Video marketing is taking centre stage when it comes to B2B lead generation, according to a Software Advice benchmark report.

Whether it is B2B or B2C, video marketing can be the most effective way of improving lead generation. Agencies such as ours have already identified the importance of video marketing to influence purchase decisions and have made it an essential part of our content marketing services. So if you are looking to attract high quality leads to improve your conversion rates, use video to its full potential in order to connect to your target audience.

Sample GraphWhy You Should Consider Video Marketing Above All?

80 percent of the respondents of Demand Gen survey said they prefer interactive content. A study even predicts that video will make up a major portion (69 percent) of the total consumer internet traffic by 2017.

Video is mostly used as the supporting element in online marketing campaigns rather than using it as the key element. But gradually this notion is changing owing to the fact that video lead generation campaigns can be more powerful and effective than other marketing methods that do not involve videos and provide greater returns.

According to Switch Merge founder Andrew Angus, the play button is becoming “the most compelling call-to-action on the web.” Another research found that including the word ‘video’ in the email headline can increase the open rate by 19 percent. The Vidyard research found that more than 70 percent of marketers say videos convert better than any other medium. And there is more to go:

  • Online videos account for 50 percent of the total mobile traffic
  • In 2015, experts predicted that video will take up 57 percent of consumer Internet traffic by the end of the year, which again will increase to 69 percent by 2017 and 79 percent by 2018

Convinced, aren’t you? If you want to create videos that impact sales and marketing goals, you need to first consider the following factors while creating videos for your target audience:

  • What kind of experience it offers and how it improves the stickiness factor of the visitors?
  • Whether the videos improve engagement and conversion for existing visitors?
  • What is the performance of email marketing campaigns when videos are included?

For instance, Dove’s #ChooseBeautiful video marketing campaign was a massive hit since they focused more on their mission than their own product. The brand set up signs above side-by-side doors in five cities around the world; where one sign read “Beautiful” and the other read “Average”. Then they set up a team of camera crew who observed which door women chose to walk through.

Dove's CommercialThere are many such examples of successful video marketing campaigns that went viral and helped the brands redefine success. So if you are looking to boost your lead generation, focus on video marketing since it not only helps you to cut through the noise but it also helps to engage visitors in a better way and spark emotions in them which compels them to perform an action.

Facts tell but stories sell, and there is no better way to tell a story than a video.

Tips to Boost Lead Generation Campaigns Using Video Marketing

Reports by Aberdeen Group suggest that brands that use videos generate more leads by spending less and the conversion rates are also higher. But you must remember that video content cannot drive leads on its own, you need to think strategically and include smart CTAs.

Even a few years ago, marketers considered “lead generation” and “video marketing” to be two different worlds, but the gap is gradually decreasing. At present, both have started complementing each other and the result is a powerful and effective content marketing strategy that helps you win better quality leads.

For instance, let us consider that you require your visitors to sign up with your website to get advanced services. In most cases, the visitors will be reluctant to provide you with their email addresses and other details, since they have no idea what to expect after they sign up. So you can include a video next to the lead generation form to demonstrate the value you will be offering once they sign up with your website. A high quality video might also entice the visitors to sign up. Thus, the chances of conversion increase and you can also win the trust of your visitors.

Let’s look at some useful tips that will help you boost lead generation using video marketing:

Define Your Audience and Understand What Kind of Videos Work for You

In order to create effective videos you need to define your target audience first. Understand what they need and what their demands are. By defining your audience, you will also get an idea about the type of videos that will work best for you, in terms of engaging and attracting visitors. Another advantage of defining your audience is that you can create specific and highly targeted videos with simple yet impactful messages in the most cost-effective way.

Whitepapers and webinars can be very effective in generating quality leads, but oftentimes the visitors might get overwhelmed, so in order to grab visitor attention, you can create a video that offers educational content in the most entertaining way.

For example, the Director Marketing of Interthinx, Kristi Kennelly created videos about fraud-detection training for the mortgage industry which mimic the popular film Charlie’s Angels and TV franchise CSI. Highly technical information was presented in the most entertaining manner which made the videos very successful. A premier at the trade show created a lot of buzz and the team got 700 orders for the video even before the DVD was released; thus they were able to bag 1,200 qualified leads. Get the details here.

Determine the Correct Video Length

In order to boost lead generation, it is essential that you create videos of the optimal length. According to Orbit Media the optimal length for a YouTube video is between 3 and 3.5 minutes. The Forbes/Google Insights Report of ‘Video in the C-Suite’ found that most of the executives prefer videos that are three to five minutes long.

Some people are of the opinion that the ideal length of the video would depend on the purpose of the video, but as a general rule of thumb, it is best to keep the video length between two to five minutes. Remember, if your videos are engaging enough you can break all the rules. This video is about 7 minutes long but still got more than 50 million views, only because it was rich in entertainment.

So your primary focus should be creating videos that are high in the entertainment segment, yet they should offer maximum value to the visitors.

Embed Videos in Emails to Improve Click-Through Rate

Email marketing is still considered being an effective way to generate quality leads and you can improve the click-through rates by embedding high-quality videos. Embedding videos into emails can be tough but if you can overcome the hurdle, the results can be awesome.

videos in emailBarbara Shimaitis, Sr. VP, Ad Council was charged with bringing in $1.6 billion to $1.8 billion in free ad spots (approximately) for their public service announcements (PSAs). Though it seemed difficult, they combined a direct-mail campaign (that sent DVDs of the spot) along with follow-up emails reminding the TV station managers of the request to run the PSAs.

Videos of the PSA were embedded into the emails which began playing automatically when someone opened the email (within the email itself or in a new browser). This video email campaign was a success and achieved:

  • 47 percent higher open rate
  • 69 percent higher click-through rate and
  • $1.9 billion worth of air time for the concerned PSAs

Read the entire case study here.

Have a Clear Call-To-Action

Creating a high-quality and engaging video is not enough; you need to think of ways to hold onto the visitor’s attention even after the video is over. The biggest video platforms YouTube and Vimeo offer “suggested content” after the videos end, so that they can keep their visitors hooked onto their website. If the visitors get distracted and move onto some other website or brand, they might forget about you completely.

So make sure you include an appropriate call-to-action, at a strategic point inside or at the end of video, to help the visitors perform a specific task or divert them to related content. The CTA would depend on the part of sales funnel where you want the visitors to be directed to.

For instance, if you are targeting new prospects, you can offer them an explainer video containing a call-to-action that takes them to a product tour, followed by a link where they can download a whitepaper or another video that talks about setting up a trial.

By planning your video marketing campaign carefully, you can achieve your goals easily!

Types of Videos that Work Best

So, now you know how to utilise videos to generate high quality leads and ensure better conversion rates. But you still might have one question in mind: What kind of videos are the most effective to boost lead generation? Find the answer to your question below.

Here are the five types of videos that can aid lead generation:

1. The Explainer Video

These are simple and straightforward videos that offer the visitors with enough information about products or services. Though explainer videos are considered to be top-of-the-funnel marketing videos; if the videos are engaging enough, you can successfully drive your audience further down the funnel.

2. The Educational Video

In order to improve awareness, branding and viewership, you need to offer value to your audience and this is exactly what the educational videos do. Educational videos can be specifically very effective if you can address specific problems that your audience face.

3. Testimonials

Testimonial videos are specifically very effective since they address how your brand is helping people solve their problems. This helps you position yourself as a reliable solution provider and win viewer trust.

4. Case Study Videos

These videos act similar to testimonial videos since they dig deeper into the specifics of a particular case. Case study videos work best for visitors who are closer to the bottom of the sales funnel and help in converting them to customers. Case study videos validate your success stories and thus help you win visitors’ trust.

5. Promotional Videos

Promotional videos help in increasing awareness, engagement and conversions, but you must make sure they are informative as well as entertaining. Promotional videos give you the opportunity to deliver your messages in a creative way to a targeted market.

So depending on your goals, you must choose the kind of video that would work best for you.

In Conclusion

By integrating video marketing into your marketing efforts, you can improve the lead generation and sales for your business. Videos not only help to attract visitor attention, but it also helps in building trust and awareness about a brand. So if you want to attract high quality leads, you must not overlook the potential of video marketing.

Have you been using videos for your business? How have they helped you? Share your experiences with us in the comments please!

(Image sources: 1, 2)