Ready to reach out to new customers? Video should be a part of your plan. Engaging video isn’t just an afterthought anymore. Instead, it’s a way of reaching out to your prospects and customers and giving them more of what they want.
In fact, 2023 showed us that online videos reached an audience of around 92 percent and have become one of the most popular online formats for all industries. Why is video so important? It’s because of the stories. People remember stories, not stats. They want excitement (even a cat video can be exciting after a long day at work.) They want to be engaged.
When you use video as a part of a compelling narrative to connect with your audience, it can convey a message they want to listen to, choose to listen to and take action on.
How do you get there?
Build Your Video Marketing Strategy
We all have access to high-quality recording devices that can create dynamic videos. Just pick up your phone and start recording.
But there’s more to it than that. Yes, you can record your morning drive, take a quick shot of you working at your desk or snap what you have for dinner, but is that really what your audience wants?
Start by looking back at your marketing plan. Think about the different stages at which you reach out to your prospects and customers. It’s much easier if you break it down to specific targets and record videos to merge with your existing marketing strategies.
Carefully consider where video makes the most sense. Maybe an introduction video showcasing your views and mission statement. Videos answering common questions people have about your products or services. Customer testimonials sharing why they enjoy what you do.
The average person speaks 130 to 150 words per minute. Compare those 130 to 150 words in an engaging video with it in written format.
There is a place for everything and, sometimes, it’s best to work them side by side. Giving people choices helps reach people on a deeper level. It gives you more opportunities to share your message widely across many channels.
Consider What the Video Is For
Take a look at your website. You’ll find pages of information, all carefully crafted to do different things. Some are overviews of your business. Others are designed to teach and educate. Some are meant to sell what you do. Still others close the sale.
People enter your business with all sorts of goals and desires in mind. You can’t change how they enter your world, but you can provide them with what they need at various points along the sale.
Reach Out With Video
At the outreach stage, you’re aiming for recognition. This is where you maximize brand awareness and share a unique message. It’s how you create your look and feel and showcase what you do best.
These videos aren’t meant to be all-encompassing. Instead, they’re meant to focus on education. Showcase your work for:
- How-to videos
- Behind-the-scenes peeks into your business
- Social clips showing your personality
- Deeper dives to add to your blogs
These are designed to engage your audience and speak to who they are and what they want. Tell a clear picture about your brand without going into “sell” mode. This creates a stronger connection between you and your audience.
Engaging Videos
At the engagement stage, you’re building a deeper relationship with prospects and customers. Marketing is an ongoing relationship. Video helps you go deeper than you can with traditional web pages.
Creating engaging videos allows you to go in-depth with:
- Webinars
- Interviews
- Livestreams
- Educational topics
Ask yourself: What could I teach that would build my company as an authority and leave the viewer with a richer experience? This isn’t about selling as much as it is about getting closer to the root of the problem. If your audience knows more, videos can build support to continue following what you do.
Conversion
This is where you build confidence and showcase that you are the right solution. You showcase support. You guide. You think about the customer experience and provide answers to the questions they didn’t even know they had. You might include:
- Case studies
- Product reviews
- Demos
- Customer testimonials
How about a quick demo of a software program? You can show how easy it works with bright graphics and engaging language. Or showcasing the features of a new product? Video can alert viewers to all the ways they can bring this product into their lives.
Like your landing pages, your conversion videos should have strong calls to action. Tell your viewers what you want them to do next.
Building Lifelong Customers
Even after the selling is through, as a marketer, your goal is to keep your audience talking about you. Marketing is a constant process of bringing new people in and making them happy. Give them what they want and encourage them to come back again.
This is where video can excel. If someone is already sold on you—they’ve made a purchase—what else can you do? Video ideas are endless:
- Onboarding
- Training
- Product support
- New products and services
- Brand awareness
- Community offerings
This is about cultivating a deeper connection and having your audience understand more about what you do. It’s about giving viewers a new angle they might not have considered before.
Enhance Your Marketing With Engaging Video
High-quality social media videos are essential for brands to maintain a social media presence. Making wise video recording equipment purchases is essential for creating content that captures the attention of your customer base.
Marketers understand it takes multiple touches to turn a lead into a sale. With so much noise in the marketplace, it may seem more challenging than ever. That’s where video can help.
Reaching out to your audience is just the starting point. There are so many ways you can create engaging videos that truly connect with people at every point on your marketing timeline. This isn’t a one-and-done task. Instead, it’s an ongoing effort to grow and be of service to your audience.
Do you need help developing your video marketing strategy? Have questions about where to insert video into your marketing channels? Connect with Pretzel Logic Productions to get the conversation started.