Webinar Content Marketing Tips

webinar in marketing consulting office setting

 

Thinking about holding a webinar as part of your overall content marketing strategies? Webinars are a terrific tool for getting in front of a large number of interested prospects. However, there’s more involved than launching webinar software and speaking into a microphone on your computer. Use these tips when planning your first webinar.

  • Understand the webinar’s purpose – Many first-time webinar hosts make the mistake of approaching free webinars as platforms to pitch their products and services. While a short pitch near the end is generally acceptable and expected, avoid turning the entire presentation into a sales pitch. Make sure your presentation is useful, informative, and valuable to attendees. Otherwise, they’ll flee and you’ll be speaking to an empty audience.
  • Understand the audience – Who do you want to attend the webinar? What are their needs and problems? How can you help them? For example, if you know that you want to reach technically challenged CEOs, this understanding will drive everything from the title of the webinar and its content to how you advertise it – and more. Using personas is one way to understand and attract prospects.
  • Promote your webinar – Once you understand who you want to reach and what your webinar will cover, it’s vital to spread the word. Use email campaigns, blogs, social media, your website, and your sales team to spread the word.
  • Make every slide count – Whether you’ve carefully scripted the webinar from scratch or are repurposing material from an earlier presentation you’ve held, realize that your audience is paying to participate with their time and/or money. Unlike a live presentation where it would be rude to get up and walk out in the middle of a presentation, Webinar participants can exit the webinar with a click of the mouse button.
  • Encourage interactions – Webinar software often includes chat channels where participants can interact with one another as well as ask questions of you. This is a great way to build camaraderie and maintain momentum. It can also alert you to areas of confusion or interest. If the software doesn’t include such a feature, use Twitter with a hashtag. In fact, using Twitter could expand your reach and arouse curiosity among your participants’ followers.
  • Consider creating a second tier for interested prospects – Your initial webinar should go light on the selling. However, some prospects will be genuinely interested in learning more about your solution. Consider holding a second seminar, or series of seminars, for these prospects. These will likely attract a smaller audience. However, the audience will consist of quality leads who want to learn more about your offer.
  • Don’t do it alone – While technology makes it possible to host a webinar virtually anywhere, make sure you have a support team to handle technical issues, troubleshoot log-in problems, monitor conversations via the chat channel or Twitter hashtag, answer questions, and so on. This way, the entire webinar won’t be interrupted just because one user can’t hear your voice.
  • Archive your webinar – Though your webinar may have initially been a live event, it still has value long after its conclusion. Make sure to post an archived version of all of your webinars on your website or on social sharing sites such as YouTube for future prospects.
  • Repurpose webinar content – In addition to posting a video of your webinar on your website and YouTube, think about how else you might reuse the material discussed. Ideas include creating an eBook or special report based on the material, a series of blog posts, and podcasts. You can also use the questions and answers session for inspiration for future blog posts, articles, reports, and webinars.

When approached correctly, webinars are a fantastic form of content marketing. A single webinar can get you in front of a large audience both during the event and long after.

Video eMail Marketing Planning Tips

Planning your email video marketingVideo email marketing campaigns can be much more complex than meets the eye. In fact, they should be. Like traditional email marketing, your video marketing campaign should build on itself, ultimately leading to a desired action. This involves much more planning than simply pointing to an existing website video in your newsletter. Below are a few tips to ensure that your campaign informs, guides, and delivers.

What Do You Want to Accomplish with Video Email Marketing?

Start by considering what you want to accomplish with your email marketing campaign along with how your subscribers initially found you. Let’s say that you sell kitchen remodeling services. You ultimately want subscribers to pick up the telephone and call you for an in-home consultation so that you have the opportunity to bid on their remodeling projects, right? Before you start sending videos of your work and asking for a consultation, you need to also consider why your subscribers opted into your list and then tailor your video email marketing campaign to satisfy those users. You need to earn their trust and deliver on your promises.

For example, if your subscribers joined your list in order to download a free report about environmentally friendly building materials, it would make sense for your email campaign to feature a website video that showcases some of the most innovative eco-friendly building products available. Since you know that these subscribers are sensitive about the environment, your email marketing campaign could continue to build your credibility as a “green” remodeler. After sending a website video on building materials, your next message might discuss Energy Star appliances or the benefits of using trash compactors and composters.

Create an Entire Video Email Marketing Series Leading to Your Goal

Now that you have a goal in mind and understand what your subscribers are interested in, brainstorm at least five ideas for your video email marketing campaign. In this example, you might want to discuss green building materials, Energy Star appliances, composting tips, innovative kitchen faucets that conserve water or heat it instantly, and energy-efficient kitchen skylights.

Now that you know the topics, it’s time to produce a website video for each message in your campaign highlighting those topics. By including a website video in your email marketing messages, not only are you providing your subscribers with valuable information that they are interested in, you are redirecting them back to your website where you’ll have additional opportunities to make your case. Do this each week and your subscribers will become more comfortable with you and recognize your expertise in the topic. Who do you think they will call when it comes time to remodel their kitchens? The expert that has continually demonstrated expertise green kitchen remodeling topics – you!

Create a Call to Action

While it may seem like you’re the obvious choice thanks to your video and email marketing strategy, many prospects need to be reminded to call you. Make sure that your video email marketing campaign and website video series ends with a compelling call to action. This goes back to step one where you defined what you want to accomplish. In this example, you want the prospect to call and schedule a consultation. Make it easy for your prospects to do this by including your specific call to action such as, “Call 1-800-xxx-xxxx to schedule a free, in-home kitchen remodeling consultation.”

No matter what product or service your business offers, a well-planned video email marketing campaign can build trust, reinforce your area of expertise, and send prospects back to your website to watch a website video on the topic. Create an email marketing series with a specific goal and ask your prospects to take action.

What do you think about planning a video email marketing campaign in advance? Share your thoughts in the comments section below:

Video eMail Marketing: Improve Click-through Rates

someone clicking mousing button

Video email marketing campaigns are much like their text-only counterparts in that you can spread your message to prospects that have opted in. The addition of video adds a human touch and provides for an engaging medium. However, recent surveys reveal some startling information about including videos in email marketing campaigns: dramatic improvements in click-through rates. Including a website video in your next campaign could make a big difference.

Video Email Marketing Surveys

In March 2011, Get Response released its Email Marketing Trends survey results. Among the results focused on video email marketing were the following:

  • Nearly 64 percent of SMB marketers surveyed said that including website video in emails significantly increased conversion rates
  • 50 percent of SMB marketers surveyed believe that video email marketing increases click-through rates
  • 1 out of 3 SMB marketers surveyed believe that video email marketing positively affects branding and/or loyalty

The Web Video Marketing Council is currently conducting its 2011 Video Email Marketing Survey. While those results aren’t in yet, last year’s survey reveals the following:

  • 73 percent of those surveyed believe that video email marketing increases click-through rates
  • Nearly three out of four respondents believed that customer purchases / conversions are more likely with email campaigns that include website video.

Another study, 2010 Social Media Usage, Attitudes, and Measurability: What Do Marketers Think? by Kingfish Media, HubSpot, and Junta42, revealed that website video presented on a company’s website is the most common way video is shared (61 percent) followed by video-sharing sites (56 percent) and video email marketing (13 percent). This same study also concludes that educating customers is the top reason marketers use website video. The second reason is to bring company employees to life.

Video Email Marketing Opportunities

Though these surveys aren’t the definitive word, they’re thought provoking. A large percentage of marketers that use video email marketing reports significant improvements in click-through and conversion rates, yet only 13 percent of marketers appear to be actively promoting website video via email marketing campaigns. The opportunity to reach consumers with website video through your opt-in list is compelling. Not only are consumers unlikely to be overwhelmed with video marketing messages, they’ll be more likely to click-through to your website in order to view your message.

Assuming you already have a strategy that engages, converts, and nurtures your prospects, including video in your existing email marketing plans could be a relatively simple matter. For example, if your email marketing campaign delivers a series of useful tips related to your product or industry, adding a “how to” video that illustrates one of the more visual tips could be a good fit with your existing campaign. If your website sells kitchen gadgets and you regularly send emails with recipes and special offers, consider adding a video on “chopping onions like a sous chef” or a short cooking video. Once your prospects land on your page and watch your website video, you have the opportunity to keep them on your website, entice them to explore your catalog, and so.

Putting Video Email Marketing to the Test

Using your last traditional email marketing campaign as a “control,” you can put video email marketing to the test by including a website video in your next campaign. After the campaign is over, compare its click-through rates and conversions with your control campaign. How did video email marketing work for you? Did click-through rates improve? How about conversions? If you take part in this challenge, please come back and post your results in the comments section below. We’d love to hear your experiences.

Video Email Marketing: Helping Leads Become Customers

video email marketing

Video email marketing is a process that, when done correctly, can bring leads back to your website where they can view an informative website video that both educates and reinforces the benefits of your product and service. Using video within your email marketing nurtures your sales leads and helps them make the decision to become customers.

Using Video Email Marketing to Nurture Sales Leads

Video email marketing falls under the “Nurture” phase of the video-to-lead funnel. This sales funnel involves a website video series that first engages prospects, earning their trust. After engaging prospects, the next website video series continues to deliver interesting information, but with a goal of converting these prospects into leads. Finally, once converted and opted into your email marketing campaign, you’ve earned the right to present a website video that reinforces your message. You are now in the nurturing phase.

As you know, you must have permission in order to begin an email marketing campaign. Using video to engage and convert your prospects sets the stage for video email marketing. If you’ve followed the video-to-lead funnel strategies we’ve previously discussed, your leads will know that each website video in the past was engaging, informative, and relatively short. When they receive an email marketing message from you containing a link to a website video, they’ll expect more of the same and trust your video email marketing messages.

Website Video Messages

In most cases, your video email marketing messages will contain links back to your website video where visitors can learn more about the benefits of your products and services. In order to be effective, each website video should be related to the original call to action. For example, if you’ve prompted the prospect to download a buying guide for kitchen appliances, your email marketing campaign should include content relevant to people interested in buying kitchen appliances. This isn’t the time for an email marketing campaign about remodeling bathrooms. Therefore, your website video should be related to that initial action. For instance, you might create a website video focused on how your appliances save energy in the kitchen and reduce utility bills.

In addition to being relevant, your video email marketing campaign must also be focused on benefits. In the email marketing example above, appliances that save energy in the kitchen deliver a benefit to the sales lead: they reduce utility bills. Your prospects may love that your appliances have a specific feature such as a built-in timer, but people don’t buy features; they buy benefits. Make sure that each website video focuses on benefits and your video email marketing campaign will be much more likely to connect with your leads.

How long should your video email marketing campaign be? As with general email marketing, each campaign will be unique. Before you produce a single website video, you should first map out your email marketing strategy. Think about the following:

  • What is your primary goal for the video email marketing campaign?
  • How long is the buying process for your particular product or service?
  • What interval is right for sending messages?
  • How many contacts do you need to make?

Once you know the primary goal, make sure that each website video supports that goal, educates sales leads, and reinforces benefits. After identifying the length of the buying process, you can create a website video email marketing campaign of a similar length. For example, if the average kitchen appliance buyer spends a month researching before buying, your video email marketing campaign might be three to four weeks long. Your email marketing message intervals will be determined by the overall length of the campaign and the number of contacts you feel is appropriate to educate, nurture, and ask for the sale.

Video email marketing is an important part of the video-to-lead funnel. You’ve worked hard to engage and convert your prospects. Now it’s time to nurture them and bring them back to your website for more relevant information.

How have you used video email marketing? Share your thoughts in the comment section below:

Website Video Spokesperson: Choosing Talent Your Visitors Can Relate To

If you’re considering adding a website video spokesperson to your website, it’s vital to cast an actor that your website visitors can relate to. Not only can a relatable virtual spokesperson welcome your visitors, that Web video spokesperson can help them feel at ease. Choose the wrong talent for your site, and your visitors will likely click the “stop” button – or worse, the “back” button. Choose the right talent for your site, and your visitors will feel engaged, nurtured, and empowered to make a favorable decision.

Determining the Ideal Website Video Spokesperson for Your Site

Before you look at audition tapes, consider the demographics of your website. Is your audience primarily male? Female? How old are your website visitors? What are they interested in? What problems do they have? What type of person do they look to for advice?

This doesn’t mean choosing a virtual spokesperson that looks like your target audience; it means that your Web video spokesperson should be someone your target audience can relate with.

For example, if your website sells cheerleading outfits to teenage girls, you don’t necessarily have to choose a female teenager to serve as your website video spokesperson. A 30-something virtual spokesperson playing a cheerleading coach may be more effective.

Casting the Web Video Spokesperson

Once you understand what your ideal website video spokesperson looks like, you can start casting. By determining the gender and age of your virtual spokesperson in advance, you’ll save time and be able to focus only on those audition tapes that meet your criteria.

What to Look for As You View Web Video Spokesperson Audition Tapes

You may have a specific look in mind for your website video spokesperson such as our 30-something cheerleading coach example. However, not all of the audition tapes of 30-something actresses will contain athletic wardrobe changes. You may need to use your imagination to visualize the virtual spokesperson in appropriate clothing. Many audition tapes do contain clips with the Web video spokesperson wearing various outfits such as business suits, casual clothing, and athletic wear.

Listen to the voice of each website video spokesperson. Does the virtual spokesperson have a delivery style that matches the mood of your website? For example, if you’re looking for an authority figure, a Web video spokesperson with a perky delivery style might not be the best choice. Similarly, if you want a perky, upbeat voice, a website video spokesperson with a deep, authoritative voice may not be what you’re looking for. Keep in mind that each virtual spokesperson is an actor who may have a range of delivery styles. Listen to the entire delivery and review each Web video spokesperson’s bio to see if other accents or delivery styles are available.

Watch each website video spokesperson as if you were your target audience. If your website appeals to teenage girls, pretend you’re a teenage girl while watching the audition. If your website appeals to 80-year-old men, pretend you’re an 80-year-old man. Ask yourself if you can relate to the virtual spokesperson from your temporary perspective. If so, you’re getting closer. If not, ask yourself who you would prefer to hear this information from and rethink your Web video spokesperson criteria.

As you can see, casting a website video spokesperson is more involved than picking an attractive actor or actress to play a role. You absolutely need to know your audience and what type of virtual spokesperson your audience can relate and respond to. Once you know that, you can choose your Web video spokesperson with confidence.

What else should you look for in a website video spokesperson? Share your thoughts in the comments section below: