Promotional videos hold a lot of potential for businesses. They’re flexible and versatile, and they can be distributed across brick-and-mortar locations or digital spaces. As modernization takes over various industries, the retail landscape needs to leverage videos to connect with the audience and continue to grow. So what are these promotional videos? What is their impact? 

 

What is a promotional video?
A promotional video is a type of video content with the purpose of marketing a product, service, company, or event. This type of marketing material is designed to attract and engage an audience, rather than just simply conveying or displaying key messages about the subject being promoted. It can be distributed through various channels and platforms as well, including different social media channels, company websites, emails, and other traditional channels like television and brick-and-mortar stores. In a world where video content is being consumed by over three billion people, it’s a good strategy for businesses that want to capture not only attention but also the right sentiment from the audience.

Some of the key characteristics of promotional videos are the following:

• Key Objective: The primary goal is to promote and generate interest, awareness, or sales. This could involve launching a new product, advertising a service, enhancing brand recognition, or encouraging event attendance. It depends on the business or organization what their key objective is when creating a promotional video.
• Target Audience: Promotional videos are crafted with a specific audience in mind, depending on the business, the product, the event, or the key objective. Understanding the demographics, preferences, and behaviors of the target audience is crucial to making an effective promotional video.
• Clear Messaging: A promotional video typically focuses on key benefits, features, or unique selling points of a product, service, event, or more. It should also include a strong call-to-action (CTA) encouraging viewers to take a specific step after watching the video. This includes actions such as visiting a website, dialing a number, scanning a QR code, making a purchase, or signing up for a newsletter. This helps the business achieve their objectives for the video.
• Concise and Engaging Length: Promotional videos are typically short, ranging from 30 seconds to a few minutes. This is to maintain viewer interest and deliver the message efficiently. A short promotional video can go a long way, especially for businesses or locations where they need to quickly capture the attention of the audience.
• Visual and Audio Appeal: High-quality visuals, compelling storytelling, and appropriate background music or voiceovers are also essential when it comes to promotional videos. These are used to create an emotional connection with the audience and retain viewer interest throughout their duration.

 

Promotional videos that capture attention, convey the intended message clearly and persuasively, and motivate the audience to take the desired action will help businesses grow and achieve their goals.

 

Types of promotional videos
Businesses can utilize a variety of promotional videos to achieve different marketing objectives. It’s important that businesses know the right type of video that can go with their goals and the specific campaign.

Here are some common types of promotional videos and their specific purposes:

 

1. Product Demos and Tutorials
2. Brand Videos
3. Explainer Videos
4. Event Videos
5. Social Media Videos
6. Animated Videos
7. Product Commercials
8. Testimonial and Case Study Videos
9. Behind-the-Scenes (BTS) Videos
10. Influencer and Partner Videos
11. Seasonal or Holiday Videos
12. FAQ or Customer Videos
13. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Videos

 

#1 Product Demos and Tutorials

A product demo video showcases how a product works, its features, and its benefits. These promotional videos help potential customers understand the product’s functionality and usability. Product tutorials, on the other hand, provide step-by-step instructions on how to use a product or service, offering valuable guidance to customers and enhancing the user experience.

#2 Brand Videos

Promotional brand story videos highlight the company’s mission, values, and culture. These videos aim to build a strong brand identity and emotional connection with the audience. Meanwhile, company profile videos offer an overview of the business. This includes the company history, various achievements or milestones, and key offerings.

#3 Explainer Videos

These videos simplify complex concepts, products, or services through clear and concise explanations. They also use animations or graphics at times to illustrate ideas. This makes them easy to understand for the audience.

#4 Event Videos

Event promos and recaps make great promotional videos as well. Event promos generate excitement and encourage attendance for upcoming events that businesses or organizations are hosting or attending. This includes conferences, webinars, or even product launches. Event recaps provide highlights of recent events, showcasing their activities, successes, and the benefits of participating.

#5 Social Media Videos

Social media is a great channel for short promotional videos. These videos are often optimized for quick viewing and sharing. They are usually specifically designed to capture attention within the first few seconds.

#6 Animated Videos

This kind of promotional video uses animations to convey messages in a fun and engaging way. Ideal for explaining abstract concepts, processes, or products that are difficult to demonstrate physically.

#7 Product Commercials

These are usually traditional advertising videos designed for TV or other online platforms. Commercials are often high-quality productions with strong messaging and a clear call-to-action.

#8 Testimonial and Case Study Videos

Testimonials and case studies in video format make compelling promotional videos. Customer testimonials feature satisfied customers sharing their positive experiences with a product or service. This helps build trust and credibility. Case study videos, on the other hand, present detailed stories of how a product or service solved a specific problem for a client, demonstrating effectiveness and value.

#9 Behind-the-Scenes (BTS) Videos

BTS videos give viewers a look into the business or company’s daily operations, culture, and team. This humanizes the brand and builds transparency for the audience.

#10 Influencer and Partner Videos

Collaborations with influencers or partners can be posted as a video to promote a product or service. These videos leverage the reach and credibility of influencers and other partners, which will help reach a broader audience and generate new engagement.

#11 Seasonal or Holiday Videos

These are usually tailored video content that aligns with specific seasons or holidays. These videos can tap into the festive spirit and increase engagement and sentiment among the audience.

#12 FAQ or Customer Videos 

These promotional videos address common questions and issues that customers might have. These videos can serve as a resource for customer support, which helps improve overall satisfaction and reduce support inquiries.

#13 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Videos

CSR videos, on the other hand, showcase the company’s involvement in social and environmental causes. These videos highlight the company’s commitment to making a positive impact on society. Therefore, these promotional videos usually appeal to socially conscious consumers.

 

With these different types of promotional videos, businesses can effectively reach and engage their target audiences and achieve their marketing objectives.

 

Impacts of promotional videos on business
Promotional videos can have a significant impact on businesses in several ways. Not only is video content dominating online spaces nowadays, but it is also an effective marketing tool in the physical world. If you want to utilize promotional videos for your businesses, you need to take a look at some of their significant impacts.

 

Increased brand awareness
Videos can be shared widely across social media platforms, websites, and other traditional channels, increasing the reach and visibility of the brand. Not only that, but visual and auditory elements make promotional videos more memorable than text-based content. This helps to embed the brand in the audience’s mind. According to Statista, 14.9% of millennials watch 10-20 hours of videos per week. This is a good way to boost brand awareness, especially if millennials are part of a business’ target audience.

 

Better audience engagement
Videos often include engaging elements like animations, music, and dynamic storytelling. These can capture and hold viewers' attention more effectively than static content. Engaging videos are also more likely to be shared by viewers on social media, which extends their reach and increases their chances of potentially going viral. In October 2023, over 462 million users in India engaged with video content on the platform YouTube. In the United States, over 239 million users engage with videos.

 

Higher conversion rates or better decision-making
Videos often include strong CTAs that can drive viewers to take desired actions, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or contacting the business. In fact,a study has found that 87% of video marketers say video has helped them generate leads. Of course, seeing a product in action or hearing testimonials can also build trust and reduce hesitation among the audience. This can result in higher conversion rates.

Promotional videos can also influence decision-making behavior among audiences. In a 2022 study, it was found that audiences were significantly stimulated after watching the official promotion of short videos released by the government on the short video platform Douyin, which positively affected their destination decision-making behavior.

 

Enhanced communication of complex information
Explainer videos and product demos can simplify complex concepts, making it easier for the audience to understand the product or service. According to Wyzowl, 91% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service. Many people also find it easier to learn and retain information through visual content. This enhances the clarity of the message.

 

Strengthened customer relationships
Promotional videos can humanize a brand, allowing businesses to connect with customers on an emotional level. This is possible through storytelling, behind-the-scenes looks, and personalized messages in the videos.

Engaging and informative content can also enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty, as customers feel more informed and valued by the business.

 

Improved SEO and online presence
Videos can also improve search engine rankings, as search engines favor websites with diverse content. According to BrightEdge Research, Google is showing video thumbnails in 26% of search results. This means videos can increase the chances of the audience visiting your website and the time they will spend on your site, further boosting the SEO of a business. Attractive and informative videos can drive more traffic to a company’s website, and lead to increased opportunities for conversions.

 

Demonstration of expertise and authority
Through educational and informative content, businesses can establish themselves as experts in their field. This is because sharing informative videos can build credibility and authority. Regularly sharing insightful and high-quality videos can position a business as a thought leader, which will help attract a loyal following.

 

Cost-effective marketing strategy
High-quality promotional videos can be used or repurposed repeatedly in various campaigns and channels. This offers a good return on investment over time. Compared to traditional advertising methods, utilizing promotional videos can be more cost-effective while reaching a global audience.

 

Where can business owners use promotional videos?
Business owners can use promotional videos across a wide range of channels, both online and traditional, to maximize their reach and impact. It would depend on the key objective and the core audience, but there are numerous channels that will provide the best success for such video content.

Here’s a detailed look at where these promotional videos can be effectively utilized:

 

In TV ads
Businesses can broadcast commercials during TV shows or specific channels to reach a broad audience. Television commercials can reach a broader audience, especially during peak viewing times or important media events. High-quality, engaging ads can drive brand awareness and prompt immediate action from television broadcasts.

 

In digital billboards
Businesses can use video content in digital billboard campaigns to capture the attention of passersby and the greater public. Digital billboards can play promotional videos in high-traffic areas, which will capture the attention of daily commuters and pedestrians. These can be particularly effective for businesses in urban environments or businesses targeting people in urban areas.

 

In YouTube
As the second-largest search engine, YouTube is ideal for hosting a library of video content. Businesses can create channels to organize videos by type (e.g., tutorials, testimonials). Of course, they can also run YouTube ads to reach a wider audience and remain top-of-mind among 

 

On social media platforms
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more allow businesses to run targeted video ad campaigns based on user demographics, interests, and behaviors. Of course, these platforms can also be used for organic video posting to reach and engage the audience.

• Facebook: Businesses can share videos directly on the timeline, in stories, or as paid ads.
• Instagram: Businesses can utilize Instagram Stories, Reels, regular posts, and sponsored ads to engage with followers.
  X, formerly known as Twitter: Businesses can post short, engaging videos directly to the feed or as part of a tweet. X also lets businesses run ads.
• LinkedIn: Businesses can share videos on company pages, in posts, or as part of LinkedIn ads to reach a professional audience and other businesses.
• TikTok: Businesses can create short, creative videos that will reach a younger demographic.

 

In stores and events with SOLUM Bar Display Signage

Businesses can play videos in their physical stores to highlight promotions, demonstrate products, or provide entertainment. This enhances the overall shopping experience and influences purchasing decisions. Businesses can also display looping promotional videos at trade show booths and events to draw attention to their area and effectively communicate the brand’s message to attendees.

In physical locations like these, the SOLUM Bar Display Signage is the perfect ally. This is because this digital signage line-up by the SOLUM Group is made specifically for various retail environments and experiences. Key features like Intelligent Shelf Integration, Enhanced Product Interaction, and Content Scheduling and Management can help businesses maximize the potential of their promotional videos.

The SOLUM Bar Display Signage comes with diverse size displays:

 

• 23” FHD Bar Display
• 29” FHD Bar Display
• 35” FHD Bar Display
• 37” FHD Bar Display
• 47.1” FHD Bar Display

And because of the variety of sizes, it can be used for applications such as in-store product promotions and immersive product showcases. Businesses can use this to attract customers and give them a shopping experience like no other.

Businesses can ensure their promotional videos reach the right audience through these various channels and locations. With the right video campaign and strategic placement, they can achieve their marketing goals effectively.

Do you need display signage for your retail stores? Talk to SOLUM Group experts today and find out how the SOLUM Bar Display can transform your retail business.