1. Educational Videos

Educational videos are excellent examples of teaching and learning concepts.

As video uses the primary senses of sight and sound, using video in education allows concepts to be taught more easily and be retained better than reading off a page!

This is thanks to the models of ‘multi-modal learning’ and ‘dual-coding theory’, which have shown that communicating with visuals and sound simultaneously will greatly increase comprehension and retention of new ideas.

Examples of Educational Videos

Remote Online Classroom Instruction

Online Courses with Video Lessons (MooC)

How-To Training Videos

Student ‘Show and Tell’ Videos

Webinar Informational Videos

Video Lesson Series

Animated Explainer Videos

2. Promotional Videos

Promotional videos differ from instructional and educational videos in that they’re targeting a very specific viewer and speaking to their needs, then presenting a solution and concluding with a ‘call to action’, asking the viewer to take action. With the art of persuasion and rapport, similar to an experienced salesperson, a viewer will ideally feel that the video offered value – and it’s their choice if they respond to the call to action. Taking action: a social like or share, or a purchase, are all common goals for promotional video marketers.

Examples of Promotional Videos:

Talking-head Videos

Corporate Videos

Testimonial Videos

Presentation Videos

Explainer Videos

Human Resources Videos

Unboxing Videos

Product Demonstration Videos

Real Estate Tour Videos

Event Videos

Presentation Videos

Keynote Slideshow Presentation Videos

Advertising Videos

Comparison Videos

Giveaway Videos

Product Review Videos

Announcement Videos

Destination Videos

3. Informational Videos

Journalism is a good example of purely informational video. News and information videos give you the sounds and sights of the news events as if you were right there on location. No need to imagine what might be going on… You can see it and hear it for yourself.

With all smartphones having a HD or 4K camera with video capabilities, news gathering is now in the hands of common people.

Instead of a Television station with a producer and camera operator and interviewer, a single person can record and upload or stream live-video from most anywhere, anytime.

Examples of Informational Videos:

Television Newscasts

Interview Question & Answer Videos

Streaming Video Online News Websites

Socially-Shared News Snippets (Facebook, Twitter, etc)

Public Service Announcments (PSAs)

4. Documentary Films (and Videos)

Documentaries are typically a mix of entertainment and information dispensing, and very popular. There are three main types of documentaries; observational mainly without any narration moving the process forward, participatory, such as famous director ‘Michael Moore’ as a character taking part in the events as we watch, and expository, with the narrator chiefly explaining and the events as we watch.

Examples of Documentary Genres:

Poetic documentaries

Observational documentaries

Reflexive documentaries

Performative documentaries

Expository documentaries

Participatory documentaries

5. Entertainment Videos

Entertaining videos simply for entertainment’s sake. The sky is the limit here, and many of the prior examples of video can fall under entertainment as well, so it’s not a hard and fast category.

Entertaining videos can vary in scope, genre and purpose.

Videos on Netflix, online movies, YouTube video stars, video clips, and more all fall under the scope of entertainment.

Examples of Entertainment Videos:

Music Videos

Travel Videos

Automotive Enthusiast Videos

Wedding Videos

Comedy Shows

YouTube Channel Stars

Reality Shows

Movies (Hollywood, etc)

Episodic-Drama Shows

Streaming Services (Netflix, Amazon Prime, HULU, etc)

Solid Media (DVD and Blu-Ray)