Trends come and go in marketing, but one thing’s for sure—video is here to stay. Video-first marketing has been on the rise for some time, boosted by popular apps like TikTok and Instagram. You may have used video to show off your new product, create an animated post, or jump on an internet trend for your industry.
96% of consumers increased their video consumption in 2020, and visual content has become an essential part of marketers’ strategies. 86% of marketers believe that video content is effective for lead generation, and 87% reported that it generates a positive ROI.
With metrics this good, it’s no surprise marketers are using video-first strategies to solve marketing problems beyond what to post on social media. One of these strategies is video walkthroughs, which have applications across a diverse group of industries.
This post will explore how you can harness video walkthroughs as an essential, cost-effective business tool to showcase your team, product, or culture. Most importantly, you’ll learn how to create a killer walkthrough video in minutes using AI technology.
What is a Video Walkthrough?
Having powerful products and services is great, as long as your customers know what they are and what you do. Video walkthroughs are videos that give your audience an informative tour of your product, service, or business. They are typically longer than traditional video content. For example, Instagram Reels and TikTok are commonly shorter content at 30-90 seconds, but video walkthroughs can be 3-7 minutes or longer.
Although you can add voiceovers, music, and graphic elements to enhance their context or educational value, video walkthroughs typically have minimal editing.
Harnessing video marketing is a no-brainer for many businesses. 83% of consumers prefer accessing informational content via video, meaning that video walkthroughs are a reliable tool for engaging your audience further down the sales funnel. If they’re considering a purchase, a video walkthrough can help alleviate any questions or doubts that they may have. Your audience can see your product or service in action and get to know your business better.
You can reach more prospects with your video walkthrough by distributing the content via multiple marketing channels such as:
- YouTube and social media platforms
- Posting snippets as social media ads
- Emailing videos directly to prospects
- Providing a QR code that links to your video
What’s the difference between a Walkthrough Video and a Virtual Tour?
Video walkthroughs are informational demonstration videos that can be viewed through a screen. Virtual tours are designed to make your audience feel like they are at a location, in person.
Walkthrough Video
A walkthrough video is a type of instructional video that walks your audience through your product, service, or company. Because it’s a video, it can be paused, rewound, and replayed, and it’s usually filmed from the viewer’s perspective.
Virtual Tour
The difference with a virtual tour is that your audience can walk through the space at their own pace. Rather than a video, a virtual tour is typically a 3D experience with zoom and panoramic options, most often filmed using high-tech equipment.
What industries use Video Walkthroughs?
Here’s how various industries are harnessing the power of walkthrough videos for their customers:
Real Estate
Property listings with video receive 403% more inquiries than photos alone. The first thing home buyers look at in online listings are the property photos. Video can serve the same purpose while driving engagement, providing more information, and giving potential buyers an insight into the ‘feel’ of the property. The best part? You can overcome geographic roadblocks and market your property to potential buyers who cannot attend an in-person viewing.
You can also attract the overseas market due to the rise of contactless interactions and remote behaviors during the pandemic. Real estate video walkthroughs can be created on any budget. Although some agencies employ drones to get aerial footage, a phone camera can work just as well. Similar uses can be found in the related interior design, moving, and architecture industries.
Human Resources (HR)
If you’re recruiting, you might make a video walkthrough to show off your culture and office in order to attract top talent. Video walkthroughs are also used in HR for ‘meet the team’ videos and other day-to-day content to drive brand awareness and show viewers what the company does, especially in creative or exciting industries.
Video walkthroughs are used during the interviewing or onboarding processes to give new hires a succinct overview of everything they need to know. They are particularly useful for large companies making frequent hires, and save HR substantial time and resources.
eCommerce
Video walkthroughs can be used to demonstrate your product to consumers. They could be how-to videos to help them better understand the features or videos designed to launch new products. eCommerce businesses use a variety of walkthrough video types, including:
- Screen recordings
- Animations
- 3D visualizations
- A mixture of them all
For example, you could take the basic premise of a screen recording and layer it with animations or 3D visualizations to add more information. The video walkthrough takes on the premise of a screen recording so your consumer can see exactly how to use your product, but with engagement additions.
Video Gaming
Gamers, streamers, and content creators can harness video walkthroughs to create instructional videos showing how to complete certain game sections. These videos differ from gameplay videos, which are usually compilation clips of the game action. Walkthrough videos are posted online on sites such as Twitch and YouTube, live-streamed, or both.
What are the benefits of Walkthrough Videos?
Video content is so popular because it is impactful for both businesses and consumers. 81% of marketers report that video marketing has improved their company’s bottom line. Benefits of using walkthrough videos include:
Show off your products – 94% of marketers agree that videos have helped increase user understanding of their product or service.
Show off your business – Video is a believable and immersive way to give prospects or potential new employees insights into your culture and business.
Stand out from the crowd – Video is 57% more likely to make it on the 1st page on Google. 73% of consumers agree that videos on social media have influenced them.
Drive business impact – 88% of marketers say they’re satisfied with the ROI of their video marketing, and 66% get more qualified leads thanks to video.
Maintain a personal touch – Video is more emotive, appealing, and immersive than static content, which is why it is an effective tool for the real estate industry.
Save on costs – Why spend money on a person when a video can do the explaining for you? Video walkthroughs are cost-effective for onboarding demos, real estate tours, product explanations, and more.
Be a modern business – Stay modern by creating content that keeps up with consumer behaviors. Internet users spend, on average, 19 hours per week watching videos—so you should be using videos to capture their attention.
What makes a great Walkthrough Video?
Your walkthrough video needs to be instructive and helpful. The goal is to inform your readers on how to use your product or service, or show them more information about what you’re offering. But remember, informative doesn’t mean boring. You’re creating a promotional piece that needs to engage your prospects.
Here’s how to ensure that your video walkthrough has the right balance between information and entertainment:
1. Plan Your Content
What is the purpose of your video walkthrough, and what do you want your viewers to gain? Planning your strategy will help you map out the topics you want to cover, and help you decide how best to film and edit your video. Knowing which channels you will use to distribute your video walkthrough is also important.
Part of the planning process also includes budgeting. Although some businesses (especially in the real estate industry) employ drones to capture aerial footage, this isn’t necessary in most cases. If you are on a tight budget, you can film your video on a mobile phone. As long as the area is well-lit and the sound is clear, you can create a satisfactory video experience.
2. Balance Conciseness with Detail
Because your video needs to be informative, make sure your script or text is clear and concise. Don’t skim over the details, because viewers can retain up to 95% of the information they watch in a video. Make sure you’re demonstrating what they want and need to see. The video walkthrough can also be a lead-in to additional support or sales material. For example, you could include a link at the end that takes viewers to your website.
Now that we know why walkthrough videos are valuable marketing assets and what makes them great, let’s learn how to create one.
Creating a Killer Walkthrough Video in Minutes Using AI Technology
Creating a killer walkthrough video doesn’t need to take much time, effort, and resources. It also doesn’t require an entire production team and studio to produce high-quality content. How is this possible?
With Hour One’s AI video generator, it’s possible to digitize, speed up, and scale up the traditional video production processes. Using our platform, you can transform your video walkthrough with AI-generated presenters to add a human touch to your content.
Follow these four steps to create and post your video walkthrough in minutes:
1. Choose a Template
Hour One is designed to suit all budgets, so our video templates enable you to create studio-quality videos at a low cost. All you need to do is upload any images, videos, or slides you want to include. You can quickly jump into content creation while maximizing your video marketing ROI.
2. Select Your Presenter
Browse 100+ AI-generated photoreal presenters and choose the one that best fits your business, or add your own. Because Hour One is fully customizable, you can select the virtual presenter’s voice and language, and add your business’ branding.
3. Add Your Text
Add your script or text from any source, such as a database, and the AI will do the rest. Hour One’s software will turn your text into a high-quality presenter-led video walkthrough that is engaging, informative, and humanized.
4. Distribute Your Video
With Hour One’s multiple integrations, you can distribute your video walkthrough via popular social networks and communication platforms instantly after creation. You can distribute your video through Hour One’s seamless integration with your favorite marketing platforms, including Gmail, Slack, Facebook, Youtube, and TikTok.
Video Walkthroughs Are What Your Customers Want
54% of surveyed consumers want to see more video content over the next year. Video walkthroughs inform, educate and entertain audiences across a variety of use cases. If your prospects are responding well to video marketing, walkthrough videos are a great way to promote your products, services, and business in an engaging way.
The best part? You can create your video walkthrough in minutes with Hour One’s AI video generator. With our professional templates, AI-generated presenters, and extensive personalization and integration options, our AI video generator can help you easily create compelling and informative video walkthroughs. Try Hour One today and create an AI-powered video walkthrough for free.
