The Complete Guide To Branded Video Content in 2022

In 2020, over three billion internet users watched streaming or downloaded video content at least once a month. With this popularity, there’s no wonder why content platforms YouTube and TikTok are worldwide successes, and social media sites like Instagram are pushing video content.

However, many companies don’t know how to advertise with branded video content. The various video formats make it a confusing world to establish yourself in. Here’s a helpful guide explaining them and how they work. 

What Is Branded Video Content? 

Businesses film branded video content to market themselves. The video could highlight the brand, its mission, products, people, services and customer experience. 

They use various mediums to translate a message to a customer. You could film an employee or create an animation highlighting your processes and products.

Types Of Video Content 

There are six main branded video content formats:

Product Explainer

Product explainer videos display a customer pain point and demonstrate how a product can help. They break down the process so consumers can understand it and how it helps them. 

Top Tips

• Small focus – highlight the single biggest consumer problem your business fixes. If you include too many issues, your message may get lost.
• Keep it simple – a viewer should be able to explain what your product does after watching your video

Company Culture

Increasingly, consumers prefer to deal with people rather than corporations, so humanising your business is crucial. Creating a video exploring your culture helps customers relate to and trust your brand.

There are a few different ways you can highlight your culture. You could spotlight a team member, film a behind-the-scenes exploration or shoot a video displaying your values.

Top Tips

• Get real people talking – an employee honestly explaining their daily life directly to the camera is a great way to engage with your target audience.
• Variety is key – don’t restrict yourself to one type of video. If you can show all the human facets of your business in different ways, it presents a far more authentic feel

Testimonials

Testimonials show potential customers that your product or service will help them. A video from a client explaining how your company helped them demonstrates that your services have real-world functionality and will benefit anyone. 

Top Tips

• Interview your best clients – clients that have benefited the most from your service will be more enthusiastic about it and have the best experiences 
• Ask questions customers care about – address the main concerns of your audience to build their trust 

Case Study

Think of a case study as the next step up from a testimonial. It’s a story displaying how you help clients. 

By highlighting the steps you took to solve a problem and quantifying your success with data, you demonstrate how much you benefit your customers.

You can also introduce emotional intent to accentuate these advantages. Use a rags-to-riches story, for example, to show how you help clients make money. 

Top Tips

• Be specific – use understandable statistics that apply to the real world, such as profits made or sales generated
• Tell a relatable story – To show how you can help a customer, choose an example that meets multiple people’s needs

Product Demo

Where a product explainer video describes how your product can solve a consumer problem, a product demonstration goes further by presenting the user experience. The explainer may attract the customer’s interest, and then the demo moves them further down the advertising funnel by enticing their desire to purchase. 

When a user first comes to your product, using it can be overwhelming. To counteract this issue, create a simple guide showing how to interact with your product. The guide also works as a tutorial for new customers.

Top Tips

• Don’t use jargon – jargon alienates potential customers that lack experience with your product or industry. Define these terms so anyone can understand them
• Focus on the viewer – show the potential customer that your product or service can easily solve their problem

Brand Film

This category is broader than the others. It encompasses any film that shares information about your brand, your story, your goals and most importantly, why you do what you do. So there is a lot of flexibility available. 

A great starting point is telling your brand’s story and explaining how you grew. Or you could highlight what your company does outside business, such as philanthropy.

They are a great way to connect with your audience. Shared values mean potential customers align with your brand and are more likely to purchase from you. 

Top Tips

• Express yourself – show people why your brand is special and what it stands for. You have a story, so share it
• Cut through the noise – be unique. Show why customers should care about your brand

Advantages

Non-disruptive

Content adds to a customer’s experience of your brand. If your video is purely sales, it can feel pushy and disruptive. However, if your video has a message and information, a viewer is more likely to learn something and engage with it, bringing them to your business.

Engaging

More and more people are choosing to watch videos instead of reading content. Twitter posts with videos get 10x as many engagements as those without videos. So creating branded video content meets your audience’s demand and helps you engage with more people.

Relatable

People who relate to your brand and message are more likely to buy from you. Customers value honesty about your company and its people. Demonstrating that you are concerned about the same issues and ideas as them will help align them with your brand.

Emotive

Connecting with your target audience allows you to hit emotional triggers. You can show them what your product and service can achieve through an emotional narrative. 

Shareable 

Shareability is a key element of video content’s success online. If you produce a video that people like, perhaps as it is funny or spreads awareness, they will share it online and increase your engagement. You may even start trending.

Useful Tips For Creating The Best Video Content 

Creating branded video content can be hard. Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Audience First

Though you may have a lot of good ideas about the video content you want to film, you have to ground your strategy in your audience’s needs and wants. 

If you create something they want to engage with, it will likely receive multiple shares and conversions. However, if they don’t want to engage with your video, it could cost you.

2. Keep It Short

Generally, online video content is consumed quickly, so aim for videos that are less than two minutes long. Short attention spans mean people will bounce off content if it is not immediately interesting. Short videos are also more likely to get shared, increasing your reach. 

3. Think About The Sound

With the prevalence of mobile devices, you should consider whether a viewer will watch your video with sound. They could be in public without headphones, so they may not be able to play it out loud.

Adding subtitles or highlighting crucial information with text can translate your message without sound.

4. Use Your Niche

You have expertise in your industry, so capitalise on that. You wouldn’t watch a video made by Microsoft on how to brew the best cup of coffee, would you?

Create content that people in your industry want to see, and use your niche to your advantage. If you are too broad, you are unlikely to be unique and could get lost. 

5. Don’t Think Of It As Marketing

Though branded video content serves as marketing, creating it solely to increase conversions can hurt your engagement. 

Instead, think of it as entertainment: information for your audience to interact with and consume. They will familiarise themselves with your brand, meaning they are more likely to buy from you.

What The Numbers Say About Branded Video Content 

• 92% of marketers say video content is an important part of their strategy.87% of marketers say video content has generated more traffic.
• The average person spent 100 minutes a day watching online videos in 2021.
• 88% of people say watching a video persuaded them to buy a product or service.
• More than 7 in 10 YouTube viewers often use the platform to help solve problems in their job, studies or hobbies.
• People are twice as likely to share an online video compared to other forms of online content, such as a blog or a social media post.

Examples 

Here are a few examples of branded video content you can draw inspiration from:

BA And Comic Relief Safety Video

BA and Comic Relief collaborated to create a safety video. It combines typically dull information about aeroplane safety with celebrities and comedy to engage viewers. 

Coca-Cola Case Study

This video case study highlights how a marketing campaign can go viral on social media. It identifies initial issues, solutions, processes and results.

Ikea Rainforest Brand Film

Ikea released a brand film explaining how the company has supported a philanthropic cause fighting deforestation. It demonstrates the brand’s concern for the environment and how they help combat global issues. 

Branded Content For Your Business 

As branded video content is great for promoting your business, it is worth investing in a professional production.

At Ark Media, we have all the tools to highlight your brand and its messages. We are not only experts in video production but also content ideation and can plot out a strategy that will boost your brand online. Our specialists create B2B and B2C video content, so you can be sure that we’ll reach your target audience.

Choose us as your creative partner and benefit from video marketing campaigns with excellent ROI. Contact our team to learn how we can help you generate more business.

FAQ

What should I include in my branded video content?

There are no set guidelines dictating what you should include in your branded video content. However, try to convey your brand’s identity, messages and culture and create content your audience wants to see. 

What makes good branded video content?

Good branded video content appeals to your target audience, helps them understand and align with your company, and makes them want to share your message. 

How can I create branded video content?

You can film your own branded content or use a third-party production company, such as Ark Media, for a reliably professional product.