Video content has become the most popular way to share information online across all platforms. Marketing videos are now key parts of any effective digital marketing strategy. Videos are created to reach consumers at different stages of their decision-making journey. As consumers move through this process, videos aim to influence them as they make their final buying choices.
Grasping the idea of the funnel along with consumers’ needs and expectations at each level will assist you in directing marketing videos to address their questions throughout the funnel. From the top, where the consumer is first discovering your business, to the bottom, where they are ready to make their final choices, consumers have varying mindsets and need specific content tailored to each step of the journey.
Viewers often will require more than one chance to make sure your company is offering what they need. Funneled videos will provide consumers the information they need when they need it and guide them to choosing your business over your competition.
Top of the Sales Funnel
Content for consumers at the top of the sales funnel are used as an introduction to your business and the services you provide. This initial exposure to your brand is crucial to present your business in a way that makes the best first impression. The viewer is watching your content to find a solution to some sort of problem or need. This is your chance to broaden your brand awareness and educate consumers about what your business does and how you do it.
Videos at the Top of the Funnel
Marketing videos for the top of the sales funnel are designed to target the largest number of consumers who may be interested in your business. Television commercials and social media ads are highly effective at reaching mass audiences of potential customers.
- Commercials: Streaming services and other digital forms of entertainment has opened up commercial advertising opportunities that were unheard of just a few years ago. Traditional tv production and network television ad time remains an expensive video production effort yet it still is an effective way of reaching the masses.
- Social Media: Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn has changed the way the public communicates and conducts business. Free business pages allow businesses to post original content to expand their online communities. Paid sponsored ads feature targeting capabilities to pinpoint your audience by demographic markers like age, location, income, and purchasing history.
Middle of the Sales Funnel
Consumers in the middle of the sales funnel have shown some interest in your business but have yet to make a commitment. This is your chance to build your case for why they should choose your business over the competition. Answer specific questions about your product or service and focus on the benefits and features of your business. Since their interest is already piqued, some sort of promotion or free trial might be the key to converting them to a customer.
Videos in the Middle of the Funnel
Videos to market to those consumers in the middle of the funnel are designed to feed on the interest already displayed. You can further educate and inform these consumers with multiple videos to highlight various aspects of your business.
- Product Videos: Show off your products and focus consumers in the middle of the sales funnel on the deeper benefits and features of conducting business with you. Demonstrate to these consumers how you do what you do and why you do it. Grab the viewers’ attention with humor or statistics. Get specific and provide detailed information to prove that you are the best choice for their needs and preferences.
- Branding Videos: Your brand is the essence of what your business is and how it fits into the market. Middle funnel consumers have expressed some interest in your business and are looking for you to prove your worthiness for their business. Dive deep into what makes your business tick and how you fit into the marketplace for your industry and location.
Bottom of the Sales Funnel
This is your chance to close the deal and convert interested consumers into customers. Give these consumers all the information they need to see why and how your products or services will solve their problem or issue. Reinforce the features of your services that make you stand above the competition. Address common questions about your business to give these consumers the opportunity to make an informed decision.
Videos at the Bottom of the Funnel
Video content at the bottom of the funnel is designed to help these consumers make their final purchasing decisions. Show them why you are the best choice to find the solutions to their needs.
- Case Studies: Case study videos are ideal for the bottom of the sales funnel where consumers make their final purchasing decisions. Highlighting real cases from actual satisfied customers or clients builds up a trust in your brand by showing them that they are not alone and that you have solved the same problems they have for other customers. Case studies are powerful marketing tools that connect with potential customers who can picture you solving their problems.
- Testimonial Videos: Like case study videos, testimonials take the sales pitch out of your hands and into real satisfied customers who share their experiences. Prospective customers can see themselves in current or former customers who had the same types of issues or problems they are experiencing solved by your brand.
Sales Funnel Targets Consumers Throughout the Decision-Making Process
Targeting marketing videos depending on where consumers are in the sales funnel will maximize the power of the video content to market your products and services. Optimizing video content for marketing purposes using sales funnels as a guide is a painstaking process that takes time and patience. Testing out different kinds of videos and tracking viewer engagement will help determine what is working and what needs to be improved or tweaked.