Video Marketing Strategy: Harness the Power of Video

Types of marketing videos

There are different types of marketing videos. Which ones you choose to incorporate into your video marketing campaign will depend on factors like your company’s products or services, your marketing goals, your target audience, and your budget. Following are some of the most common types of video content.

Commercials

Paid commercial advertising is the original form of video marketing and it’s still a great option for reaching a wide audience. In addition to television, commercial advertising spots are also available on streaming services and video platforms like YouTube, where you can customize the way viewers interact with your ads—whether they’re clickable or skippable, for example.

How-to videos

A how-to video shows customers how to use a product or service. It gives step-by-step instructions or a hands-on demonstration to help viewers understand the product’s features and benefits. These videos engage and educate the target audience, building trust and credibility for the brand.

By providing practical information in an easy-to-follow format, a how-to video’s purpose is to make potential customers more familiar with a product and give them the confidence that it will meet their needs. How-to videos allow brands to connect with customers, showcase their expertise, and increase knowledge of their products or services.

Explainer videos

These videos are used to explain complicated ideas, products, or services. They often use elements like graphics and animation and can be posted on your company’s website, shared on social media, or included in a sales presentation to help increase consumers’ comfort with and confidence in your brand.

Behind-the-scenes videos

Behind-the-scenes videos offer a glimpse into the making, processes, or people behind a product or brand. These videos provide an insider perspective, showcasing the human side of the business, and helping potential customers feel like they’re part of the brand community.

The footage often includes production insights, employee introductions, and the chance to showcase a brand story. This type of content humanizes a company, adding authenticity and relatability, which can enhance consumer trust and loyalty.

By giving customers a peek inside the company, behind-the-scenes video campaigns can also engage customers emotionally, offering a unique and compelling narrative that creates a sense of connection with video viewers.

Product demo videos

These videos demonstrate the features, functions, and benefits of a product or service. Many video marketing strategies use these videos to show how a product works or how its features can meet customers’ needs.

Product demo videos are usually aimed at customers who have already shown some interest in the product and are looking for more information. They may also target customers who have already made a purchase and are looking for guidance about getting the most out of that product.

In these videos, footage of the product itself is often paired with voice narration, on-screen text, and shots of someone using the product. Such informative videos are a great way to increase customer satisfaction and convert interest into sales.

Customer testimonials

Hearing from satisfied customers can be a very effective video marketing strategy. This type of video content provides authentic and relatable endorsements (also known as social proof) that build your brand’s credibility and trust. You can use these videos on your website, on digital channels like Facebook and YouTube, and as paid advertisements either online or on traditional broadcast media.

Personalized messages

Sometimes you want to add a personal touch to your marketing. Using personalized message videos can be a surprising and memorable way to do that. If you’re a small business, you can add a quick thank-you video to the email confirmation of each order. Or consider an end-of-the-year personalized video message to your top clients. In fact, it’s even possible now to generate personalized message videos automatically, including the customer’s name in a video voice-over or on-screen text.

Event videos

You can also use videos to give your customers a virtual front-row seat to live experiences like conferences, workshops, or product announcements. Event videos can help the audience feel like they’re right there, giving a brand an authentic and engaging way to connect with customers and foster a sense of community.

They can also be a great way to stretch your video marketing budget. Filming an event that’s already happening can save significant cost in the video creation process.

Benefits of video marketing

Although producing high-quality video content can involve more time, work, and cost than other types of marketing, the payoff is worth it. A good marketing video—whether it’s an instructional video about the use of a new product or personalized videos thanking your top clients—can attract more customers, keep them engaged longer, and boost your brand’s overall marketing efforts. Read on to learn more about some of these benefits.

Improves search engine ranking

A good video marketing strategy can improve your brand’s ranking in search engine results. Search engines like Google prioritize diverse and engaging content. High-quality video content can keep users engaged longer, which is one factor used in search engine ranking algorithms.

In addition, videos that include important search engine optimization keywords in their titles, descriptions, and transcripts help search engines understand and locate relevant content, directing customers who search for those terms to your videos.

Videos can also appear on search results pages, including AI Overviews, inviting users to click through to your content. And when videos are shared on social media platforms, they link back to the original content, another factor in optimizing your search engine ranking. The more users interact with your videos—liking, commenting, or sharing—the better for your brand’s search engine discoverability.

Increases engagement

Videos are more engaging than text or static images, keeping viewers engaged for longer. Not only will video marketing increase customers’ attention to your brand, it can also improve your overall engagement when these videos are shared via text, email, and social media.

Builds trust

Integrating video into your business’s marketing strategy fosters trust by creating a more personal connection with your customers. Videos allow customers to see the people behind the product or service and the use of music and compelling images can also help create an emotional experience.

You can further enhance confidence in your brand’s expertise and reliability through informative videos, customer testimonials, and behind-the-scenes experiences. These types of videos can convey messages more easily than text or still images alone.

Enhances brand awareness

In a crowded marketplace, a video marketing campaign can help attract consumer attention. Videos are everywhere on social media and their dynamic nature allows you to use storytelling to connect with your audience. Once this connection has been established, viewers are likely to share these videos directly with others or on their social media accounts.

The more viewers your brand videos attract, the better you can strengthen your company’s identity, brand recognition, and customer awareness.

Boosts sales

The ultimate goal of any business is to increase sales and profits. Video marketing can help by appealing to customers in a way that’s compelling and engaging. Being able to see a product in use or watch a video introduction to the company’s founder can be the final push it takes to make the sale. And since video is easily shareable, happy customers spread the word to others, making it one of the most effective ways of organically reaching a new audience.

Challenges of video marketing

Video marketing campaigns come with challenges in addition to benefits. Being aware of these and planning ahead can help you prepare your strategy, budget, and schedule to ensure success.

High cost

If you decide to incorporate videos into your marketing plans, you’ll want to make sure you create quality videos that represent your brand well. This can be expensive.

Although the cost of producing videos is often higher than other marketing tools, the return on investment makes developing a video strategy worth it. And as technology advances, production costs can come down. Following are some of the things to consider when putting together your video budget.

Professional equipment

While almost everyone has shot a quick video on their cell phone, to make great videos for professional use, you’ll want to shoot the footage on a high-quality video camera. Your video may also need equipment like microphones and lighting. Much of this equipment can be rented, but it’s rare to find a low-cost option for professional equipment.

Location and set design

Unless your marketing videos are completely animated, you’ll have to think about where they’re going to be filmed. You may need to rent a temporary space for filming or hire an expert set dresser to make sure the location is production friendly, safe, and visually appealing.

If you’re filming a behind-the-scenes video about your production process, you’ll probably be using your already-existing space. But even in your own office or manufacturing facility, it may be necessary to make adjustments for space, lighting, and safety. And if there is sensitive information or items like product prototypes in the background, you’ll want to make sure to remove them!

Make sure your budget allocates appropriate funds for location rental, set design, and decoration, and that your production schedule takes this into account as well.

Talent

Unless your video exclusively features your employees, customer testimonials, or event attendees, you may need to pay for professional on-camera talent like actors or spokespeople. Even if you only need voice talent, using a professional (and working that cost into your budget) will improve the quality of your completed project.

Production crew

If you’ve ever been on a professional video set, you may have been surprised at how many people it takes to produce just a few seconds of content. From the director to camera operators to hair, makeup, and costume specialists, the number of people who need to be hired and paid can add up quickly.

Licensing fees

If your video uses any copyrighted material, like music or images, you’ll need permission to use it and to pay any necessary licensing fees. Another option is to use music in the public domain or have an appropriate music budget and get the proper permissions—which can often require paying for legal services to acquire the rights.

Production

You probably know that there will be costs associated with producing your video content. Staff, equipment, space, and any necessary permits or insurance should be accounted for in the budget. But don’t forget other costs like meals for the crew and dressing rooms, if necessary.

And because filming videos always takes longer than expected, make sure to budget for multiple takes and maybe even overtime. You don’t want to find that you don’t have enough footage for high-quality content.

Post production

Once the video footage has been shot, the work isn't done. The next steps are known as post production and involve editing, sound design, and other elements critical for presenting a polished, professional video. It may need to be trimmed, the resolution sharpened, and the sound adjusted to make sure that viewers can hear voices over any background noise.

Although there are many free video editing software programs available, you’ll probably want to invest in professional software and pay for the expertise of a professional post production specialist to ensure the best outcome.

Animation, graphics, and special effects

If your video includes any extra creative elements, you should make sure to budget for those as well. Many marketing videos make use of elements like animation to explain complicated concepts, graphics to show off a product’s features, or even special effects. These can enhance the quality and usefulness of a video, but they can also significantly increase the cost of software, equipment, or professionals with specialized skills.

Lack of technical knowledge

Creating polished, professional videos often requires skill and technical expertise. Professionals study for years and dedicate a lot of time to keeping up with the latest equipment, software, and techniques.

Unlike other marketing tasks, video may not be something that your marketing staff already has the experience and know-how to handle, and it’s not realistic for them to develop these skills quickly. If you are going to make video marketing an ongoing part of your overall marketing strategy, you should consider hiring staff who have specialized training and experience in this area or finding an outside vendor whose work fits the type of mood and message you want to send.

Crowded marketplace

Videos are everywhere. We’re used to being able to scroll through an endless stream of video content on social media, see in-the-moment video updates on top news stories, and pick up any skill via video tutorials.

In fact, according to Statista, more than 500 hours of videos are uploaded to YouTube every minute! With all that content available, it can be a challenge to stand out. That’s why it’s important to make a solid marketing plan and create the best quality videos you can to capture viewers’ attention.

Keeping up with platform changes

As the technology for creating, uploading, and hosting videos improves, so does the need to adapt. Social media platforms frequently update their algorithms, features, and policies, potentially leading to decreased visibility and diminished effectiveness.

Your Marketing department needs to invest the time and effort to keep up with these changes and adjust as necessary to make sure your video strategy is still reaching and engaging your target audience. Make sure you monitor changes and stay up-to-date with shifting requirements so your video marketing campaign is as effective as possible.

Six steps for creating an effective video marketing strategy

Once you’ve decided that video marketing is right for your business, you’ll want to create a well-designed marketing strategy to make sure your videos are high quality, well planned, and targeted to meet your needs. Use the following steps when crafting your plan to make sure you don’t miss any important elements.

Step #1: Determine your goals

It can be tempting to jump right into the production process. But don’t rush—it’s important to define your digital marketing campaign’s goals to ensure that every part of the process is focused on the outcome you want to achieve.

For example, is your goal to increase brand awareness? Rather than packing your videos with information, you may want to make them short and simple so they can be shared easily. Consider using humor or an emotional element to capture attention and make them memorable.

On the other hand, if you are introducing a new product line and want to show off its features, you may want to make a series of explainer videos with a professional, informative tone. Consider doing some research at this stage—looking at the social media and video platforms where you might post your work to see what style, length, and format work best.

Step #2: Define your audience

Once you’ve decided on your video goals, think about whom you’re trying to reach. If you’re looking to expand your customer base, you may want catchy, memorable brand videos that give viewers an overall feel for your brand and its mission.

If you expect that your target audience will consist of primarily mobile users, your video content should be designed for easy viewing on smaller screens and with lower bandwidth requirements.

Step #3: Set a budget

Next, determine how much you can spend on all aspects of your marketing video, from concept and script to hosting and distribution. In addition to the obvious elements like production costs, talent payments, and music rights, you may need to budget for placement on social media and video sites if the videos are part of an advertising campaign. It’s also a good idea to allow some flexibility in the budget for unexpected costs like reshoots or extra editing so you can make sure you’re getting the best content.

Step #4: Produce quality content

Make sure you understand the cost of filming and producing quality content. If you’re using outside vendors, consider getting more than one estimate and look at their previous work to see if it seems like a good fit for your tone, style, budget, and quality expectations. Don’t skimp on filming time or necessary equipment. Even if you’re working with a tight budget, consider shooting fewer or shorter videos rather than lowering their quality.

Step #5: Plan your release schedule

Of course, you want everyone to see your explainer videos, video ads, or other digital marketing content as soon as possible. But make sure you have a plan for when you’ll send them out or post them. Maybe you want to time their release to coincide with an event or promotion. If your explainer videos focus on a new product, posting them just before the product’s release can generate a sense of anticipation.

Step #6: Analyze the metrics

After your videos are out in the world, you can get valuable information to help you with your next video marketing efforts. Look at information like the number of views and the engagement rate—the number of people who followed up on a video by clicking on a link or sharing the content.

If you have more than one video, you can compare factors like video length and CTAs to see which one was most effective. Then, when you create content in the future, you can use the elements that your audience reacted to best.

You may also want to look at demographic data and which digital channels were most successful. Most social media and video platforms have built-in tools to help you gather information and gain insights. You might also consider conducting your own follow-up research with customers or using a focus group to determine which ad formats or video content most resonated with viewers.

Once you have all of this valuable data, you can craft future video marketing strategies, plans, and budgets to make your videos as impactful as possible.

How to create effective, high-quality videos

The heart of your video marketing campaign is the content. You want your video ads, personalized videos, or other digital marketing content to be of the highest quality and to generate the maximum results. Here are some aspects to keep in mind to help you tell the best brand story possible and make the most of your video marketing efforts and budget.

Consider using an expert

Unfortunately, your extensive experience shooting videos of family holidays or pet antics probably doesn’t give you the expertise needed to shoot high-quality videos for your company. Even though many of us have advanced smartphone technology right in our pockets, you’ll get the best results with professional equipment.

There are times when you might want a more homemade feel and you may be able to save some money by shooting some in-the-moment footage for short social media posts. But even for these, it may be a good idea to use a professional to make sure the technical details are sound before you release the final result.

Create compelling content

There’s a huge market for video content. But that also means that your product or service is competing for viewers against a lot of other videos. Here are some things to keep in mind that will help make your content as compelling, shareable, and memorable as possible.

Storytelling

Every great video tells a story. In the context of video marketing, this doesn’t necessarily mean something that’s fictional or has a bad guy. Rather, it’s about presenting your brand story or message in a structured and engaging way.

Think about drawing readers in at the beginning of the video, getting them invested in your message, and then leaving them with a satisfying conclusion and a call to action. Your marketing video may have characters who are customers using your service for the first time, someone with a problem that your product can solve, or even the compelling and inspirational story of your company’s founding and growth.

There’s a reason why stories have been part of human history for thousands of years—they capture our attention, create connections, and leave us with a memorable conclusion that sticks with us and compels us to share it with others.

Writing

Every video needs a good script. This is especially important if you are demonstrating the features of a new product and want to make sure you’re being both informative and succinct. But even if you want the video to seem like an in-the-moment look at your manufacturing facility, having an idea about what you want the video to convey will help make sure you get the right footage.

Visual appeal

Because video is such a visual medium, make sure your work is visually appealing and that the style matches your brand aesthetic. You’ll also want to shoot your videos in a high enough resolution so that they look good on a high-definition computer monitor.

On-screen talent

If you’re making an animated explainer video or a series of video ads that only feature your company’s products, you won’t need to worry about who’s appearing on-screen. But most videos include at least one person. Using an actor, spokesperson, or other professional who’s used to being on camera helps create content that feels polished.

If you want to use footage of your company’s founder, employees, or customers, keep in mind that being in front of the camera may be a new or uncomfortable experience. Allow enough time for them to relax and do more than one take so you can use the best one. In addition, consider hiring someone to manage their hair, makeup, or wardrobe to help everyone look their best and to adjust for the unique lighting and color needs of the video.

Keep an eye on consistency

Even though your video marketing strategy may include many different types of videos, you should establish a consistent brand identity across them all. Cohesive elements like visual style, colors, and fonts help reinforce brand recognition and a sense of reliability.

In addition to visual elements, creating a consistent tone for your videos can be a great way to stand out and set yourself apart. Whether it’s humor, heartwarming nostalgia, or scientific expertise, make sure your marketing videos are all sending a consistent message about your brand.

Limit the video’s length

The best length for your digital marketing videos will depend on their purpose. A single customer testimonial might be only a few seconds, while demo videos of a new product will be longer. And some video or social platforms limit the length of videos that can be posted. In general, however, keeping videos short and succinct is the best way to make sure that viewers stay engaged and interested.

Don’t rely on audio

While good audio—whether it’s voice-over, music, or dialogue—should be a part of your video marketing, think of video as primarily a visual medium. The images should captivate your audience and tell the story, with audio to support your message.

Make sure there’s a call to action (CTA)

You want your viewers to like your videos, of course, but you’re making them to serve your marketing goals. Whether that’s encouraging viewers to contact you for more information about an insurance policy or sharing a heartwarming video with their friends to raise your brand profile, let them know what to do!

Your CTA may be a direct appeal to call a phone number or visit a website, or it may be a link they can click to post the video on their social media. You might also be asking them to purchase a product or subscribe to your company's newsletter. Whatever it is, make sure the next action you want your audience to take is clear and simple.

Distribution channels for your brand videos

There are many different ways to get your explainer videos, video ads, or demo videos out into the world. Some distribution channels are free and offer extensive information about viewer metrics but may have specific requirements that you’ll need to follow.

You may choose to focus on one video platform or a combination of different ones for different types of videos. Think about what makes the most sense for your brand and make it part of your video marketing plan.

Your own site

Your company’s website is a great place to feature your video campaigns, whether they be on your homepage or in a blog post. You have complete control of the content on your site, including the decision about whether to allow viewers to like or comment on videos.

It also means that when customers find your videos through a search engine, they’re already on your site, where they can get more information about your products or even make a purchase. In addition, you may have access to more detailed information about viewership numbers and demographics than if your video is hosted elsewhere.

However, video files are often large. You need a lot of storage space to host them on your own server. The bandwidth required to play videos may slow down the performance of your site as a whole and end up raising your costs. In addition, it may be harder for customers to find your videos than if they’re on a popular site like YouTube, which suggests content to viewers who have similar interests.

Video sites

Some websites are designed primarily to showcase videos and are optimized for posting and tracking video content. They’re a great way to find an audience that has demonstrated interest in similar content.

YouTube

YouTube is one of the first and best-known video hosting sites online. It’s a great place to reach your audience and even just having a video presence on the site can help your search engine results. You’ll want to create a channel for your company and plan out your video release schedule. Since Google bought YouTube, it’s easy to create a Google account for your brand and use it to create a YouTube Brand Account.

YouTube offers features like Playlists, which encourages viewers to keep watching similar content, so they can easily find your videos if they’re watching others like it. In addition, you can track lots of metrics like retention rate, traffic source, and demographics.

Vimeo

Vimeo is another popular video hosting site. Vimeo videos are ad free and the site offers the ability to post videos of unlimited length. Vimeo’s robust tech support solutions can help you keep up with the changing technology of video production and posting.

Social media

Social media sites are another great place to post your content. Social videos that are short and lend themselves well to being shared are great for posting on platforms generally.

Facebook

Facebook is one of the most popular platforms for social media marketing. You may already have a Facebook page for your business where you can post content for free. Facebook also has some unique tools for businesses like a “Very responsive to messages” badge, assuring customers that you answer queries quickly.

TikTok

With more than one billion active users, TikTok is a great choice for videos that are brief, memorable, and shareable. TikTok also offers business accounts. They’re free and give you access to video performance insights, business tools, and helpful protections against using music that might violate a copyright.

Instagram

Videos can be posted on Instagram in 3 different ways—as a reel, a story, or a post. Reels are short videos that are only available on the mobile app. Instagram stories are brief video clips, photos, or text that are meant to be in-the-moment content since they disappear after 24 hours. Look for users tagging your brand in their stories and re-share them to build a sense of excitement about your products.

Posts are usually still images, but a post that contains several images, known as a carousel, can include short videos. Posts are square in format and work well for posting more informative content since the accompanying text can accommodate more words.

LinkedIn

For videos that are more focused on business-to-business audiences, LinkedIn is a good option. The maximum duration for videos on LinkedIn is 15 minutes, with a maximum file size of 5GB. So, while it might be a great place to share the keynote address from your annual shareholders’ meeting, a video of the full event will need to be edited for length or broken down into smaller segments.

Online review sites

When consumers want to check out a hotel, restaurant, or local business, online review sites are often their first stop. In addition to user-generated content, businesses can post photos, videos, and information to help consumers find what they need.

Yelp

Yelp features consumer reviews of all kinds of businesses, including restaurants, retail shops, and service providers. Yelp limits businesses to 1 video for each listing, so you’ll want to craft it carefully. In addition, you’ll have to pay for the Yelp Ads service to upload a video. The video must be under 2 minutes, less than 500MB, and “clear and informative.”

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor is a popular site for anyone looking for reviews of hotels, tourist destinations, and other travel products. TripAdvisor requires businesses to subscribe to their Business Advantage program in order to post a brand video and limits each business to only 1 video. It’s crucial to make this video as good as possible to best show off your business.

Alongside content

With all of the channels available for your marketing videos, it can be easy to forget about paid advertising opportunities. Whether it’s broadcast television, cable providers, or streaming services that include ads, this is still a great way to get your videos in front of an audience, especially those who may not already be familiar with your brand.

The cost varies with the expected size and reach of the audience, and you will find that there may be more restrictions on things like exact length and content. But it’s still a great advertising campaign strategy, whether your video content appears alongside a locally produced news show or right in the middle of the Big Game.

Email

Finally, it’s not necessary to wait for an audience to find you. If you have a mailing list of customers who have already indicated an interest in your product or service, you can deliver your brand video directly to their email inbox.

Emailed videos should be short, given the bandwidth it takes to send them. And you should avoid overwhelming customers with lots of video content in their email accounts. But it could be a great option if you want to send instructional videos to people who have just bought a product or even personalized message videos after a large purchase or near the holidays. As an alternative to sending large video files, you can host the videos on your site or on a video platform and include a link in the email.

How to make sure your videos are seen

Some of your video marketing viewers may come as organic traffic—visitors who find your content naturally without the use of paid advertising. Make sure you’ve optimized your video content, description, and other information to help it rank at the top of search engine results when customers are looking for relevant content.

Video title optimization

One of the first things viewers will see when they come across your video is its title. Your marketing video should have a concise and compelling title that accurately reflects its content. Think about incorporating keywords that customers might search for and keep it short. Titles of more than 60 characters may get cut off or be too wordy to catch viewers’ eyes when they turn up in an organic search.

Not sure which title will work best? Try out a couple of different ones with A/B testing to see which draws the most clicks. You can even use yourself as a test subject. Search for videos about something you’re interested in or maybe even for videos posted by others in your industry. See which titles grab your attention and which ones you’re compelled to click on first.

Description and tags

When writing your video descriptions, make them concise and compelling and make sure to include relevant keywords to help users find your content. You can mix it up, using both broad and specific tags to reach as many people as possible. For example, if your video is showing off your independent bookstore’s new coffee counter, use broad terms, like bookstore and coffee shop, as well as more targeted terms, like the name of your town or neighborhood.

Thumbnails

A thumbnail is a static preview image from a video that is displayed before playing it. When you create and post video content, you can choose which image from your video is used for the thumbnail.

This image should be high quality and relevant to the video content. Usually, a simple image works best—with clear visuals and minimal, readable text. Consider testing different thumbnail options to see which generates the most clicks, and work toward a consistent thumbnail style across your brand.

Transcription, subtitles, and translation

Making your videos as accessible to as many people as possible is another method for enhancing their discoverability. You can include audio transcriptions, which help search engines understand the content and offer people the material they’re looking for. In addition, including translations of transcriptions or subtitles means that speakers of other languages can find your content too since search engines often rank multilingual content higher!

Examples of effective video marketing campaigns

Every brand’s video marketing approach is unique, but if you’re looking for inspiration, here are 3 companies that have created great video marketing campaigns that have stood the test of time.

Dove

Dove, a brand of personal care products, launched their Dove Campaign for Real Beauty in 2004. Using a series of ads, viral videos, and non-video content, the brand promoted the idea of self-love and celebration of all body types. The campaign included numerous channels, all of which focused on the same tone, message, and approach.

BetterHelp

Founded in 2013, BetterHelp is an online provider of counseling and therapy services. BetterHelp relies heavily on influencers to spread their message and includes well-known figures from many different fields. In addition, their ads appear on many YouTube videos, and not always at the beginning—sometimes even half an hour into a video, when viewers are already invested in the content and might be open to thinking about discussing their emotions with a therapist.

Coca-Cola

The Coca-Cola beverage company has produced some of the most memorable video advertising of all time, including the 1971 “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” commercial. But the brand’s video marketing extends beyond television ads.

You may have seen an example in a movie theater: Since 1998, Coca-Cola has sponsored the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films competition for film school students, featuring the winning short film on their website and in ads before movies. It’s a way for the company to support young artists while also featuring their product in the winning short films.

Video marketing trends

Video marketing has come a long way from the early days of black-and-white TV ads, and the technology to produce and distribute video content is always advancing. Here are some things coming soon to a video platform near you.

Live videos

Many platforms that allow you to share videos also offer the chance to stream videos live. Instagram Live, Facebook Live, and YouTube Live let you communicate with your audience in real time. You can invite them to a live Q&A with your company’s founder, offer them a front-row seat to a new product launch, or invite them to a special virtual holiday party for the members of your loyalty program.

Encouraging viewers to tune in to live events and maybe even participate themselves through comments and likes helps foster community and connection, enhancing brand loyalty.

360-degree videos

Also known as immersive or spherical videos, 360-degree videos create a complete view of the area around the camera, allowing viewers to explore in any direction. These videos bring the audience into the scene, letting them control the angle and really feel like they’re part of the video itself.

360-degree videos are filmed using specialized cameras with multiple lenses and post-production editing techniques that create a fully immersive experience. You might consider using this type of video to show off a new retail location or take customers on a tour of your production facility.

Interactive videos

Your marketing videos don’t need to be a passive viewing experience. Interactive videos give viewers the chance to actively engage with your content via decision points, clickable hot spots, and even branching narratives.

They may also include gamification elements like scoring and rewards, keeping viewers invested and engaged longer and more often. This format is particularly useful for instructional videos and educational content. You can also take advantage of the interactive elements in social media marketing campaigns, allowing viewers to click directly from specific products in videos to the purchase page on your e-commerce site.

Virtual reality and augmented reality

Eventually, much of your video marketing may be entirely immersive. Virtual reality allows an audience into a computer-generated environment. Imagine allowing your customers to visit a virtual store from anywhere and try out the products firsthand.

Alternate reality, on the other hand, overlays digital content onto the real world. Your augmented reality marketing videos may allow shoppers to move through a real environment while watching the people and places around them come alive with your products. What would the living room walls look like with a new color of paint? With alternate reality video marketing, it’s easy to visualize the result.

Whether it’s a paid advertisement for your local business, an annual highlight reel of your company’s success, or an element of your social media marketing, video is a dynamic and valuable tool for building your brand and boosting sales. Decide what approach is right for you, make a plan, and get started with a video marketing strategy to increase your brand impact today.