Video content can be a great way of directly showcasing and advertising products and services, but it would be wrong to say that that’s all that video can accomplish for businesses. On the contrary, the Content Marketing Institute notes how - as online content has become more and more of a part of everyday life - the role of marketing has evolved with it:
“As a forward-thinking marketer … instead of pitching your products or services, you are providing truly relevant and useful content to your prospects and customers to help them solve their issues.”
To this end, one of the most effective things that businesses can do is use video as a means of sharing expertise. So, how can this be done while keeping marketing goals at the forefront?
Whether someone is buying a product, looking for someone to work with, or applying to go to university; they want to be able to make the most informed decision that they can make. This is reflected in the kind of content they seek, with research by Hubspot finding that “61% of the consumers [they] surveyed want to learn something from the videos they see”.
A series of videos we worked on with Birmingham City University follows this principle. In this series, lecturers from the university’s creative schools – the School of Art, for example, and the School of Jewellry – talk through the portfolio review process. They explain to prospective students how they can create portfolios that best present their past work, their personalities, and their creative influences when applying for a creative course.
Demystify your side of the business
As well as sharing information that can practically help your audience, it can also be worth sharing content that simply helps them to understand what you do a little better. Whether it’s a brief explainer video about an element of your industry, an in-depth long-form documentary that takes viewers behind-the-scenes, or anything in between – engaging video content can give people confidence in your expertise and help to establish you as a thought leader.
A video series can be a particularly good way of doing this – offering a means of distilling complex subjects into smaller, easily digestible chunks. For example, we worked on a series of videos that distilled Robert Cialdini’s principles of persuasive marketing down into a handful of short, snappy explainer videos.
Sharing knowledge can be a powerful marketing strategy. When thinking about how to promote that expertise, it's worth asking: what do people generally not know or understand about your industry? Are there common misconceptions that you can shed some light on? What sort of content might best answer those questions?
If you’re interested in discussing these issues in more detail, or learning more about what we can do for you, feel free to get in touch with us via our contact page.
"We were delighted with the speed, efficiency and reliability with which the Ember Television team produced our video."
"Ember worked incredibly well under the pressure of a tight deadline and a difficult brief."
"Ember Television should be commended for appreciating the needs of their clients and the 100% commitment they give to projects."
"There is no question that... we have strengthened the impact of our messages, it has made it easier to communicate and engage with clients and has been well received."
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