The play button is the most compelling thing on your timeline. A startup video proves pivotal in terms of driving value for your budding business.
Video marketing is an enigma to most. Sometimes it is a social media trend, a cute Instagram boomerang, or a two-minute twitter video. Other times you have to level up on a marketing video content strategy.
A video is an effective advertising medium in terms of retaining the attention of the audience. It reflects your business in the most dynamic way that stills and text cannot.
According to a MotionCue survey, 77% of marketers believe that video has successfully helped them achieve their business objectives.
There are screens everywhere. From a marketing point of view, it makes video the number one medium to connect with your audience.
However, harnessing this medium might sound daunting from a startup perspective. You do not have as much in terms of the marketing budget.
You don’t have to worry about breaking the bank to make the next viral video. A little bit of time and money can go a long way when it comes to video marketing.
Things to keep in mind while making a startup video
There are just a few things that you need to be mindful of before developing your video.
- Understand the purpose of your video marketing strategy.
- Know your target audience.
- Determine how can you increase the reach of your video and make it more engaging.
- Decide the topic of your video and follow the format.
- Figure out how you’re going to develop these videos.
- Tailor your video to the platform you want to distribute it on.
You can also download our E-book to get more insight into video marketing.
How to build a video marketing campaign for startups
Kinds of startup videos
Generally, there are three kinds of startup videos that are instrumental to each touchpoint for the audience.
1. Top of the funnel videos: Awareness
Brand film/video
A brand video is what portrays the essence of your startup. It can carry a certain emotive appeal that other forms of video cannot. It leaves a great impression at the top of your funnel.
In a brand video, you may not need to explain in great detail, what your startup is about. It humanizes your brand to the audience.
A brand film can be a story that connects on a very human level with potential clientele. The heart and soul of the business is what needs to be projected in a brand film.
It portrays the passion that lies behind the conception of the idea for a startup. Here is a great example.
Another way to go about making a brand video is to make a film. The power of storytelling is unimaginable. When it comes to marketing your start-up, a short video can do wonders.
June by Lyft is an example of such a story that tells the audience how important the sense of community is to the audience.
Some brand videos accomplish a different role. They tell you that your startup is not just a couple of people who want to make money.
It works especially well for small startups that want to engage with their community.
A brand video can also be a few-second spot featuring an animated logo of your startup. It has become very popular over time even though these have been very common with production houses.
They look very good on the landing page of your website and can make for amazing social content for your social media. An animated brand logo video can make for your first Instagram story.
They can also be a very good opening for all your video content. It is minimum content but has to be high quality.
Educational videos
There is often a great high associated with learning new stuff. When your startup does that for the audience, they develop a sort of affinity for your brand.
Educational videos are the kind of content that adds real value to the life of the consumer. By applying the information they get from educational videos to their lives, they are immediately reminded of you.
Hence, educational videos help you stay on top of the mind of your audience. Home depot advertises its products by teaching the viewers how to use them in DIY projects.
Explainer Videos
Explainers are what attract the users at the top of the funnel. They simplify the usage of your product for the audience and explain it to them via videos.
They do not have to carry great detail, only a larger overview. The key to making a good explainer video is keeping it as descriptive and crisp as possible leaving some room for intrigue.
These serve the purpose of nurturing a prospective customer base. Explainer videos are also a great way of landing new leads.
These videos work both at the top of the funnel for awareness and at the middle of the funnel for engagement.
Explainer videos have been a specialty with MotionCue for a while now.
Company culture videos
Company culture videos are reflective of the ethos of your startup to your audience. They are also pivotal in attracting new and talented resources.
A company culture video is not for the reason of making a sale. They are a means of growing your business by marketing your brand as a whole for the aforementioned purposes.
One of the best ways to make a company culture video is to feature vibrant and passionate members of your startup team to talk about the experience of working there.
You can also include b-roll and narrative story-telling to make your video more interesting.
Teaser/ sizzle videos
Whenever you launch a new product, the best way to sell it is by creating a buzz and hype around it. Get people excited about it.
A sizzle or a teaser can help you do that. You can capture the process of fruition for that product or just list the virtues of this new service to your audience.
A sizzle video should always have a call-to-action and a definitive goal to work towards.
This does not only work for a product launch, teaser and sizzlers work equally well for your entire startup as the subject of the video.
A teaser on your social media and landing page not only drives substantial traffic, it also creates a brand impression and awareness.
A teaser/sizzler is supposed to be short, prompt, and peppy. It is a great tool for the promotional purpose of events and webinars.
Check out MotionCue’s sizzle video.
2. Middle of the funnel video: Engagement
Event videos
By posting a video of your event, you are including those who could not attend. If you ask me, that is a great way to engage your audience.
There is a feature of live video on several social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook that allows you to broadcast your event to people in real-time.
Stories on these apps allow you to share snaps of the event using location tags and filters. It adds marketing value to your events.
Both these features are very in the now. According to Facebook, the viewership and engagement on live streams are 10 times more than a regular format video.
Your video does not have to be from a live event. If you want the audience to feel included in the event, you can also do it with a very nice and upbeat behind-the-scenes video. The inside scoop is all some people carve.
E-mail videos
Email videos are a very tried and tested element of email marketing. You can send your users targeted content based on the information you already have on your client.
A video embedded in the email commands a lot of attention. It not only sets you apart but also conveys your message efficiently.
It is a good idea to include CTAs at this point of your engagement.
Vlogs
Vlogs and Webinars come in very handy in order to cover subjects in great detail without losing the attention of the viewer like in lengthy blogposts.
Followership on a vlog is often very loyal. They are eagerly waiting to post next and enhances your engagement.
Webinars
Webinars play an important role in addressing questions from your customer base by holding Q&A sessions.
The startup founders can have a place in the very front of the mind of your audience.
You are giving them valuable insight into the comfort of their homes. This is specifically important because of how the marketing landscape in developing in light of the COVID 19 pandemic.
The best thing about webinars is that they are a whole event with minimal cost.
Also Read: How to Use the GaryVee Content Model for Video Distribution
3. Bottom of the funnel: Conversion
Testimonials
Testimonial videos can prove to be a great asset. If your prospects learn about your client’s positive experience with you, they’ll have the social proof they need to pick your company.
It is predominantly an interview with alternating footage of the project the testimonial is for. You can also include a B-roll of company processes.
Testimonials are the most searched item before making a B2B decision. It demonstrates the efficacy of your service.
FAQ videos
At the stage of conversion, the customer has several questions about your product or service that need to be addressed.
It is specifically true for tech startups where the ideas are so new and innovative, it is impossible for the audience to keep up without guidance.
This is where the FAQ videos come in handy. They help nudge your audience along in their buying journey. It is a very effective “Show, don’t tell” technique.
Personalized videos
At the end of the day, customer satisfaction is key. What makes them feel really special is when you give them content that has a personal touch to it.
Although personalized videos are important at any level of marketing, they are especially effective at the conversion stage when the customer already has built an association with your startup.
A personalized video might just be the final push for someone to make a buying decision. This technique has been vastly used by established brands, it is high time startups start employing it as well.
A great example of this is the Cadbury Glow that uses the individual’s personal network to coin their preference for chocolate. Makes you feel all kinds of warm and fuzzy, doesn’t it?
Live talks/ presentations
It is a smart business decision to repurpose your content. If your team members are already giving an informative talk, why not double bang on it and save a buck along the way.
All you will need is a little bit of post-processing to prevent it from becoming a drag and keep it peppy and entertaining.
Who does video marketing better than Slack? The “Frontiers by Slack 2017 – Meetings that Don’t Suck” conference is just recorded footage of a talk Ken Norton is giving.
Thank you videos
They have made it all the way through the marketing funnel and now have purchased your product, so don’t forget to say thank you. Well, you can do that with a video.
The customer always appreciates attention and appreciation. It will help your startup garner brand loyalty.
These were all the video types that can prove to be effective in the marketing journey of a startup. If you are an entrepreneur and want to have some great video content made, feel free to reach out to MotionCue.
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