5 Ways to Use Video Marketing to Build Your Brand

In a previous blog, I discussed the Top 3 Reasons Clients Use Video Marketing. Now that I established the “why” from a businesses point of view, I aim to shed light on the ever looming “how” that turns theory into motion, literally. While this list is in no way all-inclusive, it will get your wheels turning as to the functional uses of video.

1. Commercials, Infomercials, Marketing Videos
The most widely recognized use of video is promotional. Business-to-consumer (B2C) promotion is a saturated market, so it is more important than ever to differentiate your brand through effective video and strategic messaging/imagery. Business-to-business (B2B) promotion also falls in this category; if you sell a product or service that helps other companies deliver their final product or service. Video, in this situation, can take a proposal or sales pitch to the next level.

2. Education and Training
While we often focus on the added value video can have on your marketing strategy − video can be purely internal. Use video to spice up meetings, to unveil new product releases or changes to the website. Save money and increase the efficiency of employee time by using video to train new employees or existing staff members on protocol changes or updated safety regulations. Video also makes employee training more flexible, allowing the person to go at his or her own pace and approach the content more thoroughly.
From a human resources perspective, video allows for recordable evidence that training has been provided and fully covered all issues. While this may seem minor at first glance, proper training is an important preventative measure against lawsuits and workplace malpractice claims.

3. Public Relations Efforts
As the age of digital media continues to emerge, video news releases are more prominent than ever. Members of the media tend to prefer audiovisual content to the traditional press release style. With video, your words pack more punch and will better grab the attention of your intended audience.

Public service announcements (PSA) are another public relations tactic that translates effectively through video. Many times, PSA’s address more serious issues than a typical press release and the serious tone is easily captured through the power of video. Product recalls and public apologies are often transmitted through PSAs. PSAs can be particularly effective for non-profit organizations as television networks dedicate a certain amount of airtime to public interest by airing PSAs at no charge. For more on this strategy check out “Let’s Clear the Air About Public Service Announcements” by Jack McGuire.

4. Investor Relations
Maintaining positive investor relations is an important part of your company’s success. Video provides an avenue to communicate important information to investors in a sophisticated format that subconsciously communicates organization and sophistication. Video also allows you to capture and maintain their interest by providing visuals to support your numbers. You can also show your appreciation for their vested interest by using top company executives to communicate the information, showing them how much you value their investments from the top-down. Besides communicating with existing shareholders, video content can be a very effective way to communicate with and engage prospective investors. Embed a video link within the company’s prospectus or put together an investor package that includes a custom, branded USB drive containing your investor or marketing video.

5. Creative Brand Building
When creating and sustaining a recognized brand, you can’t be all business all the time. You have to find a way to be personable with current and prospective customers, which can be achieved in many ways. Philanthropy is one way to meet this goal and benefit others. Partnerships with charities and videos to promote that organization’s cause and your work with them are a great way to give your brand character. You can create awareness for a cause and your brand at the same time, without being too conspicuous.

Likewise, social media campaigns supplemented by video are another example of creative ways to build a brand. Engaging online followers to use a specific hashtag (#) on Twitter or post their own content to your Facebook wall allows companies to make personal connections with their more important audiences. Kick off the campaign or program with a video getting viewers excited about participation. Better yet, get them engaged and gather additional content by soliciting video submissions from your audience. This works well in conjunction with a contest or challenge.

Videos can but do not have to be, completely calculated. While you always want a consistent message, videos can take chances and show the fun side of your organization. When posting shareable video content online, you touch on the concept of viral video. While this is considered a bit passé’ in the world of social media, there is definitely some merit in creating short, fun or meaningful videos that make people want to share their internet presence.

Documentaries and docudramas are less recognized in the business world but can provide historical value to your organization. Identifying important milestones can create an emotional connection to viewers that sparks interest in your product or service, thus building brand awareness.
Throughout the series, we established the what, when, where and why of video in a business environment.

Ready to start planning your video content? Before you proceed, check out “Video Production: How much will it cost?” and “Getting the Most Bang for Your Production Buck.” For more video marketing and production tips, subscribe here.

About the Author:

Kristin Kauffmann is an award-winning writer and executive producer with more than 20-years of experience in script-to-air television production and is the president of Blue Truck Productions, Inc.

Blue Truck® specializes in video marketing and video production; developing original content for corporations for use in marketing and social media.