OK. You get it. By now you’ve read enough articles, downloaded plenty of eBooks, and attended enough seminars that tell you video is the future of marketing. But, you might not know the best type or most relevant videos to produce. Or, maybe you’re having a difficult time convincing your clients or team what types of videos they actually need.

Luckily, video provides an essential form of communication because it is so adaptable. With the right planning, the content you capture interviewing folks about your company’s mission can support your Sales team; educate your clients about your services; rally an audience to support your cause, or bolster recruitment efforts.

Quality Matters

But with nearly 300 hours of video content uploaded every minute to Youtube, you’re going to need to stand out from the crowd. Your videos need to look good, carry a tight message, and resonate with your target audience. Today’s audience is smart. They’re pretty much video consuming professionals – it’s estimated that the average adult in the U.S. spends over 5 hours a day watching video. That’s a lot. In order for your video to be a part of that 5 hours, your audience needs to be entertained and informed. If it doesn’t do either, viewers won’t even finish watching your video… let alone share it. Bottom line: quality matters.

Okay. So your video content needs to look good, and be adapted for social? But what content should you produce for your brand? Here are the some of the most important videos you’ll want to consider when developing your video content strategy:

  1. Overview/Mission Video
    Here are a few examples of strong overview videos to help guide your conversation with your team or potential video production partner:

    1. WeddingWire – shows how WeddingWire is the center of your wedding universe.
    2. TAPS – Demonstrates the organization’s mission by showcasing what a typical day at the organization looks like.
    3. Risual – Not all Overview videos have to be serious. Risual does a great job of explaining what they are but tells their story by letting the viewer know that they like to have fun and don’t take themselves too seriously.
    4. Practicus – Sometimes it makes more sense to explain who you are and what you do by using motion graphics.
  2. Branded Content
    Here are some examples of branded content we’ve been loving:

    1. Yeti – Yeti produces a series of short films that resonates with its audience and the videos don’t necessarily say anything about their coolers. The subjects in the story just happen to use Yeti products. These videos have been extremely effective and are often pointed to as one of the biggest reasons for Yeti’s growth in overcoming Coleman as the number one seller of coolers.
    2. Dodge Ram: Praise – A great example of how Dodge speaks to what’s important to them and trusting that the message resonates with that matters to their audience.
    3. Sevenly – Pure, simple storytelling that doesn’t throw the brand in your face, but truly speaks to who they are and what they believe in.
    4. Bayer: Leaps – Another example of finding a message and a style that connects with a core audience.
  3. Case Study/Testimonial Video
    Here are some case study videos we’ve seen do a great job of highlighting the experience of a current or former client/customer engaging with the brand’s product or service:

    1. Code Academy – Good example of an end user explaining why the product was so beneficial to them a concept that easily resonates with many of their viewers.
    2. Pulsante – An example of humanizing a product, focusing on the impact the device has on the individual using it rather than the specifics of what the product does.
  4. Explainer
    Explainer videos, as the name implies, simplify and break down a product or service. Here are some we’ve found compelling:

    1. Vox – There are a number of great examples from Vox, but overall, they do a great job of breaking down rather complex material into engaging, digestible bites.
    2. Amazing Things Happen – Autism is a complex subject to break down for viewers, but this animation does a great job an relating the importance of understanding to the viewer.
    3. 1 Password – a great example of explaining what a product is and how it works, ultimately convincing the viewer why they need it.
    4. Mercatus Center – Not sure about you… but the scope of practice laws sounds pretty complex to me.
  5. Culture Videos
    Here are some culture videos we like – they do a great job showing off what makes these organizations unique.

    1. BambooHR – A great example of a video where the company directly addresses a core value that is essential to their success.
    2. Wegmans – An example of a video that demonstrates what you can expect working at Wegmans.
  6. Product Demonstration Videos
    These product demonstration videos do a great job of showing the product in a way that the audience can relate to. The viewers can see themselves using the product, and imagine a world where they can benefit just like the person in the video:

    1. Grammarly – A nice story that shows how a user’s continued use of the product benefits them in the end.
    2. Purple – A traditional “features” demonstration, that breaks down what it is about the design that separates Purple’s bed design from the competition, but it’s executed with such a unique and clever twist.
    3. Google – An oldie, but a goodie. A cute story that focuses in on one feature of a product and opens up a world of possibilities.

Now, you might have a few (or many) ideas in mind for what kind of video you’ll want to create. Here at 522, we can help you focus your idea and develop a video strategy. Oh yeah – don’t forget to reach out!