YouTube is the second largest search engine. Over a billion users are searching the platform, every day. According to Outbrain, 87% of online marketers use video content for generating video leads. Forbes reports that “viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it on video, compared to 10% when reading it in a text.” When you include a video lead-in email subject lines and content, it has proved to boost open and click-through rates and also reduce unsubscribes. According to a survey from LinkedIn, 78% of B2B marketers agree that video engagement helps them identify higher quality leads and 57% agree that more retention and participation results through video leads.
There! You have all the benefits laid out. What are the next steps?
Here’s How to generate the best and most targeted video leads
1. Video leads via Facebook ads. Running video ads on FB with minimal spending can help you reach and engage a big audience. You can start with organic posts, and once you see an increase in likes and reactions, you can spend on ads. Maybe add a Featured Video in the videos tab of your page to give information about news and updates happening in your business, or create a Facebook video cover image to get more views to your page.
2. Video leads via Instagram. Instagram being very brand-centric and visual, your audience will lap up your short videos for sure. You just have to make them stylish – give them a glimpse, a sneak peek, or a promo with a call for action. Create a buzz with an exclusive offer, a giveaway, and/or a time-specific benefit.
For example, a celebrity hair expert has a unique pattern of making a set of three posts, first with a before treatment pic, explaining what the client wanted to get done, and what she suggested, etc. The next one shows all images of the process, treatments, colour changes, effects, and why she used certain procedures or products. The third will be a sweet video of the aftereffect of the complete hairdo, how it looks, how confident it makes the model or client feel, and a smiling thank you hug the satisfied client gives to the hair expert while leaving the salon. Generally, the second one would be longer, and the hair expert makes use of IGTV. That is where one can also book an appointment for hair advice. You see, she used all the business tactics in this video lead, highlighted her expert abilities, the products and process she uses, a sales pitch, the happy customer with a testimonial, all weaved together in a subtle engaging manner.
3. Video leads via Twitter
Adding a video to your feed can add spice to your conversations, expand the scope of discussions going on, and get new threads added to the conversations. Twitter reports that tweets with video are 6X more effective in getting shared (retweeted). Because people want fast movement on Twitter, you don’t have to plan much about the high quality of the video, or some post-production. I would say it’s like Snapchat – capture the trend or random happening and ask for an opinion, or be the first to put your perspective on breaking news, or share footage – just click a video, and send. Don’t forget to include relevant hashtags to get your video lead to reach a wider audience!
4. Video leads via LinkedIn
This professional platform has in recent years, introduced the options to upload video natively to LinkedIn personal profiles and make them available to businesses as well. You have the choice of running these organically or via paid ads. According to LinkedIn data, the video gets shared a whopping 20X more than other types of content on LinkedIn and video ad campaigns generate view rates of nearly 50%.
If you are a B2B company, LinkedIn videos are a brilliant way to promote a product, service, or event through video ads. You can use video for recruiting – give your potential candidate a peek at how your company works, and a feel of how they can fit in. The LinkedIn professional audience is perfect for showcasing thought leadership. Share your trending stories, newest management ideas, and how-to videos and gather better engagement.
5. Video Leads via YouTube
YouTube is the second largest search engine. According to a Google Consumer Survey, “67% of millennials agree that they can find a YouTube video on anything they want to learn.” Tutorials and how-to video contents serve well to answer the questions that your viewers would likely be searching for. Just like other platforms, YouTube also gives the option of running targeted ads. Personally, I feel YouTube is a special platform that needs a complete marketing strategy of its own if a company or brand wants to go a long way with YouTube. Wait for a special blog on How to get more views on YouTube in our coming post.
6. Video leads via email marketing
So you are trying to inform your audience about two of your star products. Or two options in terms of colour or style, or two sizes. Explain all, then create a cute quick video lead that brings forward the 2 options, and ask them you like ‘this’ or ‘this’. Make sure it needs only 2 clicks. Minimal effort from the viewer. Really cute, creative and short – 15 seconds. Then use these analytics to put them into categories, after that you can send them coupons for the one that they liked. And they would be feel like, ‘wow they know my choice!’
7. Video leads with collaborators
For people who are willing to endorse your product, or recommend your service, make it easier for them. Create a few good videos and be ready to mould them to optimize their usage on other people’s preferred platforms. The same goes for collaborators who want to announce their handshake with you, but don’t have the time and energy to build another video. Hand it over to them. That way you also maintain the quality of what’s goes out about you, via someone’s platform. Ohh, and …remind them to tag you, and add the link to your landing page as well.
8. Random endorsers
There will always be a nice random endorser who flashes on their Instagram, ‘hey guys, I bought this from XYZ eCommerce store, and it’s awesome.’ Thank them for getting you a lead, and even if your lead doesn’t convert into an actual sale, thank them anyway.
9. Video leads via the Use of a content distribution channel
For example, Quu promote. Author, marketer Neil Patel advises, ‘Quuu Promote is an awesome way to eliminate the need to advertise your content on Twitter and Facebook. Instead of boosting a post, you can pay a few bucks for hundreds of organic, real, active users to share your content to a targeted follower base.’ Here you submit your video along with images optimized for networks like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and the influencers on the distribution channel will share it around for you.
10. Email and social outreach
After using a distribution channel, you can do some email and social outreach and ask people to share your videos. To find meaningful influencers who will be interested in sharing your videos, you can use Social Animal. Let us explain how. Search for a keyword that is relevant to your video. It will show you the most shared posts on that keyword or a similar topic. It also shows who shared the posts.
You can contact these sharers and ask them to share your videos. Reaching out to them via Twitter is an option. But we recommend a personalized polite email.
11. Then there is SEO
A necessity for all your YouTube videos.
So here we have explained a step by step process to create and execute a video content marketing strategy. We promise it will drive more views, traffic, leads, and sales.
On the other hand, though, reach out to matilda@neonvideos.com and we’ll create the best video content for you!
