Video campaigns are incredibly effective communication tools. Consider that 90% of the information humans take in is done visually and remembered 40% more reliably. When both audio and visual senses are stimulated, as is the case with video content, that rate of recall jumps to 68%. Video is also an excellent medium for driving emotional engagement and forming lasting brand-customer connections.
And the good news is that people like video content – it accounts for 82% of all internet traffic.
If it sounds impressive, it really is. But it doesn’t have to be complicated.
In fact, video marketing campaigns work best when they’re simple, and we’re here to help you organize your ideas, set clear goals, make some fantastic videos and then launch them in the most effective way possible. So, let’s jump right into this guide to your first video marketing campaign, shall we?
Set SIMPLE Goals
You may be familiar with the saying, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” Well, when it comes to video marketing, a plan without a goal is a waste of time…and a plan with the wrong goal is a nightmare.
The downside of setting the wrong goals:
- You’ll ruin team motivation
- You’re working with no gauge of success
- It can result in overcorrecting or not correcting problems
- You’re basically flying blind
Establishing clear and attainable goals are crucial for gauging campaign success. We suggest following the “S.I.M.P.L.E.” acronym:
Set clear goals
Identify the data required to complete these goals
Moderate your data requirements. Ask yourself if all the identified data is indeed required to accomplish your goals.
Personal, not Personally Identifiable. When using personalized elements, avoid last names, account numbers, and other individually identifiable information to eliminate legal hurdles and ensure a swifter launch. Be sensitive about how familiar you act with your customers.
Lower barriers to launch. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.
Evolve over time. Apply the MVP (Minimal Viable Product) philosophy to your marketing campaign: Go to market with a simplified version and gradually enrich it.
Get Creative with your Creative
The creative you select for your video has the power to drive an emotional connection with your viewers. When viewers connect with your message, they’re more inclined to click, share, learn more and begin forming a lasting brand relationship.
It’s for this reason that the importance of an emotional connection should not go understated. Ask yourself what you want your consumers to feel when they think of your brand, service or product. Surprise? Familiarity? Excitement? Empathy? Be specific and make sure the emotions you pinpoint reflect your core brand values. Ideally these will be emotions that come in to play time and time again, not just in one campaign.
The success of your campaign goals largely rests on the success of your creative. Before you decide you’re finished, run through this list of quality-assurance questions:
- Does your video clearly convey the emotions you intended?
- Does your video feel trustworthy?
- Are you being annoying?
- Is your creative adaptive to all the platforms it will be operating on?
Videos to Create Throughout the Funnel
We all know that timing is everything, but it’s especially true when you’re nurturing customers through a sales funnel. Send an introduction too late and you risk losing a lead to a competitor, send a policy renewal prompt too early and it’ll be forgotten once it comes time to renew.
When you’re developing a video marketing drip campaign to correspond to your sales funnel, it’s crucial to know what messaging to send at what time. Here are some key points in your funnel where sending a video can help strengthen the brand relationship.
- Nurturing Leads
- Product Review (For Retail) or Testimonials (For Services)
- Welcoming and Onboarding
- Cross-Selling and Up-Selling
- Policy or Plan Renewals (For Services)
Creating Customer Loyalty Through Video Marketing
Psychologist Albert Mehrabian found that 93% of communication pertaining to feelings and attitudes is done nonverbally. So when someone’s raving about a product or service they feel strongly about, anyone listening is going find more meaning in their body language (55%) and tone of voice (38%) than the literal meaning of their words (7%).
Through your video communications, you have the opportunity not only to present information in a visual and easy-to-understand format, you can humanize your brand by applying the power of gesture, tone and by giving your brand a literal face for customers to become familiar with.
Speaking to your customers on a 1:1 conversational level is ultimately what’s going to drive the highest levels of trust and engagement, which are the two cornerstones of customer loyalty.
Looking Ahead to Long-Term Retention
Loyal customers are the best customers. But it takes effort to keep loyal customers engaged for the long-term, and a marketer’s job is never done when it comes to engagement. Kind of like those cute couples who renew their vows after 30 years of marriage, you’ve got to win the hearts of your customers again and again throughout the relationship.
Whether you’re touching base to share new products and promotions, sharing a “behind the scenes” view of company culture or simply reminding customers that you’re always there to help – video is a great way renew connections and reinvigorate a customer’s interest.
In Review
- Set SIMPLE Goals
- Your brand is pretty great. Make sure your creative reflects that greatness by using only the highest quality visuals, engaging viewers with a clear emotional message and by testing and retesting and testing your video some more.
- Video isn’t a one hit wonder. Use video throughout all stages of your sales funnel!
- Don’t underestimate the power of customer loyalty. Every video marketing move you make should either offer a solution or add value to the customer experience. This is how you drive trust and deepen engagement.
- Be creative with how you keep customers with you for the long haul. Humanize your brand through video so customers feel connected to your values as much as your products or services.
If you’re curious to learn more, we’ve created an infographic “Why video is the secret to satisfying the ROI obsessed client”. In the inforgaphic we pull the curtain back on the effectiveness of video as a communication tool. Click below to download it.
