Creating video content to boost your brand is a marketing must-do in 2016. Companies using video attract 41% more search traffic than companies who don’t, and businesses using video grow revenue 49% faster year-over-year than ones that don’t (Aberdeen). 40% of consumers say that video increases the chance that they’ll purchase a product while shopping on their mobile device (Adobe).
If you're a marketer at a small-to-medium sized business or an entrepreneur just getting started making video content, all the options available to you can seem overwhelming—and like a lot of work.
On the other hand, if you've been creating video content for a while now, you may feel like you're running out of good ideas for new marketing videos.
Either way, this list of 35 marketing video ideas has some easy, beginner-friendly suggestions for engaging, compelling video content that you can put into action this week. Plus, they can all be done inexpensively—you won't have to blow your entire marketing budget making these videos.
1. Product demo video
If this is your first foray into video marketing, product demos are one of the foundational videos you should create. If you already have a product demo video, try creating one from a different perspective. Talk to existing customers or other members of your team and find out how they use your product, then make a product demo video from their perspective.
2. Product demo video from a current customer
If you've spoken to a customer in pursuit of idea #1 (and they're willing to appear on screen), create a product demo video featuring an actual customer. Not only will it give you a valuable piece of video marketing content, but it may give you a new perspective on how your customers interact with your product.
3. Thank-you video for new customers
You are probably already thanking your customers via email or on social media—continuing to interact with and delight your customers after purchase is the best way to ensure great word-of-mouth referrals and repeat business. If you have a standard email or social media post you use to thank customers, why not create a video version? You can embed or link to it in your usual thank-you email and create an even bigger impression on your customers.
4. Thank-you video for repeat customers
Here's where you can really personalize your video. Do you have a repeat customer who has been loyal to your brand for years? Perhaps a customer who routinely makes large purchases (and you want to make sure they continue to do so)? It only takes a few minutes to create a personalized video. Your important customers will feel like you've showed up at their door to thank them personally—and they'll remember the gesture when it's time to make their next purchase.
5. Short customer testimonial
83% of customers trust personal recommendations from friends or family when they're deciding between products or services (Nielsen Global Trust in Advertising Report, 2015 http://www.nielsen.com/ca/en/insights/reports/2015/global-trust-in-advertis…). The same survey found that 66% of respondents trusted product reviews posted online by fellow consumers. Leverage social proof by recruiting a great customer to give a brief testimonial on-camera. Even though the content comes from you, the inclusion of a real satisfied customer will add that personal touch to your marketing video which can build trust with potential customers.
6. 10-second feature demo
If your product has multiple features, demonstrate the most popular one (or one you feel deserves more attention) in a 10-15 second demo video. This makes great content for social media or pre-roll ads.
7. Turn a blog post into a video
If you have a blog post which has performed particularly well, consider using it as an outline to create your next marketing video. You can get creative and illustrate the blog post with props, storytelling scenes and more, or simply read the blog post on camera—associating a real person with the blog content will help build trust and familiarity with your audience.
8. Interview a key member of your organization
Interview (or have someone outside of your organization interview) a key member of your team—for example, your founder / CEO or lead product developer. Create a short video about something that will be interesting or relevant to your target customer. You could ask your founder about what led her to start the company, or your product developer about how he solves challenging design problems.
9. Q&A with a prospective customer or client
Address real customer challenges and objections by filming a real Q&A session between them and an appropriate member of your team. Ask your sales team to identify a customer who has recently been won or is about to close a deal, and see if they might be open to helping you create this kind of video marketing content (trust what sales has to say—don't risk scaring off a potential new client by just showing up with a camera!).
10. User-submitted product video
User-submitted videos can be hard to get, but are extremely valuable pieces of video marketing content. If you can get a video of a customer using your product and / or demonstrating its features, it will be even more compelling than a product demo video your company produced itself.
11. Whiteboard video
Whiteboard videos, or video scribing, are extremely popular because they're both visually effective and inexpensive to produce. All you really need is a camera, tripod, good lighting, and someone who can draw. Pick a relevant topic, such as a problem your product solves or a product tutorial, and use a combination of drawing and text to create a whiteboard video. Experiment with speeding up and slowing down clips for added effect.
12. Advanced how-to video
If your product has lesser known or more advanced features, create a how-to video illustrating the beyond-the-basics functions of your product. You can offer this video content to existing customers and use it as marketing content in the middle or near the bottom of your sales funnel.
13. Answering a common question
This takes your basic FAQ page to a new level—find out the most common question customers and prospects ask about your product, and answer it in a video. This could be as simple as a filmed explanation by a member of your team, or as complex as an advanced tutorial with supporting captions and graphics.
14. Value prop video
If you're not getting the kind of questions that enable you to easily come up with a topic for idea #13, perhaps your potential customers aren't fully aware of the value or purpose of your product. Create a winning value proposition that clearly highlights the benefits of / results of using your product, and shows how your solution is different from or better than other options. Once you have a solid value prop, consider the best way to illustrate it using video to give prospective customers a clearer understanding of what you do and why you do it.
15. Webinar invitation
Hosting a webinar is a little more complex than any of these immediately actionable video marketing ideas—but if you're planning one in the relatively near future, consider using a video invitation! Just like you'd match a party invitation to the theme and decor of the event, matching your invitation to the kind of content you're offering (a video webinar) will set expectations for your marketing event and can convince more people to attend. Have the hosts of the webinar record a short invitation and give a brief preview of the webinar content.
16. Man-on-the-street video—ask a question related to your product
To supplement top-of-funnel video marketing content (or create a brand new piece of content if you can get enough quality footage), try setting up on a busy street and asking passersby a question related to your product. For example, if your product is designed to save time doing X activity, ask people how much time they spend now on X activity and how they feel about spending their time on it. This can create a nice lead-in to a value prop video, to the next man-on-the-street video idea, or can be a standalone video.
17. Man-on-the-street video—demo your product
If your product is easy to understand and can be used anywhere, try a man-on-the-street setup where you ask passersby to try it out. You will likely have to set aside several hours to get enough footage for a few minutes of video, but it will be a powerful piece of marketing content and can be produced really inexpensively.
18. "About our team" introduction video
Resist the urge to create a 10-minute video outlining every team member's favorite hobbies, sports teams, and movies—instead, create a quick introduction video which familiarizes viewers with the key members of your team and tells them one or two things about each person. Putting faces to the names of customer-facing team members can help establish trust and create a more memorable brand.
19. Interview an industry expert
Look outside your team for this one. If you can arrange to meet up with an expert or thought leader in your industry, film an interview with them about the problem your product seeks to solve or about product innovation in your industry.
20. Behind-the-scenes look at your workspace
Prospective customers love to get a glimpse behind the curtain, provided what's behind it is worth looking at! If you have a unique workspace and company culture, create a behind-the-scenes video giving your customers an idea of what it's like to work at your company. Seeing a positive workspace can help them associate positive feelings with your product or offering.
21. How-it’s-made video
Maybe your office isn't all that exciting, but your production facility is pretty cool. If it's possible to show your product being made without giving away proprietary information, create a how-it's-made video showing key elements of the production process. Talk about what goes in to making your product and why it's designed that way.
22. Screencast video
If you are marketing a software product or mobile app, showing customers how it's made is probably not all that visually compelling (unless you really, really love coding). Instead, use a screen capture tool to demonstrate the use of your product, perhaps even including shots of earlier beta versions.
23. Seasonal videos
Without getting too cheesy, taking advantage of holidays and the beginning of new seasons can help you leverage new video content. Record a holiday greeting video from your staff or a parody horror film in time for Halloween. Be careful if you're planning to make a comedy video—you might think it's funny, but others may not. Recruit some honest reviewers to let you know if your video is a hit or a miss.
24. Company announcement video
If you are celebrating a milestone, expanding your production facilities, or releasing a new product, don't just tweet about it! Creating a short announcement video featuring team members can help you get more info to your customers than a press release or social media post, and is much more likely to get attention. If it's a new product you're announcing, include a preview or demo model if possible.
25. Unboxing / haul video
Who knew that in the 21st century, so many people would be enthralled by videos of other people opening boxes? You may not understand it, but in 2013 alone, 6.5 years' worth of unboxing and haul videos were uploaded to YouTube. There are pro unboxers who will shoot a video for you for a fee, or you can watch a few and take notes to create your own. Bonus points, of course, if your packaging is visually appealing.
26. Contest announcement video
Holding a giveaway? Announce contest details with a short video instead of a blog post or social media update (although you can still use those to share extra contest details). Just beware of asking people to submit their own video to enter the contest—unless your prize is extremely valuable, many otherwise engaged prospects won't do it.
27. Myth-busting video
Does a pervasive myth run rampant in your industry? Does it create objections or challenges in your sales process? If so, consider making a myth-busting video proving your point–and how your product overcomes any mythical hurdles.
28. Top 10 list
People love lists (you made it to #28, didn't you?). If you're producing list-based content as part of your content marketing plan, turn your next top 10 list into video content. You can do this with visual storytelling, as a whiteboard video, as a screencast, or any other way that illustrates your content.
29. Product comparison video
If your product consistently outshines the competition in product demos, consider making a product comparison video. Don't be too biased in your direction—using it as an excuse to bash your competition on screen will be off-putting. If you can find a real customer to try both products, even better.
30. Pitch video
A pitch video is designed to get investment in your company. Even if you're not pitching to investors right now, it's a good thing to have as part of your content arsenal. A pitch video should be short, informative, and have your product as the opening shot. The majority of your video real estate should be talking about the features and benefits of your product.
31. Offer video
Have a new offer for your customers and prospects? Let them know with a short video attached to an email or social media post. If you're releasing a new eBook, whitepaper, infographic, or other piece of digital content, create a video quickly highlighting the key points of your new content and telling viewers how to get it (a custom call-to-action right in your video is the best way).
32. Tell a story—with props
Now we're getting into more creative territory. If you're an excellent visual storyteller (and have some decent writing and acting talent to back you up), you can experiment with video content that is less obviously for marketing purposes. Tell a fun, compelling (but short!) story using your product as a prop, drawing attention to what it does.
33. Offbeat product demo
Like the last idea, this one takes some writing talent and visual creativity. Create a product demo video that shows your product being used for something other than its intended purpose. You can then transition into a real product demo video or present another call-to-action once you have the viewer's attention.
34. Video addressing common objections
If your sales team runs into a common objection during the sales process, or you know a challenge often faced by prospects in your sales funnel, create a video addressing this objection and how your product / team / process can help them overcome it.
35. Piggyback on a current event or topic
This takes some finesse, but can land you serious views if done right. Take advantage of a trending topic or current event to create related video content which has a call-to-action at the end. Just beware of attaching your brand to controversial topics—it can backfire. For example, during election season, a video in which customers "vote" for your product is a good idea, but explicitly supporting an actual candidate probably isn't.
Ready to make effective, compelling, budget-saving marketing videos? Sign up for WeVideo Unlimited now & get all the unlimited features you need to create any of these marketing videos!
