Show; don’t tell. Remember that advice from your English teacher? It might also explain why video is a powerful, effective marketing tool that engages customers—truly captures their attention and influences their buying decisions. Video gives online content that “watch and learn” quality, allowing viewers to see and experience the product or service you’re sharing. With video, prospects get to know you. They can see you, listen to you and grow a connection in a matter of a short clip.
A Forbes study revealed that 75% of executives watch work-related videos on business websites at least once a week. After watching videos, 42% made a business related purchase. And, 65% of U.S. executes surveyed visited a vendor’s website after viewing their online video.
Meanwhile, HubSpot reports that using video can increase blog traffic, social media engagement, visitor-to-lead conversion rates and customer acquisition.
If you can show and tell prospects about what you offer, they’re likely to listen up. And research by Martin Akel & Associates, “The Role of Media in the Adoption of Life Science Research
Products & Systems” reported that 86% of Bicompare’s audience watch videos that help bring products/equipment to life.
The numbers supporting video as a dynamic aspect of an integrated marketing campaign—one very important layer to help convert prospects into buyers—are not all that surprising when you consider how we behave online. Think about it: If you open an e-newsletter that includes a link to video, will you click and watch it? If you land on a company’s website that has an “about us” video on the home page, you’re likely to check it out. You may even skip over the written paragraph and view the video instead—or do both.
The point is, video gives your prospects options: multiple ways to get to know your company, product, service and value proposition. By including video in online communications, you open the door for more engagement. You please the visual thinkers. You allow people to choose: read the story or watch the clip (or all of the above). Your scientific audience is hungry for information they can watch so they can learn.
And, we know that the more “touches” you have with customers in your marketing strategy, the better the results. 70% of BioCompare’s audience find video useful, and companies have greater conversion success when they present product options in different ways. That includes articles, bench tips, product reviews, webinars, e-newsletters, product comparison, product directories and more.
Creating an effective video about your product or your company is one more strategic layer in your overall marketing program. But, not just any video will engage prospects. You’ll lose their attention if you create a long, overly technical “film” that fails to answer the question: Why would this product/service work for me? Consider what your prospects want to watch, and keep in mind these three pointers for creating effective online videos.
Keep it short and sweet. It seems our attention spans are shorter than ever. How long will you spend watching a video before you turn it off? Get to the point immediately, and tell your story quickly if your goal is to educate prospects about the company. Sure, they care about you—that’s why “about us” videos matter. But they care more about themselves and how your product or service will serve them.
Explain how it works. The watch-and-learn video that helps your target audience understand how your product or service works can answer questions that may allow them to progress in the sales journey. If they can grab information through an online video that confirms, “Yes, this is what I’m looking for,” they’ll continue engaging with your company as a qualified prospect.
Connect with prospects. Video gives you the ability to connect quickly and deeply with your scientific audience. They can see the face behind the product or service. They can meet your R&D team, watch them at work in a short video clip. They can get to know you, and this helps grow connections that advance prospects in the sales journey. When your audience can get a sneak peek of your operations behind-the-scenes, they get to know you better. When the time comes to make a buying decision, visuals and the voices we hear come back to us.
Be customer-centric. Not sure what type of video will engage your customers. Think about the questions your sales team fields from prospects. What does your scientific audience need to know in order to make a buying decision? What information will help them progress in that sales journey? Is it technical how-to details about your product, or a better understanding of who your company is so they recognize what separates you from the competition (or both of these things)?
Here are some video concepts that are effective:
Customer testimonial: Let others talk about why your product or service worked for them. Include a video case study that tells a compelling success story. Or capture a customer presentation or poster presentation at a scientific conference or user-group meetings on video and turn it into an on-demand webinar.
About Us: Give your audience a behind-the-scenes look at your company and what you do in a short video clip.
Educational: Establish thought-leadership status as a go-to resource on a topic of interest to your existing and potential customers. Address the problem and solution. Share helpful information and case studies that will grow their general industry knowledge, don’t focus the message on your product or service.
Product usage tips: Video is an opportunity to provide tips for using your product or service top help you customers be more productive and get reproducible results.
Ask for feedback: Engage customers with videos that share knowledge, then ask viewers for their feedback. Provide a way for the audience to comment, by sending you an email or posting a remark.
We believe so strongly in the power of video as part of an overall integrated marketing program, which is why BioCompare provides a video service that will help you engage prospective buyers and can be an integral part of your content strategy. Find out more about the video service and ask us how to make the best use of this tool. To learn more about our video offerings, please see www.cnpg.com or contact your account executive.