Today, videos are the number one form of media content for brands to engage their audiences and advertise their products or services.
However, many small to medium businesses still put off implementing videos in their marketing strategies for several reasons - let’s explore some of them.
In this article, join the Sydney Animation Studios team as we talk about the five ways leveraging video marketing services can attract new audiences, engage existing ones, and generate sales for your small business.
Why You Should Consider Video Marketing as a Small Business
According to Hubspot, many small business owners are often on the fence about using video marketing services to enhance their marketing strategies. Based on available information, it’s either that the following:
- Videos are too expensive
- Videos are too time-consuming and laborious to make.
- It’s too hard to see the results
This common sentiment is partly true, as we see a lot of flashy, highly produced videos from big-budget Aussie brands like Canva and Woolworths all the time. However, the beauty of video marketing is that its criteria for success can often go toe-to-toe for virality with these big brands, with less of an emphasis on a ‘pay-to-win’ mindset.
Here are example videos you can commission your video marketing service to make:
1. Product Videos
If you’re selling physical products, it’s usually a great idea to put a visual representation of your products alongside a copy to show off the product, its benefits to the customer, and how it works in action.
Furthermore, more users increasingly prefer watching a video over reading, as they are more engaging. According to Wyzowl, 44% of customers actually prefer watching a short video when learning about a product or a service.
Additionally, 82% of video marketers report users being led to buying the product or availing the service after watching a given video.
2. Animated Explainer Videos
An animated explainer video is a fun, engaging, and educational type of video that focuses on providing value to its audience, and allows you to communicate complex ideas into visually comprehensible content.
Explainer videos are typically used to inform your audience about a new concept of your product or service without explicitly advertising it to them.
This allows you to establish yourself as an expert in your space, while building an authentic connection with your audience, as these types of videos generate more organic engagement compared to other forms.
We particularly love Dropbox’s animated explainer video as it clearly explains its technical features while providing some visually simple, but entertaining animations.
3. Behind-the-scenes (BTS) Videos
People love learning and interacting with things that give them value, and the documentary-type nature of BTS videos perfectly embodies this concept.
By using BTS videos, you’re able to show alternative perspectives - how your products are made or how services function with insider flair, showcasing your culture, procedures, and the people behind your business. You provide an intimate glimpse to your audience, enhancing the relationship you have with them.
Best of all, they don’t require much time to make – meet-the-team videos, personal stories, or showing day-to-day operations footage in your business are likely to better help customers understand the value your business provides to them.
Let’s use Marvel’s Spiderman: Across the Spider-Verse as an example.
In this 10-minute BTS video, fans of the movie can better learn about the production process by showcasing the animator’s thought process and actions and gaining insights from the main cast, animators, and production team – offering a deeper understanding and appreciation of the film's creation.
4. Customer Testimonials
Social proof is a concept that influences people to try out a product or service, simply because other people are interacting with it. It establishes a history of use, and builds the idea of credibility in visibility. In video marketing, social proof helps you build authority and influence better than other forms of marketing.
Customer testimonials showcase authentic solutions that your business offers to a particular problem, and vividly describe the positive aspects of your brand when compared to your competition.
In turn, potential customers are more liable to trust your brand, even without interaction. Common examples that carry massive social proof are customer testimonials, product reviews, influencer collaborations on social media, or user-generated (UGC) content.
For example, nothing beats the GoPro Awards, as it doubles down on using UGC content to promote its product, with customers themselves showcasing how the product fares in different weather, situations, and environments.
5. Brand Story Videos
Brand story videos are a more personable method of communicating the values of your business to your existing customers, while simultaneously introducing new customers to your brand.
These videos paint a picture in people’s minds about your business’s history, mission, and vision.
According to Sprout Social, 64% of consumers prefer brands that connect with them, and about 62% say that their purchases are largely influenced by the company’s ethical values and authenticity.
Take the Canva Culture video, for example. CEO Melanie Perkins, COO Cliff Obrecht, and a few key pillars of the brand address the company culture while showing behind-the-scenes footage of day-to-day operations, leading to a much more immersive and intimate experience.
Let The World Hear Your Story With Sydney Animation Studios
Video marketing may seem expensive, time-consuming, and very hard to do as a small business owner, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Sydney Animation Studios is in the business of telling YOUR story to the world, and we achieve that goal by turning complex concepts into visually stunning and entertaining videos.
Whether you’re looking to promote a new product, increase brand awareness, or make comprehensible training videos, reach out to us today to help you make that process easier.
