4 Types Of Videos A Small Business
Can Use To Grow Sales

Digital Information World reports that 55% of people thoroughly consume video content today. Other reports on this site indicate higher margins by which video content increases purchase intent and brand recognition.

But despite all these revelations, very few small businesses have integrated video into their marketing strategy. InfusionSoft, a software company focused on small business, found the figure to be less than 25%.

Well, if you've not yet made up your mind to add video to your marketing plan, this is your chance to do so. However, if you have already done so, hats off to you.

Now, let's take a look at the four types of videos small business owners can create to help them raise their sales figures.

Many consumers will easily make a purchasing decision based on what another person tells them about a specific product or service. Word of mouth, as they call it in marketing, is what video testimonials are all about.

Testimonials can be just as powerful in video format as they are in person. In a study, Search Engine Land found that 79% of consumers have the same trust in online reviews as they do in personal recommendations.

For the most part, such videos aim to build trust with potential customers in a way that overcomes skepticism. Some take the form of a person recording their experience with a product or service, usually at the request of a business owner. A good example is for sport or training equipment. Alternatively, you can come up with a video script that involves a happy customer or several of them speaking about your product or service.

In both cases, ensure the person giving testimony doesn't just heap praise on what you have to offer but rather talks about the features and their benefits and supports any claims you've made in a way that is open and impartial. Vidyard shares extra tips on how to create killer video testimonials. Such testimonials can be placed on your website or shared on video and social platforms. Contrary to what many believe, you don't have to spend a lot to shoot such a video.

If you need inspiration, watch the following testimonial by Adam and the Sandwich video team about Slack's features.

What's unique about this testimonial is that Adam and his team were reluctant to make the video about Slack when the company approached them for one. But after using Slack for seven months, they were impressed and chose to create a testimonial for it. To date, the video has over 900k views and thousands of shares.

Simply put, video testimonials will help you foster an emotional connection with your audience, raise the trust in your brand, and in the end, increase your sales and website's rank on SERPs.

Just as the name suggests, a product video is a type that focuses largely on the product(s) you offer. Normally, such a video emphasizes the unique features and qualities a product has. For it to be successful in its mission, the video should focus on four aspects: the problem, the solution (which is your product), the expected experience, and a call-to-action. Your vision with the product should also be clear to the viewer.

If you offer several products, it's going to be an overwhelming task coming up with a product video for each. A better way to go about this would be to pick one that seems to qualify well for such a video. If the product has a great storyline, that's a choice you should consider. Also, if there are a couple of videos done about it and/or photos, take that as an added advantage.

Alternatively, you can come up with a series in which you feature the different products you offer. This could actually be beneficial if you release new products regularly.

Now, before you go ahead and create the video, here are a couple of things to observe:

Before their hugely viral product video, very few people knew about Dollar Shave Club. In the video, they talk about their super cool blades in a fun and interesting way. Check it out the video below (note that their choice of words is a bit extreme).

To date, this video ranks amongst the most watched and shared product videos, and this can be explained by the fact that they observed and applied the best practices in regards to the aspects we've just mentioned.

What's more, if the reports on Quora are anything to by, it appears the video didn't cost the business much to create it.

Profile videos feature the person or the people that operate a business. It could be an executive or founder of a company or the various people that make up the different departments.

If you have a true passion for what you do, nothing demonstrates that better than a business profile video. You can have it on your homepage, about us page, and social or video platforms.

Unlike the other videos we've looked at, profile videos are interview-driven and they showcase who you are, what you do, and what you sell, among other things. Making the interviews authentic, adding engaging moments, and telling a story that connects with the audience is one way to make such videos have more impact, like this video from a Canadian Advertising Agency.

The video did well (2 million views so far) in creating awareness about the agency (John St), what they do (catvertising) and why you should become their client. The storyline is fantastic and the content keeps you engaged throughout the 2:27 minutes.

Generally, there are plenty of potential clients who would love to know more about you, your company, and what you offer and, if they hear it straight from you, it would mean a lot to them. Remember, building strong customer relationships and forging lasting client-company bonds both happen when a brand shows that it understands the human element in marketing.

Many people find it hard to distinguish between an explainer video and a product video as both usually appear to be about creating awareness for a product and service. Well, that's true. Both do often share the same conversion funnel, only that there's a special stage for each in the process.

Explainer videos don't always provide the same information as product videos to the users. For instance, if you are offering complicated products or services, an explainer video will be tasked with the role of breaking what you offer into easily consumable content that will be served at the top of the sales funnel.

Also, an explainer video can be personalized by including the viewer's personal information such as name, job title, or interests; the aim of this being to assist them to see a concept or idea come to life and keep them engaged.

A product video will then come after, probably at the bottom of the funnel when you want to close a deal. Some product videos will include details about the creation process as well.

Besides giving information about your product, an explainer video will educate users about what they need to know about the product, and in some cases, shares more about your company. Proof of their effectiveness lies in this Unbounce report in which some companies experienced a 20% increase in conversion rates after using explainer videos.

Common types of explainer videos you'll come across include:

This type of explainer video mostly consists of real people and physical products, and their aim is to give more information about a product or service. Businesses that sell physical products or offer services that center around people will find this type of videos useful.