Video is one of the most popular types of content you can produce. People love the ease of absorbing the visual medium and seeing your product or service in action. Sites such as YouTube and Vimeo continue to grow in popularity, and social media networks offer live streaming to help business owners better connect with their target audiences.
Just knowing you need to add video content isn’t always enough, though. Out of the many different types of videos and unique ideas, it’s sometimes hard to narrow down the options.
What Type of Content Is Viewed Most on YouTube?
When figuring out what to do for video marketing, paying attention to the social media giant YouTube is a smart move. What types of content do people gravitate toward on the platform? The top four content categories on the platform are comedy, music, entertainment and how to.
Understanding the types of content people want to see in general will help you narrow down the options for your customer base. Here are some video content ideas and tips to help you get the most from your efforts.
7 Video Marketing Content Creation Tips
1. Create Unique Takes.
The only bad thing about the massive amounts of new content appearing every second of every day is repetitiveness. Pay attention to the videos your competitors put out. Are they missing any key details? What is a subject they haven’t covered or could use fleshing out?
Look for a unique take or tone no one else is taking. When you compete against dozens of other how-to videos, your results and traffic get watered down.
2. Add Structure to Instruction.
Have you ever heard someone say that a person is a “natural born teacher?” More than likely, they are highly organized and know how to teach in linear order starting with the first step and moving through the stages smoothly.
Stick to a single point at a time. Instructional videos should ideally be under 20 minutes long, or around three to six minutes. If you find the how-to video is longer, go ahead and cut out anything that doesn’t directly relate. Reshoot until you lose the extra chit-chat and get straight to the point.
3. Embrace Humor.
Since comedy is one of the top categories for videos, look at ways to entertain your audience and make them laugh. Not every business is suited for comedy, but if yours is, you can make a big impact with it.
For example, if you run a funeral home, you probably don’t want to create funny videos since people will be grieving. However, if you sell clothing or vacations, humorous ideas help grab user interest.
4. Offer Incentives.
Include special offers and incentives within your videos. Do you want people to watch to the very end? Tell them in the first few seconds you’ll have a special offer for them at the end of the video. Place the incentive as close to the end as possible so the viewer watches all the way through.
Incentives might include coupons, a free trial, or anything else the user feels is of value. Think about what is most likely to capture leads so you can sell to your audience in the future via a newsletter or other communication.
5. Be Authentic.
Around 86 percent of consumers care about authenticity and will be more connected to a brand that is upfront. You can be entertaining, inform or just emotionally connect, but do so with honesty. Don’t try to make your product seem like something it isn't. Don’t make promises you can’t live up to.
It’s hard to be authentic if you don’t know who you are as a brand. Spend some time writing out your mission statement. Think about what you want to achieve. What are the pain points of your customers and how can you solve them?
6. Go Behind the Scenes.
People love to get a glimpse of your brand’s story. Don’t be afraid to go behind the scenes and share how you make sure your customers have the best experience possible.
While you don’t want to give away your trade secrets, you can share some of your philosophies and even tap into the power of the personal struggles and triumphs of the company’s founders.
7. Utilize User-Generated Content.
People love to be entertained, but they also want to know what their peers think of your brand. If you want to create some powerful testimonials, allow your customers to create them and upload them. You might even want to turn it into a contest, having them add a hashtag and letting your other customers vote on which user generated video content they like best.
Instagram is a great place to see how brands reach out with short video clips. Study what your competitors do and see if you can come up with a unique campaign. For example, you could have customers post a short video of them using your product in a unique way. Ask for video reviews and offer a gift or discount for every one that gets posted.
There are many different ways to work with user-generated content and encourage your clients to add video clips that take your marketing to a personal level.
Ask Your Audience for Video Content Preferences
If you truly want to know what the top video content ideas are that your target audience wants to see, ask them.
Send out a survey and encourage your users to share what content they enjoy most and some topics they’d like to see you cover in the future. With a little data and a lot of effort, your video content will help you reach new heights.
Eleanor Hecks
Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. She was the creative director at a prominent digital marketing agency prior to becoming a full-time freelance designer. Eleanor lives in Philadelphia with her husband and pup, Bear.