Using Video to Build Consumer Trust in Your Startup
Using Video to Build Consumer Trust in Your Startup
Building trust is important for every business, but it’s even more essential for startups. If no one has heard of your product yet, and nobody trusts your brand, how can you expect your business to take off? Here is how you can use video to build client and consumer trust in your startup.
The Early Stages of Promoting Your Startup
If you’re in the early stages of promoting your startup, you’ve probably thought about trying every possible marketing tactic out there: emails, blog posts, targeted ads on social media — you name it. However, few channels can match video content as the best medium to display a company’s competence and expertise that will let you in to your customer’s hearts.
In this article, we’re going to see what the best production companies in the business can teach you about using video to elicit trust from your audience — While also making your new venture stand out amongst the competition. Know how different types of videos can accomplish varied marketing goals to help you get your startup out there.
First of all — why video?
Time moves fast in the digital age, and as an entrepreneur, you should keep in mind that video is the medium that lets you explain your product or service in the shortest amount of time.
There are solid reasons why video is being heralded as the king of content for the digital age. It has become both a key piece of every marketing strategy and the most preferred way in which audiences consume content online. Now, more than ever, audiences have the power to pick and choose what content they consume, and when and where they want to do this.
Video keeps coming up as the best performer — on top of other formats.
Outperforming other means of building your company — branded video content must be at the top of your game. Merely promoting your product or service just isn’t enough anymore. Effective videos must be captivating and entertaining. A vid can promote a brand, but they should also give something back to the audience.
Building a lasting and fruitful relationship with your customers is all about trust.
Videos are viral in nature, and within the right marketing strategy, they can spread through the internet like wildfire. A quality video with a professional finish can do amazing things for your brand – From boosting your online presence to converting potential customers into clients.
The three most effective types of video content you can choose to build trust in your startup:
- product videos
- explainer videos
- and customer testimonials
Putting the spotlight on your offerings with Product Videos
There’s a reason product videos are so popular in eCommerce marketing: they offer a straight and simple way of communicating your product or service’s features and benefits.
Product videos are one of the most traditional types of branded content out there, and they can be presented, similar to ads. But traditional doesn’t equal boring. The best product videos are the ones that don’t feel like over-selling commercials, but rather look like a cool and flashy reveal of your goods. Take, for example, this piece:
Apple is great at producing amazing looking videos of their products, like this one they’ve made for the iPhone 8. The company is known for using a minimalist approach. Notice how there’s no voice-over, no text, nothing but footage from the product on a black background, edited to sync with uplifting music.
Thirty seconds is all it takes to show the new design and some of the new features of the product without giving it all away, leaving the audience wanting more. It’s a great example of doing a lot with little, and how not every product video has to be “in-your-face” with its content.
Showcase expertise with an Explainer Video
Storytelling is one of the oldest art forms. There’s something about stories that connect with people on a deep and emotional level. Explainer videos use that to their advantage; no wonder they are one of the most engaging types of branded content out there.
Explainers tackle complex topics in a way that’s easy to understand. Through animation and motion graphics, they can use a wide range of resources like characters, infographics, and metaphors to educate viewers on what your startup does and what benefits you can offer.
Unlike product videos, explainer videos don’t look like traditional ads at all.
Instead, they are a sort of combination of educational and branded content. They talk directly to your audience, explaining to them how your product or service can make their lives better. They usually start by bringing up a problem, suggesting a solution, and then showing how your product works. For example:
Blume Beverages is a manufacturer of super-food drinks. See how this piece promotes the product but doesn’t focus exclusively on that fact. Instead, the vid begins by explaining the unique benefits of their ingredients, and then moves on to the origins of their company and mission.
By making Blume look like a relatable industry expert on the matter — it helps audiences trust the brand. And above all, when you finish the video, you end up having learned something new.
Share happy customer stories with a testimonial video
And last (but not least), let’s talk about customer testimonial videos. We all know that telling others how great you are is not nearly as persuasive as having another person do it for you. Testimonial videos are widely used as a tool to drive trust by sharing positive experiences of happy customers.
Customer stories let your work speak for itself by focusing the conversation on the tangible benefits of your product or service. This allows viewers to get a better sense of the positive impact you can bring to their lives or business.
Few things are more convincing than a happy customer, but it also needs to be an honest and realistic review.
Choosing clients who are representative of your target audience gives the piece a real-life application that will achieve a great impact on your audience.
When you have a good customer review and combine it with the engaging force of video, the results can be really impressive. Let’s watch an example:
It can be hard for software companies like FreshBooks to explain the benefits of their service in an engaging way. Watch as this customer testimonial tells the story of an interior designer that almost ran her own business to the ground before switching to their software.
Notice how the piece clearly structures the review: the problem, the solution, and the benefits.
Using example to watch how video content can humanize your startup by turning the spotlight away from your product or service and towards the people who buy them. Instead of thinking about FreshBooks as a faceless software company — now you’ll associate the brand with real people and happy customers.
Must-Follow Production Tips
Before you go, let’s review two fundamental tricks and advice that will help you, regardless of the type of video you end up choosing:
- Don’t underestimate the value of a script: Whether you’re doing an animated video or interviewing customers, you’ll always need to begin with a script. This will be your guide all throughout the production process of your video, and it will help you stick to your original vision.
- Keep it simple and short: As we’ve said before, time is very precious in the digital era, and nobody has the time to sit through a long-form piece about your product. So, better keep it short and simple if you want your audience to watch the whole piece.
Conclusions
Trust and personal engagement is a critical part of every startup success. With the use of video content, you can connect your products or services with your target customers in impactful ways.
People trust only what they can see, and video can deliver personalized content to your audience to increase your online presence and get your business off the ground. If you love your startup, video content should be one of your primary marketing tactics.
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