32 Video Content Ideas For Your Online Business [With Examples]

Back in 2009 – 2010 when I first got started to get my feet wet with online marketing it was all about written content. If you would’ve put together a 500-word article you were fine.

But those years are long gone. Content marketing works in a completely different way today.

Nowadays there’s a big hype around video content. And it’s not too late to catch this train.

If you think about it a little bit, it makes perfect sense. The technology is evolving, we have high-performance mobile phones that can play and store videos. We have faster internet speeds which allow us to watch video content anywhere at any time. It is so much more convenient, cheaper, and accessible to anyone to watch online videos right now.

But it is also so much cheaper to get started with video content production. High-quality cameras are cheaper than ever, which means that anybody can start creating video content at a fraction of the cost it would’ve been just a few years ago.

Every kid with a camera, heck, even with a smartphone, is a vlogger now. Not that it’s a bad thing, more content creators will mean more and better videos to choose from, right?

Yet, so many start-ups and small companies are losing opportunities because they are not producing video content.

Did you know that the specialists over at Cisco expect that by the year 2021, up to 82% of all Internet traffic will represent video content? That’s crazy.

Additionally, marketers say that videos can increase conversion rates by up to 80%.

So why on earth would you start making videos? Well, there are several reasons.

Some are simply camera-shy. But we have solutions for them too.

Some don’t know how or don’t have the time to put a video together. And that’s where our blog and video editing services come into the picture.

And some don’t know what kind of videos they should be making. And that’s where this post right here comes to the rescue.

So let’s not waste any more time and get you started with video production.

What equipment to use

If you are just getting started don’t stress too much about it.

Just get started with what you have. Your footage doesn’t have to look perfect from day 1. The audio doesn’t need to be crisp and your video editing skills don’t need to be spot on.

It’s more important to start creating content rather than focusing on making everything perfect. Otherwise, you will never start doing videos.

Just grab your smartphone or whatever camera you have available and start filming. Get used to the process, get used to this type of content, and worry about the technical aspects later down the road when the videos start to get some traction and you have a growing viewership.

If you’re using a smartphone, check out this post which teaches you how to shoot better with it.

What kind of videos to do

This will mainly depend on your niche and the topics you want to cover. There are a ton of different kinds of videos you can do so there’s plenty to choose from.

So regardless of your industry, you will find something that fits you. Here are some examples to get you started.

#1 Talking head videos

Most of the time, for businesses that offer services “talking head” videos will work well. It’s an easy way to tell your viewers what your services do, to give them tips about whatever it is that you are talking about and even to connect with them at a more personal level.

It’s a good idea to shot these videos using a green screen setup because it gives you more freedom in the editing process. You can add a nice corporate backdrop or use text overlays over a white background and so on.

Here’s Tim Ferriss doing one.

#2 Product reviews

If you are selling physical products, it goes without saying that you should feature your products in your videos.

Get as many close-up shots as possible, and focus on showcasing the product you are reviewing in great detail. As per this article from Forbes, 64% of the customers who watch a product video are more likely to buy that product.

Here’s a simple example.

I know I’d like to see a video review of a product when I’m shopping online.

#3 Webinars

These work well if you are selling informational products, such as courses, training sessions, or even services.

On top of that, you don’t even need a camera if you are doing a screen share type of thing. Webinars are highly interactive too, so you also get to connect with your customers.

Here’s a webinar done by Pat Flynn and Clat Collins.

#4 Testimonials

Have your clients come over or send you short video clips in which they are sharing their thoughts about your company, product, or service. Put all that into a nice testimonial video. It adds credibility to your brand.

Or you can take some screenshots of your Facebook reviews and put those in a video. Or you can take bits and pieces (quotes) from reviews you got by email or from your website and put those into an animated text-based video. Kind of like this one.

 

#5 Announcement videos

If you have an upcoming event such as attending an expo, doing a meet-up or holding a training session, it’s a good idea to let everybody know about it by making a video about it.

Share details such as the topic, the date and location, and anything else you think it’s worth mentioning. Do launch the video at least a few weeks or one month before the date of the event.

Here’s a really funny example.

#6 Tutorials

‘How to’ videos and tutorials tend to do really well on Youtube. So it makes perfect sense to put out this kind of video every now and then.

If your business is to teach people how to use Microsoft Excel, for example, don’t hesitate to give out a bunch of free in-depth video tutorials on specific things such as using Macros or Pivot tables and so on.

If you are into video editing, here’s a color-grading tutorial by Peter McKinnon.

#7 Talk about current news

If your business is highly dependent on what’s happening in the world within your industry, it’s a good idea to cover that in videos.

Take property investment for example. If you are teaching people how to invest in real estate and how to do better deals, you must keep them informed as well. Stuff such as new regulations or land prices evolution is extremely important (I guess, I’m not a property expert).

This can be done in many other industries as well. So go ahead and explore the news and see which is relevant to you and your audience within your niche. The downside of news-based videos is that they are likely to perform better when that piece of information is relevant and then they will kind of fade away. Unlike evergreen content, such as the tutorial videos I just mentioned.

Here’s one.

#8 Thank you videos

If you’ve just reached a new milestone and you have your audience or customers to thank for it, why not make a video about it?

People will appreciate your thank you message.

Here’s a funny one.

#9 Giveaway videos

I know I love giveaways. And there must be others just like me.

Video contests or giveaways are very likely to go viral if you encourage people to share them to enter the contest, so you can benefit from more brand exposure than you would expect.

Contests are extremely profitable for most businesses, unlike what you might be inclined to think.

Here’s Peter at it again.

#10 About Us videos

Did you ever landed on a webpage but couldn’t really figure out that is it what the company offers?

I’ve been there a couple of times and I can tell you it’s frustrating. Putting up a video that clearly explains what you do and how you can serve your customers will make it much easier for them.

Here’s an example.

#11 Behind the scenes

Are you doing something interesting that the customer doesn’t get to see on a day-to-day basis?

How does everything work in the back room? Show all that in a video.

Here’s one done by 2 Google employees.

#12 Vlog

Vlogging has become so popular that even CEOs and multi-million dollar company owners do it.

It helps you increase your brand awareness and gain new followers.

Look at Gary Vaynerchuk and his Daily Vee show, for example.

 

#13 Explainer videos

These are a pain to produce, but they can be really funny and can help anyone understand any concept, no matter how complicated it might be.

You will need to be good at animations or hire someone to handle that for you.

Here’s what I mean.

#14 Whiteboard videos

The first example that comes to my mind is Rand Fishkin of moz.com.

You can look at whiteboard videos as a simpler version of explainer videos. You still have graphics and drawings in it, but they are on a whiteboard instead.

So whenever you want to explain a concept or anything for that matter to your audience, give whiteboard videos a try. They work great.

#15 Commercials

Commercials are the most common type of videos you would expect to see a business put out.

When you do ad videos make them short, funny, or emotional (or both at the same time if you can) and have a clear call to action.

Here are the two perfect examples.

Dollar Shave Club

…..and Squatty Potty.

 

#16 Meet the team

Having your whole team gather up in videos will boost the credibility of your brand.

When customers see that there are real people behind a website, product, or service, especially if you’re talking about online/digital stuff adds more trust to your business.

Have your teammates introduce themselves, make a video out of it, and show it to your customers.

Here’s Microsoft doing it.

#17 Headquarters/Office tour

You don’t need to have a fancy headquarters to make a video about it. Heck, there are small business owners who are making a video to showcase their own little office space, just to inspire other people to follow their entrepreneurial dreams.

Everybody starts small and there’s nothing wrong with showcasing that in your videos. I find it very inspiring.

Here’s Isaac showing his first office space.

#18 Interviews

I like interviews and I bet I’m not the only one.

The cool thing about interview videos is that you can feature experts within your niche or people who are really popular, which will be very likely to boost your audience rates.

#19 Q & A videos

These are extremely popular among vloggers, but you can implement them for your online business too.

Have your audience send over questions that are relevant to your field and address those questions in a video.

#20 Roundup videos

Roundup videos, just like roundup posts are great because there’s always a ton of free content you can cite, summarize, or reproduce in your own video or website.

Always use the absolute best sources and cite those sources.

It’s extremely important to feature high authoritative sources only otherwise, your roundup video suck.

#21 Podcasts

Yeah, podcasts are audio-only, but I noticed there are a ton of people who don’t use any of the major podcast-hosting services.

An easy way to reach those people is to turn your podcast into a video so you can upload it to bigger platforms, such as YouTube.

Don’t worry, it is really easy. Simply slam a static image or a bunch of different static images on top of your audio and that’s it.

Here’s an example, by Growth Everywhere.

#22 Documentary

Yeah, you read it right – documentary.

When you plan on covering a topic which quite vast and you want to go as in-depth as you can, you will end up with a video that could be 1-2 hours long.

For example, Radu Antoniu runs a business which revolves around fitness and wanted to do a video about the benefits of going vegan.

When he realized there is so much more to cover, he ended up putting together this massive documentary.

The same thing can be applied to pretty much any niche or topic. It will take a whole lot of time to do it, but it will probably be worth it.

#23 Video reels

When you have been putting out video content for a while you probably have tens or hundreds of videos available.

Take small bits and pieces from all those videos and put together a video reel that showcases your company’s evolution, or maybe your product portfolio.

#24 Live videos

Live videos are kind of the hot thing right now. They tend to rank really well on YouTube and Facebook, so there’s a big opportunity for reaching out to new audiences. So if you are looking for out-of-the-box ways of promoting your brand, definitely give them a try.

You can make Q & A live videos, live webinars, you can live-stream an event and so on and so forth. Here are even more live video ideas for business.

#25 Promo / Trailer

Do you have a new an upcoming product, service, or event?

Creating a promo video for it will create that build-up before the full-on launch. Showcase just tiny bits of what’s coming and keep your followers waiting for it

#26 Top 10 videos

Top 10 lists, tips, or whatever always worked great. And so do the top 10 videos.

Now, it doesn’t have to be exactly 10. You can do top 5, top 7, or even top 3 and achieve the same results.

If you’re running a fitness business you could do a video on Top 10 Fitness Myths. There will always be a topic for you regardless of the niche you are in.

Here’s a top 7 best video editing software for YouTube.

#27 Product comparisons

Take the product video review format one step further, you could start to do videos in which you compare two or more products.

It could be different products of your own, that do different things. Or it could be your product versus a product of your competition. Obviously, you should pick a competing product that is inferior to yours

This kind of video will work both as a product review and as a comparison & buying guide.

#28 Customer stories

These are a little bit different than customer testimonials. As the name suggests the focus will be more on the story, rather than the testimonial or product review.

So instead of having your customer sharing strictly his or her thoughts about your product or service, he or she will share a story.

For example, if you are a personal trainer and you’ve helped someone lose weight and become a healthier, more confident person, your client will share in the video the way his or her life changed after using your services. How much better everything work out now?

Here’s a really funny one by Zappos.

Customer stories should be highly emotional. Other viewers will relate to that story when they watch the video and they will be more likely to convert into customers.

#29 Series

Do you have anything regular that’s going on? Could be something like Rand’s Whiteboard Friday. Could be something called Monday Motivation.

Anything that you can do every week or so for the long term will do. It will boost your subscriber base and audience metrics because your viewers will actually look forward to the next episode of the series you are doing.

Here’s a cool idea.

#30 Slideshare

If you want to talk about a topic that is packed with information and you already have that information nicely organized in a PowerPoint presentation, it can easily be turned into a video.

Add your voiceover on top of that and you got yourself a neat video.

Something like this.

#31 Calls with followers

If you have a decent following you will eventually start to get questions by email, in the comments, via Facebook, and so on.

Interacting with your followers is very important and a really good way of doing it is by picking somebody from the list, giving him or her a call, recording the call, and answering whatever questions they may have.

This way you are helping not only the person on the other end of the call but also all the people who are watching the video. There are a lot of entrepreneurs doing it. Gary Vee is the first that pops into my mind.

#32 Recruitment video

Incorporating video into recruiting processes offers numerous benefits for organizations seeking to enhance their employer brand and attract top talent.

With a recruitment video, you can showcase the company culture and work environment on the career site to engage potential candidates authentically.

Also, as video continues to play a central role in recruiting, organizations can gain a competitive edge by integrating it into their talent acquisition strategies today.

Conclusion

So there you have it guys and gals – 31 video content ideas for your business.

I know there are so many more than just that, but this should help you get started, hopefully.

Also, feel free to try out different video content formats if that matches your type of content better. You don’t need to stick to a specific template or format of video just because everybody else is doing it.

Start with something that you feel comfortable doing and grow your video content and video marketing efforts from there.

If you have new video content ideas that are not listed above, I’d love to hear them in the comments.