The 5 Types of Videos Every Business Needs

In today’s day and age, the use of video for business marketing is becoming more and more vital for business success. Because of this, companies are investing more into hiring out video production than ever before. According to Forbes, the amount companies spent on video marketing (ad spend) in 2021 was 81.9 billion, up 12% from just the year before.

Not only is video marketing becoming more important, but it’s becoming a more integrated experience in every facet of our lives. Businesses are using video for a wide variety of purposes. Everything from email content, to employee training videos, to social media ads are becoming filled to the brim with eye-catching video. And why? Because in a world of distraction, video is one of the most effective ways to capture a consumer’s attention. 

Research shows that consumers will spend 88% more time on a website that has video incorporated into it. And on social media, video gets shared 12,000% more than photos and text. 

If you’re just beginning to think about incorporating video into your business marketing plan, knowing where and how to start can be overwhelming. In today’s post, we’re going to break down the most important videos that every business needs to have created. Through our years owning Simply Media, we have consistently found that these videos are the most versatile and will give you the greatest return on your investment right out of the gate. 

By creating these four types of videos first, you’ll have established a solid foundation for your video marketing strategy that you can build on for years to come. 

Without further ado, here’s the four videos that every business needs: 

1. Brand Videos

A good brand video should communicate three fundamental pillars in your business: what you do, who you serve, and why the work you do is so important. One of the most powerful aspects of video is that it captures a feeling or energy. This energy is something we might not consciously process, but our reaction to it greatly influences who we trust, respect, and want to work with. In this regard, it’s often helpful to think of your brand video as a sort of “virtual introduction” to your business.

When done well, brand videos can be incredibly effective at bringing in new clients and partnerships. By creating a brand video that allows your prospective clients to get to know and fall in love with your business, it makes it far more likely that those prospects will one day become customers. 

Often companies will turn their brand video into a long monologue sharing unnecessary details about their company and products. In doing so, they neglect personifying their brand and their customers' journey. It lacks emotional depth, so by the end of the video, no one really remembers anything that was said. 

Maya Angelou captures this idea perfectly: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” The purpose, then, of a brand video is not to explain the A through Z of your business, but to foster a sense of trust and connection with your customers. A good brand video peaks their curiosity by speaking their language, empathizing with their needs, and inspiring them to learn more. 

When creating a brand video, there are some important questions to think through: Who are the people you serve, what do they want in this world, and how are you helping them achieve that? It can also be helpful to communicate your values, beliefs, and ‘why’ behind the work you do. Most importantly, make your video centered around your audience and how you can serve them in their journey. 

Once created, it’s important to put your brand video to good use. One of the things we love most about brand videos is how versatile they can be. If you have the right versions created, then it can thrive on every platform. In today’s digital age, you never know what door your customer might walk through to engage your business. It could be via your website, social media, a Google page, or a recruitment site. By having your brand video live everywhere you have an online presence, you are providing a curated first impression regardless of where that initial interaction takes place.

2. Testimonials

Testimonials are critical to every business. They establish your credibility, and offer insight from the receiving end of the transaction. Anytime a customer engages with your business, there is an element of risk - the risk of lost time, money, or emotional energy. By having testimonials, you are giving prospective customers a peek behind the curtain - helping to ease their fears about investing in you.

Video testimonials capitalize on this idea much further. For starters, people are significantly more likely to watch a 60 second video testimonial than read a multi-paragraph written testimonial on a website. What does this mean for you? Video testimonials can delve further into their story and experience than a written testimonial. This affords you the opportunity to further paint your ideal customer and the problems they face. By portraying an ideal client, you are simultaneously portraying an ideal solution - your company and the solution you offer. As with all video marketing, you can capture a feeling that words and photos can’t do alone. For your raving customers, video is a powerful way to capture their story.

We typically recommend starting with 3-4 client testimonial videos. These testimonials typically run from 45-60 seconds, but can last up to 90 seconds if the information is valuable enough. For these types of testimonials, remember that quality is more important than quantity. Take the time to vet who would be the ideal fit, and focus on capturing their before and after journey to highlight the transformation you helped them to achieve.

If your goal is to have a steady stream of testimonials, such as for social media content, then it’s up to you with how many testimonials you want to capture. These can be much shorter, and don’t have to be as consistent from one to the other. These types of testimonials can feature individual stories, moments of satisfaction/resolve, or overall impressions. 

Testimonials help to build credibility and establish your business as an authority in the marketplace. A good testimonial should cover the common problem all of your customers are experiencing, and how engaging with your business helped them get what they wanted. By creating this type of video, you’ll be arming yourself with a powerful tool in the sales process. 

3.  Explainer Videos & Process Videos

Explainer videos explain a product, service, or process. Product explainer videos are great once potential customers are curious about your products because they'll want to learn more. Offering them a brief explanation for each product gives them the information they crave, and helps paint a picture for what their life could look like if they buy in. Keep this type of video brief, and remember to stay centered on how you can actually help your customers better their lives, rather than rambling on about features and price.

Service explainer videos explain the different types of services you offer and how you go about rendering those services. Much like product explainer videos, these are a great resource for people to dig into once you’ve piqued their curiosity. Typically, service-based businesses have more of a relationship dynamic between parties. These types of videos are a great place to highlight the care and standards you abide by, and will help ease any uncertainty in committing to the relationship.

Process videos explain the process that you take your customers through. These types of videos are most common in service-based industries, where there is typically a point of contact/inquiry, a commitment, a rendering of the service, and a follow-up/aftercare component. These videos typically live on the back end after a customer has begun engaging your business and are meant to elevate your client experience. By having preemptive and proactive communication via process videos, you position yourself as the guide, instilling a sense of confidence, helping to negate buyer’s remorse, and increasing your odds of referrals. 

4. Employee Recruitment and Retainment Videos.

Recruitment videos are similar to brand videos. However, rather than having a general audience you are speaking to, recruitment videos are created to specifically attract the people you would like to hire. In the same way as a brand video, it is important to communicate what you do, who you serve, and why your work is important - now through the lens of what it is like to work at your company. Recruitment videos are typically for medium to large-sized businesses that are in a constant state of hiring. However, small businesses too can benefit from a recruitment video when it is a quick message from the owner on your company values, mission, and the culture you seek to create. A good recruitment video positions yourself as the guide to those whom you seek to hire. After all,  you can help them channel their talents, discover their potential, and hone their purpose at work. 

At Simply Media, we like to use the phrase, “like attracts like”, and this is certainly true when it comes to recruitment Videos. By placing great importance on the work you do, you attract those who also place great importance on the work they do. Therefore, a recruitment video is also about expressing your values as a company. People want to feel like they are making a difference in some way big or small, to be a part of something bigger than themselves. By articulating your mission and values, you are giving your potential recruits something to buy into, to align with. This is critical in attracting talent that aligns with your company, and will serve you for the long-term, over attracting talent that is merely looking for a paycheck.

Retainment videos are about maintaining this relationship you have painted once they become employees. A great recruitment video without proper engagement once inside will not yield the long-lasting relationships you desire. Video can be a great way to communicate corporate strategy, so that everyone from C-level executives to the intern feel a part of the overall mission. Celebrating milestones helps everyone see their efforts pan out over the long term. Additionally, capturing the success stories of the people you serve helps boost morale and see their efforts as tangible results.

5. Consumer Education.

Most consumers are not ready to buy now. They might know that they will need X, Y, and Z products or services in the future, but few consumers are ready to buy today. Therefore, putting out consistent consumer education pieces is a great way to 1. Stay top of mind, 2. Position yourself as an industry leader/expert, and 3. Warm-up consumers to the idea of engaging your business.

Consumer education topics can range widely, which affords you the opportunity to be original in your content and to speak directly to your customers’ interests and needs. From answering the most common questions customers have about your industry, to what customers need to know about current events/trends, to even highlighting your own products/services and how they are unique. Since topics are plentiful, these are easy to record in large quantities, which makes them ideal for social media sharing.

When you begin leveraging Consumer Education pieces, you become a resource to your customers. Now, people who are interested in your products/services routinely engage with your posts and follow your pages to learn more. By empathizing with their journey and questions, you build trust. These are highly effective once a customer is ready to buy because you’ve already educated them, established trust, and set yourself apart as the obvious choice. Therefore, when they do reach out, the sale is natural and streamlined. Much of the work of convincing the customer has already been done, so you simply focus on delivering the product/service and creating the ideal experience.

In conclusion, video is a powerful tool that allows you to connect, engage, and convert your audience into a driving force for your business. While each of these types of videos offers a broad application for most businesses, translating your own message, mission, and sense of self is a huge reward. With proper planning, execution, and implementation, you too can have videos that reflect your business and attracts the people who most align with you. If you ever have any questions about any of these videos, or how your brand might be translated into specific applications, we’d love to be a resource. Feel free to reach out via our contact page with your thoughts, questions, or project inquiries.