Today I would like to tell you about videos that will help you sell, or rather how to work with videos to make them help you sell on social networks (Youtube, Facebook, Vkontakte, Instagram TV), and what these videos should be like, and what categories of them exist.
The main requirements for videos that you should follow:
1. Meeting minimum requirements for video quality
- there should be good light in the room where the recording takes place;
- the sound must be good. We recommend using a lavaliere microphone;
- even if you record video using a smartphone, use a tripod. It means there should be support to avoid shaking.
These are the minimum requirements for the quality that will be enough in most cases. If you work with a cameraman as well, it will be beneficial. But you can always start on your own.
2. Length
The optimal length for different platforms started to vary. If before I used to recommend filming short videos for all the platforms, now the situation has changed.
It is still better to film short videos for Facebook, VK and IGTV. But at the same time, the performance of videos that are shorter than one minute is getting worse, if it is not a short announcement or trailer.
For these platforms, the optimal length is from 1:40 up to 5 minutes. That is what users expect.
On YouTube, the audience got used to a different format due to vlogs and shows. In addition to it, viewers expect to get some useful information from YouTube videos. That is why I recommend filming videos with a length of 5-10 minutes.
It is the optimal length, but it can be increased if you think that the topic is relevant and important for the viewers. Or in case you are taking an interview and the interviewee is important and dear to your audience, and you know how to get the needed information from them.
10 ideas videos that help you sell
Let’s view the top of the most important and popular formats of video content.
1. Product review
Tell how your product, service, or goods work and what peculiarities they have. For example, you have a spa saloon and you are making a review video of a certain service. Share information about the benefits of your product, who it is suitable to, what are the peculiarities of this service, and when it is worth getting it.
2. Product Test
Show your product in use and action, test it. Tests can be different.
There are extreme tests. For example, you hit the car with a hammer to show how sturdy it is. In most cases, of course, videos are more trivial. For example, show certain construction materials in action.
People need to see a product in use.
3. Product comparison
Compare different product lines. Say, you sell fur coats and show what the difference is.
The other option is to compare your product with competitors’ products. For example, you are a real estate developer, and you sell flats. Do a review of the real estate market: compare different housing estates, apartment prices, and infrastructure.
Compare different products, people find it interesting.
4. Workshops
Run workshop sessions. It can be a workshop on how to use your product. For example, you have CRM, and you can record a video where you show how to work with CRM. Or it can be a general workshop that covers a certain problematic aspect of your audience. Say, how to analyze sales or how to get rid of backache.
5. Choice guide
Make a video where you tell your audience how to choose something.
For example, how to choose a flat, a wife, a fur coat, a packaged tour, or a destination for your winter holidays, etc. It is always interesting for people, and they often require advice or a guide on how to make the right choice.
Onlypult allows posting videos up to 100Mb for YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media.
6. Feedbacks
Your clients’ feedback on your product.
| Ask your clients to write a review or agree to make a video yourself. You can run a giveaway for the best feedback. |
7. Cases
The format is similar to feedbacks but gives more details on the interaction with your clients. For example, tell your audience how you once solved a client’s problem.
Say, you have a car tuning saloon. The ideal formula for your case will be the following:
- a client has come to you with a certain car;
- what is your task and what end result does your client want to get? Let’s say, the client wants to increase the horsepower;
- the list of works that have been carried out. Ideally, add a story about the problems you had to face and how you overcame them;
- the result of your work. Show what features that particular car has now. It is a good idea to attach photos before and after if your services have a visual aspect.
Cases are a very important and interesting format. It allows you to show your approach and clients can relate to it. This format proves and makes it obvious that you have clients, and they are happy with your services.
It is worth recording screencasts (videos of the screen) if you have many complicated features: an order, request form, registration, and so forth. It is quite often that people don’t finish their purchase just because they didn’t understand software features.
8. Interview
Interview a person who is interesting for your audience. It can be an interview with an employee or a client. A good idea can be to have an interview when a person answers questions asked by the audience.
| Prepare a list of questions in advance, but listen to what the interviewee says to make it sound like a conversation. |
9. Answers to frequently asked questions
If you are often asked about a certain aspect of your business, make a separate video about it. Name it with the same question that you have been asked.
For example, if you sell bathroom and lavatory appliances, and you are asked a certain question, make a video named “How to choose bathroom appliances?”
10. Videos for particular target audience segments
Each segment has its own tasks. Let me bring an example from my own experience:
I, as an agency owner and as a person who organizes workshops and services, have several audience segments. They are entrepreneurs, SMM specialists, marketers, PR and advertising managers, bloggers, community admins, students, etc. Every segment has its own tasks, problems, and concerns.
Each segment breaks down into smaller segments. For example, there is a medical segment, tourism, wedding organization, big business, small business segments, and so forth. You can single out many similar segments and each will have its peculiarities, tasks, and problems. That is why it is going to be great if I start making videos like “How to promote a restaurant in social networks” or “how to promote a clinic on Instagram”, and so forth. These videos won’t have many views, but their selling and convertible ability will be great because they will hit the target. That’s why I recommend making a series of such videos.
Divide the audience into segments and film a separate video for each of them.
Just to remind you, video is still the most popular type of content on social networks. That is why I recommend putting all your ideas into practice. Focus on your business and film videos in different formats and cover different topics.
