How Shopify uses video marketing, which takes up a sizable part of their resources. They done a very good job with that through its YouTube channel, blogs, and other social media platforms that target entrepreneurs and aim to educate them on how to succeed in e-commerce.
These lessons stem from working with TECH GIANTS in video production, and serve as recounts of the struggles we had to overcome.
Investing in education to help entrepreneurs
Shopify isn’t just about selling software and services, they’re actually investing in education, teaching entrepreneurs how to make money with their platform. It’s a smart approach because they’re basically saying, “Guys, we get your struggles. We’re in this with you. Let’s help you sell and earn together.”
Like in this video:
Instead of just pushing their product, they’re showing people how to sell on Instagram. And the genius part? They don’t have to sell Shopify directly, people naturally end up using it because it’s the tool that makes it all work.That’s where other platforms fall short.
Smaller ones usually don’t have the resources to educate their users, so they just pitch their software and leave it at that. But at the end of the day, no one cares about just having a cool product, they want to know how to actually make money with it. And that’s what really matters.
Another great example is, a SaaS product we used for email marketing. When we tried their app, I was seriously impressed, they had step-by-step tutorials that showed us exactly how to reach our marketing goals.
They were very detailed and easy to follow. It was so well done that I could’ve hired someone with zero experience, given them the course, and they’d be able to manage it like a pro. This kind of approach makes users hooked on your product.
They invest time, learn it inside out, and keep coming back because they’ve built that deep connection with it.
Diverse Video Content Strategy
Shopify’s approach to content is all about variety. They’ve got multiple YouTube channels, each with its own metrics and analytics, and specific goals.
First, there’s the main channel and how they use it:
- They post company updates to let users know about new developments, feature updates and other important news.
- They also share success stories from merchants using Shopify, providing motivation and actionable tips.
- And, of course, they include promotional material that showcases Shopify’s platform to attract potential clients.
It’s a smart mix that keeps their audience engaged while subtly guiding them through the funnel.
Then Shopify Academy:
Which is all about educating their audience with deep tutorials and coursers that help etnerpenuers to know how to sell and earn.
- There are courses which have a bit of everything, with learning modules covering all sorts of e-commerce and online business management topics.
- Tutorials provide step-by-step guides on using Shopify’s tools effectively.
Shopify Masters which is dedicated to podcasts:
- Interviews with successful business owners and industry experts share their insights, while discussions about business advice tackle real challenges and solutions for running an online business.
- The business advice covers the real challenges and solutions for running an online business.
It’s a well-rounded approach that positions Shopify as a platform as well as a valuable resource for business owners.
Prioritizing Education Over Direct Selling
When clients come to us with their own video scripts and we see a straight sales pitch, I have to ask, “Guys, do you really think your audience is that clueless? It’s like trying to convince someone to buy a car by just listing its parts instead of showing them the thrill of driving it. People already know you’re a business – that’s obvious. What they really need to know is how you can help them achieve their goals and make money with you. That’s what matters.
Take a look at Shopify’s educational videos on their YouTube channels – some of which have received millions of views.
In this video, they have chosen a broad topic to attract a wide audience.
The trick here is that they’re betting on attracting a cold audience, then guiding them through a marketing funnel – turning them into leads, then customers, and finally professional customers who grow with Shopify. And once that happens, they can upsell bigger packages down the line.
It’s a long-term play, but it works.
Did you know that companies who teach their customers see retention rates that are 5x times higher than average? Shopify isn’t just teaching, they’re actually locking in lifelong users.
Full-Funnel Video Marketing Approach
The big companies we’ve worked with don’t just want a single video – they want a strategy.
Marketers now understand that a well-structured, multi-stage marketing funnel is what actually converts. That’s why they’re building funnels – to warm up leads at every stage, before pushing for a sale.
Here's how it works:
1️⃣ Cold Audience Stage – They start with a high-reach video campaign designed not to sell, but to capture attention and provide valuable information. Think educational content that builds trust rather than pushing a product.
2️⃣ Warm Audience Stage – Once viewers have engaged with the first video, they become warmer leads and may visit the website. Here, they’re greeted with an explainer video that highlights the benefits of using Shopify. Now they’re interested and starting to see the value.
3️⃣ Hot Audience Stage – At this point, they keep hearing “try it for free” and think, why not? But here’s the kicker – once they sign up for the free plan, they realise that many key features are locked out. Those features they learned about in the first video? Not available unless they upgrade. And since they’ve already invested time and effort in learning, they’ll naturally want to unlock the full potential of the platform.
And that’s where the real profits start. The whole system is a funnel, designed to take users step by step until they’re ready to commit. That’s why when clients come to us, we don’t just build a video – we build a complete funnel that nurtures their audience at every stage.
The more complex the product and the audience, the more complex the funnel needs to be. Sometimes it’s not just one or two videos – it’s a whole strategy that keeps the audience engaged, educated and ultimately ready to buy.
Shopify’s multilingual YouTube channels
Once a company has successfully covered its local market and then the English-speaking audience, the next logical step is expansion. At this point, companies start to look at broader markets.
That’s exactly what Shopify did – after dominating the English-speaking space, they shifted to a localisation strategy to enter new markets and displace local competitors.
They localised their YouTube channels and dubbed their content into multiple languages to capture international demand.
And the best part? When someone watches a video in their native language, they don’t even think about the fact that it was originally in English. As long as the dubbing is done professionally, it delivers almost the same impact as a native production – at a fraction of the cost.
Creating a high-converting video from scratch is expensive, but localising it into multiple languages is 10x cheaper and brings in new leads worldwide. It’s a smart way to scale without reinventing the wheel.
Everything is hard in the early days of any business – but creating great content once and repurposing it strategically, as Shopify does, can save millions in the long run.
Start using Shopify’s video tactics
In summary, it’s clear that building a more complex video marketing strategy for B2B audiences is critical. Unlike B2C, where the buying cycle is shorter, B2B conversions rely on long funnels and educational content to nurture leads over time.
But honestly, we’ve only just scratched the surface. There are countless strategies and tactics at play – it would take a book to break them all down. And let’s face it, none of this success would be possible without skilled video production specialists working behind the scenes to bring these strategies to life.
So, if you need help crafting videos and a winning strategy for your brand, just reach out, because figuring it all out alone is like assembling IKEA furniture without the manual. Sure, you might get there eventually, but wouldn’t it be easier with experts who actually know what they’re doing?
Have more questions? Talk to a video expert from Zelios and get a detailed game plan to help grow your business.
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