July 19th, 2019

What Kind of Video to Use for Each Stage of the Buyer’s Journey

Author: Cedd Poole
Cedd Poole
Director of Multimedia

How to use video with your content matrix to help convert more customers.

We’ve been pushing video content a lot lately, and for good reason: it’s an exciting and effective way to introduce your brand, products, and services to customers, and it’s a proven crowd pleaser. We’ve talked about how to create a video strategy, what types of content you can produce, and what to expect when you plan a video project with us.

Read our blog: 6 Ways Marketing Videos Can Level Up Your Business

But we also want to emphasize that video content is a flexible tool that can be used strategically along each stage of your buyer’s journey. Videos can introduce your brand, offer a detailed look at your product features, demonstrate ways your product can be used, and even answer common questions. So, to explore this topic more thoroughly, we thought it would help to go through the buyer’s journey and show what kind of videos work best at each stage.

Attract

At this stage in the buyer’s journey, new visitors to your site may have found you through organic search, online ad content, or referral from a friend or coworker. They won’t know much more about you than your name an that you may possibly have something they’re looking for. Right now is where you need to make an introduction.

  • Video ads. These can be pre-roll videos that play before other videos, or they can appear as standalone ads in social media streams. Anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes, they’re a great way to attract interest and draw visitors to your site.
  • Brand videos. Companies with a brand video on their website have an easer time winning over new customers because they are able to create a more inspiring and personable impression. Make a statement worth remembering.

Convert

By this point, your visitor should know you well enough to know if you’re what they’re looking for, but they’re probably comparing your business to your competition. Here’s where you win them over to your side.

  • Product and service videos. There’s nothing like a well-shot product video to give online buyers a sense of what your product is like. Remember, online buyers aren’t able to hold your product in their hands or try it on themselves. Video helps them envision what the product will look like in real life.
  • In-depth product and service demos. Are you selling software? Consider creating a demo to show users how it works. What about services? Plan out a storyboard that demonstrates how your service works. Have one of your experts talk through the process.

Close

Even a customer who wants to buy from you may have some final hesitations to overcome. Here’s where you address those concerns and help them make a confident choice.

  • Compare and contrast videos. We’ve all seen television ads where one cleaning product is tried against its leading competitor with magical results, right? Well, your videos don’t have to be quite that cheesy, but they can still be effective! Think about doing a product review where you compare your services against what your competition has to offer. See who does it best!
  • Video testimonials. Nothing makes a more powerful closing statement than a satisfied customer standing up to speak on your behalf. That’s what a video testimonial aims to achieve. While they take more coordination, the results can be phenomenal.

Delight

Don’t neglect your current customers! While new customers are the hardest to win over, a happy customer is likely to continue spending money with you year after year—and will need relatively few incentives to make another purchase. Here’s how to keep them happy.

  • FAQ videos. While these make powerful closing content, it’s important to remember that even satisfied customers may need to access them. Your committed customers may also like an FAQ video to share with family and friends—especially if it’s in support of a cause they believe in.
  • How-to videos. These videos can be addictive, as anyone who’s inadvertently lost an hour to watching Tasty videos on Facebook can attest. But they can be about so much more than cooking: from product and software demos to strategy sessions, how-to videos can be a recurring piece of content covering a wide range of topics.

Make sure your videos have covered all the bases.

Clearly, there’s a lot of room for video content to showcase your brand. Are you using it effectively? From brand introductions to responses to frequently asked questions, video offers new ways to connect with your audience at every turn.

Read our blog: Understanding Our Video Production Process in 7 Steps

So make sure you’re using this resource to its fullest extent. And if you see a place on your site where video could be used more effectively, give us a shout. We’ll be happy to discuss our services with you.

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