15 Video Marketing Examples With Critical Takeaways

When it comes to video marketing, one name stands out above the rest: Harmon Brothers. Their ads have reached an astounding 1.6 billion views. But here’s the catch – working with them costs a hefty $500,000. So what about small businesses? Can they create effective marketing videos without breaking the bank? The answer is YES!

We’ve compiled 15 video marketing examples that are perfect for businesses on a budget. Most blogs overlook this important aspect, focusing only on multimillion-dollar campaigns. But we know that not everyone has that kind of money to spare. That’s why we’ve found videos that delivered incredible results without the high price tag.

One example is Android’s Friends Furever ad, which went viral with over 6.4 million social shares. While it was created by a top video production studio, there are still valuable takeaways for small businesses. Starting small has its advantages – high-budget videos take time, carry risks, and aren’t the only path to success. Our examples prove that you can achieve remarkable results without emptying your pockets.

In this blog post, we cover various niches, including SaaS, affiliate marketing, physical products, B2B, design, info products, books, and audiobooks. Even if all the examples may not directly relate to your business, they can still inspire you to create amazing videos in your industry.

1. Dropbox – Generating 70,000 Sign-ups with a Low-budget Screencast

When you think of Dropbox, you probably think of a multi-billion dollar file hosting service. But did you know it all started with a simple, low-budget marketing video? In 2007, founder Drew Houston created a four-minute screencast showcasing the features of Dropbox. He released it on Hacker News, inviting viewers to join the private beta. The result? A staggering 70,000 sign-ups. This cheaply made video laid the foundation for Dropbox’s success. Eventually, they invested $50,000 in a professional production to further promote the product, resulting in 10 million new customers and $48 million in revenue. The takeaway? Start small and test your marketing video before investing big bucks.

2. Orabrush – From $40,000 Failure to $1 Million Success with a $500 Video

When Dr. Bob Wagstaff invested $40,000 in a TV commercial for his tongue cleaner, Orabrush, it was a complete disaster. The commercial barely covered the costs and only brought in 100 orders. Dr. Wagstaff tried selling the product in retail stores and even attempted to sell the patent, but nothing worked. Frustrated, he decided to try a different approach. He spent just $500 on a video made by a college student and uploaded it to YouTube. The result? Orabrush sold $1 million worth of products within a year. Retail stores started taking notice, and Orabrush became available in over 40 countries, including Walmart. The key to their success was educating consumers about the problem they were solving. The original commercial failed because it didn’t do that, but the YouTube video succeeded by teaching viewers about bad breath in an engaging and humorous way. The lesson here? A big budget doesn’t guarantee success if your audience doesn’t understand your product.

3. Sketches that Sold $30-40 Million: Discover the Secret behind 6-Pack Abs eBooks

Back in 2006, struggling copywriter Jon Benson couldn’t crack the code on converting sales. That is, until he stumbled upon a game-changing psychology study. The study revealed that people are more engaged when they read and listen simultaneously.

With this newfound knowledge, Jon created the world’s first video sales letter (VSL). Armed with his simple sketches and a voiceover, he promoted the ebook “The Truth About Six Pack Abs” by Mike Geary. And guess what? The product took off, making a staggering $30-40 million in sales!

Today, Jon is hailed as the inventor of VSL, with his ideas generating over $15 billion in client revenue. The best part? The production costs of a doodle video are only a fraction of a studio production video, proving that what truly matters is the quality of your message.

Takeaway: Remember, it’s not about fancy production – it’s about the power of your message.

4. ClickFunnels: How a Single Webinar Sparked $100 Million in Sales

When Russell Bronson introduced ClickFunnels in 2014, he believed it would revolutionize online sales. But he couldn’t convince anyone to sign up, not even for a free trial. That is, until he uncovered the secret of the “Big Domino Statement.”

According to Russell, once you convince your audience that your product solves their biggest problem, selling becomes a breeze. And that’s exactly what he did. He crafted a presentation with this Big Domino Statement, closing a whopping 60% of his seminar audience on a paid ClickFunnels subscription.

Russell then converted the presentation into a webinar, running it consistently. By 2017, ClickFunnels had raked in its first $100 million in sales. Russell attributes this success to that one powerful webinar, as he continues to use the same framework for all his live and online presentations.

Takeaway: Once you find a marketing video that converts well, you can multiply your success.

5. Pebble: How 3 Simple Videos Raised $40 Million on Kickstarter

It’s no surprise that three of the top 10 most successful Kickstarter campaigns are for the Pebble watch. The first Kickstarter campaign alone raised over $10 million and became the #1 most successful Kickstarter ever. But what made this video campaign so magical?

The founder simply talked about the Pebble watch while showing some basic footage. The product’s appeal was that it was the first smartwatch to sync with both iPhones and Androids. Plus, it offered unique features like serving as a bike computer, controlling music for runners, and allowing businesspeople to read important messages. Developers also loved Pebble for building new apps and selling new products.

In just a few minutes, the video successfully communicated all these advantages, creating a buzz of investment. The best part? You don’t need a hefty production budget if you have an exclusive product that people can’t buy anywhere else.

Takeaway: A simple, clear video can drive success for an exclusive product.

6. Lag Shot Golf: Launching from $0 to $1 Million in Just 74 Days

Golf trainer Garry Guerrero achieved a remarkable feat by securing a 2 Comma Club award within 74 days of launching his golf training club. (The club recognizes ClickFunnels users who earn over $1 million from a single sales funnel.) How did he do it? Through a short 4-minute landing page video that featured renowned PGA teacher Adam Bazalgette.

In the video, Adam demonstrated how this training club could help golfers improve their swing. Combined with b-roll footage of golfers trying out the club, the video generated a staggering $1 million in sales in just 74 days!

Takeaway: Enlist an expert in your industry to present your marketing video, and watch the sales come pouring in.

7. The Dollar Shave Club: A $4,500 Video that Sold for $1 Billion

The Dollar Shave Club’s rise to success is legendary. With a budget of just $4,500, founder Michael Dubin created a YouTube video that received 12,000 orders within 48 hours of its release. This low-budget video showcased Michael’s humor and engaging presence, but the real secret to its success was solving a recurring problem for their target audience: the struggle to find affordable razors. Learn how humor and a core sales message helped this video go viral and generate massive sales.

8. Will It Blend: A $50 Video Series that Skyrocketed Revenue by 500%

Blendtec from Utah became a viral sensation with their YouTube series “Will It Blend?” In a saturated market, their $50 video series featuring founder Tom Dickson blending various items became the 33rd most viewed on YouTube. This low-budget video revitalized Blendtec’s brand and increased sales of their $399 blender by an astounding 500%. Discover how they used creativity and curiosity to captivate viewers and turn them into customers.

9. Woodway UK: Award-Winning Sales Rep Boosts Booking Rate by 700%

Matt Hall, a sales rep in the UK, became famous in the B2B marketing space with his innovative use of video to book meetings with cold prospects. With almost no budget, Matt filmed himself unboxing a prospect’s product, teasing cost-saving solutions, and inviting them to book a call with him. This personalized video approach achieved incredible results, with Matt doubling his meeting bookings compared to traditional cold calling methods. Find out how Matt’s value-driven approach outperformed costly marketing campaigns.

10. 12 Month Millionaire: $1 Million in Sales from a Pre-Recorded Interview

Russell Brunson, the founder of ClickFunnels, used video marketing to generate over $1 million in sales for his own platform. By offering an audio recording of an interview he conducted with Vincent James, author of “12 Month Millionaire,” Russell upsold buyers with a video promoting James’ book. This video upsell strategy resulted in 30% of audio buyers also purchasing the book, leading to tremendous revenue. Discover how video marketing can effectively drive sales and upsell customers to higher-value products or services.

11. CSS Tricks: How a Behind-the-Scenes Video Offer Raised $87,000

Imagine redesigning your website without enough money. That’s what happened to Chris Coyier, the founder of CSS Tricks. But he found a unique solution: offering private videos in exchange for donations. His goal was to raise $3,500, but he ended up with over $89,000! The success of this low-budget video series ultimately led to the company being bought for $4 million.

12. Dustin’s Fish Tanks: Making $1 Million Per Year with YouTube Videos

Dustin proves that you don’t need a massive audience to succeed. With simple videos of him reviewing aquariums, he built a one-person business earning $1 million per year! His strategy may be niche, but it’s enough to attract loyal subscribers and generate a significant income.

13. Ahrefs: Building a $50 Million SaaS Business with Zero Ads

Ahrefs took a different approach to marketing. Instead of spending on advertising, they focused on creating helpful content and simple tutorial videos. With views in the thousands and a product that addresses a specific need, Ahrefs reached $50 million in revenue without any funding or heavy ad spend.

14. Zapier: Growing from a Weekend Project to a $5 Billion Valuation

Zapier’s journey to success is impressive. They started as a bootstrapped project and became a tech unicorn valued at $5 billion. Their video marketing strategy? Announcements! By promoting their unique service of connecting various apps, Zapier attracted users through simple, low-budget videos. These announcements also played a significant role in their SEO strategy, driving millions of hits to their website.

15. Vygone – The Video Marketing Strategy That Works Without Making a Single Video

Forget about complicated and expensive video production. With Vygone, you can reap the benefits of video marketing without actually creating a video.

Let me share with you a genius strategy from Russell Brunson, who discovered the power of piggybacking off someone else’s success. In his book, DotCom Secrets, he tells the story of how he leveraged a YouTube video about a product called Vygone, which cures cold sores.

Instead of making his own video, Russell reached out to the creator of the popular video and offered to pay them to include a product link in their video description. The result? The video started driving hundreds of hits to Russell’s Vygone sales page every month.

Imagine, all that traffic without the hassle of making a video yourself!

And the best part is, you don’t need a big budget or tons of time to make video marketing work. These examples I’ve shared with you are all proven to be effective strategies, and they’re much more affordable and easier to implement than traditional video marketing methods.

With Vygone, you have the opportunity to take advantage of someone else’s video to promote your own product or service. It’s a game-changer for businesses with limited resources or those just starting out.

But that’s not all. At Voomly, we’re equally passionate about making high-quality video streaming accessible to marketers and businesses at a fraction of the cost. We use the same content delivery networks as giants like Amazon Prime and Hulu, but for a monthly price that’s unbeatable.

Why wait? You can start seeing results for your business as early as next week by implementing one of these proven video marketing strategies.

So, why not give Vygone a try and join the league of successful video marketers?