Using Video in Sales and Prospecting
Using video sales prospecting techniques whether via social media or social selling is a hot topic right now. Video can be used in general sales or as a prospecting tool for lead generation or to boost buyer engagement.
Video has now become a key sales and marketing tool. Buyers watch marketing videos on websites, on Facebook and on Instagram. Video may be the coolest content on the block, and there are two place it can have a massive impact – sales and prospecting.
Using video sales prospecting and video across the entire sales process is becoming an increasingly critical selling tool. What makes video appealing is that our attention span is decreasing and it is currently measured in seconds not minutes, in fact it is approx. 8 seconds. To attract time poor but digitally engaged audiences, companies are turning to snappy, concise videos to engage buyers and consumers.
In an article published by Forbes, 60% of business respondents said they would watch a video on a web page before reading any text.
Here is an example of a video for social selling tips
So how can using video sales prospecting help your results? Well, if buyers are switched on by video, then you need to grab some of that attention. By using video in your sales and prospecting efforts, whether that’s produced or recorded by yourself, you can capitalize on the preference for video content and engage more buyers.
Video content can be effective when trying to engage both B2B and consumer audiences plus to convert leads into buyers. In fact, even adding the word ‘video’ to your email subject lines can increase open rates between 7% and 13%.
So, introduction and personalized video can be a great way to engage buyers to get them to listen to you.
The compelling reason for video.
By 2021, online video content will be responsible for over 82% of all consumer internet traffic. In another survey on internet user trends, video was listed as the most consumed content. Over half of people watch online videos every day, while 78% of people watch online videos every week.
Another compelling reason to using video sales prospecting techniques is that video is easy to consume on any internet enabled device and can deliver a detailed message in a short time-frame. The desktop is still top, with 90% of consumers using it to watch at least one video per week. Mobile devices are growing fast, over 55% of consumers use them to watch at least one piece of video content per week. Four out of five consumers stated they find demo videos to be helpful and four times as many people would rather watch a video about a product than read about it.
Sharing video content.
Soon, nearly every website will have a video element, landing pages are especially suited to video where incorporating video content into them can increase conversions by over 80%.
As stated previously, just adding the word video will increase the success of your email marketing campaigns. Including links to videos in your email newsletters can increase the likelihood of being read by 50%.
When using video sales prospecting or video in your sales tactics, then the social media channels are center stage for buyer engagement. Most social media sites have made the sharing of video content extremely easy as it’s in their interest for increased audience traffic. Some half a billion people (yes, you read it correctly) watch Facebook videos every day. Just a note on audio and sound, an interesting statistic is that 85% of Facebook videos are being watched without sound, mainly because they are being watched during working hours! Also, Twitter is a good medium to share videos, where nearly 82% watch video content on the platform. As more and more consumers use social media to interact with businesses that interest them, using video content may soon become a must have. To support this, over 85% of consumers say that they have “liked” a company’s video on their news feed and almost 50% have shared a company video to their social media accounts.
Here is a video sales prospecting tips
Getting started using Video in Sales and Prospecting.
Get the right video creation tools
You may be surprised to find out that creating video content is not expensive and doesn’t have to take hours of effort. Devices on which to record HD video are everywhere these days. Every smartphone has a built-in camera and nearly all of us have one or have access to one. Video content captured on your phone can either be edited directly on the device or on a desktop, using one of the many video inexpensive or even free editing software packages (Windows Movie Maker, Movavi, Wondershare, Apple iMovie) currently available. They are easy to download and you could be editing your video creation in a matter of minutes.
YouTube, and Vimeo are the most likely digital channels to where you will upload your video content. From here, you can link or embed to your website, blog, LinkedIn, Facebook, article or even your website etc. Just like text content, make sure to title and keyword optimize your videos for SEO, so they appear in organic web searches on Google etc.
Take baby steps.
Remember, less is more. No need to write a 30-minute script and then create some special effects video with catchy music overlaid on it. More and more buyers prefer real and genuine content, they want to see the real person, the real company. So, start out small with maybe a two or three-minute personalized introductory video, or even a short video of your business, without the sales pitch. This type of video content can be created in minutes and edited in less than the time it takes to drink your coffee. Create videos that appeal to your target audience and their interests, all the while staying true to your value proposition in a friendly manner. As your skill and knowledge progresses, you can create more in-depth videos. Keep a note of videos you watch or like to help kick start your efforts.
Video is the future.
Using video sales prospecting and video in sales process or in your social selling may seem like a daunting task you have to master, however technology is making it easier plus you may as well embrace it, as this is the medium consumers and buyers prefer. So, look forward to this new learning experience, in time it will reward your efforts and deliver more customers to your door or website.
You also might enjoy watching this video sales tips. See more video example on The Digital Sales Institute YouTube Channel.