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By John Allen – View Original
When thinking about marketing, we tend to think of catchy slogans and billboard ads. We think of people standing in a board meeting, discussing numbers and target markets. But as the digital world changes, the world of marketing campaigns changes along with it.https://ecdn.firstimpression.io/static/html/obd_banner.html
It’s no longer enough to pay a celeb to talk about your brand on a TV ad. You need to be brilliant at content and engage with an audience. You need to use video marketing to reach out to customers and to modernize the way you work.
Yet, you will need to do a little more than just posting a video on YouTube and expecting an instant hit. You will need to plan your video marketing campaign through each step of the sales process.
Preparing for each step of a sales plan is also known as a sales funnel and will help you with the growth of your company. Think of it as an actual funnel. Each stage will enable you to make a tailored marketing decision. Which in turn lets you target the right audience.
Every step will bring you closer to your customer. In this case, we will be looking at how to use video to optimize this strategy.
Not only is video great for remote learning, it is also an excellent channel for marketing. Not only does it build a bond with customers, but it also easily moves people along the funnel. Resulting in higher sales.
This guide walks you through each step of sales to create an effective video campaign.
Source: Visual Capitalist
The different stages to understand
First, it’s important to understand that each stage of your sales funnel has a different purpose. This guide will talk about each step in turn.
You also need to acknowledge that video content needs to be different for each step of the plan. This is because people need fresh content and to be persuaded in different ways.
Seeing the same content over and over again may stick in their mind, but it may not be enough to make them buy.
Think of it like telemarketing. You ring a potential client once to have a conversation about the product. They seem kind of interested but eventually say no and hang up.
If you keep ringing on that same number, you know they won’t answer. So, you need to think about getting a business phone number, a mobile, and a home number to try different angles.
Each step aims to push them to the next step. I.e. create a video that will make them want to move to the next stage of your funnel and ultimately become a customer.
The first stage of the plan
The first stage is also known as the top of the sales funnel.
In the first step of the sales plan, you should look to explore how you want to build awareness of your product. Or you can look at the problems you are trying to address.
The audience has no reason to be interested in what you are selling at the moment. Remember, you are trying to capture their attention. So, the message here needs to be punchy and enticing. A great place to perform this kind of outreach is on social media.
Use your marketing skills and employ effective communication techniques here and tell your target audience about a problem that they didn’t know they had. Get your brand name in there by starting general. And don’t forget to write a catchy title to go with any video.
Source: Oberlo
The type of videos to use in stage one
Think about your target audience. Are you selling a new product to current customers? Are you selling to a demographic similar to your current audience? Or are you bringing in a whole new audience altogether?
Whatever it is, use a message that is of value to them, and make it so they want to spend time watching your video.
Also, consider the customer lifecycle and how customers end up at your brand. This should reflect on the videos you use.
Start simple and think about your target audience. At the first stage, consider using educational videos. You could even make a problem and solution, or daily lifestyle videos.
Below is a more detailed explanation of a couple of ideas:
Design a corporate video
These explain to the audience who you are and what you do. Talk about what it is that makes your brand great. Or simply what it is that you do.
For example, if you are a telemarketing brand, you could start with a video on the aspects of your service your customers may enjoy.
You could write a caption that invites people in, saying something like: “ What is a VoIP Phone? How do I make the most of lead nurturing? And how do I seal the deal? Our staff gives you answers to the most asked telemarketing questions .”
The good thing about brand videos is that they establish you as competition in the industry. Think of it as a way to help the public know a little more about what it is you do. As the competition, talk about what it is that makes you stand out from the crowd.
You could even do short clips of employees talking about why they love working for you.
Source: Green Opal Media
Tell a story with an animation
Animations are a great way of showing your customers some personality. They are particularly great for creative companies wanting to flex their muscles.
Cartoons have the power to be as adaptable as you want. If someone can draw it, you can say it.
Imagine that you are an IT firm wanting to highlight the extent of illegal behavior online. You are letting people know these problems exist and you have the solution to deal with it.
You could create any character you want to get your point across. And in any tone of voice you want.
It won’t be an opportunity to sell at this point, but you will be highlighting problems that occur. Making a video like this shows that you are aware of the problems that people face. And that you have the knowledge to deal with it.
The second stage of the plan
The second stage is where you build your audience’s trust. This is also known as the middle of the funnel.
They have bitten, and now it’s time to feed their interest.
Of course, people are currently working more remotely. And so there may be a higher chance that people are engaging with videos. But if anything, this is a good opportunity to adapt to the changing future of sales.
But that thought aside, at this stage, people want to find out more. So, give them what they want! You could even make several videos at this stage. Just don’t over complicate things.
The type of videos to use in stage two
Keep building on step one. Here is your chance to show what you will do to solve any issues and how you will do it. Focus on why your product is the best.
You could think about making tips and trips videos or something along those lines.
Source: Oberlo
A couple of examples of videos you can use for this include:
Videos of the specific product
Today, the world is at everyone’s fingertips. Meaning there is a lot more competition nowadays. So, you need to do what you can to stand out.
This is where you become a little bit more specific to your product. Talk about the features, discuss how you made it, and highlight that unique selling point.
Say, for example, you are an eCommerce company looking to sell funny birthday cards. But suddenly, it seems like everyone has had this idea.
Getting marketing right with an eCommerce company can be a tricky task. So you need to think about what makes your cards stand out. Perhaps they are hand-drawn. Maybe they use curse words as banter. It could even be that they have personalized poems.
Whatever the quirk is, show it in stage two of the marketing video strategy.
Instructional videos
Admit it, it can be a bit of a faff reading through instruction manuals. And people just end up looking it up on YouTube anyway. This is your chance to get there before the competition. Show people how to use your product first-hand.
If people are watching this video, they are in the mindset of buying the product. Talk about the best points of the product and the aspects they should make the most of.
Say, for example, that you were trying to sell a new app that focuses on graphic designers. You may want to make a video that shows all the ins and outs of the app. Like how to host online meetings when working remotely, or how to use the drawing tools.
You could even reflect on feedback and say something like:
“Lots of people have commented on how much they love this feature”.
Or even:
“ People said they struggled with this feature. But the trick is to…”
Address any issues and keep it relevant and interesting.
Source: Cognitive SEO
The third stage of the plan
You have managed to captivate your audience and move them to stage three (also known as the bottom-funnel). This stage means you can make a video that smooths out any doubts.
This is the stage where you sell your product.
Here is your chance to make your brand the obvious choice for the customer. You don’t leave any question unanswered at this point.
The types of videos to use in stage three
In this stage, you can choose to go deeper and record a webinar or even an out-and-out demo video. But you may just decide to prove how good the product is and why it’s worth buying.
Here are some examples of what you may choose to do in this stage:
Use case studies to build trust
What’s more trustworthy than using real-life people with real-life stories?
If you create video case studies or testimonials, talk to real people who have used the product. Or people who have had similar problems that need ‘fixing’.
Using these methods lets people know they aren’t alone with their worries. And most importantly, it shows there is a solution – and that solution is your product.
As an empathy exercise, imagine you are selling skincare or beauty products. In the video, a real customer discusses how hard it was to find a product that helped them. Then they discovered your product, and the rest is history.
Your goal is to share a revolution with the world. Let the customer know how much better their lives would be with your product. Connect with the subject and show that people have had real experiences.
Use a testimonial to emphasize your points
Testimonials show that your company is not only powerful, but that it’s telling the truth.
Say, for example, you are selling your services as a marketing agency.
If you have managed to improve a company’s SEO, then talk to the CEO of that company and prove it. Get some facts and figures in there and show their positive experiences.
You should emphasize specific aspects at this point, too. You may have helped them understand how to use SMS marketing tools. Or generally how to build their social media presence.
Whatever it is, show the world how great you are and that your business or product does what it says on the box.
Source: Visme
By using specific videos at each stage of the sales funnel, you are drawing customers in and connecting with them. Remember to give them videos of value and substance. And to optimize your selling points.
Try to be creative and stand out from the crowd. Do what you need to do to get people hooked.
One important thing to remember is not to lie. It’s one thing exaggerating, it’s another thing just making up points.
Other than that, have fun creating!
* This article was originally published here