Have you ever asked your customers or prospects if they watch videos online? Not just cute cat videos on YouTube, but anything from educational, informational or promotional videos. Chances are, your customer or prospect would say that not only have they watched videos online, they’ve also shared them with others through email, social media and other channels.
The fact is, video is hugely popular and video marketing may well be your best shot at brand differentiation. Here’s a quick overview of how video can be helpful in the different stages of the customer’s buying process.
Problem recognition
The problem recognition stage occurs when a customer realises that they have a need for a product or service. Promotional videos are particularly useful in this stage – perhaps a quick video ad on YouTube or a video promoting your product or service on your homepage. A promotional video not only helps the customer realise (or remember) that they have a need for your product or service, it also promotes your business so that your brand becomes a part of their consideration when they decide to purchase.
Information search
So the customer understands that they need something and you can offer it to them. An informative video will go a long way in helping them understand how your product or service can fulfil their needs, making it more likely for them to choose to do business with you. Videos are a great way to deliver information; with a combination of audio and visual, they are highly engaging and makes it easy for viewers to understand concepts, products or services.
If the customer has never heard about your business before, videos can also help you get discovered. According to a 2012 Forrester research, your chances of landing a first page ranking in a search engine result will increase by 53 times if you include a video in your content. Adding a video will also attract 3 times more linking domains. This is great news, especially considering that consumers are increasingly turning to online search engines to find products and services.
Evaluation of alternatives
Sometimes, a customer knows exactly what they want and just go for it. More often, they like to shop around for alternatives before they make up their mind. In this stage, it is important for your brand to stand out as a contender in the customer’s mind. The role of the video here is to do just that – differentiate your brand. Some videos are produced simply for the purpose of building brand awareness and preference – think about all the awesome Coke campaign videos on YouTube. Not all businesses have Coke’s budget to build, distribute and film vending machines of happiness however. Often, the purposes of video overlap anyway, so for example, the informational video that you use to explain your products and services can also highlight your business’ strengths over competitors.
Purchase decision
People think that the decision to buy is often the hardest part of the process; while it can certainly take a lot of time and effort to come to the decision, sometimes it makes people forget that the purchasing itself can be difficult. A business’ role here is to make that process as easy as possible for the customer. Of course, this won’t apply to all businesses; maybe all it takes for your customer is to add an item to their cart and check out with PayPal on your eCommerce site.
But what if your customer is buying a service, one with fees that are calculated depending on the number of hours you spend? What if there are stages involved in the service – perhaps an initial consultation followed up by more meetings? A complicated purchasing process can really turn off a customer from buying, especially if they feel like they don’t know what they’re getting themselves into. A quick explanatory video that guides them through the steps can assist in helping them understand what is involved and how they can make their purchase.
Post-purchase evaluation
Closing the sale doesn’t mean you get to forget the customer now. Ensuring that your customer is satisfied with their purchase will mean return customers, regulars and even referrals and recommendations to friends and families. Make sure that your customer gets the most out of their purchase and make them feel like they did indeed make the right decision in doing business with you. ‘Get Started’ videos, installation guides and videos with tips and tricks can really make a difference in customer satisfaction.
A final note
Of course, as with every great tool, you need to understand how to apply video marketing to your business and use it to your advantage. Video is only one tool you can use to execute your marketing strategy, so keep in mind how it fits in with everything else. For example, it’s unlikely that a customer will require a video for each stage of the buying process unless it’s an extensive and complicated procedure. Furthermore, not all customers like having to watch a video in order to find out something, especially if they need something quick, so a combination of content styles is essential. Whatever strategy you decide to go with, remember to always keep your target audience in mind and ensure that you don’t stray from your business’ core values.
