Get More Customers With Brand Videos
We’re a very digital kind of world. Every month more than 1 billion unique users visit YouTube and it doesn’t stop there: we spend roughly 4 billion hours monthly on YouTube! That’s not a small figure, which is why it’s worth every second of a company’s time to create a brand video. There are 5 types of videos that can be singled out, some are more elaborate while others are quite simple. Some are so bad that they’re actually great! The more people talk about what you’ve done, the more people will come to get your product or service. Check out the 5 ways to catch peoples attention:
1. The simple but good
Not every video needs to be 7 minutes long, full of celebrities, and have fancy robots or crashing cars. Sometimes the simplicity of a video is what it takes to make us remember what a brand does or what their name is. Take a look at Volkswagen:
The force is strong with this one (as cheesy as that sounds) is a great way to describe just how simple but amazing this ad it. All it takes is one simple idea and within seconds you’re pulled into the adventure.
Another great example is “The Storm Flap” by Indochino Menswear that shows in a simple few frames just how their product works:
Indochino took a very popular and easay concept of showing off their product, and adding simple text explaining the greater details. Remember that about 52% consumers say that watching product videos makes them more sure of their online purchases.
2. The ‘how to’ video
Maybe you’re not selling a product but are offering a service – think about how your service works and how users can engage. Google did a great job using an emotional bond as a way to show off just what Google does. Connecting with your customer is very important, and the best way to do so is by making an emotional connection:
3. The corny but memorable
Let’s be honest, as much as emotions and feelings connect us, there is nothing that connects us more that a chuckle or two. There is a huge list of very corny brand videos that make you cringe at the very sight of them. However, within that list there could be a couple gems that can go viral. Sometimes it’s a good idea to take a risk and do something cheesy – it might just be the connection your brand needs. A great example of this is the Chuck Testa Taxidermy video. It makes us cringe, it makes us laugh, but most of all it makes us remember his business:
The internet went CRAZY for Chuck Testa! The amount of memes with “NOPE! Chuck Testa” was too big to count, but the company got lots of business (so much so, that now they’re selling the NOPE t-shirts).
4. The who we are
46% of videos that we watch online we share on Facebook and 14% of it we tweet. Now those are numbers that can give anyone a boost. A while ago I wrote about short videos and 3 reasons why they help faceless brands connect with people. This is exactly why video marketing is important – we need to help customers see a company that talks, opens up, explains, and isn’t afraid of customers connecting with them. Bestie did an amazing, simple, and daring video to promote their new business:
Now if hearing their story, looking at how they work, and feeling involved and welcomed by their jokes isn’t making you fall in love with them… then I don’t know what will ;) This is exactly what brand videos should be like. Take two people who are comfortable with a camera in their face, make some some awkward jokes and poses, show the behind the scenes, and give a bonus (who doesn’t love those?!) – a recipe for success is now in your hands.
5. The funny but informative
People don’t really engage in sob stories because they don’t want to get sad. On the other hand how do you make a video that might shock in its pure form without making it depressing? You give it a twist! Follow the Frog is a great initiative that the Rainforest Alliance created to show what you can do to help without guilting someone into crazy changes or drastic actions:
Rainforest Alliance shows us just how crazy guilt-tripping is and shows us how we can help in a more… sane kind of way. Now, we don’t all have the money to show a person travel to Nicaragua and live there, but with a little creativity a close effect can be achieved. Check out Ezra Firestone’s great article on what types of videos what brands should make.
The brand video guide
If your customers come through mobile or your business is mobile – invest in a brand video, about 50% of all mobile traffic comes from online videos, and that number is bound to rise with all the tablets and applications out there.
Is there a holiday coming up? Make it a chance to send a video greeting card, or to make a short funny video where your team wants to send greetings, or possible encourage to take part in a contest? Maybe there is a sale going on? Whatever the occasion – invest some time (money too if you feel the occasion is big enough) and create a memorable video. Even if you don’t go viral or reach the entire world, videos are the very first thing that people see in a Google search! if you get your SEO keywords right, you will reach your customers in an unconventional way and get more of them!
With this new outlook on what you can do, go on and challenge your brand to connect with your customers! If you want to break all the rules without breaking them, I leave you with a funny take on ‘typical brand videos‘ , hit us up in the comments or on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and share your thoughts on brand videos with us.
