Choosing the Right Type of Video for Your Business Needs

First, a quick insight: Explainer videos (videos that explain your product or service, often with a mix of talking and visuals) have become the most popular video format among marketers – about 73% of video marketers have created explainer videos, followed by social media videos (69%) and testimonial videos (60%). That tells us that those types are effective and in demand. But let’s define each and see if it fits your needs.

Common Video Types and Their Uses

Here’s a rundown of video styles we can produce, and why you might choose each one:

• Brand Story Video / Company Profile: Purpose: Introduce your business to the world, showcase your mission, values, and the people behind the brand. Best for: Your homepage, “About Us” page, or pinned on your social media profiles. Why use it: Great for building trust and brand awareness. Viewers get to know the personality of your company. For example, a brand story video can share how your business started, highlight your team culture, and make your brand memorable. (We wrote a whole piece on brand story videos – that’s how much we love them!)

• Explainer Video: Purpose: Explain how something works – typically your product, service, or a concept related to your business. Often these are short (1-2 minutes) and might use a combo of live footage and graphics or even be fully animated. Best for: Educating potential customers, simplifying a complex topic. Often found on landing pages or used in sales emails. Why use it: If your offering isn’t self-explanatory, an explainer breaks it down in an engaging way. It can increase understanding (and as a result, conversion – people are more likely to buy when they get what you’re offering). Explainers are hugely popular because they’re effective at turning “I’m interested but confused” into “Oh, I see how this helps me!” moments for viewers.

• Product Demo or Showcase: Purpose: Show off a specific product or service in action. This might be a physical demo (someone using the product, showing features) or a walkthrough (screen recording for software, etc.). Best for: E-commerce product pages, app stores (for apps), or as part of a sales funnel for a specific product. Why use it: Videos are excellent salespeople for products. Seeing is believing – when customers watch your product solve a problem or see it from all angles, they feel more confident in it. It’s like the digital version of picking up an item in a store. This can reduce purchase hesitation and returns because expectations are clearer.

• Testimonial Video / Case Study: Purpose: Let satisfied customers do the talking for you. This type features real clients sharing their experience or success story with your business. Best for: Building credibility. Place these on your website’s testimonial section, on social media, or use them in presentations to prospects. Why use it: Social proof! Hearing a peer sing your praises is incredibly persuasive. A testimonial video is more convincing than a text quote because viewers can see the authenticity in a customer’s face and voice. If a potential client is on the fence, a relatable testimonial can tip them toward trusting you.

• How-To / Educational Video: Purpose: Teach the audience something useful (and ideally related to your product or expertise). For example, a gym might make workout tip videos, or a marketing firm might share “how to improve your SEO” videos. Best for: Content marketing – sharing on YouTube, blogs, social media to provide value and establish authority. Why use it: These position you as an expert and draw people in with valuable info. They’re great for brand awareness. People searching for how to do X might find your video, like your style, and then realize you offer services or products that help them further. Also, educational content is highly shareable.

• Social Media Snackable Content: Purpose: Super short, attention-grabbing clips usually under 60 seconds (often 15-30 sec). Can be fun, inspirational, or quick tips. Best for: Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn – basically anywhere short-form video reigns. Why use it: These snippets keep your social feeds active and engaging. They’re perfect for reinforcing your brand presence regularly. For example, a restaurant might do a 30-sec recipe hack video; a fashion boutique might do a quick “outfit of the day” montage. The idea is to maintain visibility and engagement with your followers through bite-sized videos. Because they’re quick to consume, people are more likely to watch them fully and even loop them.

• Event Highlights / Live Streams: Purpose: Cover an event (seminar, workshop, grand opening, etc.) or broadcast it live. A highlights video is edited after the event to show the best moments. A live stream brings the event to remote viewers in real time. Best for: If your business hosts events or you want to leverage an appearance at a trade show, etc. The highlight video can be used for promotion afterward (“look how great our event was!”) and live streams can extend your audience beyond the physical attendees. Why use it: It creates a sense of community and FOMO – those who missed out might be more likely to attend the next one or engage with your business. It’s also great content to demonstrate your active involvement in your industry or community.

• Corporate/Industrial Video: Purpose: This is a broad category, but generally videos used for corporate communications – could be internal training videos, investor presentations, company announcements, or recruitment videos showcasing company culture. Best for: Medium to larger companies or any organization that needs polished internal or B2B communications. Why use it: Video can simplify training (employees might prefer a visual demo over a 30-page manual). Recruitment culture videos help attract talent by giving a glimpse of working at your company. Even small businesses benefit from a short “join our team” video if hiring, because it personalizes the process.

• Animation and Explainer Graphics: Purpose: Fully animated videos (cartoon style, whiteboard animation, motion graphics) to explain concepts or tell a story. Best for: Explaining abstract services (like software, financial services) where showing real footage is tricky or would be boring. Also great for adding a fun, creative flair. Why use it: Animation can illustrate literally anything – you’re not limited by reality. It can make complex or intangible ideas more understandable through visuals. Plus, animation can be very engaging for viewers because it’s colorful and different. We can produce animated explainer videos if that suits your brand (they are very popular in tech and education sectors).

Those are some of the major categories. Of course, there are many sub-types and hybrids (like a documentary-style video which might blend brand story with customer testimonials, or a webinar recording which is more of a long-form educational video, etc.). But the list above covers the staples that most businesses will consider.

How to Choose the Right Video Type for You

So, given all these options, how do you decide which video (or videos) your business needs? Here are a few pointers:

1. Identify Your Goal: Start with what you want to achieve. Are you trying to increase awareness of your brand? Sell a specific product? Educate your user base? Different goals align with different video types. For example, to boost overall brand awareness and trust, a Brand Story or Culture video is excellent. To drive sales of a product, a Product Demo or testimonial might be more directly effective.

2. Consider Your Audience: Who will be watching, and where? If your target audience is active on Instagram and TikTok, then definitely invest in short social videos or reels. If you’re targeting corporate clients on LinkedIn, a slightly longer, more formal Company Profile or Explainer could work better. For a general website audience, an explainer or brand video on the homepage is often a great first touch.

3. Think About Content You Already Have (or Need): If you have lots of great customer success stories, funnel those into testimonial videos. If you’ve written blog posts that perform well (“Top 10 Tips for X”), consider turning those into how-to videos. Leverage what’s working. Conversely, if there’s something you find yourself always having to explain to customers, that’s a prime candidate for an explainer video – it’ll save you time in the long run.

4. Budget and Resources: Practicality matters. Some video types are more costly/time-consuming (e.g., a multi-customer case study that requires traveling to client sites vs. a single explainer we can film in one location or animate). If budget is tight, think about which single video type will give you the most bang for your buck. Often a brand story video is a good first video because it’s versatile in use. If you have a bit more budget, you can plan a couple of types – like a brand video plus a few quick testimonials, etc. We can also advise on how to efficiently schedule production if doing multiple videos (so that, for example, we film interviews for testimonials on the same day as the brand video shoot – maximizing our time).

It’s also worth noting you don’t have to choose just one type forever. Many businesses start with one core video, see the impact, and then expand their video content repertoire. Over time, having a library of videos that serve different purposes is fantastic – you might have an explainer for folks at the top of the funnel, a testimonial for those further along considering you, and a how-to for existing customers to keep them engaged. Step by step, you can build that library.

If you’re still unsure, don’t sweat it – part of our job is to consult and help you figure out what aligns best with your objectives. We love strategizing about this stuff. The key takeaway here is: match the video to the job you need it to do. Each format has strengths, so when we harness the right one, you’ll see the best results.

Ready to create the type of video that will move the needle for your business? Let’s brainstorm together and make it happen!