BY BLUERUSH | PERSONALIZED VIDEO

Grab your pen and make notes on these helpful tips to make better videos for sales.

The latest survey from marketing heavyweight Wyzowl returned some illuminating figures on the sheer power of video marketing in 2022: 93% of marketers say video has helped them increase brand awareness, generate a good ROI (87%), generate leads (86%), and directly increase sales (81%) – all of which have been steadily increasing since 2016. Unsurprisingly, 92% of marketers describe video as an “important part” of their marketing strategy.

Growing in tandem with video is the turn towards personalization. International consultancy firm McKinsey’s “Next in Personalization 2021” report found that 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions, 76% get frustrated when this doesn’t happen and faster growing companies drive 40% more of their revenue from personalization than their slower growing counterparts. 

Ergo, it stands to reason that by combining the power of these two marketing tactics, personalized video can be a key component of your marketing strategy to drive sales. 

But with great power comes great responsibility. That means if you’re ready to take full advantage of the sales boon that a leading personalized video platform like IndiVideo offers, you need to know how to use it as effectively as possible.

To help you get the most of your video campaigns, here are some tips to deliver the results you want.  

Small spend = big reward  

We get it. Even seeing the word “spend” makes you cringe, so you may be reluctant to invest too heavily. But, trust us, the small amount you invest now will reap the benefits later – at a fraction of the cost of hiring a professional videographer AND your videos will still look professional.  

To start, at a bare minimum, ensure you have both good lighting and a good webcam. We’ve all seen how bad lighting on Zoom can make you look old, pale and tired – and nobody wants to buy anything from vampires and shadow-dwellers! But if your videos are lit properly, people’s attention is drawn to your subject, their face and facial expressions and the words they are saying, exactly the engagement you’re after.  

When choosing and using a webcam, opt for HD resolution and make sure it’s compatible with your computer. Remember, as much as you may be tempted to use your laptop camera, steer clear. While there have been many advances in laptops lately, they are nowhere near the quality you’ll need. 

Okay, we’ve got lights, camera…what comes next again?  

Action-packed

The first thing to think about is what kind of “action” will most engage and retain your customers. Think of it as your newspaper headline: to grab their attention, you need to hook them from the first image and the first line. What can you say that will draw people in and compel them to stay? Following this, to boost retention, what is it that customers want to hear more of? 

And just like in a news story, visual storytelling needs the best angle. Filming from a slight upward angle imparts a subtle sense of trust, always looks better and brings a lighter mood.

Once your action, your script and your camera are set up, it’s time to start filming – with a smile!  

Simply, simple  

Viewers should never feel as if they’re working to get sold. This means eliminating information that forces customers to piece together what you’re selling, so ditch the background, backstory and backend information that customers don’t care about.  

Instead, get your point or sales pitch out in the first 15 seconds, no longer, drilling down to the core elements of your value proposition. Immediately after, the next 15 seconds are used to verbally describe and visually demonstrate specifically how your product or offering solves one of their problems.  

REMEMBER: Your video should be saying only two simple things: what you offer and how it makes life easier. But don’t forget to add a compelling CTA button at the end directing viewers to something actionable on your website.  

Tip the scales

Time and money, the two resources always in short supply for salespeople. But too many companies are wasting both by making elaborate, expensive videos. In fact, 40% of marketers admit that the average price of their individual marketing videos cost over $1000. So if you want to see a generous ROI, steer clear of making one video per customer. 

Interactive personalized video platforms like IndiVideo are designed with scale in mind, letting you do more with less, so you’re always working smarter, not harder. 

Instead of making one video per existing or prospective client, make one video for everyone and then personalize it with your customer data.

Have different messages to convey? You can quickly segment customers into separate groups based on their similar prospects and then create one video that appeals to each group.    

Nom nom: crunch the numbers  

Personalized video platforms give you access to a range of analytics that help your sales team continually refine and improve their selling process. 

A personalized video returns a range of data points that tell you if someone opened the email, if they clicked on your video, how long someone watched the video, and more, so use this data to your advantage. For example, if someone opened your email, clicked on the video and, hopefully, watched it until the end, send them a thank-you email that highlights your CTA. Or, if they opened your email on a few occasions but didn’t watch the video, try sending an email in a different format that may appeal to them more.     

Knowing your customer and giving them what they want from an online experience means you can look forward to achieving higher levels of customer engagement – which means better incremental revenue, increased levels of customer satisfaction and lower churn rates. 

The secret weapon in your sales toolkit 

With these tips to make better videos, you’re now ready to get out there and start creating your successful sales video outreach campaign.  

Whether you’re connecting with new lower-tiered customers in a segmented campaign or nurturing existing high-end relationships in a targeted one, personalized videos build brand awareness and increase conversions.  

Scale up your sales to reach as many prospects as you like, in a field-tested format that personalizes your marketing in a way people want – there is no limit to what personalized video can achieve, even more so when you can tailor your outgoing video content by adding photos, contact information and personalized CTA buttons.