There are literally dozens of types of video that can be beneficial to your inbound marketing campaign — so how do you choose between them? Though there may be many options, some types of video are more valuable than others. Here are the four most critical types of video for an inbound marketing campaign.
1. The Elevator Pitch Video
The quintessential elevator pitch is a concise summary of everything important about your business. Elevator pitches used to be one-on-one pitches completed in a high pressure sales environment — generally in the time it would take for an elevator to reach its destination. In the virtual world, an elevator pitch is generally designed to be used on a home page or a “squeeze” page.
An elevator pitch is much like a commercial: it should be highly polished and well-produced, with a solid script and a professional actor or spokesperson. Ideally, an elevator pitch should not be long; it should be less than sixty seconds. But unlike a traditional commercial, elevator pitches shouldn’t be too sales-oriented. Even though the end goal and emphasis is towards sales, the elevator pitch should actually go out of its way to relate to the customer and create a casual, honest atmosphere.
Modern consumers are extremely savvy when it comes to advertising directed towards them. Rather than hearing about the purchase of a product, they should be hearing about how the product will create a solution for them. The focus should always be on the customer and their problems — and how the product will be able to resolve this issue for them as effectively as possible.
2. The Explainer Video
Explainer videos are targeted towards specific products and services. These videos give your audience more information about what they can expect, thereby familiarizing them with your offerings. When purchasing products and services online, many clients can feel uncertain. Explainer videos help them self-service their concerns.
An explainer video is also a very valuable part of a content marketing campaign. Explainer videos can be animated or live action, depending on the goals of the campaign and the budget. Many companies can create quite a lot of content by developing explainer videos for each of their products. For instance, many home renovation and supply stores have been able to develop content marketing campaigns through their DIY explainer video sections.
Further, explainer videos are also an excellent way to develop a brand voice and identity. Through particularly shareable videos, the company will be able to extend its brand and further reach out to its potential audience. Explainer videos that branch into content marketing can also expand brand identity past the company’s traditional demographics.
3. The Whiteboard Video
Whiteboard animation videos are designed to draw attention to critical concepts regarding your business. Whiteboard videos feature simple drawings and animations as though they were being drawn on a board — usually with a hand guiding the process and manually drawing and writing as the video plays. This is an extraordinarily engaging concept, which allows the audience to follow step by step. An engaging narrator further adds to the appeal.
A whiteboard video is usually fairly brief. The major advantage to a whiteboard video is that it’s extremely affordable. It’s easy to produce a professional-looking whiteboard video with fairly limited equipment. Whiteboard videos can also be used in many ways, from basic pitches to answering frequently asked questions — this means that whiteboard-style videos can be integrated into other forms of video pitch.
Because a whiteboard video is so technically simplistic, it’s important that each component of the whiteboard video be completed perfectly. There are many companies that specialize in the development of whiteboard videos for this reason. Whiteboard videos are generally seen as fun and friendly, rather than being too serious. The tone should be casual and the animations should be clever and fun. A whiteboard video is an excellent place to interject some humor and create an energetic atmosphere.
Explainer videos aren’t just used for advertising; the can also be used for pitches to investors, especially through the use of crowd-funding platforms and other alternative methods of capital procurement. And because they are brief, interesting, and compelling, they are perfect for social media sharing.
4. The Testimonial Video
Testimonial videos are one of the easiest ways to build your reputation. A testimonial video shows that your current customers are incredibly satisfied with your work. It can highlight many of the potential concerns that prospective customers have, such as ensuring that they get the best deal and that projects are completed on time. More importantly, testimonials emotionally resonate with potential customers, as they relate to your current customers and trust them.
A testimonial video is fairly easy and affordable to shoot, especially when compared to a commercial ad. In order to be truly successful, testimonials should be detail-oriented and specific. Testimonials that vaguely mention the “greatness” of a product aren’t going to be particularly compelling. Instead, the testimonial should list one or two areas in which the company has excelled. A testimonial should usually begin with an issue that the customer was experiencing and should progress to how the company was able to successfully resolve those issues.
The best testimonial videos are additionally targeted towards an individual buyer persona. Buyer personas should first be developed through the use of demographic statistics, isolating specific demographics that are the most likely to make a purchase. From there, the company should focus its efforts on these specific individuals, thereby tailoring and customizing their messaging to their needs.
Depending on your budget and your goals, some of the above videos may be more essential than others. Whiteboard videos are exceptionally popular with those looking to grow on lean budgets, while testimonial videos are ideal for the growth of already established enterprises. A professional video marketing and production team can help you create a cohesive video strategy to match your needs.