Powerful video content is a must-have for brands. Whether you're new to video editing or just running short on inspiration, we've put our marketing minds together and compiled 30 video-centric content marketing ideas for you to use, along with a handful of helpful design tips.
Why use video content?
There's a reason YouTube has 1.7 billion unique users every month. People aren't just watching videos — they're actively searching for them.
86% of businesses are already using video in their marketing strategy and 92% of marketers agree that video plays a pivotal role in content creation. Alas, what types of videos should you make?
The good news: you have options. First, plan your video content marketing strategy with SEO in mind. What are people looking for? Then you can decide what type of video to make.
Video types run the gamut of possibility. From how-to videos to compelling social ads to case studies to webinars, find out what your audience wants and where they're hanging out.
YouTube? Instagram? Facebook? TikTok? Different platforms call for different types of videos. You might make an Instagram video one week, and a tutorial video the next. (And, of course, you can easily do both — and a whole lot more — in our video editor!)
30 video content ideas
As promised, here's a list of ideas to get you filming fast.
1. Product demonstration video
If this is your first try at video marketing, product demos are a great place to start. And if you already have one, try making another from a different perspective. Talk to your customers to understand how they're using your product, then put these findings into video form.
2. 10-second feature demo video
If your product has multiple features, demonstrate the most popular one (or the one you feel deserves the most attention) in a bite-sized, 10-15 second demo video. These videos work great for social media or pre-roll ads, and help get more eyes on your content.
Pro tip: WeVideo's screen recorder tool makes this a breeze.
3. Thank you video
You might already be using email or social media to thank your customers, but what about video? Interacting with your customers post-purchase helps your business get great word-of-mouth referrals and repeat customers.
Once you make your video, it’s easy to embed it or link to it in your existing thank you email. Or, if you have a repeat customer who's been loyal to your brand or a customer who routinely makes large purchases, why not customize a video just for them?
4. Customer testimonial video
Leverage the power of social proof by recruiting a great customer to give a brief testimonial on camera. This adds a personal touch to your video content that, *spoiler alert*, can attract new customers.
5. Blog post turned into a video
If you have a blog post that has performed well, consider using it as an outline to create your next marketing video. Get creative and illustrate the blog post with props or add storytelling scenes. Associating a real person with your already-premier blog content helps build trust with your audience.
6. Team member interview
Interview a key member of your team — like your founder, CEO or lead product developer. Focus on a topic that your audience would find interesting and introduce them to the people behind the business. For example, you could ask your founder what inspired her to start the company or ask your product developer how they solve challenging design problems.
7. Q&A with a prospective customer or client
Identify a customer who has recently purchased your product or is about to close on a deal with your sales team. See if they’re open to answering a few questions on camera with someone from your team. This type of video content marketing addresses real customer challenges and nudges them closer to purchasing.
8. User-submitted product video
User-generated content can be hard to get, but they’re highly valuable. Sharing a video of a customer using your product and demonstrating its features might be more persuasive to perspective buyers than a company-generated video. Not to mention, it knocks brand advocacy out of the park.
9. Whiteboard video
Whiteboard videos — or video scribing — are extremely popular because they’re visually effective and inexpensive to produce. All you really need is a camera, tripod, good lighting and someone who can draw.
Pick a relevant topic, such as a problem your product solves or a product tutorial, and use a combination of drawings and text to create a whiteboard video. Experiment with speeding up and slowing down your clips for added effect.
10. Advanced how-to video
If your product has advanced features (like our video editor does), you can create a how-to video that goes beyond the basics of your product. Other how-to video ideas including highlighting specific problems or pain points that your product solves, as well as how your product fits into the larger landscape of your industry.
Share this video content with existing customers and also use it as marketing content in the middle or bottom of your sales funnel.
11. FAQ video
Take your basic FAQ page to a new level — address the most common questions that customers and prospects ask about your product in a video. This could be as simple as filming an explanation by a member of your team, or as complex as an advanced tutorial with supporting captions and graphics.
12. Value proposition video
If you’re not getting frequently asked questions from your audience, it’s possible they aren’t fully aware of the value or purpose of your product. Create a winning value proposition that clearly highlights the benefits and results of using your product.
Show how your solution is different and better than the competition. Once you have a solid value prop, you can create a video to give prospective customers a clear understanding of what you do and why you do it.
13. Webinar invitation
If you’re planning on hosting a webinar in the near future, consider using a video invitation to get people to attend. In your video, the hosts of your webinar can record a short invitation speech and provide a sneak preview of the webinar content.
Pro tip: Looking for a fast start? Browse our professional video templates.
14. Man-on-the-street video
To supplement your top-of-funnel video marketing content, try setting up on a busy street and asking passersby a question related to your product. For example, if your product is designed to save time doing X activity, ask people how much time they spend now on X activity and how they feel about spending their time on it.
You might have to set aside several hours to get enough footage for a few minutes of video, but it will be a powerful piece of marketing content and can be produced on the cheap.
15. “Meet the team” video
Resist the urge to create a 10-minute video outlining every team member’s favorite hobbies, sports teams and movies. Instead, create a short video that quickly familiarizes viewers with a few members of your team. Putting names and faces to your members establishes trust and creates a more memorable brand.
16. Interview with an industry expert
Look outside your team for this one. If you can arrange to meet up with an expert or thought leader in your industry, film an interview with them about a problem your product seeks to solve or about product innovation in your industry. Sometimes, an outside source can provide even more credibility than a spokesperson from your own company.
17. Behind-the-scenes tour video
Prospective customers love to get a glimpse behind the curtain! If you have a unique workspace or a fun company culture, create a behind-the-scenes video to show customers what it’s like to work at your company.
Seeing a positive workspace can help them associate positive feelings with your product or offer. You can also repurpose this type of video content for branding and recruiting purposes.
18. How-it’s-made video
Maybe your office isn’t all that exciting, but your production facility is pretty cool. If it’s possible to show your product being made without giving away your secret sauce, consider creating a how-it’s-made video showing key elements of the production process.
Talk about what goes into making your product and why it’s designed that way. Be sure to highlight anything special or unique about your materials, ingredients or manufacturing process.
19. Screencast video
If your business creates a software product or mobile app, showing customers how it’s made is probably not all that visually compelling (unless you really, really love coding). Instead, use a screen capture tool to demonstrate how to use your product, perhaps even including shots of earlier beta versions.
This is a quick, easy, and authentic way to connect with new customers or communicate with existing ones.
20. Contest announcement
Is your business hosting a giveaway? Announce contest details with a short video. You can make a video for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter — wherever you want to promote the contest.
Just be careful about asking people to submit their own videos as contest entries. Unless your prize is extremely valuable, many won’t take the time or effort to do so.
21. Product comparison video
If your product consistently outshines the competition in product demos, consider making a product comparison video.
Avoid being overly biased or negative towards your competitors—customers may find it off-putting to see you bashing your competition on screen. If you can find a real customer to try both products and give an objective review, even better!
22. Unboxing video
Who knew that in the 21st century, people would be enthralled by watching videos of other people opening boxes? The amount of time people spend watching unboxing videos is the equivalent of watching the holiday film "Love Actually" more than 20 million times — and that’s just on mobile phones!
There are even professional YouTubers who will shoot a video unboxing your product for you for a fee. But why not watch a few, take some notes and create your own? In fact, two of the top 10 most watched YouTube channels of 2018 were unboxing channels.
23. Seasonal videos
Without getting cheesy, take advantage of holidays and seasons. Record a holiday greeting video from your staff or make a parody horror film just in time for Halloween.
Heads up: Our seasonal video templates can also help you put together what you need.
24. Myth-busting video
Does a particular myth run rampant in your industry? Does it create objections or challenges in your sales process? If so, consider making a myth-busting video proving your point, and demonstrate how your product overcomes industry-specific hurdles or obstacles.
25. Top 10 list
People love lists (you made it to #25, didn’t you?). If you’re producing list-based content as part of your content marketing plan, why not throw videos in the mix?
Get creative and try your hand at visual storytelling, whiteboard videos, screencasting, or another technique that showcases your content.
26. Company announcement video
If you’re celebrating a milestone, expanding your production facilities, or releasing a new product, don’t just tweet about it! Create a short, lively announcement video starring your team!
It’s a great way to share an update with your customers, and it’s much more engaging than a press release or social media post. If you’re announcing a new product launch, include a preview or demo if possible. Excitement is key, so make sure to keep the energy upbeat!
27. Pitch video
Pitch videos are often used by businesses to get financial investments, but they can be used for a variety of reasons. Even if you’re not pitching to investors right now, it’s a good thing to have a pitch video as part of your content arsenal.
A pitch video should be short, informative and feature your signature product in the opening shot. Most of your pitch video should be spent talking about the features and benefits of your product.
28. Offer video
Do you have an offer that can't be refused? Let your customers and/or prospects know with a short video attached to an email or social media post.
If you’re releasing a new eBook, whitepaper, infographic, or another piece of digital content, create a video highlighting the key points of your offer and tell viewers how they can get it (for example, a custom call-to-action in your video).
29. Product-as-a-prop video
If you’re an excellent visual storyteller and have decent writing chops and acting talent, you can experiment a little with your video content. Tell a fun, compelling (but short!) story using your product as a prop, drawing attention to what it does.
This has to be done tastefully in order to be successful, so use your best judgment and get a few objective opinions before publishing.
30. Piggyback on a current event or topic
It takes some finesse, but you can score some serious views if you do it right. Use a trending topic or current event to create a video relevant to your business. Just beware of attaching your brand to controversial topics—it can backfire.
Make video content in WeVideo
Now that you've got an arsenal of video content marketing ideas at your disposal, where to edit your videos? That's where our online video editor comes in.
Making marketing videos with our templates and tools is quick and easy. Just:
- Start a new project in WeVideo.
- Add video, images, and music, or choose from our stock library.
- Use tools like Trim and Merger to edit clip length and combine.
- Customize further — add supporting text and effects, adjusting coloring, size, position & more.
- When you're all done, click Finish to export and share your work.