Video may have killed the radio star, but it’s going to save your business.
Seriously though, video is a powerful communication tool that is no longer reserved for the biggest brands.
Recorded and live video can take your communication to a whole new level, from your marketing to your sales to your internal messaging. And you don’t need to hire an agency to do it!
Sure, when making a really nice culture video that includes drone photography and top-notch interviews you may want to find a marketing agency that can execute great video. But much of your everyday communication can include video, setting you apart from your peers.
Think about it: How many businesses include video messages in their welcome emails? How many companies have employees using social media video for employee advocacy and hiring?
Setting your business up for a video-first mentality can help you increase awareness, sales, and service. Want to know how? Keep reading!
Video for Marketing
This may be the easiest place to start. But it’s also the one that makes the most sense to people. Sure, commercials are what they think of when it comes to video for marketing. But it’s so much more than that.
You can use video in social media to drive engagement. In fact, according to Hootsuite, video on LinkedIn is extremely powerful.
LinkedIn video posts earn an average of three times the engagement of text posts. Plus, native videos on the platform are five times more likely than other content to start a conversation among LinkedIn members.
It’s a similar story on Facebook. According to research by Databox, video performs better than images on Facebook. It’s better for engagement, for driving ad clicks, and for conversions.
Video also helps humanize your website. Reading copy is fine for content consumption, but watching a video of someone explaining the same thing goes a long way toward getting that person to know, like, and trust your brand. It shows non-verbal communications, makes the viewer feel like they’re spending time with a person, and as a bonus can increase time on page – a great indicator for search engines!
In fact, we include video in some of our blog articles we publish, which tends to keep people on the page longer. Whether it’s because they’re watching the video or because the video sets them up with the knowledge that this article will serve them, our internal research shows that there’s a positive trend with time on page.
Another way to use video in your marketing is to offer helpful videos that showcase your expertise in the field. This could include product videos produced with this end in mind, or other videos that answer questions your potential customers may have.
For instance, if you’re a mechanic, you can show how to change the oil on specific models of cars, how to change a tire, and how to check vital fluids. You might also create videos on winterizing vehicles (for regions that have winter), what to look for when buying a used car, the best car-washing techniques, or any other questions customers have for you. Helpful videos increase brand awareness while building trust.
Video for Sales
Similar to videos for marketing, when you create videos for sales, think about the end user. Answer questions, offer advice, and build trust with viewers.
What’s different with sales videos is where they’re used in the buyer’s journey. Instead of posting these videos publicly on YouTube, you may use them as an unlisted video or keep them in Wistia and include the links in emails.
If your sales team answers the same three questions for nearly every interaction leading to a sales discussion, you might have them create a quick, “Here are the 3 most FAQ we have” video they can include in their signatures, or send new prospects from the beginning. Rinse and repeat!
The team can also record personalized one-to-one sales videos. Personalized sales videos are video content which you create that are tailored to a specific person in the sales process. You might include the person’s name, company name, or messaging that is specific to them.
You can add a personal token like their first name. Vidyard is a video marketing tool that does this for you. Or if you’re creating a truly one-to-one video, use their name on a whiteboard, iPad, or piece of cardboard if you have to. You could even say their name in the video!
Also, create team introductions and meeting prep. Whether you’re making a hand-off to someone else, introducing yourself or getting ready for a meeting, you can record a 30-second video as writing a few sentences.
Get into the habit of video first, and you’ll crank out these quick “hellos” all day long.
Imagine you’re a prospect with a sales meeting, and you get an email with a personalized sales video where the representative simply takes 30 seconds to introduce herself, remind you of the time and give you a heads up that the meeting is in Zoom with video.
Finally… how about using personalized one-to-one sales videos for fun moments like holidays or special occasions! Whether you’re celebrating summer or wishing your contacts a Happy New Year, you can add personalization to it to take your content to the next level.
Any way you can get your prospects to engage with your brand is a win – and video tees up that win!
Video for Service
I used to create a welcome video for every incoming client at a previous agency, where I ran our onboarding calls. They were on video, and required some information ahead of time. So I’d create a video each time with the tool Loom, introducing myself as the onboarding coordinator, and letting them know that I’d see them on the date they scheduled. I’d remind them that the call was going to be on video so they could prepare (no one likes surprises – except kids and clowns!), and help them to feel at ease.
I’d get great feedback from people, thanking me for preparing them and telling me they felt like they already knew me. It’s a great tool for building an amazing customer experience.
Another service offering where you can use video is in answering questions and solving issues. Conversational marketing has helped us create in-the-moment offerings for customers. We have live chat, chatbots, and other messaging tools. Now brands like Drift offer video, too.
Imagine being able to offer live video to help a client, or a recorded message expressing empathy and connection with customers.
Video is powerful, no matter where you’re using it!
Video for Internal Communications
What would happen if your company got rid of regular phones and offered only face-to-face interactions? Video chat is huge when it comes to connecting humans.
At Impulse Creative, we’re a 50% distributed team. Actually, just over half of our team (8 of 15 people) lives away from our HQ in Babcock Ranch, Florida. Even our HQ team has the ability to work remote. But instead of feeling removed from the team, I personally feel very connected because we use Zoom video meetings for all of our calls. It’s no longer just an audio phone. It’s a video-first culture.
A simple one-line email leaves too much open to interpretation. Video offers nonverbal cues that can ease anxiety.
A long, boring email explaining a policy change, or how to do something in a tool we use, turns into a helpful video where nuances aren’t lost and instruction can be shown, not just read. Video can help internal communications – an area every business seems to need help with!
Video for Hiring
Imagine having videos showing off happy team members, introducing the world to your talented team, and showcasing the culture of your company. Maybe your HR director and the leadership team has monthly updates to share. Perhaps your different departments compete for quarterly decorating contests.
However you show off your internal happenings, video can help build your team by showing, rather than telling people about your culture. Video can turn employees into advocates and ambassadors.
Ready to Embrace Video?
However you decide to implement more video into your business, you can plainly see that it has the potential to change the game for you and your team.
Read more: business2community.com