Nowadays, video content is one of the most effective marketing tools. According to various studies, at least half of the companies that have started using such materials for promotion note an improvement in sales and brand perception. I'll take a closer look at what benefits videos can bring to a business.

With the help of video content, you can solve several tasks.

• A detailed product description in a short time. A few spectacular frames are better able to demonstrate a product or service than long text descriptions. Reels and Shorts formats are usually used.
• Audience engagement. People often prefer content that requires less effort to consume. According to this criterion, the videos have no competitors yet.
• Increase the conversion rate. The audience is more likely to perform targeted actions, including purchases, if the content inspires emotions and trust in them. Through video, it is easier to influence the mood of the audience and their motivation. For example, due to the correct composition, you can demonstrate the comfort that your company's furniture creates.
• Brand awareness. Visual images with well-chosen phrases are well remembered. When a consumer has a need for a product or service, they are more likely to prefer a brand that they immediately remember. For example, on the shelves of a store, a customer will notice, among others, products of a familiar brand.

• SEO. Search engines rank web pages based on a variety of criteria. Algorithms check how informative and user-friendly sections of the site are. The availability of videos is usually evaluated positively. Due to this, the positions of the corresponding pages in the search results can improve.
• Building a loyal audience. If you regularly upload high-quality and useful videos, you can get regular viewers.
• Creating additional competitive advantages. Not all companies use video marketing or post high-quality materials. This means that there is a chance to surpass the competition.
• Virality. Sometimes the video begins to be actively distributed by Internet users themselves - through reposts and forwarding in private messages. In this case, you can get a large reach without additional promotion costs.

There are many video formats that are suitable for business tasks, and new ones appear regularly. Next, we'll look at the most popular ones.

To reach a large audience, the same content is often uploaded to multiple platforms. However, services may have different requirements for resolution, bitrate, and other codec parameters. Video converters will help you quickly and effortlessly adapt content to a specific site.

Short vertical videos are initially a mobile format, as smartphones are more often used in portrait mode (vertical display orientation). Such videos are posted in special sections of social networks and video hosting sites. There are two types of the format available.

• Stories, stories — these clips are automatically deleted 1-2 days after posting. It's not uncommon for a post to be split into several shorter videos. Each of these videos is a separate slide or scene. For example, the entire publication is devoted to the process of making cakes. The first clip shows the original ingredients, the second shows their mixing, the third shows baking, and so on.

• Shorts, reels — publications are not deleted and are located in a separate section on the channel or account page. With rare exceptions, such materials are also located in a special section in the service itself. It shows clips in the form of an endless ("smart") tape. It is generated automatically depending on the user's subscriptions, previous views, reactions, comments, and reposts. For example, if a person was previously interested in clips about cars, in the future his tape may consist mainly of similar materials.

Services limit the duration of short clips. It usually takes up to one minute. Users view such content for entertainment and to pass the time. Therefore, the format is more suitable for humorous and simple educational videos. You can also place ads in stories.

Many people enjoy watching other people's work from the sidelines. They are also curious about what is happening "behind the scenes" — in production halls, logistics centers, restaurant kitchens and other similar places.

The topic of backstages can be stated according to one of these ideas. They post meditative material, for example, in the form of a timelapse, or a video that satisfies the viewer's curiosity — it shows how the product is made with explanations, interviews with employees, infographics, and so on.

However, in fact, as part of a content marketing strategy, backstages have a different goal. They demonstrate the well-coordinated work of the company or its separate department. As a result, the loyalty and emotional involvement of the viewer increases. He sees that the product is the fruit of the painstaking work of living people, and not the faceless product of a "corporate machine." The viewer also involuntarily notices modern equipment, accuracy, and strict compliance with regulations. These observations convince him of the high quality of the product.

Backstages should look natural — not look like a staged production, but at the same time be aesthetically appealing. Make sure that damaged equipment, dirt, debris, oil stains, and the like do not get into the frame.

Interviews can be conducted by specialists from the department responsible for promotion or marketing. They will ask questions to an expert (another employee of the company) in the field that corresponds to the topic of the video. 

1x1: about product management at YandexOnline broadcasts in this case can be a kind of interview. They are conducted live, and questions are partially or completely asked by the audience. Since streams are not pre—recorded materials, they are more convincing.

It is posted directly from the brands in the format of a video presentation. Full—fledged reviews (in the usual sense of the term) are usually posted by third-party bloggers - we'll talk about this format of cooperation below.

The material demonstrates the product itself, tells why it is needed and what is interesting. If necessary, the video series is supplemented with infographics: diagrams, tables, diagrams, lists, etc. They should not be difficult to understand or too voluminous. Otherwise, the viewer will not have time to study all the information or will be distracted from the main narrative.

The purpose of the review is to introduce the audience to the product or product line. The content of the video should meet the expectations and needs of the target audience, the part of the audience that is more likely to place an order. For example, it is more important for buyers of power tools to learn about the warranty service rules, rather than about the color of the product body.

In this case, the brand attracts the attention of the blogger's audience and thereby increases its reach. In addition, when a video clip with a positive opinion about a product or company is posted on the channel, the author, due to his reputation, guarantees to some extent that this is a decent organization and a good product.

Different cooperation options are possible:

• Review. The company sends the product to the author. The blogger writes down material in which he demonstrates the features of the product and shares his impressions.
• Interview. The blogger takes it from a brand representative.
• Backstage. The author records the material in the office or at the production site of the company. He can demonstrate work processes and interview specialists.

The details of cooperation are agreed individually. Content can be created for a fee according to a detailed technical specification from the customer (i.e. from the brand). However, such materials are considered sponsored (promotional) and must have a special label. The audience is less loyal to them. Viewers also notice when a blogger praises a product and highlights only minor flaws.

When creating "gratuitous" content, the main conditions are indicated by the author. Exceptions may be situations where filming is organized on the territory of the company, expensive or truly exclusive goods are provided.

Watch the author's other videos in advance. Also, try to evaluate the brand and its products objectively. Otherwise, instead of marketing content, you can get devastating material. In the best case scenario, the blogger decides not to post the video. At worst, he will analyze the shortcomings of the product in detail, bombard your colleagues with sharp questions and focus on the problems that he notices in your company.

Reviews in video format. In them, ordinary customers share their impressions of the product. Now, for the most part, they are placed on marketplaces. Users are independent and express their opinions. Therefore, potential buyers carefully study the reviews before making a purchase.

Feedback

Many people know that unscrupulous companies resort to fraud. Because of this, enthusiastic reviews are treated with distrust. The suspicion is aroused by boilerplate phrases and when the authors of the videos do not say anything about important properties that a real buyer would definitely pay attention to. Therefore, non-directed user videos are more trustworthy.

A video presentation of offices, workshops, retail outlets, restaurants, and other brand locations, accompanied by voiceover commentary. It can also be a walk through rooms or outdoor locations. Sometimes an invited journalist or blogger acts as a guest, and an employee of the company acts as a tour guide. Viewers get acquainted with the daily life of the organization, observe the conditions under which the product is created. It helps to establish an emotional connection with the audience.

Avito Office Tour (2022)

This includes master classes, life hacks, and a variety of tutorials. They demonstrate how to use the product. For example, step-by-step instructions are provided for various scenarios.

BI Constructor in Bitrix24: analytics and reports for beginners. Online meetup

Often the reason for a bad impression is that the customer has not figured out how to use the product. The training materials prevent negative reviews, refunds, and other conflict situations. In addition, such content reduces the burden on the support service.

I explained how useful video content is for brands. With its help, you can gain new customers, improve the reputation of the company and its products, and increase the position of online resources in search results. Short, one-minute entertainment clips are now popular, as well as more serious and lengthy materials. For example, educational videos, office tours, and interviews with employees. Third-party content is also useful. Potential buyers follow the reviews of other customers and reviews from bloggers.