HOW TO USE VIDEO EFFECTIVELY IN YOUR MARKETING PLAN

Video has become an integral part of modern marketing plans. We interviewed marketing expert Claire Taylor, Co-Founder of ThinkSmart Marketing, on how video can be leveraged across every stage of the marketing funnel. Here are the key takeaways for developing video marketing strategies that convert.

Marketing plans today are drastically different now thanks to digital dominance, content marketing, user generated content and social media.

Structuring marketing plans around the customer journey, means you cover every step from awareness to loyalty.

The 5 key customer journey stages Clare recommends you following for your Marketing plan are Awareness, Interest, Evaluation, Adoption and Loyalty.

STAGE 1: AWARENESS

Goal: Get on your target audience’s radar. They likely won’t be ready to buy just yet, but the aim here is for them to know about you for the future.

Examples of how you can be using video at this stage:

• Social media videos
• Explainer & Educational videos
• Behind-the-scenes company culture videos
• Teasers and Trailers
• Recruitment Videos
• LinkedIn videos showing products/services in action

STAGE 2: INTEREST

Goal: Provide more information to those nearing purchase. Websites and videos are key here to showcase your offerings.

Examples of how you can be using video at this stage:

• How-To and Tutorial Videos
• Behind the Scenes
• Product / Service demonstrations
• Videos on what it’s like to work with your company

STAGE 3: EVALUATION

Goal: Prove you deliver on promises, by showing potential customers you’ll meet their needs through social proof.

Examples of how you can be using video at this stage:

• Client video testimonials
• Comparison Videos
• Video case studies
• Awards/Accreditation promo videos

STAGE 4: ADOPTION

Goal: Onboard new customers smoothly, and make them confident in their decision to choose you.

Examples of how you can be using video at this stage:

• Welcome / On-boarding videos
• Tips and Advice
• User-generated Content (UGC)
• Explainers on working with you
• Ongoing relationship check-in videos

STAGE 5: LOYALTY

Goal: Develop a community and brand advocates. Delighted customers are more likely to drive referrals.

Examples of how you can be using video at this stage:

• Exclusive content
• Thank you / customer appreciation videos
• Behind-the-scenes or VIP access videos
• User generated content competitions
• Webinars and Q&A Sessions

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Marketing plans have changed over the years, but to ensure you cover everything, create a structured marketing plan around the 5 stages of the customer journey: Awareness, Interest, Evaluation, Adoption and Loyalty.
• Invest in video marketing for both brand awareness and credibility:
  • Video case studies prove you deliver results, which is essential for the evaluation stage of the buyer’s journey
  • User generated videos and testimonials show happy loyal customers, which helps to gain the trust of prospects and builds credibility.
• A lot of marketing budgets are used on targeting the 5% of the audience that are ready to buy instead of the 95% who aren’t yet ready. However, building awareness with the 95% is essential for long-term success as they’ll come back to you when they’re ready to buy.
• Video can be used throughout the customer journey to help you achieve your goals at each stage.

Episodes

If you missed some episodes, you can watch them below:

• How to generate regular video content ideas
• The Top AI video tools you need to be using in 2023
• What impact is AI having on the video industry?
• How to generate leads through video marketing