5 Unique Ways to Use a Time-Lapse Video

5 Unique Ways to Use a Time-Lapse Video

Adding video to your marketing efforts gives you an edge over your competitors. Time-lapse video lets you take a lengthy period of time and condense it to a short video. You can show the results of your product, before and after shots or any number of other lengthier processes. 

What Are Time-Lapse Videos Used For?

According to Wyzowl’s 2022 Video Marketing Statistics, around 66% of marketing professions plan to increase or maintain current spending on video marketing. Part of your larger budget can go to trying new video formats such as time-lapse videos. 

Time-lapse videos are used for things such as nature videos, plants growing over time or a building being built from the ground up. However, you can apply the concept to nearly any type of industry. Here are some unique ways business owners can use time-lapse videos.

1. Before & After

Do you run a business that specializes in before and after transformations? For example, a weight loss coach, gym or home renovation specialist likely has good before and after examples.

Use a time-lapse video to show the process from start to finish. What did the kitchen look like before, during and after you renovated it? 

Related: Instagram Slider ↔️ Animated Before/After Visuals (Photoshop Template)

2. Company History

Are you trying to wow a new lead and show them why you’re different from other brands in your industry? A time-lapse video about your story can engage the user. Use time-lapse to condense a lengthy tale and showcase the highlights. 

You could even create several versions of your company history via time-lapse. Cover the personal story of the founders, share the major challenges you’ve overcome or highlight the bright spots and awards over the years. 

3. Drone Footage

Have you seen some of the newer wedding videos where the photography company uses a drone to take aerial views of the party? You can add another element to anything from a real estate video to an event by purchasing a camera-equipped drone to help you with your footage.

You can either create an entire time-lapse video from drone footage or weave the footage in with other video shots from various angles and time periods. 

4. Entertainment

Come up with unique viewpoints to entertain your audience and build your following. YouTube, Vimeo and Facebook are good places to start and upload videos. For example, YouTube has over two billion active monthly users you can tap into to build a new fan base. 

Can you time lapse a dance number to show the fun side of your operation? Perhaps you host an event and want to let users in on the fun so you condense a four-hour event into a 10-minute video. 

time lapse example

5. Hyperlapse

Photographers are doing something new with time-lapse videos–hyperlapse. This method makes one object the focal point while everything around the object changes. For example, your product might sit in the center of the shot but the leaves on the trees change with the seasons.

It is a unique look at something over time. It works particularly well with products that are unchanging but the elements around them do change.

How might you use hyperlapse in promotions? Consider a small family-owned restaurant with the same sign and appearance for the most part. If the message is that the place is your favorite, unchanging diner, you can show how everything around moves and shifts but the establishment stays the same. 

Is Time-Lapse Right for You?

Only you can decide if time-lapse videos are right for your promotional efforts. Think about the way your product or the uses of it change over time. At a minimum, you should be able to use the video type with your company story. Tap into new methods like this to pull in new leads and show your customers you’re current with marketing trends. 

Examples of time-lapse videos:

Read next: 6 Video Marketing Trends Your Business Shouldn’t Overlook

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