7 Types of Business Video (and When to Use Each One)

One of the most common mistakes we see is choosing the format before the goal. "We need a brand video" is a starting point, but the right question is "what do we need people to think, feel or do?" Once that's clear, the format almost chooses itself. Here are the seven types of video we make most often, and what each one is really for.

1. The explainer

Best for: making something complicated simple. Explainers answer "what is it, and why should I care?" in 60 to 120 seconds. They work brilliantly for software, new services, processes and anything customers struggle to understand from text alone. They can be live action, animated or a mix.

Watch out for: trying to explain everything. A good explainer covers the problem, the solution and one clear next step. The detail can live on the page underneath it.

2. The customer testimonial

Best for: building trust at the decision stage. Nothing persuades like a real customer describing the problem they had, what it was like working with you and the result they got. Testimonials are especially powerful on sales pages, in proposals and in follow-up emails.

Watch out for: scripting your customers. The moment it sounds rehearsed, the trust disappears. Ask good questions and let people speak in their own words.

3. The brand film

Best for: showing who you are and why you exist. Brand films are about values, people and purpose rather than features. They work best on your homepage, at events and in moments when you want people to feel something about your organisation.

Watch out for: vague, interchangeable messages. If your logo could be swapped for a competitor's and nobody would notice, the film needs a sharper story.

4. The recruitment video

Best for: attracting the right people, and putting off the wrong ones. Honest, day-in-the-life recruitment videos set expectations, show your culture and help candidates picture themselves in the role. They can dramatically improve the quality of applications.

Watch out for: showing only the best bits. Candidates who feel misled tend to leave early, so be honest about the harder parts of the job.

5. The product or demo video

Best for: showing exactly how something works. Close-up product shots, screen recordings and step-by-step demos reduce uncertainty and support questions. They're ideal for product pages, onboarding and customer support.

Watch out for: going too fast. What feels obvious to you is new to the viewer. Slow down, show each step clearly and keep each video focused on one task.

6. Event and conference films

Best for: extending the life of an event. A highlights reel captures the energy for people who weren't there and helps sell next year's tickets. Keynote recordings turn one talk into months of content.

Watch out for: leaving the edit too late. Event films lose value quickly, so agree a fast turnaround for the highlights and edit longer pieces afterwards.

7. Social-first content

Best for: staying visible. Short, vertical, captioned clips keep you in front of your audience week after week. They're usually most cost-effective when batch-filmed alongside a bigger project.

Watch out for: posting without a plan. Random clips rarely build momentum. A simple monthly theme gives your content shape and makes it easier to produce.

How long should each one be?

There's no perfect length, but there are sensible starting points. Shorter is usually better, as long as the video still does its job.

• Explainer: 60 to 120 seconds.
• Testimonial: 60 to 120 seconds for the main version, with 20 to 30 second social cuts.
• Brand film: 60 to 180 seconds, depending on where it will be shown.
• Recruitment video: 60 to 120 seconds, plus short role-specific clips.
• Product or demo: as short as possible per task, often under two minutes.
• Event highlights: 60 to 90 seconds.
• Social clips: often 15 to 60 seconds.

Common mistakes when choosing a format

Most disappointing videos aren't badly made. They're the wrong video for the job. These are the traps we see most often:

• Copying a competitor. Their video was made for their goals and their audience, not yours.
• Cramming several jobs into one film. A video that tries to recruit, sell and inspire at the same time usually does none of them well.
• Forgetting where it will live. A beautiful landscape brand film won't work as a vertical social post without planning.
• Ignoring the next step. Every video should point viewers somewhere useful: a contact form, a careers page, a booking link.

Three questions to ask before you brief anyone

Before you speak to a production company, answer these three questions as a team. They'll save time, money and a lot of back-and-forth.

A worked example

Imagine a small manufacturer that wants to grow. Sales are fine once people visit, but few visitors get in touch, and the business is also struggling to hire. A single brand film wouldn't solve both problems. A better plan might be one short explainer for the homepage, two customer testimonials for the sales pages, a recruitment video for the careers page and a set of social clips drawn from the same footage. Five jobs, five formats, and potentially one well-planned shoot day.

You rarely need just one

The most effective video strategies combine formats around the customer journey: social content to get noticed, an explainer to inform, testimonials to reassure and a brand film to connect. The good news is that much of this can be captured in a single, well-planned shoot.

You can see examples of each type on our video work page.