Video is now considered the world’s most effective advertising tool. With an increasing number of businesses and products using it, you may be wondering exactly what it is and what it can do for you. We’ve answered some of your most-asked video marketing questions below.
What is video marketing?
Most people know video marketing formats like television commercials, in-store ads, and more recently, YouTube adverts. These are all forms of video marketing, but the medium has become more integrated in recent years.
Brands can now communicate with their audience in ways more personalised and valuable to the viewer. Marketing is no longer just selling something – it’s entertaining or informing an audience first and delivering a brand message second. This type of marketing is far more subtle than the direct sales messaging audiences have grown immune to, and thus far more effective.
Why should you use video marketing for your business?
The short answer to this video marketing question is – because it works. Stats show that nothing converts like video right now:
- 87% of marketers say video increases traffic to a brand website
- 82% say it increases dwell time on that site
- 94% say it increases understanding of a product or service
- 86% say it helps with lead generation
Check out our piece on video marketing in 2024 for more compelling insights.
What are the different types of video marketing?
There are several innovative video marketing formats. Here are some of these formate we are comfortable with and recommend to our clients:
- This is Us
A short, high-impact overview of what a brand or business offers and who they are. This format is very effective for brand awareness via social media. - Who We Are
The business or product owners are interviewed, and their answers used alongside visuals to tell a story. This works well for small businesses. - Overview
Works well for bigger companies with a more complex offering. The Overview is similar to the Who We Are format and is designed to give an overview of all relevant departments within the company, except the focus is more on information than emotion. - Brand Documentary
The story of how a brand began or an employee’s story. - Scripted Explainer
An explanation of a certain product or service. - Case Study
A documentary on how a brand solved a certain problem or made a specific project possible. Clients can be used here to tell the story. - Web/TV Series
An entertaining series or one-off episode that addresses the brand’s communication points. - Social Ad
Advertising developed for specific social media platforms. - TVC
A television commercial marketing a certain brand or service. - Masterclass
A series of expert classes designed to advance a product or technique. Audiences will usually pay for viewing access to the classes.
How long should a marketing video be?
This is all dependent on the platform where your video will be used, who your audience is and what your video wants to communicate.
Generally, a brand video on social media is around 2-3 minutes. Overview videos are longer, depending on the points that need to be covered and how technical the information is. Explainer videos run around 2-3 minutes.
The video’s purpose will determine its length. Tall Giraffe Video, for instance, starts by asking what problem your brand would like to solve and then looks at platform, spend and data-driven research to determine the optimal video length.
How much does video marketing cost?
This is a common video marketing question that doesn’t have a uniform answer. Cost is very dependent on where the video will be placed and what it needs to accomplish. Each video is different and allocating a uniform price tag to it could mean you’re getting just that – a generic piece of content that doesn’t take your specific goals or unique business proposition in mind.
A production house can easily shoot you something like that, but this may not give your business your desired return on investment. Video is only as powerful as the strategy behind it and the application of it.
Generally speaking, video is more expensive than other formats as it requires technical expertise and costly equipment and software. With that said, video doesn’t have to be expensive to work. A powerful concept combined with good music and proven filming and editing techniques can be executed on a budget and work just as well.
We are inspired by other industry experts. Wistia commissioned Sandwich.co to produce this wonderful case study series that perfectly showcases what can achieved on various budgets. It’s fun, entertaining and informative. We call this infotainment and it’s delightful. Check it out if you have a moment!
Is video marketing right for a South African market?
Definitely! As data and Wi-Fi become increasingly accessible across the country – video will keep growing. A recent study showed the following:
- 81% of South African internet users surveyed use it to find information
- 81% use it to research how to do things
- 72% use it to find ideas or inspiration
- 70% use it to research products
- 68% use it for education
- 65% use it to watch videos
- 61% use it to research health
- 51% use it to manage finances
- 51% use it for business research
- 50% use it for researching places
These are valuable metrics for any brand or business. If the majority of SA audiences are using the internet to find information, learn how to do things, research products, educate themselves, watch videos, research health, manage finances, research business, or research places – you can position your business to meet those touch points.
Asking the right questions
So now you know the most common video marketing questions we get. At Tall Giraffe Video, we don’t pretend we have all the answers, but we do know which questions to ask.
The first is, what problem can video solve for your business? This is the launchpad that informs how we design and execute any piece of video content. We believe that marketing is no longer about what your audience can do for you, but what value you can offer them.
Your business has a story, and we want to help you tell it.