What makes a winning video marketing strategy? The right message at the right moment.
Video marketing investments are on the rise. Last year, HubSpot reported that 41% of marketers plan to add Facebook video to their content strategy this year, while 45% of marketers plan to add YouTube to their strategy.
Here's the bottom line: Facebook, YouTube, and other popular social media hubs have saturated the digital field with video. This means your potential and current customers are seeing video content that promotes other companies in your industry.
Your marketing team not only needs to invest in video marketing but needs to invest wisely and effectively. Whether your company has five employees or 500, a strong video marketing strategy will boost brand recognition and drive sales.
Gartner reports that only 37% of viewers watch to the end of a video (full research available to Gartner clients). Instead of letting that number discourage you from investing in video content, consider the freedom it gives your marketing team to approach video from your customers' perspective.
To reach and retain your customers, you need a video marketing strategy that will break through the growing noise floor and resonate with your buyers.
What is the key to standing out and breaking through the clutter? Design your videos with a strategic buyer journey touch point in mind.
Be sure to take the interactive survey at the end of this article to find the right video marketing strategy for your business.
Build your video marketing strategy around how these 3 types of video speak to the customer journey
A brand story, a product demo, and a customer testimonial each bring strategic value to your video marketing strategy. Employing all three of these video types will ensure you directly address your customers, and target them at pivotal moments in their journey with content that is useful and relevant to them at that moment.
As you decide which type of video to produce first, consider what moment in the customer journey you want to address.
1. Brand story: Get your story out there to drive awareness
A brand story video is the best way to drive awareness and set yourself apart from industry competition. Gear your videos toward potential buyers who haven't visited your store before, or don't know what makes your business special.
Director recommendations: When writing and producing a brand video, focus on informing and persuading potential customers. Consult your buyer personas and make sure your brand video articulates how your product/service addresses their pain points.
According to the above-cited Gartner research, media channels well-suited to hosting your brand story video include your website's homepage, social media profiles, or your YouTube channel — where you can pin the video to the feature spot.
2. Product demo: Inform and empower to increase CX
Gartner reports that "explainers, product demonstrations, and how-to videos are the most common types of videos brands produce (full research available to Gartner clients)."
As the most common type of video businesses produce, product demos serve as an important reminder that a marketing team's work doesn't stop at the end of the buyer journey.
Director recommendations: Product information that is easy to find and understand can fill an often-overlooked gap between customer acquisition and customer retention.
Engaging, informative videos about your products and offerings can be the crucial bridge that supports your new customers from point of purchase through when they fall in love with your brand.
Product demos are well-suited to social media channels like Facebook and YouTube, as well as embedded in a follow-up email after a customer purchase.
3. Customer testimonial: Happy customers are brand advocates
A customer who has moved through the sales funnel and is confident in the product they own or the service they used is a customer ready to act as a brand advocate. These customers are likely to write a review, recommend your product/service to a friend, and share a customer testimonial video on social media.
Director recommendations: Customer testimonial videos provide your business with an enormous opportunity to build trust in your brand. When it comes to reaching potential customers, 89% of marketers say that customer testimonials and case studies are the most effective content types for influencing purchases.
Showcasing your customers in a testimonial video positions them as the face of your brand. These types of video thrive in shareable social media communities but are also effective when placed on a landing page to build trust with new and potential customers.
What’s the best video marketing strategy for your small business?
As you begin to think about what type of video you want to produce, start by identifying which pivotal moment in the customer journey you want to target.
A potential customer looking for softwareIn these pivotal moments when a customer is looking for a new product or service, it’s important for your business to establish how you differ from your competitors. A marketing video geared toward this stage of the customer journey should establish your value as a company (who you serve, the needs you fulfill, etc.)
A brand new customer who has just made a purchaseA customer who has made a purchase isn’t at the end of a journey; they're starting a pivotal new chapter! Video can fill an often overlooked gap in customer experience supporting new customers from point of purchase through when they fall in love with your brand.
A satisfied customer who is fully confident in your product/serviceHappy customers can be your business’s greatest asset. You can use video to empower your happy customers and turn them into brand advocates both online and in their geographical communities. This helps you reach potential customers and motivates your happy customers to return.
How is your business using video in your marketing strategy? Tell us in the comments below.