Have you ever been researching a business, only to realize they lack video content of any kind? For me, I start to doubt that they even exist or wonder if they’re a front of some kind. Why don’t they want me to see what their business looks like? Hmmm…
For companies that do have marketing video content of some kind, however, there’s a question of what makes one video good and another bad. Of course, this is highly industry dependent, as different audiences have their own expectations for the quality of the video. Someone looking for a video on how to change a tire likely doesn’t need expensive graphics, for example.
Today, we’re going to take a look at four noteworthy videos produced by tech companies and weigh in on what works about them — and what you can take away as you consider your own video marketing plans.
HubSpot: “What is Artificial Intelligence” Explainer Video
Animated explainer videos are great in the IT field, mainly because they allow companies to explain complicated concepts quickly with lots of imagery.
In this video produced by the marketing and sales software provider HubSpot, the company tackles the complicated nature of artificial intelligence (AI).
What We Like:
- Bright colors that match HubSpot’s general look and feel
- Lots of imagery, but it never jumps too quickly between clips
- Soothing background music and confident narration
- Does a good job of laying the basics to AI before explaining how it can help users
Why it Works:
The subtext to this video is that AI plays a huge role in HubSpot’s software. By taking a step back and breaking down AI overall, HubSpot is really making what seems like an unbiased pitch for their services.
This video doesn’t come out and hit you over the head with the benefits of using HubSpot; instead, it makes the case for the software overall.
“And, oh would you look, HubSpot uses AI!” — what they’re hoping viewers think after watching the video. With this approach, a good number likely did.
Switchfast Technologies: vCIO Service
When IT companies do break away from using an illustrated approach, it’s usually to convey a stronger sense of personality.
After all, animations can be effective, but there’s something about seeing the people and the place, along with getting a sense of overall culture when considering whether or not you’d like to give your business to a company.
In this video, Chicago IT services provider Switchfast Technologies gives a preview for their vCIO service with plenty of personality to spare. (Full disclosure: Switchfast is our sister company.)
What We Like:
- Real people! This makes picking up the phone or sending an email in asking about services a lot less daunting — you’ve literally already seen who you’ll be talking to
- Smart combination of animation and live footage to convey information
- The video has a humorous rhythm; it’s not taking itself so seriously but still makes a strong argument for what you can expect from this service
Why it Works:
As stated above, personality.
Imagine an alternative to this video, whether it be an animated explainer or a dry live-action presentation. These would likely take you step-by-step through Switchfast’s vCIO program, explaining the services provided, benefits and so on.
While both versions would likely be very informative, they’d be missing this crucial factor. This service isn’t just a one-time thing; Switchfast is basically taking control of an organization’s IT department.
When seen through that lens, this becomes something less like a marketing video and something more like an employment pitch. It’s critical to communicate that these are easy going, fun to work with people who are also experts in their field and will provide you with the best possible service.
Zendesk: Omnichannel Approach
Another animated explainer video, this video details cloud-based help desk company Zendesk’s approach to providing customer support.
What We Like:
- Bright, pastel colors and relatively simple shots. It feels very clean and allows viewers to fully take in each bit of newly communicated information
- Strong narration that is very matter of fact
- A mix between animation and real-life objects gives the video a homemade feel, even though it is clearly highly produced
Why it Works:
Before watching this video, the term “Omnichannel Approach” had me sweating a little. It’s hard to find a more jargon-y word than that.
Of course, the video is itself a rejection of that term. Call it “omnichannel” if you want, the video says at the end, or just call it Zendesk.
This is a great example for how an organization can deconstruct their own offerings and put it as simply as possible. After watching this, you immediately understand the purpose and benefits of Zendesk’s offerings.
It’s not hard to imagine an IT Director at an organization explaining this service to a CEO, for example, which is likely exactly why this video was made in the first place.
Unroll.Me: Service Overview
A more standard marketing video using actors, this video from email manager Unroll.Me tries to show how by using their service, you can clean up your inbox and take a break from constant spammy emails.
What We Like:
- Immediately makes a relatable case — email can be annoying, but it doesn’t have to be
- It’s a little over the top, but again, the complaints from the actors are relatable
- Shows people actually using the service quickly; just like the service
Why it Works:
If you haven’t used it, Unroll.Me is a pretty simple service. After signing up, it’ll pull up every subscription associated with your email address and allow you to unsubscribe or filter it all into one daily newsletter digest. The benefits are obvious: no more email notifications from some store you bought batteries from five years ago taking up space in your inbox (too real).
This video doesn’t have much to it, people complaining about email, being shown this service then reacting favorably. That’s also all it needs to quickly and effectively convey Unroll.Me’s main pitch — email sucks, this can help.
Sometimes less is more, and this video proves that.
What Now?
So how can you incorporate the lessons from these videos into your own video marketing?
Hopefully, a few things jumped out at you, but regardless if you’re making an explainer, company culture or service video, remember these following rules:
- Simple is best. In both design (bright, clean colors) and in message (get to the point!), if you want to create an effective marketing video, you need to make it easy for your audience to consume your information
- It doesn’t have to cost a ton. While all the videos outlined above are well made, none were likely incredibly expensive. You don’t need to fly a film crew to another country or anything like that. Even the videos that use live action are clearly all shot in contained environments like the company’s office, for example
- Don’t be too serious. Note: I’m not suggesting you go all out to produce a “funny” marketing video — that likely won’t turn out so great. But a little lightheartedness can go a long way to making your video more accessible
- Work with professionals. Look, these videos didn’t write themselves. Either an outside production crew or a marketing firm (probably a combination of both) had a huge part to play in taking the messages these companies wanted to get out there and refining it into something a viewer might like (click here for our recent post on editing your view with a film crew)
If you stick to these general rules, your video will be well positioned for success. Now, obviously there’s a lot more that goes into making a successful video. If you’re interested in learning more, take a look at our guide to creating great video content by clicking here.
