15 Types of Marketing Videos Explained

You can read about the effectiveness and importance of video marketing everywhere. And it’s true, brands invest more and more in all types of marketing videos because they see good results. The number of short marketing videos on social media is growing faster than any other type of video advertising.

That’s understandable, considering that short-form videos have the highest ROI compared to other video types and media formats.

Does that mean you should do shorties to be successful in video marketing? Not necessarily. There are numerous types of videos for marketing that could be a better fit for your goals.

In this post, we’ll explain the most popular video types and examine when you should use them.

Most popular types of video marketing

The Hubspot State of Inbound Marketing Trends report reveals which types of video marketers prefer. Almost 60% of businesses surveyed still produce long-form videos. But most are adding short-form videos, mainly on social media.

When asked which type of video marketers use to reach their marketing goals, these were the most frequent:

It’s no surprise that promotional videos are a marketer’s first choice. After all, marketing is about promoting products and services. The next in line, according to the report, is brand storytelling. Also among the leading five video content types are product demos, customer case studies, and social engagement videos.

Goals and types of video content

Before we get into the various types, let’s take a closer look at marketing goals and how they relate to video content types. We can break video content into three categories: Commercial, informational and entertaining videos. These three categories describe what the video content does for the viewer. They also partially align with search intent.

When you set up your video marketing strategy, first determine what you want from the viewer. Do you want the audience to buy your product or to fall in love with your brand? Do you want their attention, loyalty, or understanding?

It’s easy to lose sight of these underlying goals among all the other considerations when deciding upon the type, the style, and the format. Decide which funnel stage to target and whether the video is commercial, informational, or entertaining. Then move on to choosing the type of marketing video.

15 different types of videos for marketing

Promotional videos

1. Video ads

Video ads, or spots, have been around longer than digital marketing and were particularly popular when TV was the number one mass media channel. Catchy jingles used to capture audiences like top hits.

Besides driving sales, video ads also serve as a powerful booster for brand awareness.

Today, you can place ads on digital video channels, such as YouTube, and social media channels, such as Facebook or LinkedIn. The term video ads usually refers to paid advertising rather than organic content.

When should you use video ads? Video ads are useful for product launches, entering a new market, promoting special sales offers, or events. Keep in mind that you need a considerable budget. Besides the fact that placing ads cost money, these types of videos need to meet high-quality standards, and that involves additional costs and resources.

2. Product promotion videos

Presenting a product in a video is more effective than introducing it through text and stills because video reaches the audience at more sensual levels.

Promotional product videos are similar to ads with a focus on your product or service. You can place them on your website, landing pages, and blogs, create your own video channel, and place them on social media.

When should you use product videos? This type of video is usually the foundation of your video content assortment. The clips function as a pillar in a video strategy to enhance awareness, educate, and, of course, promote.

3. Testimonial videos

Letting happy customers promote your product or brand is a great way to build credibility. You’ll show a short interview or review where the user shares their positive experience and the benefits they got from using what you offer.

The challenge is to find loyal customers willing to invest time and effort. It helps if they stand to gain something as well, like exposure or being associated with your brand.

When should you use testimonial videos? A testimonial video is beneficial in almost any situation. That’s because people believe what users say before they believe what you claim.

Pro-Tip: Keep in mind that many viewers watch videos on social media on the go. Often they are in the office, in a restaurant, or on public transport with no headphones. Adding captions and subtitles is more important than most video marketers anticipate.

Brand Videos

4. Brand Storytelling

In this type of video, a brand presents its personality and values. The content doesn’t usually include the actual product or service but aims to create an image that resonates with the audience. The brand presents its mission, vision, and values embedded into an engaging story that is often completely unrelated to the business.

The idea is for viewers to find themselves represented. A brand-storytelling video can also touch on the (hidden) dreams and desires of the target audience.

When should you use brand storytelling in your video? These types of videos are usually part of a more extensive branding campaign. They strengthen the overall perception of a brand and can do wonders for instilling brand association.

Brand stories are a good choice for brands that stand for definitive values they share with their audience. Mostly storytelling is done by established companies with a strong brand identity.

5. Behind-the-scenes videos

Many companies use behind-the-scenes videos to become more relatable. Audiences love to be reassured that there are real people behind a brand. A simple clip showing the office space with people at their desks or during lunch turns an anonymous company into real-life people. Videos of special events to share the company culture or vibe are even more popular.

Some companies encourage employees to share insider stories on social media as long as the video is in line with brand guidelines. This is known as employee advocacy.

When should you use this type of video? Videos showing the brand from the inside are usually a supplement to other strategies. We are talking about branding campaigns, content marketing, and social media strategies.

6. Expert or employee interview

Another form of behind-the-scenes video features employees telling their stories or the founder talking about the history of the business. Interviews always have an air of documentary around them and appear unstaged. They come across as non-marketing content. Industry experts can add even more credibility.

When should you use interview videos? This type of video is mainly aimed at building trust and establishing authority. They are relatively simple and cost-effective to create but usually have no major marketing significance on their own. They can, however, be very useful as part of your branding components.

Product Videos

Besides product ads and promotional product videos, there are plenty of additional product video types you can use to educate your audience. The list includes explainer videos, product demos, how-to videos, and tutorials.

When should you use product videos? Educational product videos are increasingly being integrated into content marketing strategies. They work to enhance the effectiveness of written content because they reach audiences faster and on different levels. Short product videos can be shared on various video and social media platforms.

Pro-Tip: Create videos suited for viewing on mobile devices. According to eMarketer, over 75% of video content is consumed on mobile. Some product videos need to show details, and it’s critical to consider the size of the screen.

Let’s look at different types of product videos.

7. Explainer videos

Explainer videos are usually animated videos that explain what your product is and what it can achieve for the user. Compared to promotional ads, they are not directly aimed at selling but have a more informational character.

8. Product demo

Product demo videos are longer videos that – as the name indicates – demonstrate the product and its features. The goal is to inform the potential customer about the features and uniqueness of a product.

9. How-to videos

These videos place the problem that your product solves in the center. A how-to video presents a specific use case and walks the viewer through the solution. Your product isn’t necessarily the only solution offered but should definitely explain why it’s the preferred solution.

10. Tutorials

Tutorial videos are primarily aimed at existing customers and provide hands-on instructions for how to use specific features of a product. The idea is to help customers use additional features more effectively.

Customer Case Studies

11. Case Study videos

In this type of video, you tell a complete customer success story. The traditional written case studies are powerful assets in content marketing and are known to have a persuasive impact.

Presenting a customer case study in the form of a video adds authenticity. Seeing actual people and hearing the story directly from the customer enhances credibility.

When should you use customer case study videos? The simple answer is: whenever you can. It only sounds simple because engaging customers in a case study is a challenge. It requires close cooperation with the customer as well as effort and resources from both involved parties.

For the video to achieve the desired impact, the customer must be a reputable and fairly well-known company in the industry. If no one recognizes them, their voice won’t count for much, and your efforts and cost may not pay off.

Social Engagement

12. Social and environmental concerns videos

These types of videos are similar to brand story videos but focus primarily on the issue, not the brand. To create loyalty, brands engage in social activities or promote an agenda of social concern.

Companies may film their involvement in community activities or show ways in which they support a common cause. The topics are not limited to social issues, such as equality, diversity, inclusion, fighting poverty and racism; they could also relate to environmental awareness, cybersecurity or energy saving, and philanthropic engagement.

When should you use social engagement videos? Taking a stand on social or environmental issues is becoming increasingly important for brands. Customers want to feel that the money they leave with you is in good hands. They look for reassurance that they aren’t supporting unjust behavior or activities.

Knowing that your brand cares and is socially engaged can help a prospect reach a purchasing decision. It’s critical that these types of videos are entirely truthful and authentic; otherwise, they can backfire. They are an excellent addition to your branding but don’t overdo it. Pushing an agenda too strongly can cause antagonism and suspicion.

Other types of marketing videos

13. User-Generated Videos

To boost engagement and add credibility, some brands encourage customers to post videos of themselves with a newly purchased product. Often brands create a video collage of UGC videos (User Generated Content).

14. Interactive videos

Interactive videos are a particularly entertaining and fun type of video where the viewer can determine what happens next in the clip. Videos like these are highly engaging but also require the viewers’ full attention.

Fashion brands use interactive videos to let viewers choose a color or load details about a specific item.

15. Educational video content

Building authority in a field requires showing expertise. Companies do so by educating their audience about an industry or product-related topic.

How to choose the right type of marketing video for your strategy

We started the article by setting goals. You need to make sure video content is aligned with your business and marketing goals.

After deciding what your videos should achieve, it’s time to move on to planning the actual content. Find popular types of video and content topics that work for your competition. See what kind of content and style of video your audience prefers.

Do your keyword research. You want your target audience to find your video content easily, and to achieve that, you need to beat the video competition. Our YouTube keyword generator is the ideal tool to find the perfect terms to target and create content around. It lets you identify popular YouTube search terms that drive traffic to your and your competitors’ sites. You can analyze per search medium and get data related to volume, traffic, and engagement.

Keywords are essential for all types of video content, including paid ads so that search engines can index your content correctly and put it in front of your desired audience.

There are many decisions to make, and selecting the proper video type is only one. Similarweb can help with many.