Here’s a quick rundown of cost-effective videos that you may want to consider to be part of your marketing, promotion, and sales strategy: 

1.) Explainer Videos

These short videos are often featured prominently on an organization’s home page for prospective customers to quickly learn about the product or service you offer.  The videos tend to involve animated graphics or characters, “live” screen footage, or a demo of the product or service.  Explainer videos are important for getting your sales message across to prospects effortlessly and effectively when they find you online.  

2.) Social Media Advertisements

Many social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram have features that allow organizations to create paid video advertisements (often referred to as “sponsored” content) that appear on User’s feeds who are within specific demographic categories that you set.  The video content ranges from a full “commercial,” a direct address presentation by a spokesperson, or simple video footage (or “b-roll”) of the product, service, or experience offered. Social media videos are a great way to reach your audience when they are in “impulse” buying state-of-mind or to help build your overall brand awareness.

3.) Thought Leadership/Video Podcasts

Thought Leadership and/or video podcasts are regularly posted (usually daily, weekly, or monthly) videos that cover topics or ideas within the industry that your organization is part of.  Presenters often use a cellphone or webcam to capture footage since the video’s style are often intended to be “on the fly” or purposely lo-fi.  That said, there are also a lot of video podcasts, web shows, and content creators in general whose videos have professional-level production quality.  Considering the purpose of the videos, the taste of your audience, and the overall style of your brand will determine what approach your organization adopts.  Thought leadership videos are useful in creating “raving fans” of your organization, creating and keeping an audience, and building your credibility as an expert in your industry.

4.) Training Videos

Training videos can sometimes be similar in style to Explainer videos, though training videos tend to be part of a series rather than standalone.  The purpose of training videos is to provide information to your prospects or customers on how to get the best value out of your product or services, to keep your audience engaged, and to improve SEO.

5.) Documentary-style Corporate Videos

This style of video mixes interviews with stakeholders (organizational officers or employees, customers, outside experts, etc) with images of people interacting with your product or service, news clips, animated graphics, product demos, and other types of non-interview footage (b-roll).  Topics covered could include the story/history of the organization, company culture, the announcement of a new product, and beyond.  Corporate videos are often intended for prospects, customers, and other stakeholders to get to know the people behind the organization, what it stands for, what it is like to be a part of it .

6.) Narrative Commercial Advertisements

These are classic “commercial” videos like the ones we see on TV or are played before our favorite Youtube videos.  As you all know, this style of video takes on a number of different forms.  That said, the goal of these videos is pretty similar: To present an organization’s product or services in a unique, creative, and memorable way and to embed the brand in a positive way in the minds of viewers. The videos tend to be more creative, more story-oriented, more emotionally-oriented, and require more time and money to produce than other types. With that in mind, delving into the feasibility and ROI of producing these videos is important to be clear on before you start such an endeavor.