Using Video Content at Each Stage of the Marketing Funnel

Typically, most buyers don't actually purchase a product the first time they see it. Before they’re looking to buy a product, they’re often seeking a solution to a specific problem. Once they come across possible solutions, they take a look at their options. Ultimately, they need to choose from different “providers” who can all solve their problem but offer different (cheaper, better, faster) options.

So, how do you generate engaging content to guide prospects through your marketing funnel while convincing them that your product or service offers the best solution?

Video content is the perfect tool, especially when it comes to explaining complex concepts and ideas. Video content is also a great tool for audience retention and can grow purchase intent by 97%. That said, a single video won't suit every stage of your marketing funnel. This post will walk you through what video content is best for each stage of the marketing funnel.

What Is Marketing Video Content?

Video content refers to any content format that includes or features video. Some of the common forms of video content include: 

• Ads -  videos that involve paying for space to promote a product or service
• Tutorials -  guiding a viewer through a process related to your product or industry
• GIFs - short, looping videos
• Vlogs - video blogs that present a more in-depth look at certain aspects of a brand/lifestyle

Benefits of Video Content

The demand for online video content is blowing up. According to a Google report, 6 out of 10 American consumers prefer watching online video over live TV. The same report also discovered that in 2015 consumers aged 18-49 had spent 74% more time on YouTube than the previous year. It's no wonder that people working in the digital marketing field are using video content in their marketing strategy. More benefits of using video content include:

• It's shareable - We are in the age of viral videos, and 92% of mobile video consumers share videos with others. Video content gives you a chance to easily show what your product or company is all about across various platforms.
• Easily digestible - Video content is about as digestible as it gets. They’re attention-grabbing, multi-sensory, and easy to consume.
• Diversified content - You can create different types of content using videos, including brand commercials, how-to videos, customer testimonials, social media ads, and more.

What Is a Marketing Funnel?

Video is the perfect addition to your marketing funnel. Video marketing helps guide your prospects all the way through the funnel by attracting, educating, converting, and retaining customers at every stage. An effective video marketing funnel should hone in on the desires and needs of your target audience, provide tailored video content that prompts them to progress to the next stage of the funnel, and then seal the deal by convincing your potential customers to become actual customers.

A marketing funnel follows goals with key performance indicators (KPIs) tied at each stage. For instance, if your goal is attracting a bigger audience, your video content needs to target buyers who are at the start of their purchasing journey and are trying to identify and define problems with top-of-funnel content. In this scenario, the KPI would be the number of video views that prove that your content is being consumed by your target audience (and they’re making it more than halfway through your video). You may also factor in engagement metrics such as click-through rate and view time if you provide a call-to-action at the end of your videos.

Video Content for Every Stage

Video content diversifies the content of your marketing channels. Planning and creating videos for each stage of the funnel will give you new opportunities to capture the attention of different audience members at different buying stages. Here is a breakdown of the best types of video content for each stage of the marketing funnel:

Awareness Stage: Pique Their Interest

This is the first stage of the marketing funnel. Potential buyers realize that they have a problem. The objective here is to capture the audience's attention, then take that nugget of attention and indulge their interest further.

The awareness stage is where the buyer is made aware of an opportunity or a problem and they prioritize how this problem or opportunity impacts their business. For instance, do they need to buy new equipment immediately or can they do without it for some time? 

Let's say you are a software company that developed a B2B lead generation software. Your potential customer is the sales manager of a fast-growing company. The sales manager has realized that the company doesn't have an accurate idea of the number of leads that they are generating or if their sales team is keeping up. The manager goes online to find a solution. This sales manager is entering the awareness stage of the marketing funnel, and you want to be one of the first companies they come across in their search for a solution.

Awareness Stage KPIs

Given that you're starting fresh with new potential customers, estimating the success of the awareness stage can be challenging because you have no documented interaction with these consumers. For this reason, the best key performance indicators (KPIs) of the awareness stage include:

• Reach
• Engagement
• Click Through Rate (CTR)

Awareness Stage Video Content

Some of the video types that you can use to engage your awareness stage consumers include:

Educational videos

These videos enlighten your target audience about the issue/problem you're solving. Educational videos can be focused on relating valuable information to your audience’s problem or teaching them about your company and industry. When your target audience discovers that your video content is helpful or informative, you've started gaining their trust. When your audience trusts you, there’s a high chance that they will see you as an authority in your industry and will return for more help from you in the future. Here’s an example of an educational video from marketing expert Patrick Dang that teaches his audience about B2B lead generation. 

Brand films

These promotional videos aim to share your mission, values, and ultimately your brand with your target audience. Video content enables you to communicate via storytelling, sound, and visuals in ways that other marketing avenues can’t. These videos should highlight your product or service. FedEx's promotional video clearly demonstrates who FedEx is, what they do, how they do it, and what they stand for.

Explainer videos

These videos are ideal for breaking down complex concepts and ideas while highlighting how a product or a service solves a problem. Explainer videos are usually hosted on a company's homepage and often distributed on social media platforms. Broadcast2World has compiled a reel of their favorite explainer videos they’ve seen from different brands. Each video informs the audience how to use their different products in an easy-to-comprehend way.

Consideration Stage: Get Them Thinking

At the consideration stage, the target audience is fully aware of their problem and has some ideas about how to solve it but has yet to choose the ideal solution. Here, it would help if you empowered your target audience by giving them the information they need to make an informed decision.

Given that your product or service will be weighed against your competitors’, it’s vital that you be authentic and relatable. Creating unique, personable ads will not only make viewers like you, but it will also enhance your retargeting efforts in the long run. This likeability is crucial in turning a potential customer into an actual customer.

Video is an important element in the consideration stage considering approximately 64% of consumers are more likely to purchase a product online after watching a video about it. You want to be sure that you're giving your potential customers reasons to trust your brand.

Let's say our sales manager has come across your lead generation software company, but they’re not totally convinced that your brand is the best option for them. The sales manager needs confirmation that your brand's standards are acceptable considering they will be putting a large part of their lead generation initiatives in your hands.

Consideration Stage KPIs

The goal of the consideration stage is to get your potential customers to see that your solution to their problem is best. You want to know that your target audience is not only viewing your videos but that they are also actively engaging with your brand. The KPIs for this stage of video marketing include:

• Email sign-ups 
• Time spent on-site
• Bounce rate
• Pages per duration

Consideration Stage Video Content

Video content that can help you engage your target audience at the consideration stage includes:

Testimonial videos

People need social proof that your product or service works. In fact, 62% of people watch product review videos before making a purchase. You can use testimonial videos to visually engage and interact with your target audience. Feature the stories of previous customers who loved your products or services. This will give you some major credibility points. Slack has a great example of a testimonial video.

Product videos 

Product videos give you the chance to show off what you got by showcasing what makes your product unique and the best choice for consumers. These videos can include a strong brand voice or simple facts that explain what your product is all about. Samsung's video for the launch of their new app is an excellent example of a product video.

Webinars

Webinars are great tools for promoting your brand while providing in-depth, interactive information. Giving a close up look of your products or services while being available for questions gives you the upper hand as you try to persuade your prospects to go with your brand. Webflow hosted a digital keynote conference to show off new features and services.

How-to Videos

Yes, these are the videos that provide a step-by-step guide on how to use a product or service, but they can also be videos that give the viewer detailed instructions on how to solve a particular problem they face without ever mentioning a purchasable product. Your how-to-video should use fun graphics, incorporate compelling storytelling, and break down any technicalities into easily understandable bits. Film School for Marketers uses their expertise to help their audience with techniques like “how to get truly memorable B2B customer testimonial videos.”

“About Us” Videos 

The "About Us" page is one of the most visited pages on any business website. When researching different options, consumers want to know more about the people behind a business and their products. Hosting a video on your page that highlights values, employees, products, and resources makes it easy for any visitors to quickly learn everything they need. Canva’s "Introducing Canva" effectively covers the brand’s history, client base, product capabilities, use cases, and values in under two minutes. 

Decision Stage: the Final Hook

As the name suggests, the decision stage is the stage when your potential customers decide if they will use your product or service or not. Here, they have already decided on what kind of product or service to purchase to solve their problem. As such, your decision stage video content should convince them that your product or service will best solve their problem.

Unlike the first two stages where your video content is not so salesy, in the decision stage, you need to make your brand stand out. You need to make it shine. The videos at this stage should portray your brand as being the best among the other brands that they might have considered.

Think about our hypothetical CRM manager. This is where they will decide whether your software or a similar software offered by your competitors is the way to go.

Decision Stage KPIs

Measuring success at the decision stage should be easy. You'll want to determine how many people have converted into actual customers. The metrics used to measure this include:

• Conversion Rate
• Page Conversion Percentage
• Meetings/Demos Scheduled
• Proposals Sent Out/Won

Whereas most of these metrics can be measured by your video hosting platform or website analytics, you can also connect Google Analytics to your website and set sign-ups or clicks as your goal for easier tracking. 

Decision Stage Video Content

Here are some excellent decision-stage videos to close off the trade: 

Before and After Videos

These videos showcase the transformations that are possible when using your product.. Even though these videos are mostly used in industries like home repair, lawn care, and weight loss, you can also use them to show how someone's problems were solved after using your product or service. Lowe’s has several before and after videos that also include what products they used to complete the transformations.

Demo Videos 

Demo videos are another video type that can be effective in the decision stage. By showing off exactly how your product works, you’re giving your audience a taste of what awaits them while giving detailed instructions for how to use your product. This is where you incorporate the benefits that users will only get from your business. Take a look at how Wix created a comprehensive video on how to create a website using their software.

FAQ Videos

FAQ videos provide clear, detailed answers to questions that your potential customers may have. They also help potential customers envision themselves using your product or service. Monday.com has a series of FAQ videos where they guide users through some of their more complex features.

Getting Started Creating Videos

You can begin preparation for video content right now! The marketing funnel is an essential tool to use not only when planning your video content strategy but all your digital marketing campaigns. It will help you discover where your customers are at in their buying journey so that you can create custom messaging and optimize your marketing efforts. It’s important to consistently create content to gather enough data to see what's working and continuously improve your efforts. 

That said, developing a sound video marketing strategy is no easy task, and it’s often advantageous to partner with a marketing or video production agency. At Steel Croissant, we can give you both. We have the marketing expertise with the right resources to craft compelling videos for every stage of the marketing funnel. Contact us today to learn more and get started!