George B. Thomas — November 12, 2018 — November 12, 2018
JuralMin / Pixabay
I’m on a mission to help companies understand the need to embrace a culture of video in 2019 and beyond. Why is this a passion point for me?
As I’ve been helping companies embrace video, I’m starting to see the same old business problem rearing its ugly head again.
What problem?
Silos!
You see, most companies are doing video as a marketing initiative or having us come out and simply help their sales team be better on camera.
Most service teams we have encountered have not even thought about the importance of using video in their process yet.
This is just not going to work in the future!
Everyone from the top c-level folks to the janitor who sweeps the floors and empties the trash should understand and use video in their process moving forward.
This means marketing, sales, service, HR, and any other division you can think of should be leveraging the communication powerhouse that is online video!
I have an entire talk that I give on stages around the world about the “5 Real Reasons Your Business Should Be Creating More Videos!”
Spoiler alert, it is not because it is a tactic or a strategy for a single individual or department.
It is because it is an amazing communication tool that allows any company to do things like:
- Humanize Their Brand
- Simplify The Complex
- Disarm Potential Leads
- Educate Their Customers
- Evoke Emotional Responses
But, the question we have been running into as of late is this:
How do we create videos across all of our divisions and through the entire buyer’s journey when engaging with our company?
Great question!
The Video Funnel Foundation 2019 Style
To understand what types of videos we should be creating and using in certain sections of the journey, we need to understand what the potential customer is trying to accomplish.
Video Funnel: Absorb Stage
At the very top of the funnel, we know that they are trying to absorb as much content as they can around the problem they are facing or the desire they want to achieve.
This type of top of the funnel content is all about understanding the root, the issue, the core foundational pieces of the problem or desire.
The types of videos that work best here are brand awareness videos, emotional shorts, how-to videos, and documentary-style videos.
Notice most of these are very story-based. A story simplifies the way in which we can share information around a certain topic.
As you think about the video types and what department might have a hand in their creation, it becomes obvious that every department could probably do all of them.
However, I think you can drill down and give certain types to certain divisions.
Why?
Because, if you simplify what they need to or can do, it will get done. If you give them all the choices, most times it is paralyzing to their creative efforts.
So how do we divide up the top of the video funnel?
Brand Awareness Videos: Brand Team
Brand awareness videos are very story-based.
You want to make sure to tie into an emotion that the audience may be or should be feeling.
A great example of a brand awareness video is this one from Shopify called Unite: Mobilizing Entrepreneurship!
Notice in this video, that Shopify did several things amazingly.
1. It communicates brand values.
Create & Achieve the impossible. Unite a world together.
2. It draws viewers in immediately and keeps them watching.
You instantly understand that these people have a problem but, how are they tied together?
What are their individual stories?
3. It tells a story the target audience relates to.
We all have been there. We have a feeling or a great idea but, we just aren’t sure how to achieve it by ourselves.
4. It creates emotion and connection.
Shopify uses the emotion of empathy, the thought of freedom and a great life to pull you through the entire video.
5. It leaves viewers wanting to know more.
How can we succeed in our own stories? How does Shopify fit in?
Emotional Short Videos: Sales Team
For emotional short videos, we can go in several directions.
One very strong way is explaining why the sales rep does what they do.
I don’t mean making money either. What are three levels deep to the real WHY they do or love their job?
Where are they trying to get themselves or their potential customers to?
Uncover that information and the video will be a hit for sure.
The second emotional short video could be just that.
A story about where the customer was and how they got to where they wanted to go.
What about the rest?
One of my favorite types of videos to create in the absorb stage of the video funnel are:
How-to Videos: Service Team
Over the past four years with several different companies, I have created close to 1,000 how-to videos around HubSpot and Inbound Marketing.
Heck, just in the past 6 months, we have created 200 videos for the Sprocket Talk podcast an audio and video daily tips, update, or interview series.
Here is a great example of how to create a fun and educational how-to video.
Documentary Videos: Marketing Team
Don’t forget about the documentary-style videos.
They are a power-packed punch of goodness just waiting for your company to create them!
Once the visitor is ready to move from the absorb stage and move into the assess stage, we have to change our focus as a company, as well as the types of videos we are creating and sharing.
Video Funnel: Assess Stage
In the Assess Stage of the video funnel, we can start to leverage product and service videos, case studies, testimonial videos, and about us videos.
An easy place to get started is:
-
Case Studies Videos: Sales Teams
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Testimonial Videos: Service Teams
Both of these videos can be scripted and highly-produced or in my personal opinion…NOT!
We humans are funny! We desire authenticity and reality.
Having an interview-style case study and or testimonial video could come off as even more powerful than video you spent a ton of time and money to produce.
Even a live event that gathers all of your current customers and gives them the opportunity to gush on how amazing you are as a company could be then repurposed into several case study and testimonial clips to be used on your website and in social media posts.
Product & Service Videos: Service & Marketing
I love product videos.
They have the potential to be so creative.
Again they can come in super in-sourced style or highly-produced styles.
I even like animated videos for some products or service videos.
A great example of this is the Fairlife product by CocaCola.
What did they do great with this video?
- They kept it simple.
- They connected with several different audiences.
- They educated the consumer about a niche-style product.
What should you be thinking about when creating product or service videos?
Here are a couple things:
- Hook the audience immediately.
- Show the product or service.
- Tell a story specific to the consumer.
- Show how it solves a problem.
- Inject some human elements.
- Keep it simple.
- Add a CTA to the product or service.
Keep those product or service video tips in mind and you will have an award-winning video that converts sales!
About Us Videos: Marketing
Don’t forget the about us videos. These can be individual employee videos, department videos, or entire company culture style about us videos.
The people who will use your products or services want to see the building, the process, the team, the why of what you do as a company.
So, use video to achieve that for them.
Once those same people have graduated from the Assess Stage, they will quickly move into the Aquire Stage. Their sole purpose is to acquire or purchase the solution to the problem they have been facing, researching, trying to fix. Or, to fulfill a desire they have had.
Video Funnel: Aquire Stage
Some videos you can focus on creating during this stage are:
Personalized Video: Sales Teams
Personalized videos are an amazing tool for sales teams. We as humans love to hear and see our names. We love to be recognized out of the masses.
With personalized video, you are also fully aware that this video is not mass communication. It has been created with love just for you.
A great example of a super cool personalized video is this one from the YMCA.
What did the do right in this video?
They called out Chris. I wanted to be Chris by the time the video was over.
They used upbeat inspirational music for the video.
Smiles were plenty in this video!
They made it feel authentic with real people.
Instructional Videos: Marketing Teams
These videos are a close kin to the how-to videos from the assess stage.
They are a deeper level of education and are customized for actual customer using the product and service versus high-level info about using said product or service.
FAQ Videos: Service Teams
Every company should have an FAQ video gallery page in my opinion. It can be created by leveraging all the questions that your service departments get from real life customers.
Sales, however, can also leverage those videos that service has created in their sales efforts.
It is a super easy way to streamline communication and learning!
Now, most companies think that is where the journey ends for video. To be honest, that is where most companies think everything ends.
We made a sale, let’s call it a day and go home.
But, if you want to keep making sales and build a brand that the world loves and talks about, then you have to head into one last stage, the advocate stage.
Video Funnel: Advocate Stage
This stage is the holy grail of stages. It allows you to create deeper long-lasting relationships with customers.
I have had many customers turn into friends, that then freely talk about HubSpot and video training like they are the best thing on the planet.
Well, they sort of are.
But, I digress.
There are many ways to create advocate style videos but, my favorite is the spotlight approach.
This is when you pick a super user of your product or an entire company that uses your product and shines a light on them.
You share your real appreciation of them, what you have been able to achieve because they are a customer and the growth that you have seen from them during the time of the relationship.
You are leveraging the human emotions of love and gratitude as well as a little vulnerability.
That crazy cocktail of emotions can take a video to the next level and make a customer feel like a superhero!
When you navigate in this way, your advocates love and trust you with their business if not even more and then tell the entire world how awesome you are.
Pro tip: Do this as a tactic vs a heartfelt truth and it will flop every time.
So, are you using video through your entire company and through the entire funnel?
If the answer is no, you now have a road map to get started.
Focus on creating a culture of video through the Absorb, Assess, Aquire, and Advocate Stages by helping your sales, marketing and service teams to create the right video content.
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