Not All Video Is Created Equal: How to Choose the Right Format for Your Business

If you’re investing in video for your business, the hardest part often isn’t the filming, it’s knowing what kind of video you actually need.

Do you need a 90-second brand story for your website?
A series of snappy how-to videos for LinkedIn?
A full-blown case study to convince new clients you’re the real deal?

The problem is, most business owners know they need video…
But they don’t always know what format will move the needle.
So they either overthink it, or worse, they waste budget on the wrong thing.

First, not all video is created equal

Video isn’t one-size-fits-all. Just like you wouldn’t wear a tux to clean the garage, you shouldn’t use a cinematic brand film to answer FAQs on LinkedIn.

Each type of video has a purpose, a place, and a power.
Your job (or ours, really) is to match the right format to the right problem.

Here are 6 of the most effective video formats for B2B businesses:

1. Brand Story Film

Where to use: Homepage, About page, sales meetings, events
Purpose: Build trust, explain who you are, show what makes you different
Typical length: 1–3 mins
Best for: Website traffic, long-term brand building

These are the hero pieces. The ones with slow-motion shots, carefully chosen music, team interviews and story-driven structure. If you're trying to win hearts, this is the video you want.

Think: “This is who we are. This is why we exist. And here’s why you should care.”

2. Customer Testimonials / Case Studies

Where to use: Sales proposals, email follow-ups, website
Purpose: Build credibility and reduce buyer anxiety
Typical length: 60–120 seconds per video
Best for: Bottom-of-funnel conversions

These aren’t just “nice reviews”, they’re proof.
A good testimonial doesn’t just say “They were great!”
It tells a before-and-after story, with real metrics and real emotion.

Think: “Here’s what our customer struggled with, here’s what we did and here’s how it changed their business.”

3. Authority Content / Thought Leadership

Where to use: LinkedIn, YouTube, blog posts, newsletters
Purpose: Build trust, demonstrate expertise, educate
Typical length: 30–90 seconds (or broken down from a longer shoot)
Best for: Increasing engagement and brand recall

These are short videos where you, or someone on your team, shares genuinely useful insights. No sales pitch, just value.

We shoot a lot of these in batches using our Authority Video system: one morning in the studio, 20–30 useful clips, done.

Think: “Here’s how to solve this common problem in your industry.”

4. Explainers / FAQ Videos

Where to use: Website, onboarding emails, sales demos
Purpose: Save time, reduce confusion, support customer success
Typical length: 1–2 mins per topic
Best for: Support teams, sales enablement, customer onboarding

Instead of repeating yourself 20 times a week, let a video do it for you.
We’ve had clients create whole libraries of these to shorten sales cycles and improve customer experience.

Think: “Here’s what to expect before your first order. Here’s how our process works. Here’s what happens next.”

5. Short-Form Social Clips

Where to use: TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook
Purpose: Awareness, reach, lead generation
Typical length: 15–45 seconds
Best for: Staying visible, being shareable, boosting traffic

Fast, punchy, scroll-stopping.
This is where personality wins. The goal here isn’t to educate deeply, it’s to make people notice you and want to know more.

Think: “That’s smart.” “That’s funny.” “That’s relatable.”

6. Recruitment Video

Where to use: Careers page, job ads, social media
Purpose: Attract and retain the right talent
Typical length: 1–3 mins
Best for: Hiring for culture-fit, showcasing your team

The best people aren’t applying based on salary alone.
They want to know who they’ll work with, what it’s really like and why your company is worth their energy.

Video brings this to life in a way no PDF job spec ever could.

Think: “This is our culture. Here’s what it’s like to be part of it.”

So, which one do you need?

Ask yourself:

• Do we need to explain who we are? → Brand Story
• Do we need to build credibility and proof? → Testimonial
• Do we want to stay top of mind? → Short-form content
• Do we need to support sales or customer onboarding? → Explainers / FAQs
• Do we need to attract better people? → Recruitment video

You might need more than one, but you don’t need them all at once.
Start with the one that solves the biggest problem right now and build from there.

Real example: What this looks like in practice

A client came to us wanting “a brand video.”

After chatting, we realised they actually needed:

• A testimonial video to help their sales team close more deals
• A short FAQ video to reduce back-and-forth with new clients
• A series of Authority videos to help their marketing manager keep LinkedIn active

So instead of spending everything on one cinematic brand piece, we built a content kit that saved them time, boosted leads, and gave them real ROI.

That’s what happens when you match the right format to the right goal.

Need help figuring it out?

If you’re still not sure what format is best for your business, that’s okay.
That’s exactly what we help with at Two Krakens.

We won’t just throw cameras at the problem.
We’ll sit down, map out your goals and recommend the right kind of content for your strategy, audience, and budget.

Because at the end of the day, video isn’t just about pixels, it’s about trust.