Hi Ethical PR,
True true, I had written more than was posted. So i'll have another go. I haven't read through all of the comments,but to try to answer mSanders' original question I would say:
Video content and marketing isn't needed for every single business. So in order to determine whether or not you should use it, it would be good to know what your business is. I would then gladly help in determining options and approaches with you. And can supply examples. But in broad terms:
The first key point is that "video content" is a broad term, and there are many options for every business, some suit, other's don't. Strategies ( and analytics ) of the content is another matter, so let's put this on the back burner.
The second key point is not everything you produce will about selling. We have 3 key categories, which you can place your content within this framework, and thus your sales funnel.
these are: Awareness -Engagement-Conversion
AWARENESS – DEFINE YOUR MARKET POSITION.
This is your first port of call, and at the top of the funnel.
Your first instance would be to create an explainer video, which should sit directly on your website homepage so your audience can quickly understand what your company is all about.
They’re also useful to play the first time you meet other businesses.
The intention of this is to summarize your service or product and set up the tone and personality of your brand as a whole.
Think of this as a film that defines your market position. Look to keep this no longer than 90 seconds.
Once you have an explainer video of the brand as whole, you can later look to create
shorter awareness pieces on individual products or services.
Think of these as introductions or hooks, with the purpose of making the viewer want to find out more.
Examples:
Explainer Video:
- Summarise the business position and define your brand personality.
- Use on homepage of website.
- Use during introduction meetings.
- Can be used for youtube advertising.
Shorter Awareness Pieces:
- Short, concise videos on specific products or features.
- Use on individual website pages to support message.
- Use on social media.
ENGAGEMENT – BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS & TRUSTS
Once your audience understands what you offer, you will then want to create some videos that fall into this engagement category.
Think of it simply as content that allows them to understand in more detail what you offer.
In many cases, each individual video will go in more depth into products, services, company ethics or processes/pipelines.
It is all about building a relationship and building trust with your potential customer.
These videos
can be longer than videos in the awareness category, as you’ve already hooked the audience in, and they want to find out more.
Examples:
Product/Service videos:
- Specific videos on one area of your business. ( 1 or 2 products or services)
- Highlight key functions and features – show the actual product.
- Highlight any awards, USP’s, customer testimonials and key benefits/stats.
Interview/Case Study videos:
- Show the face of key players in your business, talking about what the company has achieved and what it is doing in the future.
- Show specific examples of who you have helped, and what it has meant for them.
White paper videos:
- Good for service or tech companies.
- Show key insights and stats from your market – to build trust that you know your industry inside out.
- Discuss what the future holds for your industry.
- The more helpful this video is, the more likely the viewer will remember your business as a trusted source of information.
CONVERSION – REASSURANCE & CONFIDENCE
The conversion category has a few aspects that can overlap with engagement, however, conversion focused videos have more of an objective of getting your potential customer over the line and
actually make an inquiry or buy your product or service.
These will usually come in the form of either a demo video, tutorials or product video. A demo being something that shows the product in depth, including
what the actual product looks like once it is purchased out the box.
Examples:
Tutorials/Demo Videos:
- Take a walk through of using the product.
- Cover any key areas they should understand.
- If a complex tech product, do one for each area/stage of the process.
- Easy to share, and engage audience.
Short USP’s:
- Show USP’s in a 10-20 second clip.
- Great for audience to not see other generic features and just USP’s.
- Put on social media streams.
- If product: quickly run through dimensions, materials, shipping etc.
- If Service/Tech: quickly run through discounts,benefits and outcomes.
Now we have an oversight in where your videos sit within your video marketing strategy, and your overall marketing purchasing funnel, you can then place existing videos ( if you have them) within this framework, and ensure you have at least one video in one of the above categories.
You can then build upon this catalogue of video content.
mSanders - So you can see that the above is a broad view. great to fill all spaces if you're a large company with the money to do so. Even with small budgets there are options.So let me know what your business is about and i can help you. Feel free to private message me.
