2023 has been labelled as “the year of video marketing”.

But then so was 2022. And 2021. Come to think of it, didn’t 2020 also hold that esteemed title too? The reason that it is always “the year of video marketing” is because, these days, it is simply the most popular form of content. Many people prefer to watch and listen than to read.

So, if you are a manufacturing company and have not yet invested in some video marketing, you are missing out!

Many manufacturers are not quite sure how to use video properly to benefit their business. But trust us, having worked in the sector for a number of years, we’ve come up with the best ways manufacturers can utilise the power of video…

Company Overview Video

A professionally made company overview video will make more of an impression on potential customers than words and text alone. Video quickly gives them a much better understanding of the range of products and services you offer, your capabilities, and the scale of the operation they’re engaging with.

There are many different styles of company overview video to select, and there will be a version to suit you. You might combine footage of the factory and interviews with key personnel, or you could opt for footage with an off-screen narration. You might include aerial filming, time-lapse, graphics and animation. Rest assured, we will work with you on every step to find the way that best fits your company image and communicates the right message to resonate with your target audience.

And because people love video, search engine algorithms love websites with video content. So, having an overview video on our website can help attract more visitors too. It is important that your videos are optimised properly – but we’ll save all that for another blog.

It is great to have an overview video embedded on the home page of your website, but there are so many other things you can do with the video: use it to enhance directory listings; play on screens in reception/waiting rooms; use in sales meetings and presentations; load onto branded memory keys; add to LinkedIn profiles and pages; upload to your Facebook page; share the whole video and/or short snippets from it on Twitter and Instagram like this one made from the main video produced for AH Spares…

Product Demonstration Videos

If you want to really grab the attention of potential customers, impress your existing clients, and instantly demonstrate what a slick operation your company is, then a product demonstration video (PDV) instantly ticks all those boxes.

To the untrained eye, some of the best features of a particular product are not immediately obvious. But you can use a PDV in the same way you would employ a sales person to explain complex functions visually, and directly address concerns and questions that prospective clients might have.

It can act like a walk-through demonstration to explain how a product works, and what unmissable benefits it will bring to a potential buyer.

With our PDV service, we can instantly make your product the star of the show, giving you an opportunity to put it in front of your target audience.

A good product demo should be short and snappy while zooming in on a few or even just the one outstanding feature as a clear message is communicated. Complicated processes can be broken down in simple steps, and explained visually. Concise and simple videos will show your product as easy to use and well designed.

These product demo videos can be used on your website, played on screens at trade shows, and shown on tablets, laptops or smartphones in sales meetings. Various studies have found that adding the term ‘video’ in the subject line of e-mail newsletter significantly increases open rates, and having videos in the body of the message increases click-throughs.

We made the product demo above for ABB to show how their conduit system protects cabling used in food and beverage production machines, and is designed to withstand the rigorous cleaning procedures needed in this environment. Note how each key feature is focused upon while a clear and concise explanation is communicated. We also created French, Italian, German and Manadrin versions.

Testimonials & Case Studies

Imagine you had a team of passionate sales people who consistently generated business for you – and it didn’t cost you a penny. Well, listen up – you already have this team in place… your own customers!

With a well-made video you can turn their glowing feedback into the best sales tool you have ever had. People clearly value the thoughts and opinions of other customers. So, if you’re doing a great job, providing great products or services, why not turn your customers into the ultimate sales force?

With longer case study videos you can demonstrate what you do, how you do it, and the benefits of working with your company. More importantly than all of that is the experience your customers have had working with you, and how you helped solve a problem for them. While still showcasing the products you manufacture, it is the relatability of what your customers say which carries the real power. Videos are more effective than written content because it is easier to communicate emotion, and they deliver more credibility.

In this example, made for Mentice who design and build medical simulators, the narrative is created by using interviews with medical experts who use the company’s devices as part of the training programmes in their departments. Note how real praise for the product comes across from senior staff who are genuinely pleased to be working with it. There’s no better way of communicating that depth of sincere praise.

Recruitment Videos

Video can become a vital element of your recruitment process, marketing your business and helping to attract the right candidates. A recruitment video can give potential applicants an indication of the company’s ethos, culture and personality, showing what it would be like to work there. The narrative for the videos could even be driven by interviews with current employees, or scripted off-screen narration. You could develop a series of individual videos with people working in different roles, to give an insight into the parts of the business.

Above is an example of a recruitment videos we made for Wabtec Faiveley UK who wanted to stress the different levels at which you could join their business, but also the opportunities for career progression. This video also expresses the warmth and camaraderie that exists among the staff in a way that no other medium could.

Once you have recruited the right people, you can use videos to help with their induction and orientation, as people will retain more information after watching a video rather than reading text. They can also be an important part of operational or health and safety training. Videos can be incorporated into online training schemes, which can test a viewer’s understanding and record results.

FAQs / How-To Videos

If your customer service department is spending lots of time answering the same questions about your products on the phone, or even having to repeatedly visit B2B customers to demonstrate how to do something, then consider using videos to provide the answers. Particularly if it is a technical issue – it’s so much easier to show someone a video rather than explain it over the telephone, and it would end up being much cheaper than multiple site visits. Not only will this help your customers, it will free up more time for your staff.

You can also use FAQ videos to pro-actively address and counter the most common stumbling blocks your sales team face, and in turn speed up the sales process.

If you are manufacturing consumer goods, videos could be used to demonstrate ‘how-to’ assemble and/or operate them. We created a series of videos showing how to install fire alarms, and the manufacture included QR codes on the packaging, taking customers straight to the relevant video for each model…

If you need any help developing your video marketing strategy, or producing the videos, then please don’t hesitate to contact us on01789 416990 or [email protected]