Getting through to your customers is a tough gig.
They ignore your calls, they've installed ad blocker across all of their devices, and they use Gmail to filter out your emails that took hours of brain power trying to come up with the perfect subject line.
Bleak, isn't it?
But don't take it personally, unless your name is David Brent, then chances are it's not you.
It's that traditional sales channels don't work anymore. Your customers are smart. They've grown tired of cheesy liners and in-your-face tactics. They want stuff that they care about, stuff that piques their interest -- which is why we believe video marketing could be your secret weapon.
Video...Really?
Yes, really.
People love content that's engaging, visual and interactive - and video is the only thing that can offer all of that rolled into one.
But don't just listen to me....
Listen to the 93% of businesses that say a video has helped increase customer understanding of their product of service.
Or the 64% of businesses that believe video has directly led to increased sales.
If you introduce video into your marketing then we guarantee you'll never have to use a cheesy sales line ever again.
So how does it all work? It's easy, just follow these simple steps....
Step #1. Attracting the masses
As much as we'd like to see instant results, we all know that to make a solid sale it takes time, energy and a whole lot of nurturing. Typically a customer will go through four key buying stages before they come to appreciate you, so in order to make this work, you need to start at the beginning...
The attraction stage is all about creating a video that lures people in.
This isn't the time for selling your product, it's the time to be selfless and create something that's interesting to your audience.
So when you're planning your video you need to ask yourself:
- Who is my key audience?
- What do they think is interesting?
- What would they want to share with their friends?
Typically during this stage of your sales efforts you will be focused on creating a video that is perfect sharing material on social.
And it's not as hard as you think to get people to share branded videos on social. 70% of people say that they would share a brand's video, and one of the biggest reasons as to why they would share it, is if the video was entertaining.
So let's take a look at one of the most shared video of 2015. It's from Android, and it's got an impressive 6,587,498 shares.
The reason it works...
This is the perfect example of a selfless branded video. Does it keep me engaged throughout the whole video? Yes. Does it make me want to hit the share button? Definitely.
Does it make me want to buy an Android phone? Er, No.
But that's not the point.
The reason it works is because it's short, entertaining, emotionally-driven, and it doesn't try any overbearing sales techniques. Although it does have an ever-so slight sales message right at the very end, it's subtle enough not to put people off, and it raises brand awareness without consumers even realising it.
The key for a successful video on social is to be subtle, be intriguing, and above all, be entertaining.
But don't forget, what's entertaining to a 20-something millennial could be completely different to someone who's of the gen-x demographic. When planning your video, always keep in mind who it is that you are targeting.
Step #2: Preaching to the unconverted
So now you're using video to get people interested in your brand, it's time to put some energy into turning those people into leads.
At this stage it's OK to start introducing your product or service into the mix. Your audience is getting ready to find out more about you, and one of the best ways to do this is through the power of a webinar.
A webinar is a great tool to use because you can use it to educate your audience on why they need to buy your product or service.
But don't forget the main reason why you are holding the webinar -- it's to build more leads. So each person that watches needs to give you their details. That way, you can offer them plenty of insight into your industry, and use their details for future marketing efforts.
When you're planning a webinar you need to ask yourself:
- Is it an interesting topic that people would want to watch?
- Will it educate the viewers about my product or service?
- Will it inform my audience on how they can benefit from my business?
- Will it encourage viewers to join in with the discussion?
A great way to give your webinar the boost that it needs is to partner up with a webinar expert. That way, you'll have a larger platform to reach your intended audience and you don't need to worry about the heavy lifting when it comes to promoting it.
So for example, we are holding a webinar about how to use explainer videos to attract and convert customers...
The reason it works....
It's a topic that many businesses will find interesting -- particularly you, if you are reading this post! We aim to use it as an educational tool to help people put the topics discussed within the webinar into action. And because it's hosted by Wyzowl's very own MD, the viewers can feel confident that they are gaining actionable expert tips and tactics.
Feel free to join us if you'd like to find out more about explainer videos.
Step #3: Closing the sale
After a person has watched your webinar and got to know a bit more about who you are, it's time to up the ante.
Yes, now you can start asking for the sale. And we believe there is no better way to do that than by creating an explainer video.
Did you know that 77% of consumers have been convinced to buy a product or service from watching a video about it?
An explainer video is an awesome selling tool because it let's your audience know exactly why they need your business in their lives.
The formula to a successful explainer video is by connecting to the customers problems, introducing you as the solution, and showing the benefits.
So when you're planning your explainer video you need to ask yourself:
- Does it convey my audiences biggest problems?
- Does it offer the benefits of what I'm offering?
- Is it engaging, short and concise?
- Does it close by telling the viewer how they can go on to make a purchase?
The greatest explainer videos are those that cover all of the above points. So for example, one of our favourite videos is this one below from Clipping Path Specialist.
The reason it works....
It opens by getting on the viewers' level right away, it talks about the problems they may face whilst using photoshop to cut out an image, and it then goes on to introduce their service -- relaying the benefits and features. It focuses on the core message that it's hassle free, easy and cheap, and it uses fun animations to help keep the viewer engaged. And the best part? It achieves all this under 90 seconds.
Once you've created an awesome explainer video, make sure you place it on your homepage. Not only will this mean your visitors can watch it, but 72% of businesses believe a that an explainer video has improved the conversion rate of their website!
Isn't it about time you closed the sale in the most engaging way possible?
Step #4: Keep them coming back for more
Right so you've got the sale in the bag, what's next?
Well, you need to continue to show your love for your customers, even after the sale.
The reason being?
Aside from the fact that it costs 5x more to acquire a new customer, than to keep the ones you've already got, if you turn your customers into raving fans of your brand, then you're far more likely to convince other people to come and buy your product or service. That's because people trust peer recommendations way more than brands.
So now is the time to create more videos that continue to teach your customers about what they can do with the product they just bought. You could even create a video that aims to up-sell or cross-sell them to a different service that may be beneficial to them.
When planning your 'after-the-sale' video, ask yourself:
- Does it help them use the product they just bought?
- Does it show my appreciation for them as a customer?
- Is there a way I can up-sell to a different offering?
- Does it encourage them to share with their friends?
Not all of these goals will fit into one video, but that's the beauty of the after sale -- you need to continue to create different videos so that your audience stays connected with you.
For example, fitness guru Kayla Itsiness promotes an app that promises to get you fit, strong and healthy. And in addition to this, she regularly produces videos like this one below for all of her customers to watch and learn from...
The reason it works....
- It offers expert tips on how to recover from a work-out at home
- It's short, concise and easy to follow
- It helps to build a community of followers with all of her customers
So long as you continue to provide valuable video content to your customers, you'll quickly build a strong and steady relationship with them.
Until next time...
So those are my four steps on how to use video as your ultimate sales weapon. What do you think? Have you used any of these tactics before? Let me know how you get on with video marketing in the comments below!
Oh and one more thing...
Now I know what you're thinking, these steps are great, but how do you promote your videos so that people can actually see them?
Well that's a story for another day, but if you've got 4.07 minutes to spare then go take a look at this video that gives you 6 steps on how to promote your video.