Video marketing is an increasingly popular way to generate leads and drive sales. In fact, a survey by Animoto found that 74% of B2B marketers used video in their marketing efforts in 2016. And this is only going to increase: 81% of marketers plan on using video in their marketing efforts by 2022 and beyond.
Video can help you build trust with your audience and tell your story in a more compelling way than written content. It also has the potential to increase conversion rates and engagement with your brand.
Using video in the process every business needs to generate new leads has been proven to be more effective than other forms of advertising in many different industries, and it has been shown to increase conversions by up to 400%.
Regardless of what business you're in, all businesses need to have a focus on lead generation. It's all about the leads. But how can you generate more leads using video content marketing?
I'll walk you through 5 proven methods to improve your lead generation results:
Tip #1: Video Ad or Commercial
Create a video ad or commercial — These are short-form videos that tell a story about your product or service in a compelling way. Video ads typically run between 45 seconds and one minute long while commercials are usually longer (1-5 minutes).
When you're ready to create your first (or next) video ad to promote your business, you can keep it simple. And even film the video from your phone and minimal video editing.
To feel more confident getting started with your video ad consider the following:
- Make sure your video is short and sweet. You don't want to force people to sit through a boring and long-winded commercial! People have short attention spans and are more likely to be turned off by a lengthy ad than something short and sweet.
- Use call-to-action buttons at the end of your videos so that viewers know what action they should take after watching them (e.g., "Buy now," "Subscribe," etc.). This will help you generate more leads from those who watch your videos because they'll feel like there's an action they can take on their end—which will result in more conversions for your business!
- Make sure the sound quality is good enough so that viewers aren't distracted by a bad soundtrack or unclear dialogue—and this goes double if you're using subtitles or closed captioning! The better the sound quality, the less likely viewers will be distracted while watching it—which means
When you create and use a video ad to promote your products and services, this is the first step in your sales funnel — before a potential customer even becomes a lead.
So craft your message in a way that simply introduces what you offer and how it will benefit your ideal customer. Give them a compelling reason to visit your website.
Because when they do visit your website then you can guide them on their next step in their buying journey with a Video Sales Letter.
Tip #2: Video Sales Letter
So what exactly is a Video Sales Letter? It's a sales letter that uses video instead of text as its main medium. This means that instead of reading through a lengthy blog post or scrolling through long paragraphs on social media, people will watch an engaging video instead. In fact, some studies show that consumers are more likely to engage with videos than they are with text-based content. It's an effective way to sell your best fit customer on why they will benefit from your business and the free or paid product you're offering.
The best part about this type of advertising is that it can be done anywhere: on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram… anywhere! You don't need any fancy equipment or special training in order to create one either; all you need is a smartphone and a few minutes of free time each day or week (depending on how often you want them posted).
In fact, when you include a video sales letter on a landing or sales page then you can convert up to 86% higher than pages with a video. Plus, you will be able to quickly connect with your audience because they build trust in your business and get a quick introduction directly from you!
Keep this in mind when you create a video sales message:
- Make it personal: Video marketing doesn't just have the ability to make your company more visible; it also has the power to make your company more human. If you want to generate more leads and sales, start by making sure that the people in your videos are real people who can relate to your audience. You don't even need to spend money on actors—just use employees and customers who know how your business works!
- Focus on one topic: The best way to get someone's attention is by talking about something they care about—and if you want to generate leads, then you need to focus on one topic at a time. If all of your videos are about different things (like how many widgets it takes for an elephant to sleep), then none of them are going to be able to grab anyone's attention long enough for them to actually convert into leads or sales. Make sure every video focuses on just one thing so that it's clear what each video is trying to accomplish as well as what viewers should take away from watching it!
- Use simple language: Your message should avoid complicated words and messages that may potential confuse them. Keep it simple. And get straight to the point as to why they will benefit from what your business does for them.
Tip #3: Follow-Up Campaign
One of the biggest mistakes made by businesses in any industry is not following up after they've made first contact with they potential customers — especially after they've watched an ad or video sales letter.
If you want people to take action on what they've seen in your video, follow up with an email campaign that offers something valuable like a free report or discount code only available through email signup. And make sure to add more videos throughout this process to address concerns, objections to to simply remind them why they need to take the next step in your business.
You can also create an ongoing series of videos that build on each other over time so viewers know where they are in the process and feel more connected with you as an authority figure in their lives.
Tip #4: Retargeting Video Ad
Retargeting ads are a great way to target potential customers who have already visited your site. They allow you to show them relevant ads on other sites they visit or when they search for products related to yours.
A retargeting ad can simply be a reminder message for customers to register for your webinar, download that special report, or buy that product they just learned about.
The main idea here is that they have the opportunity to hear from you again as you guide them on each step of their journey.
Here's why continuing to use video through the lead generation and sales process is essential:
- Improves Your Brand Awareness: With video, you can show off the personalities of your employees or office space, which helps people connect with your brand on a deeper level. This will ultimately help them remember who you are when they’re ready to make a purchase!
- Builds Trust: People want to do business with companies they trust, but many don’t trust online businesses enough yet to make purchases without seeing something in person first. By using videos in lead generation campaigns, you can help build trust between your potential client and yourself by showing them how great your product/service really is!
- Makes it Easy: Videos are much easier for people to consume than text-based content like blog posts or emails (even if those things are entertaining). Because of this fact alone, videos have been shown time and time again to be more effective at generating leads than other types of content because they’re easier for people to watch over
Tip #4: Testimonial or Case Study Video
Testimonial videos are a great way to showcase the value of your product or service in action. They allow customers who have already had experience with your product or service to speak directly to potential clients and tell them about their experiences with it. Using testimonials both increases trustworthiness and helps potential clients understand what they can expect from working with you.
Using testimonial or cast study videos are simply a customer's story about your business and using your product or service.
These types of videos help you close the deal and generate more sales.
This can be user generated, or professionally produced from a team like Video Supply. And in doing so you're able to capture the story of past or current clients or customers who have been successful with your business.
When you create testimonial videos, what you're able to do is create relevance and credibility and create an emotional connection with your clients or customers and where they're at in their buying journey. Maybe they haven't purchased it yet. And they need that extra little persuasion, there is no better way to persuade them than not using you but using someone who has been successful who's like them.
And because you're using video to create this testimonial, you are building social proof, you're adding additional reason as to why the client can make that final decision and buy that product or service book that sales call. And these testimonial videos can fit inside of the email sequence that is automated and going out in follow up campaign.
BONUS Tip #6: Onboarding and Welcome Videos
Onboarding videos help new, paying customers feel comfortable with your product or service. They can be used to explain the benefits of your product, how it works, and how customers can get started using it. Welcome videos are similar, but they're typically used for existing customers who are returning to your platform after a long absence.
The best onboarding and welcome videos create an emotional connection with customers and make them feel like they're part of something special.
So, video marketing isn't a magic bullet; it's a process. There are many ways you can use video to help get potential customers through that sales funnel—and the more you embed videos into your campaigns, the more likely you are to see results. Video marketing is only going to get bigger in the coming years, and now is a great time to start incorporating it into your marketing plans to generate more leads.
Are you ready? Contact us today to customize your own video marketing strategy and help you create videos that get results every time!
