Technology companies have been taking advantage of video marketing for ages now. From Apple’s iconic 1984 commercial (say what you will about the irony of the video today…) to modern-day animated explainer videos, most tech companies know that in order to reach mass appeal, you’ve got to make your product and services easily and quickly understandable.
Luckily, nothing helps do that better than video.
They say if a picture is worth a thousand words, video is worth 1.8 million. Imagine being able to communicate that many words’ worth in the span of just a few minutes! This is great for any industry, but it’s especially useful in technology, where complex products and software can be difficult to explain and sell.
Video helps get these difficult concepts across in an engaging way. Whether you’re introducing yourself to a brand new audience, or trying to onboard a new user, video could be the thing that takes you and your business to that next level.
Want to learn more? Let’s take a look at the ways video can transform your marketing efforts and help you close more sales.
Why video?
Say you own a software platform that helps automatically update a store’s inventory in real time. It uses a proprietary model to help a retailer estimate when they’ll need new shipments of inventory, how much, and how often. It also updates a website’s ecommerce pages to reflect the most up-to-date listing of in-stock and out-of-stock items.
Besides a few blog posts that explain this company’s benefits, the trends in retail shopping, and a few written quotes from happy customers, how else can this company create engaging content that’ll connect them with their most receptive audience?
Video all the way!
Video has the power to explain who you are, what you do as a brand, how you can help your customers, how you’re better than your competition, and so much more. And when your audience is in the research stage of the buyer’s journey, video is the content that’ll most grab their attention.
What types of videos are best for your brand?
Brand Video
Brand videos are essential for any company in any industry. Besides introducing your brand and what you do to a new audience, they help you communicate your brand mission, values, and what sets you apart from the competition. These are important details if you want any clout with your audience. They’ve got to trust you and your message before they even think about purchasing from you.
Testimonial
If you want anyone to believe they need your tech product or software, you need a testimonial video. Testimonials carry more weight than anything you could create yourself, with 56 percent of users saying these videos are helpful in the decision-making process and 72 percent saying positive testimonials make them trust a business more.
Plus, with the complexity of most technology products, people are just innately less likely to trust a brand’s perspective of themselves. Who better to trust than another user who’s had a good experience?
How-To Video
How-to videos were basically made for tech companies. Well, OK, that’s not exactly true, but they are absolutely perfect when it comes to explaining how to do something, like sync a tech product to another, get started using a particular platform, or perform a complex task. If the task at hand is difficult to explain via written word, video helps simplify it by adding visuals and a step-by-step guide.
Event Video
An event video is exactly what it sounds like – a video created at an event that can include interviews, b-roll footage, speaker content, and more. These are especially great for tech companies because they can help put a face to your company, humanizing your product and what you do. If you participate in any panels, conferences, expos, Q&A sessions, or anything of the sort, get it on film!
Industry Video
If your goal is to attract new visitors, an industry video can help you do just that. Industry videos educate the audience about a topic or subject relevant to your industry, helping those searching for specific information find you.
With them, you build credibility as an industry leader and can improve your search rankings, grow your audience, and share your expert knowledge with anyone across the world.
Case Study Video
Does implementing your technology lead to amazing, measurable results for your clients? Then a case study video could be the perfect way to put those results on display. Case study videos outline how your product or service helped someone with quantifiable data and positive feedback. Used to nurture prospects toward conversion, case study videos provide credibility in the strongest way possible, proving exactly why someone would benefit from buying your product or service.
5 of the Best Tech Marketing Videos
It’s one thing to read about the types of videos that could work, but seeing them in action is another story.
Tech companies come in all shapes and sizes, but in the following examples, one thing unites them all: their impressive and creative use of video. Take a look and see what inspires you.
1. Hubspot – Brand Video
Though this brand video is a little longer than we’d recommend (between one and two minutes is really the sweet spot), it does a few things really well: it provides a specific list of Hubspot’s benefits as a CRM platform, it shows you screenshots of how the platform works, and it does it all within the context of an emotional storyline that pulls you in.
It’s a video from 2012, but it’s hitting all the modern-day marks with flying colors.
2. Moz – Educational Video
You might label SEO platform Moz’s White Board Friday videos as educational or industry videos – their goal is to educate viewers about industry-specific topics, so they’re the perfect marriage of both. They’re also a masterclass in how to nail a video series, creating new videos every week distributed to a loyal fan base.
Either way, there are definite takeaways to keep in mind here. Long-form video content won’t perform well unless you’re using it as a strategic tool to engage users in the consideration stage. Do some research, find out what your audience most wants to know, and find a way to communicate that information in a creative and engaging way.
3. Gusto – Testimonial Video
The key to a great testimonial video? Showing a real, authentic point of view from someone with personal knowledge about the very thing you’re trying to sell.
This testimonial works because it shows two different points of view – one from the client-facing retailer and another showing the partner company’s perspective. It’s a two-for-one hitter and tells a good story, all while highlighting the usefulness of the platform.
4. Code.org – Industry Video
Honestly, think of this more as a brand or industry film. It’s five minutes long, it features the biggest names in technology, and it builds an emotional connection right from the start. But it doesn’t mention the brand that created it until almost the very end, focusing instead on the importance of coding and the impact is has made (and can make) in the world. And that makes for a much more captivating video experience you can’t help but watch until the end.
5. Web Summit – Event Video
Part event video, part teaser, this legendary piece of marketing content also stars some big names, but is elevated more by the epic shots, masterfully used quotes, and intercuts of b-roll footage that are not only jaw-dropping, but hit that FOMO bug hard.
A tech conference alone doesn’t sound that exciting, but this video does an excellent job of hyping it up and getting you excited, exactly what an event video should do.
Wrapping Up
Don’t think amazing video content can only be used by agencies or direct-to-consumer brands. Tech is one of the biggest industries that can benefit from video marketing. If you’ve created the latest and greatest software, are starting your own crowdfunding campaign, or have been around for ages but just haven’t given video much thought, now is the time to start.
The best part? Technology, like all other industries, has a hugely video-receptive audience. Test the waters and see what type of video would boost your brand most – the right strategy could put you miles ahead of the competition.