Video marketing is a great way to reach out to a large group of people very quickly. There’s been a lot of hubbub recently about viral content. Videos are certainly the most popular way to have a brand message go viral, but they can also be extremely useful a little closer to your sales funnel. We’ll look at both approaches.

Advertian for Branding

It’s hard to forget the Old Spice and Swagger Wagon (Toyota) commercials. They stick with you. They’re funny, and they spread like a wildfire. That’s advertainment at its best when it comes to video marketing. However, it doesn’t take thousands of dollars to produce contagious videos. Just a camera and something advertaining about your business. This approach works especially well with consumer products that rely on brand recognition for success.

Teach for Loyalty

Another approach to video marketing is to teach people how to do what you do. This approach works very well with services. There has been a big movement toward do-it-yourself solutions. Your customers are going to blogs and YouTube videos to try and do it themselves before they hire a professional. The traditional approach is to keep your trade secrets close to your chest. I’m not suggesting that’s a bad thing. What I am suggesting is that some of your trade secrets aren’t really trade secrets. Too often, business owners label their ketchup “secret sauce.”

You don’t have to “give away the farm” in good do-it-yourself video marketing. Just teach your customers how to do a little bit on their own, and brand the heck out of your instruction. Chances are that they’ll end up building themselves into a box, and need your help anyway in the end.

When they finally come to you for help, they will be yours for life. You were the expert that tried to help them do it themselves. They trust you because your advice was good, and your method was sound.