Are you looking for ways to increase revenue with video content? Here are some tips to help you get started.
When you think about video marketing, what's the first thing that comes to mind? For some people, it’s “I've got to do a promotional video because I'm going to have an effect somewhere,” or “I have a new product coming out.” It's very tactical. This is about how to use video to convert leads and drive sales, not just those one-off pieces that your audience may catch when scrolling through their feed.
So how are you currently using video? Are you using it to promote products? Are you using it to promote services? Or maybe you're not using video at all? Is this something that you want to start to do? Well, if that's the case, this post for you.
Thinking differently about video
When it comes to video, how can you use it differently? Because we're in the midst of COVID and we are more dependent on live streaming, we are depending more on engaging with people with video, whether that be using FaceTime, whether that be actually creating content for messaging. At the beginning of COVID, a lot of nonprofits and corporations were sending videos to get their message out about their products and how they were combating COVID.
Outside of just promoting your products and my services, how can you use video? How can video help you to really connect with your audience? When you really think about your customer journey, how does your audience engage with you? How do you grow your business? How do people get to know more about your products and services? Once you figure out your customer journey and sales cycle, then you can put video into the mix to help you do your job better.
Video marketing vs. video production
Now, when it comes to video marketing, oftentimes, people confuse video production and video marketing. Let’s clear the air on what video marketing actually is. Essentially, it’s taking the creative process of actually creating video and creating the content and meshing that with your business goals. Is your goal to gain more subscribers to your video to your newsletter? Do you have a new product coming out that you want to bring awareness to? Whatever those business goals are, it's taking that creative process and the business goals and bringing them together.
Oftentimes, people think about the production process, which is where you are just focused on creating the video content itself. Video marketing goes way further than that. And that's where we'll get into the customer journey. How does your audience connect with you? Let's say you're an interior designer and most people learn about your services through word of mouth. How can you take that word of mouth and convert it to a sale? That customer journey map helps you go from people not knowing about your business and takes them all the way to being a happy and a loyal and long serving customer.
Great video aligns with your customer journey
There are five stages in the customer journey. It starts with awareness, which is basically when you just want more people to know about your brand. For many people, awareness can start with just a social media video or some kind of branded video that will help people to just learn about your company. It could be a one-on-one interview because people do business with who they know, like, and trust. Think beyond just promoting an event or just promoting a product to building a relationship and using video to do that. They say roughly 55% of people who see videos from brands that they like are more likely to convert.
Next is the consideration phase. Think of the customer journey like an inverted pyramid. That top part is where you cast a really big net out there. When you get to the next level, people want to know more about your business. They’re wondering if your services fit their needs.
Remember, people are looking for what problem you solve for them. Back to the interior designer example, they may be looking for help making their home more comfortable and livable. As they're thinking about who to choose, it’s great to have your video content living online somewhere where people can find you. They aren’t necessarily researching during specific office hours.
Think of times when, as a customer, you might abandon your shopping cart, because you've just been frustrated with the process or you tried to reach customer service, and couldn't get through. As a business owner, you can have video that addresses that problem. So it saves you time whether you're a solopreneur or you have a small business, and it also helps your customer. As people are looking into whether they really do want to do business with you, you have to find ways to make that as easy and as seamless as possible.
So let’s say a customer has actually bought your product. Is there a way that you can provide them with more information on how to use the product? If you buy a camera, and then the next email you get from the company is recommendations on some lenses that go with the camera, or a startup guide on how to use the camera, that’s valuable.
Use video to improve the customer experience
We are living in a very competitive time. The more that you can be the kind of company that makes it as easy as possible for your customers, the more those people that will stick with you. When you create an experience for your customer, that's what leads them to refer you and give great testimonials. So that’s the service side of things. Last but not least, you want to get into loyalty. Now they've bought your products or services, how do you build that loyalty with them?
Think through some of those ways to continue to build the relationship until they're ready for that next purchase? How do you keep them engaged? How do you build loyalty so they're with you for the long haul?
So that was just walking you through the customer journey and how you can use video to help with the overall business cycle. The customer journey is something that we see a lot in corporate, but it is also something that works really well as long as you know. It will take some work on your part to understand how your customers engage or interact with you.
Now you won't get everyone. But those people that are really looking, or have a real need, this is a way for you to show up for them at the right time with the right message.
Getting videos on search engines
Google is the number one search engine in the world. Number two is YouTube. All of the content you put online should be optimized for search engines. If you know some of your keywords, or the questions that your audience typically asks, then put that content on YouTube. “How to” is one of the top search queries, and just adding that type of video helps take your content even further.
You don’t need millions of followers for people to find your business. If you put your content on YouTube and you've got the right keywords, people will find your content if it fits their needs. At the end of the video, insert some sort of call to action so that people know where to find you or know how to work with you. This is what drives sales. If you can show up on the other end of their problem, then you have a greater chance that people will choose to work with you.
How you should end every video
Once you understand your customer journey, don't overcomplicate it. Creating content takes a lot of work. So make it as easy as possible for your viewer because ultimately, you want to create as much value as possible. This is one of the biggest mistakes that people make when it comes to their video content. If you are looking to take people from the awareness stage to doing business with you, you want to tell them what to do. Ask for them to sign up for something or to go to your website.
As a bonus tip, have a very specific place that you want them to go. Don't just have them come to your website, and then get lost in all the information there. Consider making a specific URL or even using a text campaign. At the end of your video, tell them if they want to learn more, to text “Bob” at 55555.
Manage your video investment
Last but not least, use what you have. Before you go spend that money on new video gear, use your mobile device and maybe a ring light to make sure you’re properly lit. There are small things that you can use to produce a video. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, especially if you’re just starting out.
Start your video marketing plan
Ready to put these tips to use? Take this information, and do a little homework. Document the following:
- How do people find you?
- How do people go from finding you to actually signing a contract or purchasing something from you?
- How do you keep them engaged afterwards?
Tip: Ask your past customers what made them choose to do business with you.
With that documented, ask yourself:
What kind of content do I need to create that can speak to them at each part of the journey?
Answering these questions will help you create a video content strategy that’s valuable for your customers and your business.
