Videos were once a nice-to-have tool in the digital marketing field. Now that everyone and most digital platforms are embracing the format, it has become a necessity for businesses to stand out– whether you’re a brand new eCommerce or a big blockchain game company. Today, more than 86% of businesses have jumped into the video marketing bandwagon.
Not only can videos attract today’s busy customers’ attention, but they are also effective in helping marketers collect more leads and grow their email lists. Videos are straightforward and quick to consume, helping prospects understand your message better and convincing them to sign up.
But, just like any other marketing strategy, video marketing needs to be well-thought so it can bring all the qualified leads you want. Let’s find out how you can utilize this engaging format as a high-performing lead-generation tool.
#1. Create Gated Video Content
The most common use of video as a lead generation is to gate them. Gating video content here means that you only give a sneak peek or snippet of a video. When a viewer wants to see the full version of it, they have to submit their contact information.
Since they have something to trade, make sure that the video content you offer is worth signing up for. No one wants to spend an extra effort to sign up and give their email address for something that they can find anywhere else– for free. Make sure you provide exclusive video content with in-depth research.
#2. Place a Video in Lead-Gen Pages
Your lead-generation or landing pages are probably one of the most crucial pages on your website. That’s where your visitors are only a few clicks away from converting into leads. In this case, your job is to give them a smooth experience and convince them to convert.
Those bulky texts and long-winded paragraphs clearly only overwhelm and scare them away. So, provide them a video where they can get the whole point in a matter of seconds with much lesser effort.
Talk about the benefits of submitting their email address and what they will not miss out on doing it. Avoid being hard sell and pushy.
#3. Choose the Right Type of Video
No videos are created the same. Each of them has its own way of helping you achieve specific marketing goals. For example, short videos are ideal for boosting brand awareness on social media, while customer onboarding videos are doing a good job in retaining customers.
For generating leads, you need video types that convince viewers to take action, such as:
- Explainer videos
- How-to’s
- Customer testimonials
By choosing the right video types, you can get the right message across more effectively.– as you can better understand what your prospects really want to see.
#4. Highlight Benefits and Advantages
We’ve mentioned before a good lead-generating video never sells– they convince and educate. Many marketers make mistakes when they focus too much on converting their viewers into leads by bragging about their awesome features or products.
The thing that your prospects need is the value they will get from becoming your leads. Rather than blatantly explaining how you’re better than all the similar businesses out there and stating all your unique selling points, try to inform readers what they will get and how you will help them solve their problems instead.
#5. Don’t Forget the CTA
No matter how brilliant your lead-gen videos are, if the viewer doesn’t even understand what is it for in the first place, then what’s the point? You have to make sure that you want viewers to convert. It’s crucial to communicate your expectation and video goal to them. That’s why you should never forget to add a clear call to action to your video.
The CTA should not always be at the end of the video. You can use an overlay or on-screen text and place them at the beginning of the video, so the viewers have an insight into what they should do next right off the bat.
#6. Go Social
With more than 4.6 billion users worldwide, social media platforms have now become an ideal place to catch more eyeballs and grow the customer base. And the good thing about videos is that they are highly shareable and versatile.
You can upload lead-gen videos on YouTube and share the link to Instagram, Twitter, and even TikTok. The more people see it, the higher chance you have to generate more leads.
Wrapping Up
Done right, video marketing can be a powerful lead generation tool. It’s also affordable even for businesses that are on tight budgets– thanks to the video software out there. With those best practices mentioned above, now you’re ready to create high-performing videos and collect more qualified leads.
Author
Andre Oentoro is the founder of Breadnbeyond, an award-winning explainer video company. He helps businesses increase conversion rates, close more sales, and get positive ROI from explainer videos (in that order).
Twitter: @breadnbeyond
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: Andre Oentoro