It’s not the same game as it was 20, or even 5 years ago. With all the cameras and microphones on our smart phones, computers, and tablets, video has grown to be one of the main ways we communicate with one another. Entrepreneurs and people with big dreams are harnessing this fact and using it to launch their businesses. If you have a start-up, you need to be using at least one of these five types of video.
Promotional Video
This seems like a no-brainer, but it’s important enough we wanted to cover it anyway. You need to tell people who you are, what you do, and what you want them to do. It’s as simple as that. Many start-ups are launching with the help of crowdfunding sites such as Kickstarter,IndieGoGo, and GoFundMe. These people are able to express to complete strangers why they should invest their money in their start-up or project with a mere two minute video.
Review Video
Whether you are an author trying to build an audience by doing book reviews, or your start-up is a consumer review resource, you may need to do a review video. These videos are typically give information about a product’s quality, use, specifications, etc. Companies can do reviews of their own products but should not try to be over-promotional. If you are going to do your own review for your start-up, just give the details of the product without opinions or ad-speak.
Blog Video
Blogs have the opportunity to rake in money with page clicks, banner advertisements, and video, of course. A great way to generate traffic to and on your site is to create a blog video. The video can be a quick tip or tutorial pertaining to the overall message your company is trying to convey, a promotion, or just a way to connect with your audience. This is a wonderful way to relate to your community, keep your audience updated, and further your message. These videos should be quick, no more than 3 minutes, and they should always provide some sort of value to your audience.
Testimonial Video
Testimonials are what most people rely on when trying to choose between two nearly identical products or companies. Make every effort to avoid fake testimonials and use real customers. This is an opportunity to showcase your product or message in a way that you couldn’t in your own product review. It’s okay of your customers, collaborators, and vendors gush about your product!
Positioning Videos
These branding videos are what most big companies use for top dollar TV ads that are emotional, funny, and stick in customers’ minds. We can all remember a commercial that makes us laugh every time or has made us tear up, and you can likely easily name the product that was being promoted. This is called experiential advertising and can be very difficult to pull off. It involves connecting a viewer’s elicited emotions to a brand. When done well, however, these top dollar videos may result in top dollar results.
