4 Awesome Topics for Your Online Video Content

Warning: sizeof(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in /home/customer/www/1000contentideas.com/public_html/wp-content/plugins/allow-php-in-posts-and-pages/allowphp.php on line 175

Warning: sizeof(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in /home/customer/www/1000contentideas.com/public_html/wp-content/plugins/allow-php-in-posts-and-pages/allowphp.php on line 175

Warning: preg_match(): Compilation failed: invalid range in character class at offset 4 in /home/customer/www/1000contentideas.com/public_html/wp-content/plugins/lightbox-plus/classes/shd.class.php on line 1384

Warning: preg_match_all(): Compilation failed: invalid range in character class at offset 4 in /home/customer/www/1000contentideas.com/public_html/wp-content/plugins/lightbox-plus/classes/shd.class.php on line 700

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /home/customer/www/1000contentideas.com/public_html/wp-content/plugins/lightbox-plus/classes/shd.class.php on line 707

Warning: preg_match_all(): Compilation failed: invalid range in character class at offset 4 in /home/customer/www/1000contentideas.com/public_html/wp-content/plugins/lightbox-plus/classes/shd.class.php on line 700

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /home/customer/www/1000contentideas.com/public_html/wp-content/plugins/lightbox-plus/classes/shd.class.php on line 707

Over the past few years, the number of businesses using online video content has exploded.

It’s not hard to understand why – a video can convey concepts, details, emotions and so much more than text or even an image. That’s why I like to say, “If a picture says a thousand words, a video says a million!”

The growth of video should not be surprising – they are a very effective addition to your online marketing arsenal. Don’t take my word for it – these numbers tell a compelling content marketing story:

• Having a video on the landing page of your website makes it 53% more likely to show up on the first page of a Google search. (source)
• About 46% of people say they’d be more likely to seek out information about a product or service after seeing it in an online video. (source)
• Viewers are 85% more likely to purchase a product after watching a product video. (source)

The numbers are also compelling in the business-to-business arena (source):

• 59% of senior executives would rather watch a video than read text.
• About 65% of those who view a video click through to visit the vendor website.
• 50% look for more information.
• 45% report that they contacted a vendor after seeing an online video ad.
• About 50% of those who viewed an online marketing video went on to make a purchase for their business.

Even with those impressive numbers however, videos work best when focused on one of four specific topics:

• Explainer,
• Demo,
• How-To, and
• Branding.

Let’s take a closer look at each topic (including examples of each).

4 Awesome Topics for Your Online Video Content

Explainer Videos

An explainer video is a pre-sales video that helps viewers understand the business value that your products and services provide. You can find examples of explainer videos by following these links:

• 10 Product Demo Videos To Inspire You – even though it says, “Demo” in the title, these are really explainer videos.
• The 10 Best Startup Explainer Videos…Ever
• The Best Explainer Videos
• Explainer Videos – The best of the best

Perfect for your home page, explainer videos are both more engaging and more effective at driving action than a block of words and images. Here are a few real-life results:

• “Since the video appeared on their website EnergySavingLED has seen a 60% reduction in the number of emails from confused potential customers who just couldn’t understand what LED is or why they should have it. But the real acid test has been a staggering 40% increase in sales within six months.” (source)
• Dropbox, “increased conversion rates over 10%, and with the video being viewed 750,000 times in one month alone, the 10% increase resulted in several thousand extra sign ups per day.” (source)
• Work.com, “increased conversion rates by 20%. Approximately 30% of the page visitors watch the video and approximately 50% of those viewers watch the video in its entirety.” (source)

Another type of explainer video is the testimonial. Testimonial videos have real impact because the person explaining the business value of your products and services is an actual customer – can’t beat that!

Video testimonials help build the trust needed to make a sale by providing outside validation for your offerings. Follow these links to watch testimonial examples:

• Square is for everyone
• Industry Leaders Talk About Marketo
• Sonia Samtani Consulting – Some of our testimonials
• A word from our customers

Demo Videos

Another type of pre-sales video, demos are a very powerful way to show off how a product or service works before a customer makes a purchase.

Not nearly as detailed as a full-blown how-to video, demos do exactly that: demonstrate how you can get things done with a specific product or service.

As opposed to explainer videos that show the business value of a product or services, demos help walk customers through a real-world example of how a product or service works. This accomplishes two goals:

1. All customers have some pre-purchase fears (e.g. “this product will be hard to use” or, “this products won’t do the thing I need it to do”) that a demo video will help alleviate by showing a high-level view of how a product or service actually works.
2. Demo videos are also very effective at answering common pre-sales questions, something that builds the trust that leads to sales.

Follow these links to watch demo video examples:

• Alarm.com – Video Library
• The best camera product demo ever
• Product Demo Videos We Love: Samsung Galaxy Note

How-To Videos

You can use how-to videos both pre and post-sale to provide an in-depth, step-by-step walkthrough of how to get something done using a specific product or service.

These videos are effective before a sale by both providing a more in-depth look than a demo (e.g. if more fear calming and trust building is needed) and by demonstrating to your target customers that you are committed to supporting them after they make their purchase.

After a sale, how-to videos are effective at both helping your customers get the most out of their purchase and by providing support – an important aspect if you want to get repeat sales and referrals.

How-to videos are typically longer than your average online video, but that’s OK because they need to show a lot of detail (though if it’s too long, you should break it up into smaller videos).

Follow these links to watch some how-to video examples:

• Video Tutorials – SugarSynch
• Video Tutorials – FreshBooks
• Video Tutorials – Batchbook

Branding Videos

Is your business cool? Is it cozy? Do your products and services make your customers want to stand up and scream for joy or quietly sit and sip a cup of tea?

Whatever the case, by using video, audio, images and text to elicit emotional reactions, brand videos help position your business, your products and your services within the minds of your target customers.

Eminently sharable, brand videos can be very effective at attracting and capturing a target audience – just make sure you dot your I’s and cross your T’s –your customers can spot a poseur from a million miles away.

Follow these links to watch branding video examples:

• The 12 Most Influential Brand Videos of 2012
• The Week’s Best Branded Videos
• 3 brand personality examples to inspire your marketing
• Google Search App: Replacement Umpire

Share Your Favorites

Have you watched a video that would make a great example of any of the four online video content topics?

Please share it with us in the comments section below!

Like this post?

This was just a tiny appetizer from chapter 9 (“Creating Your Own Content – Videos”) of my forthcoming book “1,000+ Online Content Ideas for Your Business” .

Sign-up to receive news about, and more excerpts from, the book at the bottom of this page.