How to Generate More Leads with a Video Marketing Strategy

For many businesses, maintaining a steady stream of qualified leads is a top priority. When we keep our sales funnel full, we always have an opportunity to increase sales. After all, today's lead is tomorrow's customer. That said, coming up with successful lead generation strategies is one of the toughest things for marketers. According to a study by Gartner, lead generation strategy is a key pain point of at least 56% of businesses. That makes sense since today's prospects are constantly bombarded with marketing messages, they become so much pickier and more fickle than ever-- well, none of them wants to be targeted by marketing campaigns. Reaching out to them is a big challenge, let alone engaging them.

This is where you need an advanced lead generation tool that’s not focused on blatantly converting prospects into leads, but building a meaningful relationship based on trust. The strategy we’re talking about is video marketing.

While many marketers are using video content in their inbound marketing strategies, this medium is also a powerful tool for lead generation. It’s a versatile medium and provides prospects with valuable information. That’s why over 90% of prospects say that videos play a significant role in their decision-making. It comes as no surprise then, that 83% of marketers admit videos helped them generate more qualified leads.

Some of the most popular content types include behind-the-scenes footage, instructions made with chroma key software, and animated videos.

But, of course, just like any other thing in digital marketing, using video marketing as a lead generation tool is so much more than creating a video and uploading it to the internet.

It also takes more than one lead generation tool to stay ahead. You’ll need to combine the power of video and other lead generation avenues to develop a full-fledged marketing strategy that attracts customers and converts them.

Here are some best practices to attract more prospects and convert them into leads using videos

1. Use Videos as Gated Content
2. Value Above Anything Else
3. Always Include a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)
4. Include Videos in Landing Pages
5. Go Social

Let's break them down in more detail!

1. Use Videos as Gated Content

Gated content is one of the most common yet effective ways to generate more qualified leads. When you create mediocre content that your prospect can easily find anywhere else-- without having to submit their contact information, you’d probably end up with sub-par conversion rates.

You can gate your videos which means that you only make it fully available for prospects that have submitted their contact information (i.e., names, emails, etc.). Those prospects can watch, save, even download your video. In this case, you can be sure that you’re getting only those leads who are genuinely interested in your service.

However, you need to remember that you have to offer them exclusive, valuable, in-depth information in the video, so it encourages them to sign up and become your leads. 

2. Value Above Anything Else

You might find providing value is a must-do task in any video marketing checklist. The value you put in the video is the reason why your prospect wants to interact and engage with you. They don't care about what you're trying to offer, your awesome features, even your brand name. The thing that they care about most is the value you provide. 

So, using a lead-generating video, you can offer your prospects something that they can't find anywhere else. It could be an exclusive, behind-the-scenes video of how you developed a product or it's the first chapter of your book on web design free to download. Give them reasons why it is worthy of their time and they will give you their contact information in return.

This is one of the most effective ways to use videos as lead generation tools because it helps you build trust with new prospects. Once they know that you’re providing them with something of value, their interest in your brand and what you have to offer will increase significantly.

To make your lead-generation videos more valuable, you might consider doing the   following:

• Highlight your prospects’ pain points
• Make it all about them, talk less about your brand
• Elaborate how you can help them solve their problems or make their lives better
• Avoid using jargon or hard-selling narration

3. Always Include a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)

A lead-generating video without a CTA is just like a car without an engine. It's not going to go anywhere. You’re giving your prospects something of value and they don't even know what to do next. 

In order for your video marketing strategy to be successful in converting prospects into leads, you need to have a clear and concise CTA included. Your CTA should be placed prominently in the video and it should be something that is easy for your prospect to do, which increases the chances of them converting into real opportunities for your business.

It can be as simple as “download this report for free” or "subscribe now to get your weekly dose of marketing tips" along with the link to lead-generation pages. The key here is to communicate your video purpose and encourage prospects to take action.

4. Include Video in Landing Pages

By including video in your landing pages, you can increase your conversion rates by up to 80%. Landing page videos make it much easier for your prospects to understand what you're offering and why they should sign up. Using the right tone, you can keep them interested in what you have to offer until they reach the conversion point. 

The combination of clear visuals and auditory information helps reduce cognitive load and increase information retention. That's why it is very important to keep your video concise and to the point while highlighting the most powerful benefits of signing up for your product or service in a way that speaks directly to the heart of your prospects.

Here are some quick tips for landing page videos to attract more leads:

• Keep the video short and concise
• Place the video above the fold
• Cut out the unnecessary surrounding text, let the video be a star of your landing page
• Optimize for SEO
• Avoid setting it in an autoplay

Including a video on your landing page also allows you to show off your personality and create a connection with potential leads. It gives them an idea of what it would be like working with you and builds trust, which are essential elements in any successful lead generation strategy.

5. Go Social

Social media platforms can be such powerful channels to generate leads. With more than 3.6 billion active users worldwide, those platforms can help you reach potential leads in their own environment when they are most likely browsing and ready to convert.

The great thing about social media is that it allows you to be creative and get more personal with potential leads through your lead-generating social videos.

Through social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook, your prospects will have the opportunity to easily share your lead-generating video with all of their followers if they find it valuable enough for them. This is another great way to lead your prospects to your lead-generation pages.

Some best practices of social videos for your lead generation include:

• Choose the right platform. Find out where your prospects are hanging out online.
• No social media video is created alike. Tailor your videos based on the platform you're using.
• Include caption or subtitles in the video. Most social media users don't play the video with the sound on.
• Tell stories that evoke users' emotions so they can share the video with their followers.
  

Wrapping Up: Keep Your Sales Funnel Full with a Video Marketing Strategy

Online videos have now become daily content that many internet users use. It means that leveraging them will not only help you reach out to wider audiences but also boost your online presence. Either way, it can help you attract more prospects and engage them to become qualified leads. With those top best practices mentioned above, we know that using video marketing as a lead generation tool isn’t as complicated as it might sound. 

One thing to bear in mind here is that there’s no such thing as an overnight success when it comes to lead generation strategy. Therefore, you can’t expect your freshly-posted video to bring you hundreds of new leads on the first day. The key here is the quality of content and consistency.

Author

Andre Oentoro is the founder of Breadnbeyond, an award-winning explainer video company. He helps businesses increase conversion rates, close more sales, and get positive ROI from explainer videos (in that order).
Twitter: @breadnbeyond | Email: andre@breadnbeyond.com | LinkedIn: Andre Oentoro