“How to” Videos – a Golden Opportunity for Brands to Generate Content

What would happen if you were a novice in the kitchen but this year it’s your turn to cook Thanksgiving dinner? When you find out you’re in charge of the turkey, panic sets in. You’ve decided to break out your grill and try something new, but how do you grill a Thanksgiving turkey?

Chances are, if you’re like many Americans, you find the answer with a Google search.

You type in “how to grill a turkey” and up pops a helpful video. Your Thanksgiving is saved!

The Power of “How To”

The number of searches conducted for “how to” videos continue to rise 70 percent year over year, according to Google.

There’s likely one big reason for this increase – smartphones.

Google reports that 91 percent of people who need extra help completing a task, reach for their smartphones to do a search. What’re they looking for? A piece of content (usually a video) that’ll show them how its done so they can complete the task and get on with their day.

This trend isn’t surprising given the instant gratification world we live in today.

Millenials are especially likely to do use their smartphones to find information. 67 percent of this demographic believes they can find instructions for any task by searching on YouTube. Perhaps more impressive – North Americans have already spent 100 million hours consuming “how to” content in 2015.

Google refers to this trend as “micro-moments. These moments are charging forward with full steam, which is why “how to” videos are the golden opportunity for brands.

How to Create Micro-Moments Around Your Brand

If you take a look at some of the most popular branded YouTube channels, you might think that “how to” videos are reserved for video games. But scroll to the bottom of Google’s 2014 list and you’ll see one brand that’s jumped on this trend in style – Rainbow Loom.

Rainbow Loom knows their audience – moms and daughters wanting a fun activity to do together.

Still, they also know that either mom or daughter (especially when she’s creating her Rainbow Loom jewelry alone) need a little extra help now and then. That’s when they take to YouTube to find how to fix mistakes, how to make single or double band bracelets, and more. When they do, Rainbow Loom is there with an answer.

Your brand can offer the same in-depth advice, giving your customers a micro-moment with your company 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Still not convinced this is the right strategy for your brand? Consider these three benefits.

1.  You’ll Get Found

Just like the content on your website, your video descriptions can be optimized to get found by search engines.

With Google showing so many search results to people looking for “how to” help, you can position your brand at the top of the search results. When the searcher clicks on your video, you appear to instantly answer her question and win her trust. Talk about a conversion boost! The person wouldn’t have found your company otherwise.

This how to video got our Founder, Trent Dyrsmid over 3000 views!

Many times, people have problems they don’t realize products can solve. With a “how to” video, you show a solution to a problem using one of your products, which boosts your chances at making a fast, and easy, sale.

 2.  Solve a Problem. Gain a Customer.

People who watch a video are more likely to make a purchase, according to an infographic by Bubobox.

A “how to” video shows your potential buyer how to use your product. But it goes way beyond that. Your “how to” video enables your potential buyer to see himself using your product. With your “how to” video, you give your viewer a unique experience with your brand, increasing loyalty and driving more purchases.

“How to” videos solve problems almost instantaneously. When it’s your brand that’s solving the problem, you become the trusted go-to resource for buyers, making you the obvious choice when it’s time to make a purchase.

 3.  Your Customers Will Love You (and You’ll Save Money Too)!

Rainbow Loom created their “how to” video series as a customer service tool. They know it’s expensive to hire a customer service team to give tutorials on how to use a product 24 hours a day. Instead, they saved thousands of dollars by creating basic “how to” videos to improve customer service and keep their customers using their products.

Simple. Effective. And inexpensive.

Videos have been found effective by marketers for brand awareness, lead generation and online engagement. – Douglas Karr, MarketingTechBlog.com

Get Inspired by These How To Videos from Brands

No matter what industry you’re in, there are at least a handful of “how to” videos you can create.

Here are some of our favorite “how to” video creators for you to glean inspiration.

• Home Depot. This is one of the DIY brands. It makes sense they have a wealth of “how to” content available for consumption by their core customers – the people wanting to finish projects around the house without having to hire a professional.
• Sexy Hair. When a woman’s getting ready for a hot date or a night on the town with her friends, she wants to look great. Sexy Hair uses their YouTube channel to provide how to videos for any hair emergency.
• CNET.  CNET provides up to the minute technology news and product reviews. Besides reviews and news you’ll also find numerous interviews, comparisons and behind-the-scenes look at upcoming gadgets.

What “How to” Video Will You Create Next?

The question isn’t “if” you should create these – it’s “how many?” Get creative. Think about your customer’s lifestyle. Then, answer those concerns with a video that enriches their life and makes them fall in love with your brand.