It’s hard to miss the abundance of video in today’s business communications.

But, why does video matter?  

And if it matters, what kinds of video should businesses create to drive growth?

If you want to boost impact and widen the reach of your communications, let’s look closer at these two questions.

Why does video matter?

Video matters because it’s a vital part of a winning strateg: Content Marketing. 

Content Marketing is a proven process that builds trust and relationships with prospects by providing information that’s valuable to them. 

If your content is valuable enough, it can compel a prospect to give you their email address in exchange for that content. When that happens, you’ve got a lead.

Taking this definition one step further, Wistia defines video marketing as follows. 

“Video marketing is a strategic marketing approach that involves creating and sharing video content with the goals of attracting, retaining, and converting a defined audience of viewers.”

(Yeah, it’s kinda boring but it covers all the main points!)

Video can fit seamlessly within your overall content strategy, complementing your blog posts, ebooks, social media, and more.

But video content can also outperform almost every other type of content in both its impact and its reach.

First, video combines sound, motion, storytelling and human connections in a way that no other medium can, for an impact that can be profound:

• It’s easy to consume and fun to digest
• It transfers information rapidly
• It can rivet a viewer’s attention
• It creates strong message retention 

Try achieving that with a text-only blog post!

Second, video content’s reach is astounding. 

Facebook reports that they get more than 8 billion video views daily. 

Even newcomer TikTok got an average of 1 million video views per day in its first year.

And according to Wyzowl, people watch an average of 16 hours of online video per week – a 52% increase in the last 2 years.

So in short, if you’re not using video in your content marketing, or aren’t using it enough, you could really be missing out.

Five types of video for your business 

Video is a very flexible medium, so it can be used to create almost any type of content.

But here are the five most important types of video for your business:

Explainer videos

Explainer videos describe a product or service offered by your company.

This can be anything from an overview, to explanations of features and functions, to an in-depth look at how something works. 

To be effective, though, don’t just list your product’s features. 

Instead, focus on the problem your solution addresses. 

Explain how your product or service can help make people’s business or personal lives easier, better, more fulfilling  or whatever.

Remember that explainer videos, like any content, must provide value to viewers – not just bullet points.

Social proof videos

Do you have a supportive, long-term customer who loves what your business does for them?

Create a video that tells that story.

A customer testimonial is one example of a social proof video that “proves” your company is worthy of trust.

Other great examples include case studies, positive recognition for your company, or some other significant demonstration of tangible results thanks to your product.

Brand videos

How do you want your prospects and customers to think about your company and its brand? 

Use brand videos to tell your company story, perhaps better than any “About Us” page ever could.

Brand videos could also deliver insight about your employees, partners or company events. 

Or they could provide thought leadership essays that illustrate how you think about the world in which your customers live. 

(This is sometimes called vlogging, or video blogging. The video above is an example of this.)

But, even though brand videos explain who you are as a company, remember to keep your messages relevant and valuable to your prospects and customers.

The best brand videos help you build trust and awareness. 

In the end, they’re not really about you. 

Rather, they’re about how your brand impacts the people you serve.

Sales videos

A sales video asks potential buyers to take a step along the path toward purchase.

It could be an ad asking people to visit your website, download an ebook, or register for a free trial.

Or, it could highlight a special offer or sale opportunity 

The hallmarks of a successful sales video are its focus on benefits and a compelling call to action.

Training videos

Training videos are more educational than sales-oriented by nature.

They’re often used to answer frequently asked questions (FAQs), which helps build trust and insight about your product.

Training videos can also describe the customer experience with your product or service, provide how-to instructions or help a new customer come onboard.

Sometimes, just the existence of training videos on your website can build confidence in your company’s commitment to customer success.

And that can be a very powerful message!

How to use video in practice

Once you create a video or two or three, you’ll need to know how to use them in your business communications. 

For help with that, head on over to our tips on The top 3 ways to use business video.

Also, for examples of videos created by other businesses, check out our Video and Portfolio pages.

Wrapping up, for big impact and broad reach, it’s hard to beat the power of business video. 

Share what you think about this opportunity in the comments.

And of course, let us know how we can help!