It’s been proven over and over again: Video delivers better results. But that just tells you that video is important, it doesn’t tell you how to use video. As a sales tool, video is engaging, expressive, and memorable. It can also be costly and time-consuming, compared to other types of media. That’s why you need to know how to use video right to get the most return out of your efforts, and that means understanding why video is such a critical sales tool. �
Video Gets Real Sales Results
Compared to other types of media, video has far superior ROI. As a type of media, video most accurately replicates real life. We can see and hear people as they describe a service; we can see a product in all three of its dimensions; we can view a physical location as though we’re there; and, we can really connect with the employees and managers that we see.
Did you know: 54% of consumers want to see more video content from the brands that they love?
There are many types of video out there, and they all have different advantages. Some videos reach out to customers, while other videos reach out to employees. Internal and external marketing can both be improved through the benefits of video.
Let’s discuss examples of how videos can impact your sales.
1. Sell more & faster through Product Launch campaigns
Kipling & StoryMe – Product Launch BeSeen
81% of people have been convinced to buy a new product or service through video.
So it’s no wonder that one of the most effective uses for video is a product launch. A product launch can be a challenging time for an organization. You need to showcase your product, prove that it is useful, and spread awareness. Through video, you’re able to do all these things at once. Video lets you “sell” a brand new product to an audience in a concise, emotional, and informational format. Rather than having to sell one-on-one, you can pack an entire product launch experience for the entirety of your clientele.
Ultimately, video lets you explain new products and services in a way that an audience can connect with, while associating the product with music, people, and stories. Video is inherently a storytelling medium, and can tell an audience about the story that the product represents. And, at the end of the day, that means pushing more products faster, with reduced sales overhead.
2. Get your audience off the fence with Explainer Videos
AYA Energy & StoryMe – Explainer Video
It’s an issue that B2B companies (and high value B2C companies) know well. There can be a time when a consumer needs more information before they commit. They will go between multiple companies seeking out prospective products, and will often spend quite a lot of time looking up related content before they make their final decision.
This is where explainer videos come in.
Explainer videos are designed to get people “off the fence” when it comes to purchases, whether those purchases are big or small. Explainer videos come in when a customer is already aware of and considering a product, but just isn’t entirely sure whether they want to make the purchase. And through video, a company can promote a more thorough understanding of a product, and encourage that customer to buy.
97% of businesses using explainer videos believe that it helps users understand their business on a deeper level.
Companies often combine explainer videos with demo videos. Explainer videos give a general overview of how a product or service works. Demo videos offer in-depth information about the features and advantages of products and services. These videos can be part of a knowledge base, which includes tutorials and other information regarding how to use the product.
Many people want to see that the products are well-supported. Having a knowledge base accessible will make then feel reassured regarding the quality of support they will receive should they choose to buy. All of this improves your sales and decreases the amount of time your sales department needs to spend chasing down leads.
3. Encourage customers to engage with your business through Interactive Videos
On a very real level, videos also serve as entertainment. The more entertaining videos are, the more memorable they will be, and the more likely customers will be to think about them. An easy way to engage customers is to make the videos interactive. A little interactivity goes a long way — and the more a customer interacts with a business, the more likely they are to commit to a purchase.
Some companies have videos in which customers can look around a 3D shop, or spin around a 3D image of a product. Other companies have videos that include quizzes and other inserted interactive media. These interactive videos serve to build a relationship with customers, and building relationships with customers is the easiest path towards driving customer loyalty.
The completion rates for interactive videos were 90% as of 2017.
Liantis & StoryMe – Interactive Video
4. Improving the Performance of Products, Services, and Events with Livestreams
Livestreaming invites your audience into your company. If you have events going on, or if you’re highlighting a particular product and service, you can jump in live video and talk directly to your audience. This has a dramatic effect: It welcomes your audience into your business family, makes them feel like part of an exclusive club, and encourages them to interact with you in the future.
People love livestreams because it feels like an “event” that they’re a part of. There’s an exclusivity there. They can interact with other customers during the live video, and build hype and excitement. Anything that makes customers feel like they are a “part” of your business is a good thing, as it all makes them feel like they are valued.
Today, social media plays a pivotal role in developing a brand. The better your social media output, the better your traffic; the better your traffic, the better your sales.
5. Build trust and authority through Behind-the-Scenes video
Behind The Scenes: StoryMe & McAlson
A great deal of content marketing is about building trust and authority. When customers trust you, they’re more likely to come back. They’re more likely to look past rare issues they have with your company, and they’re more likely to try your new products. But building that trust can be tricky.
Behind-the-scenes video reveals more of your business to customer, building upon your customer-company relationship. Car companies know that their audience knows that they exist, and they don’t really need to build further brand awareness. Instead, they need to tell their customers who they are — what their values are and what their mission statement is.
Behind-the-scenes videos give audiences a peek into the day-to-day operations of the business. If an audience sees employees who genuinely enjoy their jobs, who are hardworking (and maybe occasionally silly), and who are passionate about their end product, they will be more willing to make a purchase from that business.
87% of audience members say they enjoy behind-the-scenes video, making it one of the most desired forms of corporate video out there.
6. Put together a more Effective Sales Team with Recruitment Videos
It’s the Pareto principle: 80 percent of your sales will come from your top 20 percent sales team members. Your goal is to find these hardworking employees and keep them happy. You can’t sell if you don’t have the right sales team. Recruitment videos are a great way to get the best talent.
Recruitment videos work by showing prospective employees what they can expect from the company, and why they should work with the company. A solid recruitment video is going to display the benefits and values of working for the business, and how working for the business really feels. In many ways, it’s like developing a customer testimonial.
Good employees improve every level of an organization, and it’s worth it to court them. These videos support the brand identity of the business and the company culture. A recruitment video will be the first introduction that an employee has to the business, and will set a tone for the continued company and employee relationship.
Want to take it next level? At StoryMe, we also use recruitment videos that can be personalized! This way, the content is tailored to the person you’re trying to reach:
Personalized Recruitment video by StoryMe
Using Video as a Sales Tool
When you use video as a sales tool, you will have multiple types of video content being offered at the same time. Video works best when it’s part of a larger library of media. You want people to be browsing your web-based knowledge base, looking at tutorial videos, and otherwise interacting with your brand. The more they interact with your brand, the better.
Using video online also gives you the opportunity to collect tremendous amounts of data. Who is looking at your videos? Who responds best to your videos? Is there a demographic that you’re missing? Is there a demographic that doesn’t seem ready to commit?
By producing video, tracking it, and optimizing it, your business can develop a hard-hitting campaign that will naturally drive sales. The larger your library gets, the more effective your videos will be, and your video will start working for the business on its own.
Want to learn more about winning with Video in 2020?
Join us on February 20th at Wild Gallery Brussels for Video First Conference 2020: A day full of inspiring keynotes and hands-on workshops from international video thought leaders in Marketing, Sales and HR. Topics that will be covered include Social Video, Personalized Video, Performance-based Video Strategy, Video Technology and Trends.
Article in collaboration with Joe Forte, owner & producer at D-MAK Productions, video production phoenix specialized in commercial media content.
* This article was originally published here