I recently had a 20-year-old video production company tell me that they were going to close their business because there was no future in video production. Having been price-shopped and undercut by amateurs with far less expertise and experience, they were at their wits’ end as to how to get back the earnings they used to enjoy even just a decade ago. Shocked, I showed them the stats about video marketing and its phenomenal growth. After all, B2B research shows that 7 out of 10 buyers watch a video THROUGHOUT the entire purchasing journey. Not only that, but by 2021, 82 percent of all consumer IP traffic will be video! Sadly, there was no changing their minds. But video isn’t dead people. In fact, it’s becoming more important than ever. And here’s how to make the most of it in marketing your business.
The Regular Product or Service Info Video
If you don’t have some form of video explaining what you or your product does to help people, you’re letting go of a huge channel for search. Youtube is the number 2 search site. If you’re not on it, you’re losing opportunities for exposure. This is really a basic one that you should knock out of the park with very little effort. Here’s what my book tour intro video looks like. No budget? Check out how you can get a whiteboard video done on Fiverr.com for $5! Now you have no excuses!
Interview Marketing Video
One of my favourite things to do and to teach to my clients is to use Interview Marketing as video content. Not only do you get to meet your hard-to-reach buyer with a fabulous, ego-stroking excuse but you create content for your marketing. You can share this content with your target industry publications or even with the marketing department of the company you’re interviewing. It’s a win-win-win. Interview Marketing been so successful as a prospecting tool for me that I’ve started to offer doing them to increase registration to conferences I’m speaking at. I get to meet all the important sponsors and speakers weeks before I even get to the conference. Here’s what it looks like.
Advice Video
If you do no other type of video, you should be doing these. Advice videos are very valuable because even 80% of Linkedin users only want content that gives them value and teaches them new things in their industry. So advice content is great for search but it’s even better for credibility and positioning you as an expert. I did a whole whack of them a couple of years ago and the advice still stands! Here’s what one looks like.
Brand Positioning Video
This is the new reincarnation of TV ads. Where video is used to explain why a brand is different than any others. It’s also the opportunity to showcase the ever famous Simon Sinek’s ‘Why’ for your company. Here’s a great example that I just saw today about a sock company Bombas that grew out of the fact that socks are the #1 most requested clothing item at homeless shelters. I’ve seen companies use brand positioning videos for getting funding, trying to go viral and in traditional ad channels. They are why ad agencies were born and have a special place in the world of videos.
Testimonial Video
Hearing someone gushing in emotion about your business is a much more convincing motivator than to read about their emotions. Case in point was when my client left me a voicemail (OK so it wasn’t video but it still worked!) about her success and I asked her for permission to use it in my marketing. That one voicemail has converted more prospects than any other piece of marketing I’ve done! Imagine what a video can do.
If I still haven’t convinced you to do video to intercept more buyers who are buying your competitors because they HAVE videos, I wish you luck in your selling.
Want to find out how to differentiate your company? Follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook, watch me on YouTube or connect with me on LinkedIn –and let’s talk
