How video can inspire consumer trust in your business

Trust is a rare commodity in business, but if you want to grow a loyal eCommerce following, you need people to trust you—and to trust your brand.

The most experienced production companies out there agree that branded video content is one of the best ways to do this. Video allows you to show your audience—instead of just telling them—what your brand is all about. Formats such as explainer videos and customer testimonials have the potential to shape the image that people have of your company and your products. According to a survey by Animoto, 95 percent of marketers say they've landed a new customer thanks to a video on social media. And it all starts with trust-building.

Here we'll look at the main attributes we tend to associate with trustworthy people, and how your brand can embody them through engaging and effective videos.

Trust through competence: Production quality

You're more likely to trust someone who seems competent, right? Well, when it comes to marketing, competence can be displayed through quality.

In the eyes of the consumer, the quality of a company's content can reflect the quality of a company's product or service. All the blog posts, videos, or tweets your brand shares need to match the quality of your core business.

Now, keep in mind that quality isn't solely defined by your budget. In fact, formats like animated videos can be relatively low-cost. It's more about how you decide to use the budget you have. A talented production team can achieve a lot with a tight budget. For example, an experienced team understands the importance of planning the production of your video early in the process. During the pre-production stage, take the time to polish your script by focusing on what you're trying to communicate and who your target audience is. That way, the time spent in actual production is massively cut down.

A lot of time and effort goes into the post-production stage as well. The best investment you can make is to get a capable video editor—it's cheaper than the hours and hours it'll take a less experienced editor to get the quality you need. Good editing is an art form, and a professional editor will become the unsung hero of your high-quality video.

Trust through expertise: Explainer videos

Given the rise in popularity of video formats for online courses and eLearning programs, it shouldn't come as a surprise that brands are also using video to educate their audience.

Explainer videos are short, animated videos that explain (hence the name!) complex ideas simply and directly. By using animation and motion graphics to illustrate a point and bring concepts to life, explainers are both attention-grabbing and cost-effective.

Audiences love them because they don't feel like branded content. Their main objective isn't to promote a product or service, but rather to show how that product can solve a specific type of problem. In fact, a study conducted by Tubular Insights revealed that around 1 in 3 millennials had bought a product directly as a result of watching a how-to video on it.

So, if you're looking to share your message in a format that resonates with your audience and compels them to take action, explainer videos are a low-cost way to try it out.

Let's look at an example from Green Geeks, an eco-friendly web hosting service.

This piece begins by explaining how web hosting works as an industry and how its pollution levels affect the environment. It's a complex issue, no doubt about it, but the animation makes it easy to follow. Imagine trying to explain this using only live footage—it would require a huge budget.

Once the problem is introduced, the video makes a very clear argument about the benefits of using Green Geeks' eco-friendly service. The keyword here is "argument": it doesn't just try to sell you something. Also, notice how the video uses a character to talk directly to its audience and to generate empathy (more on that later!).

Finally, you'll notice that the video is short. Explainer videos usually last no more than 90 seconds. That means they require seamless editing, hammering home the need for an experienced editor. Your explainer video should get to the point and impress immediately.

Trust through social proof: Company story videos and testimonials

By humanizing your brand, you can build trust with your customers based on empathy. This is where company story videos and customer testimonials come in.

Company story videos

Also known as company culture videos, this format puts your employees front and center. Forget about your product or service for a minute, and focus on the stories your employees have to tell. Employees make great brand marketers, and people are more likely to trust your brand if they know your employees are happy and believe in it.

Here's an example: a video from Netflix where employees talk about how they feel freedom and responsibility in their jobs. The interviewees appear honest and genuine, and that's what sells it.

Customer testimonials

People trust people—it's as simple as that. It explains why we're so obsessed with reading reviews of products or services before buying them: around 90 percent of customers say that reviews—whether positive or negative—influence their purchasing decisions.

Customer testimonial videos show interviews with satisfied customers. By sharing stories from people who benefit from your product or service, potential customers will feel more confident in their buying decisions. Of course, these need to be authentic: nothing rehearsed and definitely nothing paid.

This video from Dropbox gathers several customer testimonials, showing how different companies from different industries all benefit from using the platform. But don't wait until you have a number of interviews—a single customer can be plenty to provide the social proof you need.

Over half of consumers are interested in watching videos from brands they support, so take advantage of that desire, and build trust with your audience. Make sure you choose the type of video that works best within your marketing strategy, then get to work.

Photo by Wahid Khene on Unsplash.