Video case studies are a must-have in any content marketing strategy. With 96% of people turning to video to learn more about a product or service, they are a great tool to utilise. From the initial concept to the launch online, there is a lot to consider about the process of creating a video case study. However, the results are often worth it. 92% of video marketers reported that video generates a positive ROI for them.
Let’s delve into what exactly a video case study is made up of…
What Is A Video Case Study?
A video case study is a short film which tells the story of a person’s experience with a product or service. These can function as part of your content marketing strategy and can be shared on your website or social media. Typically, these are usually produced in short form, between one and three minutes long and sometimes can take form as part of a micro-documentary series.
These videos will often be accompanied by a written case study that also guides the video. Just like a written version would showcase good quotes, the video should include good soundbites. Overall, the narrative should provide an overall background on the customer, their challenges, and how the product or service helped.
Types Of Video Case Study
There are several types of video case studies. Whichever type you choose should reflect your content marketing strategy, your audience and what you are trying to achieve. The key elements they will all have in common however are a high production value, an engaging story, and a call to action.
Creating a good case study video relies on a great story. Part of this is choosing the right people to speak too, and this will differ depending on the video’s purpose. For example, you could be speaking to a customer who has had a problem solved by a certain product or service. Alternatively, you could be speaking to the director of a business highlighting a new scheme they’ve introduced. Working together means you can help narrow down the key people involved and who would be best to showcase within the film.
Overall, from the planning and pre-production stages to the finished product, making a high-quality video takes time and skills.
Testimonial Video Case Studies
A common style of a video case study is a testimonial. This is exactly what it sounds like. Testimonial videos are short and direct. They will highlight an individual or a group of people and they will talk about their experiences.
A testimonial’s prime function is to give credibility to your business’s products or services. A video case study reinforces this, and third-party testimonials offer even more credibility. They say word-of-mouth is one of the most powerful selling tools around. Let your audience see real people with real experiences of your business and hear what they have to say.
Done well, these can be an effective part of any content marketing strategy.
Customer Review Video Case Studies
Another type of case study is the customer review. Similar in structure to a testimonial video, the customer review is a chance to focus more on specific products or services. These might be slightly longer in length to allow the interviewee to go more in-depth with regard to specific features or aspects of a service.
They may have a slightly more complex structure than a testimonial video and include an injection of cinematic footage.
Narrative Video Case Studies
A third type of case study is the narrative video. Often, these will focus on one particular person or a group of people at one or multiple locations, and they will show the customer journey. This is conveyed through interviews with people that are spliced with related footage.
Learn about their challenges, how they discovered the business, and how they have solved their challenges because of the product or service. This is a classic example of a problem and solution-style marketing approach.
You can also combine the efficacy of the testimonial video by asking the person what their experience with the business was like. You can also get a soundbite of that person recommending the business to other people and why.
The Benefits of Video Case Studies
Content marketing strategies can really benefit from video case studies for a multitude of reasons. The credibility aspect is a great addition to any marketing efforts. If the video looks professional with great sound and is finished to an overall high production level, this can help amplify your brand identity and better reach your audiences.
They can also help potential customers to visualise the story which makes it feel more tangible while humanising your business. Being able to visually see how a product or service has helped someone, makes it easier to connect with the product or service as a result.
Not only do they offer further credibility to a business, but they’re also a great way to boost engagement amongst target audiences.
It’s been shown that video is an incredibly engaging media format to harness in your content marketing. In fact, over half of the users consuming video on social media will engage every day. In a world of fast-paced content, video is also more likely to capture and hold attention than any other type of content.
You also have to consider that video has a far more shareable quality to it. Since its inception, TikTok has grown incredibly quickly, with user numbers surpassing the likes of Twitter and LinkedIn within a number of years. Meta and YouTube saw the success of TikTok and made algorithmic updates to compete. Users are now spotlighted and rewarded for posting short-form videos through Instagram’s Reels feature and YouTube’s Shorts. As a side note, it’s also important to create multiple aspect ratios of any video case studies you create to increase their shareability on social media.
Overall, video case studies aim to elicit an emotional response from their viewers to move them to act. Crafting a great narrative is crucial to making that connection with the audience and telling the story in an emotive way.
They are an important part of any content marketing strategy, but these videos must be produced to a professional quality. Having highly finished video case studies to share will see it perform better and gain higher engagement results through social media, generating conversions such as link clicks or purchases.
DCA PR
At DCA, our in-house production team of professional creatives are experienced in creating compelling videos that tell the story of your product or service. Our high-end equipment and expert knowledge of filmmaking enables us to shoot, edit and share professional videos for our clients. Working in tandem with the rest of the team, we can also create accompanying written content and help with the content marketing and promotion of the film on all platforms.