Today, video marketing is an invaluable tool for building and growing an audience on social media. From boosting engagement and conversion rates to creating a brand that people remember, video has the power to do it all.
TikTok, for example, has become a leading player in video social apps since its inception in 2017. With over a billion global users, the app has quickly become the darling of Gen Z and other generations. All because of the power of video.
1. Lucidchart: “What is a Pupper? What is a Doggo?”
One of my all-time favorite branded social videos made with a tiny budget is Lucidchart’s “What is a Pupper? What is a Doog?”
The video length is only one minute, but the script, timing, aesthetic, and overall video format proves that it doesn’t take much to create fantastic video content. As of the time of writing, the video has accumulated more than 3.9 million views on YouTube alone and has been used across multiple social media and video ads campaigns on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more.
What makes the video so successful is that although the video is funny in nature, it is perfectly executed from a product standpoint using a simple video and screen recording tool.
2. YMCA: Thank You!
Brands don’t send email campaigns without tailoring it to the user, so why do we often default to creating generic video content? Personalized video is an engaging new way to interact with your target market so you can increase conversions and grow your business. YMCA used personalized video content to thank all of the volunteers and donors who help to keep the YMCA running.
Everyone likes to feel special. Personalization is a video storytelling technique that uses concrete data and customer feedback to create content that’s relevant and valuable to viewers. That’s why adding details into a personalized video, like your viewer’s name, company, or photo, is the perfect way to engage and delight your audience.
3. Zoom: “Box for Zoom”
Sometimes there is no better way to tell the story of your brand than through the lens of your happiest customers. When your company has a great story to share—like this story about how Box uses Zoom—you’ll want to get the word out.
Consumers naturally trust reviews from their peers more than they trust just marketing collateral, so that testimonial adds more weight to the decision they're trying to make. Plus, you're giving customers an opportunity to become brand advocates, which builds trust, credibility, and an emotional connection.
4. Buffer: “13 Proven Social Media Tips”
One of the best ways to provide value to your audience and customers is to teach them something through branded educational videos. Buffer, for example, created a series of low-budget videos with an iPhone and a tripod on YouTube to teach small businesses how to use social media more effectively.
People want to feel connected to the brands they invest in, especially when there are so many options to choose from. Creating educational video content can help to build strong customer relationships from the first interaction so that you retain customers and increase your ROI.
5. Nine Line Apparel: “Stout Hoodie”
Another low-budget video idea that is proven to work by some of the world’s top brands is to showcase your product in action. Showing your audience your product and how it works is a lot different than simply telling them. With product videos, it’s important to make the content helpful and keep it short and sweet. This will increase the likelihood that someone will watch it, and best of all, share it with their friends. Check out this Nine Line Apparel video, for example:
Even if you shoot your own product video, many inexpensive video tools today provide templates and easy-to-use editing features that can help you make your video look great. You can use these video tools to customize everything from the clips to the audio so that the final product suits your brand and amplifies your message.
6. Sierra Designs: “High Route Tent”
If you’re not completely sure what type of video will work best on social media, I’d recommend combining different types into one for experimentation. For example, this Sierra Designs video is a combination of a product showcase and a customer testimonial video all-in-one. The designer, featured in the video, talks about the tent itself as well as how he designed it perfectly for the brand’s target audience: hikers, campers, and people who love the outdoors.
As mentioned, consumers trust people they can relate to, especially their peer group. I like to think of this type of video as an online version of an in-store employee. The host answers the most commonly asked questions, talks about the top product features, and even demonstrates the product in action. The perfect combination.
Social Media Videos on a Budget
Having a limited budget is always a challenge for brands and marketers alike.
But with the right strategies, approach, and tools, you can create social videos that get your audience to engage with your content on a consistent basis. Those audience members will eventually become customers and even brand advocates for your brand over the long run.
All from a well-crafted social media video on a budget.
For a comprehensive guide on how to not only promote but actually sell your products on social media, read our ebook on social commerce.
