“We should do more video marketing.”

“Why don’t you create one of those viral videos?”

I bet you’ve heard helpful “suggestions” like these a number of times, whether from co-workers, well-meaning friends, or even your boss.  Unfortunately, most of these helpful folks forget to include any actual ideas, let alone an objective.

A successful marketing video engages with a specific audience.  Storytelling is a common and effective tactic.  And we believe that there are certain stories that every company should tell, in some form or another.

Here are 5 of our favorites:

5 Stories Every Company Should Tell

1. Why Your Company Exists – This type of story puts a human face on even the largest corporation; it’s the video equivalent of the “about us” tab, except better.  This story can go a million different ways.  What’s most important is that you communicate the emotion and inspiration behind your company’s genesis or purpose.  Yes, not every company has a Hollywood beginning, but you do have passion and you do look to provide a solution.  This is powerful stuff and will work well in both marketing and talent recruiting efforts.
2. Product Demonstrations – It’s easy to assume everyone knows as much about your product as you do. They don’t.  Take the opportunity to teach people about what makes it amazing, and be sure to give your product some personality. Don’t just stick to specs or technical details.  Great demo videos focus on how the product solves problems or improves processes.  Remember, there are loads of boring as heck demo videos out there.  Try to stand out.
3. Who are the People that Make Your Company Great? –  It’s easy to think a company’s value lies in its products or services.  For most companies, this isn’t true.  Value lies in your people.  Your employees are the only true differentiator. So, tell their stories. How does their background shape innovation or how does it inspire their approach to customer service.
4. Company Culture – It’s true that this concept can be difficult to convey in any format – even long-time employees have trouble defining their company’s culture.  That’s why you need to show it.  Interview people about the intangible reasons why they love working there. Do they feel challenged?  Do they feel part of a team?  What was a positive surprise they experienced after being hired? You can go many different ways with us, just keep it about the employees and you’ll be fine.  No one wants to hear the CEO go on and on about the mission statement.
5. Looking Forward/Innovation – Innovation is an exciting word.  It means creative challenges.  It means teamwork.  It means exploring.  To show that your company has a commitment to innovation, create a video story that tells how the last product or service was born.  This isn’t just limited to tech companies.  Anything will work here.  You never know, the excitement behind an interesting concept may even have the potential to viral.

The best part of using these types of creative video marketing ideas is the social media impact. Every employee whose face is in the video will have it on Twitter within the hour!