 1.8 billion monthly logged-in users.
There’s also an increase in video use on social platforms. 500 million people use Instagram stories every day. That’s up 80% year-to-year.
Marketers love video, too. 93% of marketers report social videos resulted in new customers. That matches data revealing consumers prefer video content from brands on social media.
Make sure people find you by posting videos on your website, social channels, and YouTube. It sounds like a lot of work, but often you can use the same content on several platforms.
Let’s dig into seven video ideas that help businesses reach their target audience.
1. Say Hello! Introduce Your Company
A video is a great way to introduce your company. You can show and tell consumers about your products.
Put a video introduction on the homepage of your website. Don’t go on for too long. Aim for less than two minutes.
The goal of this video is to tell potential customers who you are. Explain how your products and services solve customer problems. Invite customers to connect on social media.
Create other videos for in-depth information on each area of your business. Place those videos on other pages of your website and in social media.
2. Behind-the-Scenes Tours
Show your customers what it takes to deliver the best product. Take a video of your business offices, warehouse or manufacturing plant. Film a delivery to a retail store or a customer.
Consumers appreciate the production process when they see it for themselves. Show them the effort put into producing each product.
If you’re a service-based company show employees working together or with clients.
Show real employees doing their jobs. Everyone loves to see what goes on behind-the-scenes.
3. Explainer Videos
If your product is complex use video to make it clearer. Audio and video together make it easier for people to understand complicated information.
Make explainer videos. Show and tell consumers the best way to use your products and services. If you have lots of products, showcase each one in its own video.
Individual videos provide important details on each product and its feature. Add the videos on related pages of your website, and upload them to YouTube.
Creating a YouTube channel helps people searching online to find your company. YouTube is a powerful search engine.
When you add descriptions and tags to your video it appears in .
4. Share Your Company Culture
Consumers want to know the people behind your product. Tell your origin story. Did your grandfather start the company? If your business is family-run, say so.
Explain why you do what you do. Don’t limit videos to your products. Buyers like to know who they’re buying from.
Put your staff on camera to talk about their role with the company. Ask your employees to talk about why they like working for your company. What motivates them to work in your industry?
Relate your story so it connects to both your customers and employees.
5. Be Human
Your videos should touch consumers with personal emotion. Don’t read a script into the camera. Talk to your audience.
Use your facial expressions and tone of voice to convey your message in a personal way. Add music to set a tone.
Another way to be human is to talk to real customers about their experience with your product. Feature a client in a video. Show how your products helped to solve their problem.
Ask the client to say a few words, or show how your expertise improved their lifestyle. Keep it casual so the client is comfortable.
Technology optimizes video for phones and tablets. Today, videos reach consumers in their personal space. It’s one way to talk one-on-one with potential customers.
6. Introduce New Products
Launching a new product? Make a video. Adding another service to your lineup? Make a video. Illustrate how the new item is better for your customers.
Give customers a sneak peek at what’s next. Film a demonstration of the product in use. Explain why your company is investing in something new.
Use the power of social media to spread your message. Create videos that grab the viewer’s attention.
Make it easy for people to engage, embed, share, and comment on your videos. Retweets and comments are a form of approval from viewers.
Those social shares make it easy for new people to discover your company and products.
7. Testimonials
Testimonial videos help companies build trust. It can be the first step in a strong relationship with consumers.
Ask satisfied customers to say a few words about why they love your products. Keep it casual and real. If you can, film the customer using your product.
Consumers trust referrals from customers. That’s why sites like Yelp and Trip Advisor are popular. People want first-hand reports from people who have been there and done that.
Don’t be shy about asking for recommendations. When you feature a customer story it’s easy for people to relate to your business on a personal level.
Another option is to interview an expert in your industry. Ask the industry leader to educate your audience on a specific topic. Then, show how your product accomplishes what the expert suggested.
Video Is Versatile
Video works in almost every marketing situation. You can use it to explain how to make money online or how to build a storage shed kit.
It’s versatile and popular. It’s important for brands to include video in their content marketing strategy.
Video engages people on social media, your website, inside a store, and at a . Thanks to smartphones and technology, video content is affordable and available.
Capture funny, serious, and emotional moments to show consumers your brand.
Track Your Video Ideas to See What Works
Video helps companies explain their products and connect with their customers. But the best thing about a video is marketers can track its effectiveness.
Today, marketers track how many people watched a video and if it led to a sale. They know if a video works or not. That makes it easy to tweak the message for better results.
Try the video ideas outlined here to improve your content strategy. Post your videos on your website, YouTube, and social media channels.
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