A new concept is emerging in the video marketing world - documentary marketing. It’s taken many names over the years, but in its purest concept it’s a fulfilling plan for your next video project. In fact, you’ve probably watched these videos and not realized it!
A recent example of a documentary-styled marketing video for a local client.
Why use the Documentary-Style for your Marketing Videos?
Let’s start with why - if you’re like everyone else, your marketing plan probably takes a beating - meaning your mind probably take a beating. Will it work? Will I help our organization grow? Do I have what it takes to succeed in this role? Yep, all those questions are wrapped up in your marketing plan.
A documentary marketing video is the best piece of content for your next strategy. It is the most engaging, most emotional, and most rewarding form of video today. Plus, it has the longest shelf life. That's a win-win-win, which is ideal.
What is a Documentary-Styled Marketing Video?
a documentary marketing video is a documentary-styled video that has a goal of marketing your organization through telling a good story. (Oh man, that was too simple.) How about, it's a video that is documenting a process/event, whether in real-time or recreated. The difference is in its execution. When someone says “story” they could mean a plethora of different things. At Iron House, the video should simply create the question “what happens next?” In the viewers mind within the first 10 seconds and keep them asking that question until the very end. The in between is filled with emotion, information, and all the differentiators that makes your organization special and original. Your people, your personality, and your purpose. If you are an organization that scores high in these 3 “P’s” then you’ll blaze past competition with this style of video.
How to use a Documentary-Styled Marketing Video
What we love about documentary marketing videos is that they do all the heavy lifting. You just have to get them in front of people. They’re engaging enough to keep attention while connecting with your audience in a way that communicates information organically. Here’s some examples.
This "Long-Cut" video was turned into additional 10, 15, 30, and 60 Second videos for different media placement.
A 5-minute video across your platforms of communication work extremely well with 15 and 30 second videos in paid media, as well as Instagram stories and email marketing. Anywhere you’re marketing, you can use this video and see results.
You can document a story about your brand, about your customers, about your process, about your beliefs and on and on and on. All with a central message that promotes your organization. What will stand out most is how you tell it, like a documentary.
For example - instead of saying you have great customer service, what if we documented in real-ish time a customer experience with you?
Reaching out to influencers (people with a solid following on social media) to be a part of your video is a great way to reach into new networks.This method was used with Mitchell's Salon and the results were incredible!
The Results of using Documentary-Marketing Videos
By this point I hope you’re considering adding this type of video, actually, doing only these types of videos from here on out. But here’s some results we’ve seen.
UC Online uses documentary-styled testimonials and have seen an explosion of college enrollment.
Ronald McDonald House uses documentary-styled team videos and exceeds fundraising goals year after year.
The Morel Company created a documentary-styled brand video, and is now exceeding company growth and hiring new positions.
Lawn Doctor used a documentary-styled team video (for recruitment) and gets qualified, top of the tier recruits for their tech position.
A documentary marketing video is the next best piece of marketing content for your organization. We'd love to have a conversation with you about a video for your organization. Reach out to us today.