Video is officially one of the most important marketing mediums you should be using in 2020. Content Marketing Institute found it to be one of the top five content formats in B2B brands used in 2019, and there’s ample proof that consumption is doing die down anytime soon.
For example, it’s a core form of content on Facebook and generates over 100 million views per day. It’s also the reason why 1.2 billion people have YouTube user accounts. What’s more, most readers would rather watch a video than read a blog post for information.
Much of the attention video is generating has to do with how versatile it is. It can be used to attract, educate and convert. It’s also a great social proof tool.
While using video makes business sense, finding ways to incorporate the medium into your marketing strategy, and use it to boost brand reach can seem like a tall order.
Video, like all other forms of content, must be created to appeal to your audience of buyers. You’ve got to understand what matters to them and deliver content that helps guide them through the buyer’s decision path.
By producing content that attracts more viewers, you’re able to share your brand with a larger audience.
The big question is: what kinds of videos should you produce?
In this blog post, I’ll cover six types any business can use to boost brand reach. I’ll also share examples and offer insights that could help you produce your own video content to reach a larger audience.
1. Episodic Videos
Episodic video content is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a well-thought-out collection of videos designed to tell an engaging story and position your solution or product. They are, for all intent and purpose, like your own series produce for a specific audience.
Take Kate Spade New York’s #missadventure series. In it, the luxury fashion brand uses celebrities like Ana Feris, Roze Perez, Ali Wong and more to showcase their designer clothing and accessories, while experiencing some of life’s more comical moments.
What’s important to note is how well-constructed each episode is. The actors are perfectly cast, with scripts that are interesting. Lastly, each episode showcases Kate Spade products in various ways.
URL: https://www.youtube.com/user/katespadenewyork/playlists?view=50&sort=dd&shelf_id=6
2. Live Streaming
The live streaming industry’s seen massive growth in the last decade. Today, OTT live videos are common and streamed to smartphones, tablets, TVs and computers with ease.
While some live streaming videos are only accessible via video paywalls, brands have the opportunity to take live streaming and use it as a tool for reaching more buyers and positioning themselves as thought leaders.
It’s also possible to position live streaming as an event, making it possible to generate anticipation for it and pull a larger audience.
And there’s more to live streaming than creating anticipation. Unlike pre-recorded content, live streaming offers real-time engagement with audiences, something that buyers find helpful and businesses can benefit from. Real-time engagement can lead to shorter sales cycles as buyers receive answers to pertinent questions about your product or service.
Take Rich + Niche’s AMA live stream. It was targeted at digital marketers with questions about optimizing content and digital strategy. In this live stream, host Rich also educates his audience by sharing unique insights and illustrations for context.
Why would Rich + Niche host a live stream?
It’s a tool for positioning the brand as an authority in digital marketing education. Rich + Niche also offer various paid programs that viewers can purchase.
Example: Rich + Niche YouTube live stream
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL47EM-tpso
3. Behind the Scenes
Behind the scenes content is ideal for positioning your brand as a more approachable entity. You can create an effective video that bridges the gap between what could be seen as a cold transaction and a meaningful and personal experience between your brand for customers.
Take this example from HubSpot. Having recently established their Dublin office, they chose to share what it looks like. This video offers a look at how HubSpot creates spaces that inspire creativity.
What’s more, they also took the opportunity to share a more personal side of their culture as a brand. Their office design includes elements produced by HubSpot employees, showing that their inclusive culture is more than an idea, it’s very much alive and practiced.
For clients interested in learning more about the brand, this video makes the viewer feel like their experience with HubSpot will be more personable and therefore more rewarding.
Example: HubSpot’s Dublin office tour:
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpCsXCT2Z48
4. How-tos and Tutorials
Educational content in the form of how-tos and tutorials is a major drawcard for audiences. In fact, Google found that most millennials are able to find a video on anything they want to learn.
How-tos and tutorials are popular because they are practical and typically directly address search intent. And this works well to promote videos.
For example, YouTube determines video search results rankings on engagement metrics. Of all the metrics YouTube uses, watch time is seen as the more weighted. It’s a measure of the number of views your channel gets and how many minutes of your videos people watch. As more people watch more of a helpful tutorial, the possibility of the video ranking higher in search results increases.
For your tutorials to be effective, you’ve got to know how to connect the dots for viewers, while holding their attention.
In this example, TechSmith shares advice in the form of a tutorial on how to create tutorials. They keep the video interesting by toggling between four different presenters, injecting a little humor, but also sharing important, yet easy-to-understand information.
Example: How to Make a Tutorial Video
URL: https://youtu.be/BDliEq_0qeQ
5. Podcast
While podcasts are typically audio experiences, a shift is taking place. More podcasters are recording their podcasts in video format to help reach a broader audience.
And when you consider that almost 500 thousand hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, it’s easy to see how reaching your share of a global audience of 1.2 billion users is a must.
Tom Ferry understands the power of recorded podcasts. He’s been using video as a tool for growing his YouTube channel for years and has grown an audience of over 350K subscribers. He’s video podcasts are a recent edition, proving the importance of branching out to reach a broader audience.
If you currently host a regular podcast, adding a camera is really all you need to do to produce video podcasts. If, however, you find that your podcast isn’t growing, consider producing more regular content that your audience is looking for.
Many podcasters also explore AI tools to help with their content creation. Some tools worth checking are text-to-speech to convert your blogs into audio and background noise remover to improve the quality of your recordings.
Example: Getting Your Business on Track With Operations Edge
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dViM7CwTnRo
6. Vlog
Vlogging, while one of the most original and older forms of user-generated video content, is still a powerful tool for reaching a broad audience.
While they take the form of personal videos, vlogs can have mass appeal. For instance, Social Media Examiner’s YouTube channel is filled with content and for an audience of digital marketing professionals and business owners. They cover how to use social media platforms to better position your brand and generate ROI. They also share tips and tactics brands can use to maximize their growth using social media.
Over the years, Social Media Examiner has produced videos or various topics, all of which are accessible helped them build an audience of 38K subscribers.
Social Media Examiner have also done what few brands do. They involve their audience in some of their vlogs. Take this example. Michael Stelzner posted a question on Instagram, giving his followers the chance to get expert advice for free. Instead of relying on Instagram and leaving it at that, Stelzner created a vlog.
In it, he acknowledges Brad Paul (who sent the question) but also does a great job of answering the question and providing context for his viewers.
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrrhTmW8Ew&list=PLyqdnWmgSb_Zzf4zKoR8T2XQ56vD376E_&index=3&t=3s
Conclusion
Video is a great tool for reaching more viewers and prospects. But you’ve got to identify the user intent and create content people find engaging. Focus on creating videos that speak to topics your buyers are interested in. These will include address challenges or pain points buyers encounter on their road to finding a solution.
With the right approach and content ideas, you’ll be able to produce videos that resonate with your audience and generate the kind of reach you’re after.
