by Jack Anzarouth, president of Digital Ink Marketing
Everyone is going crazy for video nowadays, and with good reason. Above all other types of content, it resonates with audiences and is capable of telling amazing stories that trigger those coveted emotional responses that get people to connect with your brand and form bonds with it.
A good video strategy will employ multiple types of video that guide people through the Buyer’s Journey from Awareness to Decision. Let’s have a look at how you can nurture leads along the buyer’s journey path with video marketing.
Awareness.
People in this phase might have heard of your brand from somewhere, but are not overly familiar with it. In this phase, you want to really introduce your brand to them and give them information that will make a good impression.
To do this, use:
Introductory Videos.
As the name implies, these videos introduce your brand to prospects and let them know what you do and the tone of your brand. You can convey whether your brand is more serious or it leans more toward fun, or whether your brand is extravagant or economical, for example. These videos will also give people an indication of the values of your brand.
Your own website is an obvious place for these types of videos and they’ll also be highly useful on your social media accounts for people who are just discovering your brand and want to know more about it.
Educational Videos.
Every brand wants to be seen as an expert and possibly a trendsetter in its space and that’s what educational videos allow you to do. They give your brand the perfect platform to showcase your expertise in the field. These videos should teach the viewer something that is related to your industry, but not necessarily related directly to the products or services you sell. Not making them too salesy will help you form a bond of trust with your audience.
If you have a blog or newsletter, educational videos go well with accompanying blog posts. They also work well on your social media profiles and can even be used in email marketing.
Consideration.
So, people know about your brand and they’ve even gotten to know it. Next, they’ll see how it measures up against your competitors so they can make the most informed purchasing decision. Since leads are doing their comparison shopping at this point, you want to get more specific about exactly how your products and services will help them.
Product Videos.
Highlight the features of your products and services and show how they benefit your potential customers. Professionally shot videos that show your products being used for their intended purpose or a quick video showing how you take care of a common problem your audience has are a good idea. If you have a store that sells multiple brands, honest review videos are a good way to showcase the products you sell.
You can put them on specific product or landing pages and include them in an promotional material.
Demo & How-To Videos.
These videos tell your audience how to operate or do something using your products or services. If you’re not sure what you can make a video about, check the inquiries you get from your current customers. If you’re getting a lot of the same question, that question would warrant a video answer.
Related blog posts or newsletter articles would be great for these videos, as well as product or landing pages and social media profiles.
Explainer Videos.
Especially useful if your company does something unusual or complicated, these videos are often animated and tell your audience in just a minute or two what you do and how that benefits them. You can have one or use a series of explainer videos to go in-depth about your company and your offerings.
These videos work well on landing pages, on social media accounts and you can put one on your website’s homepage to give people a quick explanation of what you do.
Decision.
The comparison shopping is done and the prospect is ready to become either your customer or a competitor’s customer. Although this is fairly deep into the purchasing process, there is still a chance to sway their decision.
About Us Videos.
These videos really welcome prospects into a brand’s world by introducing them to the team behind the brand and the history of the brand. Often brands use brand journalism type videos where they are interviewed for what are essentially mini-documentaries about the brand. They’ll help you make stronger connections with prospects because they’ll be able to get to know the people behind the brand.
Put them on your about us page, on your social media profiles and on your YouTube channel for best usage.
Testimonial Videos.
Usually testimonials are written, but you an also get your trusted customers to make testimonial videos for you, which are even better. They allow you to show off how your products and services solved problems for your customers, helping to further sway your prospects.
Have a few made and put them on a dedicated testimonial page on your website and share them on your social media.
Your video marketing strategy should include a variety of videos to lead prospects along the buyer’s journey as they discover, familiarize themselves with and form a bond with your brand. When you have enough of them, you can host or embed all of them on your site and have your own video library.
Jack Anzarouth has been marketing director for a variety of different brands. In September of 2016, he decided to open Digital Ink Marketing, a full-service boutique digital marketing agency that serves businesses in the New York area and beyond.
