Video marketing is taking center stage when it comes to B2B lead generation, according to a Software Advice benchmark report.
Whether it is B2B or B2C, video marketing can be the most effective way of improving lead generation. Agencies such as ours have already identified the importance of video marketing to influence purchase decisions and have made it an essential part of our content marketing services. So if you are looking to attract high quality leads to improve your conversion rates, use video to its full potential in order to connect to your target audience.
Why You Should Consider Video Marketing Above All?
80 percent of the respondents of Demand Gen survey said they prefer interactive content. A study even predicts that video will make up a major portion (69 percent) of the total consumer internet traffic by 2017.
Video is mostly used as the supporting element in online marketing campaigns rather than using it as the key element. But gradually this notion is changing owing to the fact that video lead generation campaigns can be more powerful and effective than other marketing methods that do not involve videos and provide greater returns.
What kind of experience it offers and how it improves the stickiness factor of the visitors?
Whether the videos improve engagement and conversion for existing visitors?
What is the performance of email marketing campaigns when videos are included?
For instance, Dove’s #ChooseBeautiful video marketing campaign was a massive hit since they focused more on their mission than their own product. The brand set up signs above side-by-side doors in five cities around the world; where one sign read “Beautiful” and the other read “Average”. Then they set up a team of camera crew who observed which door women chose to walk through.
There are many such examples of successful video marketing campaigns that went viral and helped the brands redefine success. So if you are looking to boost your lead generation, focus on video marketing since it not only helps you to cut through the noise but it also helps to engage visitors in a better way and spark emotions in them which compels them to perform an action.
Facts tell but stories sell, and there is no better way to tell a story than a video.
Reports by Aberdeen Group suggest that brands that use videos generate more leads by spending less and the conversion rates are also higher. But you must remember that video content cannot drive leads on its own, you need to think strategically and include smart CTAs.
Even a few years ago, marketers considered “lead generation” and “video marketing” to be two different worlds, but the gap is gradually decreasing. At present, both have started complementing each other and the result is a powerful and effective content marketing strategy that helps you win better quality leads.
For instance, let us consider that you require your visitors to sign up with your website to get advanced services. In most cases, the visitors will be reluctant to provide you with their email addresses and other details, since they have no idea what to expect after they sign up. So you can include a video next to the lead generation form to demonstrate the value you will be offering once they sign up with your website. A high quality video might also entice the visitors to sign up. Thus, the chances of conversion increase and you can also win the trust of your visitors.
In order to create effective videos you need to define your target audience first. Understand what they need and what their demands are. By defining your audience, you will also get an idea about the type of videos that will work best for you, in terms of engaging and attracting visitors. Another advantage of defining your audience is that you can create specific and highly targeted videos with simple yet impactful messages in the most cost-effective way.
Whitepapers and webinars can be very effective in generating quality leads, but oftentimes the visitors might get overwhelmed, so in order to grab visitor attention, you can create a video that offers educational content in the most entertaining way.
For example, the Director Marketing of Interthinx, Kristi Kennelly created videos about fraud-detection training for the mortgage industry which mimic the popular film Charlie’s Angels and TV franchise CSI. Highly technical information was presented in the most entertaining manner which made the videos very successful. A premier at the trade show created a lot of buzz and the team got 700 orders for the video even before the DVD was released; thus they were able to bag 1,200 qualified leads. Get the details here.
In order to boost lead generation, it is essential that you create videos of the optimal length. According toOrbit Media the optimal length for a YouTube video is between 3 and 3.5 minutes. The Forbes/Google Insights Report of ‘Video in the C-Suite’ found that most of the executives prefer videos that are three to five minutes long.
Some people are of the opinion that the ideal length of the video would depend on the purpose of the video, but as a general rule of thumb, it is best to keep the video length between two to five minutes. Remember, if your videos are engaging enough you can break all the rules. This video is about 7 minutes long but still got more than 50 million views, only because it was rich in entertainment.
So your primary focus should be creating videos that are high in the entertainment segment, yet they should offer maximum value to the visitors.
Email marketing is still considered being an effective way to generate quality leads and you can improve the click-through rates by embedding high-quality videos. Embedding videos into emails can be tough but if you can overcome the hurdle, the results can be awesome.
Barbara Shimaitis, Sr. VP, Ad Council was charged with bringing in $1.6 billion to $1.8 billion in free ad spots (approximately) for their public service announcements (PSAs). Though it seemed difficult, they combined a direct-mail campaign (that sent DVDs of the spot) along with follow-up emails reminding the TV station managers of the request to run the PSAs.
So make sure you include an appropriate call-to-action, at a strategic point inside or at the end of video, to help the visitors perform a specific task or divert them to related content. The CTA would depend on the part of sales funnel where you want the visitors to be directed to.
So, now you know how to utilise videos to generate high quality leads and ensure better conversion rates. But you still might have one question in mind: What kind of videos are the most effective to boost lead generation? Find the answer to your question below.
So depending on your goals, you must choose the kind of video that would work best for you.
By integrating video marketing into your marketing efforts, you can improve the lead generation and sales for your business. Videos not only help to attract visitor attention, but it also helps in building trust and awareness about a brand. So if you want to attract high quality leads, you must not overlook the potential of video marketing.
Have you been using videos for your business? How have they helped you? Share your experiences with us in the comments please!