In a perfect world, customers would just flock to you effortlessly, with no need to be proactively reaching out to get their attention.
Yes, in a perfect world… and an inbound-marketing world too!
Inbound marketing and SEO content marketing are all about attracting customers by using the right type of content. Instead of going out there to try and get their attention (a classic outbound marketing strategy), you create awesome, optimized content that brings them to your business.
And as most marketers know well by now, content may be king, but video is definitely its crown.
An inbound marketing strategy powered by video can be unstoppable, but only if it’s done right. As most skilled video companies will tell you, you need to tailor your pieces to match specific stages of the buyer’s journey!
Do it right, and you’ll discover that that “perfect world” is not actually a myth, but just a strategic move.
During the awareness stage of a Buyer’s Journey, your future customers are starting the process of understanding that they have a “need” that needs solving. That solution will be your product or service, of course, it’s just that they don’t know it yet!
However, your job at this stage is not to tell them. Not yet, at least. You need to be cunning and smart: instead of trying to make a direct sale so soon, the ideal move now is to provide your audience with the information they need.
They'll be searching for ways to put a name on this need that they have - and you'll have your videos ready to answer all their questions - putting your brand in front of their eyes.
Which videos? Educational ones, of course!
As your audience is researching to get a better understanding of their problem, your job is to provide information through educational videos. Luckily for everyone, these are videos that are fun and attractive, and also highly shareable!
The fact is that people like to learn visually, and looking at interesting graphics and animated content is much more appealing than reading a long, boring text about something.
Another way to educate your audience is with a reliable “how-to” video. When people are looking for specific bits of information about a process, they usually do it with a how-to formula: "How to buy a boat," "how to build an igloo," and so on…
Creating How-to content around your products and services will have potential customers naturally bumping into your brand. By giving them bite-sized information shaped in the form that they’re looking for, you’ll be getting ahead in the inbound race for sure.
The second key moment of any buyer’s path is the consideration stage. In this part of the journey, your potential clients have identified their needs, and they're determined to find a solution to it.
Your content helped them in the process of putting a name to their problem, and now your videos will help them understand the possible solutions to it. As they say, there’s more than one way to skin a cat — And through your videos, your prospects will find that your way is the best way! Ugh… you know what I mean!
While they’re considering these possible roads to follow, your job is to let them know why the solution that you offer to them is the absolute best. And, as you know, a well-made video is a very powerful persuader.
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Sometimes, the biggest challenge of your marketing strategy is conveying what your product is all about in a compelling way – especially at this stage of a buyer’s journey! That’s where explainer videos like whiteboard animations come in. Explainers are short animated videos that easily summarize complex information.
By using the power of narrative, you can transform your message into a story that will resonate with your audience’s pain points and moves them closer to a purchase decision.
These are the favorite video pieces of most marketers nowadays because they definitely work wonders. And while they come in different flavors, like live-action, regular animation, and whiteboard videos, they all introduce your solution as the best solution.
When prospects are considering their options, they’ll love to have a chance to try a product before they buy it - Easily done if you were selling in a store. However, when it comes to an eCommerce equivalent, the next best thing to a hands-on experience is a detailed product video.
A good product video puts whatever you are offering front and center, and goes through the list of its attributes and benefits. It’s important to either show the product in use, or at least detail how it works, letting the audience know exactly what makes it special.
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This is it - the moment of truth! Right now, your leads are a step away from becoming actual customers.
You’ve led them all the way from the moment they found out they had a problem, to the moment that they decided that your solution was the best way to solve it. Now that they’re almost ready to make the purchase, they’ve found that there’s more than one option in the market, and they’re evaluating the best one for them.
So, this is your moment to shine. What makes your brand special? What sets you apart from others? Why would your customers prefer doing business with your company instead of the competition?
One of the best answers to those questions is “people”. At the end of the day, people trust other people, and even most importantly: customers trust other customers.
There’s something very moving about listening to success stories told by real people. A written testimonial or review will never feel as personal as someone speaking to a camera, explaining how they used to have a problem, and how they solved it successfully by using your product.
These videos are a compelling way to drive sales and make your audience feel like your brand understands their needs. When they listen to their peers – people they can identify with – saying how much your company helped them, it gives them that little push in the right direction.
Another way of letting your audience know that you understand their needs better than others is to get a step ahead and answer their questions before they even ask.
By having a series of videos tackling customers’ most frequent questions, you’ll let your audience know that you’re there for them, present, and ready to address whatever query that might arise.
Videos are an extremely versatile tool that can be implemented in your marketing strategy in a million ways. However, their effectiveness is directly related to the way that you use them and how you tailor them to meet specific goals.
Best way to go about it? Identify each crucial step that your customers take during the buyer’s journey, learn where you might use some help, and choose tailored pieces that bring them to your brand.
Then, you can produce these video types that we discussed to boost your inbound marketing strategy through the roof!
But enough talk! Time to attract some new and shiny customers with some fantastic video content. Let’s get to work!
