How Video Helps You Attract, Nurture, and Convert Leads into Customers

Especially in B2B environments, using and integrating your video into marketing and sales funnels, helps with increased efficiency across all of your activities.

But, how do you use video for lead generation, in a meaningful way? Everything starts with a strategy first approach.

Start with Strategy, Then Create Videos

Right now, the main path is strategy first, videos second. So before you go and start hitting any records, you need to clearly define the goals you are looking to achieve, and worry about the specific video formats later.

We are long past the prime days of having huge production budgets – and now marketers need to be mindful of each dollar that goes into their marketing spend – and that’s exactly why we emphasize strategy first.

This helps you and the video team understand how video relates to the specific funnel you have in mind, and allows to drive a lot of great creative choices around the video content itself, as well as assisting with other deliverables that derive from the main assets.

If you don’t have any videos at all, but you are looking for a video-led, an example strategy of that would be the following approach.

Brand awareness videos

Example:

Start with short, sweet and punchy videos to test out your messaging approach, that will help finetune other deliverables and messaging further down the funnel. Usually come in the form of short, trailer style videos, used in 3-5 video batches, with around 20-30 second duration for each.

Lead nurturing videos

Example:

Feature updates, case studies, testimonials, VSL’s and other similar content will be used to keep the urgency up, showcasing how the solution or product helps similar clients solve their needs or problems.

Normally comes in the form of 30 second and up to 4 minute videos, when it comes to testimonials and case studies.

Conversion-driven videos 

Of course, when you have created some brand awareness, now your leads need to flow somewhere, to make sure they are moving through your funnel. Your brand awareness video will usually end with a CTA urging to visit a website or a landing page. 

Here, leads will be greeted with Explainer/Demo videos, which are on a longer side of 60-90 seconds, diving more into the features, and of course – at the end of the day, making sure they are attracted to the trigger even in the form of trial/subscription.

Build Awareness with a Top-Heavy Approach

A top heavy strategy means that you are generating a variety of marketing messaging, and prioritizing brand awareness videos to spearhead your funnel. Those videos are a trailer style, helping you test out different messages, marketing angles, and cater to different ICPs. 

Here’s what makes for a good brand awareness video:

• These can be short and impactful social media videos, used throughout paid ads and as social posts in the form of 15-30 second max videos.
• If your product is on a more complicated side, you can also create a hero, 60-90 second video, and then create an adjusted, cutdown 20-30 second version (which also helps with budgeting). Slack often uses Explainer videos, as opposed to true brand awareness videos – but they make sure that those stay short and sweet.
• Additionally, your founder or technical team can create short thought leadership content videos, talking about specific problems or needs of your customer persona, attracting them to your solution.

While top heavy approach generates a lot of buzz – it’s really important that your other stages can keep up the momentum of carrying those leads towards the trigger events, and actually converting them.

Nurture Leads with Personalized Video Content

Of course – if you have a smaller team, having a few well placed testimonial, explainer and case study videos would do well for you, and cover a lot of leg work. But – if you have a larger team, you can consider working with personalized lead gen videos – that could come in the form of Loom recordings, or other types of customer specific content, like audits or a particular workflow for their company.

• One-on-one video messages could be sent via email, if you see the correct buying intent, or if your leads start having cold feet across the journey. Your sales or customer success team can leverage case studies and their unique product knowledge in a short, genuine 1-3 minute personalized video.
• Interactive video content is used If your product caters to a large audience, you need to make sure everyone can find their footing in their journey towards becoming a paid customer.
• Webinar recordings or Q&A sessions as thought leadership is valued, especially if your product can lead to solving “big money” problems. Make sure that at this point, you have human led content, especially for high ticket offerings.

Convert Leads with Targeted Video Content

Now, we are at a crucial point in moving our interested leads towards a purchase. At this stage, we’ve provided a lot of value to our leads, starting from insights and webinars – so at this point, our video content in lead generation, should start focusing on action, and making sure we get them to become the paid customer.

Testimonial videos 

Example:

Show success stories, be proud and cheer for your past satisfied customers – and let them take the center stage in your testimonial story.

Product demos 

Example:

Nowadays, customer success team and support gets cut because of shrinking budgets – but the need of your customer to receive help and support with your product, doesn’t go anywhere. So make sure that you have a variety of product demos, that assist both your existing customers in their current workflows, but also your potential customers to understand that your solution is easy and convenient to use.

Case study videos 

Example:

Work like a charm. Let’s give you a good example from our own toolkit – we have a client that has generated 3,3 million USD in investor funding, while using the video. Now, imagine including something like that for your own business, uncovering how your solution contributed in a major way, to this kind of customer success.

Interactive Video 

Giving more power and interfacing ability to your client, is always a winning strategy – and one of the prime ways is using interactive video for lead generation. This way, viewers can also take action directly within the video, with the popup or action buttons allowing them to schedule a demo right away, or download an E-book and useful guide, or in some cases – even making a purchase.

Video as a Lead Generation Powerhouse

Video marketing in lead generation has been proven to work, if done strategically and well thought out.

Video has a unique ability to guide prospects, and make their journey smoother, and if done right – enjoyable and filled with value, at every stage of their journey. 

Of course, you will receive even more impact if you have a strategy driven approach, as opposed to randomly and occasionally using videos in a spray and pray, gut feeling, fashion. If you strategize and use video production for lead generation, you can improve your full customer journey.

If it’s your first time to figure out how this video thing works – reach out to us, and we can figure out the best strategy according to your unique needs.