In the fast-paced digital era, video marketing has emerged as an indispensable tool for B2B brands.
But with so many options—from product explainers to testimonials—how do you know which video format will work the best for your business?
For this, you need to understand all the types of video marketing, their offerings, and their specialty.
After all, informed decisions start with deeply understanding all your options.
To help you with that, we have created this detailed blog breaking down the different types of video marketing.
So, dive in and get the clarity you need to unlock the full potential of video marketing!
Video marketing is a powerful way to promote a product, service, or brand to your target audience.
It can help you achieve various goals—whether it's generating leads, driving website traffic, boosting social media engagement, improving customer service, or collecting email signups.
But no single video can accomplish all these goals, right?
Different objectives require different types of video content. That’s why it's important to tailor your videos to the specific outcome you’re aiming for.
To make things easier, we've put together this list of 20 types of marketing videos, each with a real-life example to help you decide what works best for your goals.
Explainer videos use a simple approach to communicate how something works.
Typically, they are short, ranging from 15 seconds to 120 seconds.
However, based on the type of content and complexity of your message they can even exceed 5 minutes.
In marketing, these high-quality videos are used to highlight the benefits of your product or service and to explain how they work.
These videos can be a great addition to YouTube, product page, website home page, or other social media platforms.
To better understand these videos, check out the above-linked animated explainer video from IBM!
This animated video shows how IBM Watson, helps video platforms gather valuable analytics on what their customers are looking for—whether it's content preferences or viewing habits.
Product demo videos show your product or service in action, highlighting its features and benefits without overwhelming viewers.
The main aim of these videos is to engage and persuade prospective clients.
By doing so, they foster customer satisfaction and, as a result, drive more sales.
Typically, they are 60-90 seconds long, but for more complicated products, they can go up to 2 minutes.
The animated video from Slack linked above is a great example of such a video. It is introducing Slack’s new addition—Slack Canvas.
Testimonial videos feature customers speaking positively about their experience with your product or service and how it became the ultimate solution for their problem.
Typically lasting between 30 seconds and 2 minutes, these videos start with the customer introducing themselves, explaining why they chose your product, how they use it, and what they like about it.
There are many ways to use these videos—you can show the before-and-after effects of using your product, create different videos to capture various perspectives, show detailed case studies, or highlight the entire customer journey.
For more ideas, check out our detailed blog on animated customer testimonial video examples.
You can feel the emotional impact of testimonial videos in action with the above-linked 2D animated video from the Law Offices of Adam J. Roa.
Corporate videos are used by businesses and organizations to showcase their brand message, services, products, and core values.
These videos serve various functions, such as internal communications, training, investor relations, and more.
Typically, they run between 2 to 3 minutes, though the length can vary depending on the purpose and content.
Check out the above-mentioned example of a corporate video from Lush, highlighting their commitment to producing self-preserving skincare without synthetic preservatives.
Product videos showcase a specific aspect of your product or service and educate potential customers about what you offer.
These videos add a personal touch to your product promotion by highlighting how it feels to actually use your product or service.
Typically, these videos range from 15 seconds to 2 minutes in length, but they can be longer depending on the type and content.
Check out the impressive animated product video from Thermo Fisher Scientific above.
It demonstrates an analyst using the product while a voice-over explains its features.
Educational videos are usually no longer than 12 minutes.
The crux of these videos is that they help companies teach complex concepts to their viewers in a fun and engaging way.
They use illustrative visuals and often clear voice-over narration to achieve this, making the learning process more intuitive.
The one linked above is an impressive example of an animated educational video by Google Quantum.
It uses beautiful, painting-like visuals that keep us engaged throughout, even though the video discusses such a complex topic.
Company culture videos tell the story of your brand and showcase the people who make it better every day.
They highlight your team’s skills, passion, and what your company truly stands for.
These videos tend to be short and to the point, ensuring your message is clear and impactful.
The best part?
They give your brand a human touch, helping you connect on a deeper level with your audience.
The example listed above is a well-done animated company culture video example from Magnus Group that you can take inspiration from.
Brand videos are a great way to promote your company, product, or service, capturing your audience’s attention while leaving a positive impression. They’re usually short and polished, designed to grab attention quickly.
Most brand videos are around 1-2 minutes, but when it comes to telling a brand’s story, they can go longer depending on the depth of the content.
For a better idea, check out the linked animated brand video from Parrot Analytics. It really showcases how powerful these videos can be!
Promotional videos or promo videos are anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes long.
They are designed specifically to promote and create hype around a particular marketing campaign, new product, sale, or occasion.
Check out the linked promotional video that Grammarly made to create hype around the generative AI writing features of Grammarly Go.
How-to/tutorial videos guide your audience through a process or answer a common question related to your product or service.
These instructional types of videos are perfect for your video marketing efforts as they build trust, boost your credibility, and position your brand as a go-to expert in your field.
Mostly, these videos start at 30 seconds, but their length can go over 10 minutes. The main reason for this extension is their how-to nature, where they go into the details of the topics they are discussing.
For example, watch the above video from Durex that delves into the topic of consent.
It doesn't explicitly promote Durex products but talks about a subject related to intimacy, indirectly implying that Durex is an expert in the intimacy marketplace.
This is an amazing social media marketing video from Zendesk.
Such videos help brands engage, inform, and influence their audience across platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Facebook.
Brands use social media videos to promote their products, services, or brand messages in creative ways.
These videos can range from product demos and how-to guides to behind-the-scenes clips and customer testimonials.
The length and style of your videos will depend on the platform. On YouTube, longer videos tend to perform better, while shorter, snappier videos work best on Instagram and Twitter.
Video ads are one of the most popular types of video content. They are designed to promote a brand or product with the goal of driving sales.
These ads are usually short to hold the audience's attention and can appear on platforms like YouTube, Hulu, Facebook, and even e-commerce or news sites.
These videos are quite memorable and build solid brand awareness!
Talking about their length, it varies based on the platform, audience, and product. For example, YouTube video ads are typically 15-20 seconds long, but for other platforms the norms are different.
The above-linked video is a great video ad example from Microsoft on YouTube, check it out.
Training videos are all about teaching skills, sharing important information, or showing how things work in a memorable way.
They help employees understand products and services better and serve as useful guides for customers.
By breaking down features and how-tos, fun training videos ensure that your employees are well-prepared and your customers get the most out of their purchases.
Now talking about their length, it depends on their purpose and complexity. Some videos might wrap up just under 3 minutes, while others covering more complex topics could even stretch up to 20 minutes.
Check out the whiteboard animation Cisco training video above, to better understand such videos.
Using social media platforms, you can create live stream videos and connect with your audience in real time.
These live streams can be used for everything from interviews and product announcements to events, office tours, or behind-the-scenes peeks.
Most livestream platforms have a chat feature, so viewers can ask even questions while you’re streaming. You just need to make sure to engage with them and answer their questions as they come in!
For a great example, check out the above-mentioned Shopify livestream where they hosted a virtual panel with notable Black professionals.
Event videos capture everything from conferences and fundraisers to roundtable discussions.
They can cover the entire event or focus on specific parts, like highlight reels, interviews, and presentations.
Events videos are usually quite long, look at the above video example from Apple it’s nearly 1 hour and 40 minutes long.
Behind-the-scenes videos can be a great addition to your existing video marketing strategy.
These interactive videos offer a peek into the work culture and daily operations of a company. These videos are great for humanizing your brand, as they showcase the people and processes behind your products, creating a stronger connection with your audience.
Check out the amazing behind-the-scenes video documentary for Adobe to understand the crux of such videos.
Webinars are a fantastic way for your business to connect with your audience and build credibility.
They’re usually live events where viewers can ask questions and interact with the host in real-time, though some are pre-recorded.
Think of webinars as a chance to share your expertise, solve problems, and offer practical tips.
While it’s common to include a pitch for your product or service at the end, the real goal of a webinar is to provide valuable information and engage with your audience, not just to make a sale.
Check out this webinar video from Pipedrive above to see a great example in action.
User-generated content—like text, images, audio, and videos posted by your customers—can be a goldmine for your marketing efforts.
You can incorporate them into your content marketing strategy by sharing customer posts on your official accounts or by compiling clips and screenshots into a highlight reel for your website or social media.
This way you’ll offer your viewers an authentic insight into how people view your brand.
Check out this "day in the life video" from Hubspot's Instagram linked above, it’s a great example of how to use such UGC videos in your video marketing strategy.
If you’re already recording a podcast, filming it could be a great way to repurpose your content for different platforms.
You don’t have to film every episode—just capturing some moments or highlights can be enough.
I know filming adds some extra work, but it can also help promote your podcast and connect with your audience in a new way.
For example, see the above podcast trailer video from the Wistia Bandwagon series. In this series Wistia's CEO engages in insightful chats with the brains behind successful brands.
Product reviews give potential buyers a peek into what customers think about the products they’ve purchased.
They’re really useful for helping people decide whether to buy something or not.
By sharing these reviews on your website or social media channels, you can boost traffic and potentially increase sales.
Product review videos are especially helpful. They show how satisfied customers are with your products, how they’ve used them, and can even answer any questions viewers might have.
To get a sense of how impactful these videos can be, check out the product review video from Monday.com linked above.
And with this last type, our list of various types ends here! All the types and their examples have shown us how integrating the right type of informative and engaging videos into your marketing strategy is a smart move.
The benefits listed below will explain exactly why use should be using video marketing-
Videos are a powerful tool for connecting with both existing and new customers. Compared to still pictures, they are much more engaging and can capture people’s attention in minutes, if not seconds.
Research shows that short videos are especially effective in sparking emotional responses, which is key to driving engagement. They also help hold viewers' attention, encouraging them to spend more time on your site.
One lesser-known fact about videos is that they can boost your email marketing engagement. Including the word 'video' in your email subject line can increase open rates by 19%, click-through rates by 65%, and reduce unsubscribes by 26%.
If you add videos to your website’s landing page, you’re giving your SEO a nice boost.
Here’s why—videos keep people on your site longer, which tells search engines like Google that your content is valuable and should rank higher.
Additionally, videos are often picked up by search engines and platforms like YouTube, which people now use to search for info just like they do with Google.
Videos can also turn viewers into actual customers by encouraging interaction and engagement.
Many videos include a call to action (CTA), like “Click Here” or “Buy Now,” which prompts your viewers to take the next step, increasing conversions and driving sales.
Videos are a great tool for building a strong brand image. They make your business more memorable for the viewers by deeply engaging with them and creating a strong emotional connection. A strong brand image helps buyers see how your business is different from your competitors.
Videos provide an easy and engaging way for consumers to absorb information without having to read through long blocks of text. Tutorials and explainer videos, for example, can highlight key product features and demonstrate how they work, making the customer experience smoother and more enjoyable.
The type of video totally depends on your goals. If you want to build trust, testimonial videos work great. If you're launching a new product, a promo video is the way to go.
Take a look at the different video types I’ve mentioned above, and you’ll get a better idea of which one will be the most effective for your business.
Creating an effective video marketing strategy is all about planning and having a clear direction. Here’s how you should go about it-
Ask yourself what marketing goal you are aiming to achieve with your video.
Is it brand awareness, lead generation, sales conversion, or customer engagement?
Choose what’s most important for your business right now.
Who are you trying to reach?
Define your audience by developing buyer personas and figure out where they spend their time online.
This helps you know who you’re speaking to and where to place your videos.
Understand all the types of videos that are out there and see how their offerings align with your marketing goal. Choose a type that’s best for your goal.
Once the video type is selected, it’s time for the fun part—deciding what story your video will tell.
Your story should take viewers on a journey that reflects your brand’s mission.
Think about the emotion you want to evoke and structure your story with these key elements:
While crafting your story, be aware of feedback from key stakeholders like your manager or marketing team. Plan for revisions, as they can affect your timeline and production.
Timelines are essential!
So, plan out every phase, from ideation to video production to distribution, and make sure everyone involved knows the deadlines.
By keeping the entire team on the same page, you’ll ensure a smooth process.
Money matters!
So, know what you can spend and prioritize your resources accordingly.
Decide what can be done in-house and what might need outsourcing. Always plan ahead and compare costs to avoid surprises.
And that's a wrap!
By now, you’ve got a solid grasp of the different types of video marketing and what each brings to the table.
While sales and conversions are key to all marketing videos, choosing the right type means asking yourself what else you want to achieve.
Once you've figured that out and selected the video type, you're ready to dive into video production.
Whether you handle it in-house or partner with a pro agency like ours, you'll be ready to bring your vision to life!
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