Video is taking the marketing world by storm. It’s exciting, modern and – when it’s done right – captures the tone of your business down to a tee. Whether we’re talking about the consumer, other businesses, or even your own staff, people love well-made, effective, inspiring video.
But Jim from accounts in front of a dodgy green screen just won’t cut it. Businesses have to step up to the creative plate in order to beat the competition. You have to design your video for the 21st century, make it versatile and adaptable to different platforms, and learn how to use promotional videos for business growth, morale boosting and spreading the love for your brand.
How Can I Use Promotional Videos for Business?
Social Media
Social media is all about meeting your audience where they’re at. Your ads need to fit in, yet stand out just enough to make people sit up and take notice over the hundreds of other ads they see as they scroll.
Fitting in:
So, your target market uses Facebook? Get clued up on what promotional videos for business look like on the platform – think captions and headings. In general, Instagram users are younger, scrollers, and less sensitive to high-quality video. Research the vertical format, and figure out the difference between main feed ads, company page tone and Stories adverts.
The same process works for Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, Reddit and further down the rabbit hole of the internet. Just work out where your audience is, and how you can get to them.
Standing Out:
Look at how your competitors are using these platforms to engage their audiences with their videos. You can never guarantee a viral hit, so make sure you’re doing the groundwork to get as many impressions as possible. A promotional video for business should link to meaningful and helpful landing pages. Ensure your campaign idea is crystal clear before you set anything up.
Training
When your video isn’t customer facing, there can be a huge temptation to dial down the production value. Though it may be shown to fewer people than your target markets, the fact is that these are still promotional videos for business because they influence the very people who are your promoters.
From teams in customer service, production, head office and shop-floor sales, if everyone has the same passion for the business as the founder, they make a collective impression on the public. Rather than having the founder speak in every team training session, video can capture everyone’s drive and passion.
Promotions
If you’re not sure why video is at the heart of promotional campaigns, think about John Lewis at Christmas. Each year, this television ad underpins a host of merchandising opportunities, visual imagery in stores, customer experiences and, crucially, changes the attitude of weary workers dreading the Christmas season.
Every Moz the Monster plushie bought, every visit to the Elton John Experience at the flagship Oxford Street store, all lead back to the central advert. A great promotional video for business builds worlds around it.
Demos
Dragon’s Den wouldn’t be the same if candidates just submitted a one-page resume and a picture of their product.
The ability to see how the product works, or how a service operates, in shiny, detailed HD is a huge boost to companies and customers alike. The more information you can share about your product in your promotional videos, the more likely you are to get customers who really understand what your business is about, and are likely to stick around for years to come.
Demos don’t all look the same. With new tech, a demo can look just as awesome as a regular ad. Promotional videos for business just have to figure out what the target audience is asking, and answer those questions as truthfully, yet stylishly, as possible.
Testimonials
Video testimonials have been around for years. However, in the new age of TripAdvisor, a real customer’s perspective on a product or service is now just as powerful as a full-blown TV advert.
Many businesses worry about too much promotion. Whilst we’d argue that this doesn’t really exist, a way to get around that is hearing the promotion from a different perspective.
There are loads of ways to do these: sponsoring YouTube reviews, asking customers in real-time, or following a customer’s journey over time. If you can strike a balance between your company values and the customer’s outside view, your video will feel more authentic.
Video is so versatile. How can you find the perfect combination for your business?
Work out how your company can improve on helping customers to understand the brand, make a conversion and stick around for the future. At least one of these above options will help you on your way. If you’re interested in creating a promotional video for your business, have a chat with us about how we can help you achieve those goals.