How does Video Content affect Marketing?

January 5th, 2022

What is video content and why is it used?
The goal of any marketing strategy is to convey the right message to the right audience at the right time. Video content has exploded as a method of doing this because people like watching videos.

And they like them more than static images, text, or talking heads (people on TV). This means that your marketing message can be consumed by many more people compared with other mediums. But does this mean we should abandon all other methods of marketing and start exclusively using video content? Of course not. Every method has its place and everyone excels in some way - so we use everything together to achieve maximum effect.

Video #1: My personal favorite candidate for an effective video campaign would be a bank like HSBC. They could take a well-edited video about using their services. It would be short, clear and the video would look professional (i.e. not done by amateurs). But can we say that HSBC's website does not have a professional design? Can we say that their marketing pamphlets are not well written? Of course, we cannot. In fact, I encourage you to have a look at their websites and pamphlets. The point is that even though they may use videos from time to time, it is only one tool in a well-balanced arsenal of tools

Video #2: A less suitable candidate for running a video campaign would be Coca Cola, who does so much promotion through other mediums that running a video campaign as well would be overkill. It'd also be really expensive because, as we know, Coke has to spend millions on its advertisements every year. However, it is certainly interesting to analyse their use of video content - take a look at this video for instance:

It does not follow the typical rules that I laid out in the previous section (which I will discuss below) and you could say that it's not an advert but more like an animation for children. Well think again - Coca-Cola is fully aware that adults watch their videos too because they upload them to YouTube and then link them from Facebook where anyone can see them. So next time someone tells you "this isn't an advertisement", ask yourself "whose adverting strategy is this part of?"

Video #3: A great example of an effective video campaign is KLM's Stopover site. Spaces and time are both limited and the message they want to convey is "KLM will help you plan your trip". So they show people in a hotel room writing out their wishlist for traveling using pen and paper. And the best thing is that it looks effortless, not like they've spent months planning it. But they did spend months planning it because making a good ad takes effort - that is what makes it work!

Regarding the overall quality of all videos used by any given company, I believe that most companies tend to err on the side of caution. This means that if their existing customers tend to be people who value quality, they will spend more on making their video adverts look high-quality.

Now that we've discussed the role of video content in marketing and why companies choose to use it or not, let's take a closer look at the three types of videos I listed above:

Type 1: Professional, expensive, unobtrusive

Advantages - professional look and feel Disadvantages - distracting from the message with a focus on style

Type 2: Amateurish but effective at getting the point across

Advantages - the right amount of effort for producing a specific result with minimum investment Disadvantages - amateurish look and feel compared to Type 1 ads

Type 3: A bit silly with a high level of creativity

Advantages - most effective use of time given limited resources Disadvantage - low production value which may not be suitable for every company's existing customers or target audience. Now that we've discussed examples, let's conclude by comparing them: All three types are equally suited as video content in marketing. Video Type 1 is best for companies that already have a professional image and want to maintain it. Type 2 works well for companies with a more casual image or one that they want to soften. And Type 3 is suited best to the marketers who have limited resources but still want to stand out from their competitors by being creative. Now you know what video content is and how it can be used in marketing campaigns... and some of its limitations too!