1. Explainer videos

Explainer videos are now the #1 type of video that people want to see from brands, beating demos, vlogs, tutorials and viral-style videos (Wyzowl). A huge 94% of consumers watch explainer videos regarding products, and 84% of them bought products after watching videos about them (Hubspot), clearly showing the massive benefits of using explainer videos for your business. They explain how your product/ service works and how customers can benefit from it in a very concise manner. Lots of companies use fictional characters who use their product/ service to overcome a problem that they have. 

A great example is this explainer video by Dollar Shave Club, which is funny, entertaining and clearly explains the benefits of using their product/ service in a minute and a half.

2. Live videos

Live videos are now a feature on the biggest social media platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. They’re becoming increasingly popular, and they draw higher engagement rates – people spend 8.1x longer watching live videos than video-on-demand, as they’re able to interact with the person streaming in real time with questions, comments and, in some cases, an ability to join the live videos. 

Live videos give viewers a behind-the-scenes, authentic feel of a company, and they can also be used to stream events in real time. In addition, there are huge benefits of using live videos for your business: it’s an incredibly easy, low cost option as it only requires having a mobile phone and the app, it grows your audience and you can also see the analytics of your live video after it ends. 

A great example is Tough Mudder’s Facebook Live video from their obstacle race, where the host gets up close and personal with some of the racers and also uses the opportunity to promote the company’s other social media platforms and their products/ services. https://fb.watch/5uaArGrWOI/ 

3. Disappearing videos/ stories

Another feature that has started to appear on multiple social media platforms in recent years is disappearing videos/ stories. It was first created by Snapchat, and was later adopted by Instagram and Facebook with their story features. Disappearing videos/ stories are so popular because they add a sense of urgency, as they’re only available to view for 24 hours. 

Most companies tend to use the disappearing videos/ stories feature on their social media accounts, and the stories have also evolved to include other features, such as polls questions, quizzes and music.

A great example is the skincare and makeup brand Glossier. They post daily Instagram stories and their content is perfectly curated for their target audience – from the colours to the memes and the pictures of cute animals. They constantly interact with their followers through their stories by reposting their content and doing Q&As, and their stories also link to their longer articles and videos. 

4. Educational videos

Educational videos, such as ‘how-to’ videos, are another type of video that have become increasingly popular recently, especially on platforms like TikTok. 

These videos teach viewers something new and make them feel that their time on social media is being spent productively, which is something that consumers are looking for more and more. They can also be a good way to promote the company’s products/ services.

A great example is Adobe Creative Cloud’s “How To Create An Animated Gif” video, which uses Adobe Photoshop to make the gif. It’s short, snappy and gets straight to the point with a duration of less than a minute. 

5. Expert/ influencer videos

Last but not least are expert/ influencer videos. These may be a little harder to make because they require getting in contact with an expert/ influencer in a certain field and getting them to speak about their expertise. However, they’re definitely worth the extra effort as they help to build credibility and customer’s trust in your brand, they can position your company as an authority in your industry and they’ll most probably get more views as people are more likely to click on a video if it has someone they know/ an expert in it. 

Expert videos can also provide an educational element, as viewers will be able to take away tips and advice from the experts regarding whatever field they’re in. 

A great example of this is WIRED, which has a whole series on YouTube where experts in specific fields (e.g. science, music, technology) explain concepts in 5 levels of difficulty. The 5 levels of difficulty element adds a certain playfulness to the videos, while also teaching viewers something that they may not have known from an expert. 

There you have it – the 5 types of video marketing that you can use for your business if you don’t know where to start. There are many more that we haven’t covered, but we hope that you find these ones useful. 

Do you want to learn more about how to effectively utilise video marketing to gain new customers and sales? We can help – just drop us a message and we can help your business capitalise on the rise in video marketing!