If a picture is worth a thousand words, then video is worth more than a million. Unlike still images, video marketing has the power to not only showcase your brand’s personality and tell an authentic story, but inspire your most engaged viewers to action.
Over 70 percent of businesses report seeing better conversion rates when using video over plain text in their marketing initiatives, and about three-quarters of B2B marketers corroborate that claim, according to a Demand Metric survey.
However, video isn’t just effective in closing sales — it can also be used to usher down the funnel those who aren’t quite ready to purchase. By carefully considering what your video content is about and how it’s positioned, you can turn new leads into lifelong customers.
It Starts at the Top
Any marketing collateral targeted at top-of-the-funnel prospects must be wholly authentic in tone and helpful in nature — and video is no exception. Prospects are still familiarizing themselves with your brand, so now is not the time to push your product. Rather, use video content to help viewers complete a task that’s important to them, identify a problem, or just get to know your brand.
For example, if you find your emails aren’t getting enough traction, consider placing a video in your signature. Not only does this make your email a little more visually appealing, but it’s also been proven to generate more click-throughs over plain-text email. Consider creating a short video detailing your company’s unique roots or mission statement. Or perhaps embed a video that educates prospects about common pain points your customers experience.
Whatever you decide to broadcast, remember your prospects are just dipping their toes into your brand, so don’t overthink it. Instead, be yourself and share the story that excites you.
Tell Me More
After your top-of-funnel content has piqued prospects’ interest enough to drive them to your website, you can tap into the power of video and continue to nurture them.
At this point, you can begin to tailor your video content to the solution — your solution, to be exact. A use-case video series, for example, can complement other long-form content housed on your site. These types of videos will help your leads envision how your solution alleviates their specific pain points.
Finally, if you tend to lose prospects somewhere in the middle of their journeys, consider inserting a video to grab their attention and keep them moving. For example, we helped our client Closet Works, a custom storage solution, create a testimonial video to share a real-life story that illustrated its customer-first mantra. Testimonial videos like this will make your prospect feel more confident in and more trusting of your brand — which is crucial at every stage.
Seal the Deal and Keep Them Coming Back
The bottom of the funnel is where your prospects will ultimately decide whether to purchase. Here, you can deploy videos to not only nudge your prospects across the finish line, but also keep them coming back for more. For instance, short videos that demonstrate what’s different about the world now that your product is available can show customers what they’re missing without you.
You can use videos to keep current customers engaged and help them get the most out of your product. Evernote, for example, uses tutorial videos on its website, social media pages, and mobile platform to help its customers fully understand and maximize the company’s suite of tools.
Likewise, videos can make your customers aware of underused features or highlight other services they may not yet be taking advantage of. For example, our client Adestra, an email marketing platform, used a testimonial video to highlight its spectacular customer support service. This reminds customers that Adestra is there to help them should they experience any issues.
In a world where capturing consumer attention is priced at a premium, video may be the missing piece in your marketing mix. As long as you match your video production to your sales funnel, there is no better tool for generating awareness about your company, product, or service.