Mar
Gone are the days when salespeople just appear at customers’ doorsteps, trying to convince them to buy a product. It was a primitive and highly inefficient strategy but without any alternative.
Things have changed and the sales process has become a lot more complex.
Currently, the democratization of the internet and the never-ending flow of products/services, has made sales a multi-step process.
No. One video won’t cover all the stages of the sales process. To engage and convince prospective customers and move them along the customer journey you need specialized video content at every stage.
The wants and queries of the customers change at every stage. You need to anticipate those requirements and create specialized content that satisfies the customers so they move to the next stage of the sales funnel.
If you’re wondering what type of video content to use at every stage then you’re at the right place.
It’s going to be an interesting and enlightening ride from top to bottom of the sales funnel. So, buckle up and enjoy the journey.
Videos the Perfect Type of Content for Every Stage
Why only single out video content for this discussion?
One major reason, the availability of editing tools such as Premiere Pro presets, templates, and stock-free clips have made video creation affordable to all.
According to a statistic it has been two years since video content became the most favored and powerful content; overtaking infographics and blogs.
Plus, don’t you think it’s your responsibility to give what the audience wants?
HubSpot has revealed that more than half of the surveyed population wanted more videos from marketers. The people have spoken. So, the discussion on ‘Why Video Content?’ ends here.
The Kind of Videos to Use in Each Stage of the Customer Journey
The customer journey or sales funnel can be broadly divided into three main stages: Awareness, Consideration, and Decision.
There might be many more but that depends on several factors including the brand, product type, target audience, etc.
Let’s look at the best types of videos for each of these three stages:
Awareness Stage
The awareness stage is the hardest part for marketers. They are required to create content for the audience who are still unsure of seeking help.
At the start of the customer journey, the customers recognize the existence of pain points. Issues they need to find a solution for.
Bear in mind just because people have a problem, it doesn’t mean they are actively seeking a solution. They are weighing their options, and in most cases, they aren’t even thinking of buying a product yet.
At this stage, you don’t have to go all out, using every trick in the book to woo the customer.
All you have to do is announce your existence. Introduce your brand/product/service to prospective customers using an educational video.
Educational video is an umbrella term that encompasses a variety of video types. Brands can increase conversions with product videos, brand videos, product tour videos, etc.
The beauty of educational content is that they don’t blatantly pitch your brand/product. Instead, they introduce the brand to prospective customers.
The marketers use the first opportunity they get to share the brand story, introduce the product, and make the audience know how the brand/product can help the users.
In the awareness stage, you share only those useful bits of information that convinces the customers that their problem can be solved.
You’re presenting your brand/product as a solution to the customer’s pain points. And every time they think of seriously pursuing the solution, your product should be at the forefront, or one of the options, in their minds.
Regardless of the product, it can be anything from a paper clip to a SaaS product, educational videos can be used to attract the audience’s attention, prepare the ground for a sale, and move the potential customers along the sales funnel.
For the educational content to find its mark; along with the brand story, focus heavily on the target audience.
Understanding their pain points and what they want can help marketers tailor their video content so they would click on it.
Bear in mind the educational content need not be formal. The video content must generate excitement. You can generate curiosity and excitement in multiple ways including animation, funny videos, whiteboard videos, etc.
Patagonia: Where Brand Awareness Meets Social Awareness
The Patagonia video documentary is a beautiful work of creativity that shows the struggles, aspirations, and everyday lives of ordinary people.
With this powerful documentary, Patagonia also highlights the values the brand stands for. Values such as quality clothing made for everyday use are designed with durability in mind, environmental accountability, and wholesome enjoyment.
The powerful stories of honest and hardworking people don’t end with this video. At the end of the video, Patagonia provides a link that would take the viewers to a landing page with more stories.
Interest and Consideration Stage
In the second stage of the customer journey, their minds are made up, and they are considering the options.
In the consideration stage, the customers are aware of the presence of your brand/product. For the customers to take you seriously, use explainer videos to showcase your product.
This is the stage where you charm the audience with full details of your product.
Unless you’re selling something unique, the content will be highly informative but dry, which is easy to ignore. The best way to engage the audience is through storytelling.
Why use storytelling in explainer videos?
The beauty of storytelling is that complex ideas and concepts can be broken down into simple and easily understandable chunks of information. Plus, information packaged as a story is engaging, easy to remember and recall.
As carriers of useful information, explainer videos are unlike any. They are fun, dynamic, and with a little bit of creativity, the chance of the video going viral is high.
This is also the stage where, through your explainer videos, you highlight the USP of the brand/product.
- Why should the customers purchase your product?
- What’s special about your product (superior quality, unbeatable price, durability, etc)?
- How is your product different from the others?
Your videos for the consideration stage must address these questions.
Two things are indispensable in an explainer video. It doesn’t matter if video content creation is outsourced or developed by an in-house team; the videos must maintain the brand identity and brand voice. In addition, make sure the videos resonate with the target audience.
A whole gamut of video types can be used in the consideration stage. We use the term ‘explainer video’ because the content explains the product/brand explains the features, functions, and unique characteristics, and explains the brand is the right option for the customers.
Any video content that endears the brand to the customers can be used in this phase of the customer journey.
Some of the videos you can use in this stage include product videos, demo videos, behind-the-scenes videos, expert guide videos, etc.
At this stage and others, brands can use video Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track the progress and identify campaign pitfalls.
The Hire Lab: Using Creative Storytelling to HIRE Customers
The online hiring platform has a cool, creative explainer video that’s impossible to ignore. The video attracts attention and holds the viewers’ focus in the initial few seconds with creative storytelling.
In the first 40 seconds, the video introduces the characters and their pain points. Superheroes and villains are the main characters in the video – this is enough to attract attention and engage.
Anyways, when the Superheroes United team is in a bind, the brand swoops in to solve their problem. The video explains the service and some of its features as well.
Decision Stage
Congratulations, you have successfully brought customers to the decision stage. You have managed to persuade customers to place your brand/product as their top three choices.
The potential customer is still not ready to buy because of a few lingering doubts. It’s time to clear those doubts so the buying decision is in your favor.
The decision stage differs from the previous two in one crucial point. At this phase of the customer journey, you don’t have to attract the attention of the customers. They are already interested in your product and interested in what you have to say.
The best videos to use in the decision stage are comparison videos, FAQ videos, testimonials, reviews, and case studies.
Customers turn to comparison videos for help when the shortlisted products are similar in many respects.
Ideally, comparison videos must be part of your user-generated content strategy. Using this video type, highlight how your product is better than others in certain features and functions.
FAQ videos are excellent to boost both pre-sale and post-sale customer engagement.
Potential customers need not go through a ton of questions on the FAQ page to gather vital information. Brands can employ short, engaging FAQ content that answers specific queries of the customers.
FAQ videos can also serve as after-sales customer support content to address queries about the product, how to install, how to use, etc.
Product reviews and testimonial videos help gain the trust of the customers. Rope in people who have used and benefited from your product/service.
Request them to share their experience of using the product and how the product changed their life. Ensure the content is authentic and reliable, even though it’s part of the brand content marketing strategy.
Case study videos take their rightful place in the decision stage because they show the product/service in action in real-life situations. These videos help remove all doubts in the mind of the potential customers.
The videos in this phase of the customer journey can be between 2 to 10 minutes long. Make sure to add compelling Call-to-Action to the content.
ALDI Supermarkets: Where Brand Values Find Reflection in Real-Life Experience
For the customers, can there be a better vote of confidence than the positive experience shared by the trainees and workers?
In the ALDI Supermarkets testimonial video, Amanda – a manager trainee – talks about her experience and the benefits of working in the supermarket.
The video showcases how the company’s brand values find reflection in the real-life experience of its employees.
Final Thoughts
Video content is vital for conversion marketing and using the right type of video at the right stage of the customer journey is the best method to earn customers’ trust and loyalty. There are no shortcuts.
At the top of the sales funnel, in the awareness stage, educate the customers about your brand/product/service.
Create interest and generate consideration using explainer, demo, and how-to videos.
Finally, bridge the trust gap and help customers decide with testimonials, FAQs, reviews, case studies, and comparison videos.