Did you know that more than half of consumers want to see more video marketing from brands and businesses? If you’re an IT consultant who hasn’t delved into the world of video yet, I have some news for you: video marketing for IT consultants is essential for your business.
Not only do the statistics back this up, but it’s also backed up by our experience. We’ve seen videos take a lackluster social media profile and transform it into an experience with comments, likes, and shares. Videos have taken a landing page that is struggling to convert and turned it into a page with high ROI. You can make video work for you. Here’s how.
Testimonial Videos
A review is a great thing. Good reviews build trust with potential customers and add credibility to your business. However, written reviews do have some issues. Many people worry that businesses pay for their reviews, and we’ll be honest—there are amoral companies out there that do. Here’s where video marketing for IT consultants comes in.
A video is much harder to fake than a two-sentence review on a website. A testimonial video is a great tool to build trust with potential customers through your pre-existing clients. To start creating a high-quality testimonial video, evaluate your existing clients. Ask a few who you’ve had a lasting relationship with and see if they’d be willing to discuss their experience working with your company on camera. Don’t be afraid to choose a few clients who you’ve worked through issues with as well. Oftentimes, a reviewer who doesn’t just give 5/5 stars, but has authentic feedback reassures potential customers that these are real clients who have worked with you.
Once you’ve created your testimonial video, put it on your website, in your emails, on your social channels—anywhere you think it would be a good fit. A video is a great tool, but you have to put it to good use.
Social Media Marketing
Every social channel is a little different. The key to great video marketing for IT consultants on social is to read those nuances and understand what you need to do differently to get the best ROI out of every video. For example, LinkedIn’s latest craze has been expert videos. These videos feature a business professional speaking directly into the camera. While they seem simple, creating great expert videos is a bit of an art form. The best ones feel unscripted but have closed captions and an intro and exit.
Facebook, on the other hand, has been going crazy for live stream. Livestream videos are truly authentic and give you the opportunity for some digital “facetime” with your followers. Livestreaming works best for timely events. This can include breaking news (think of the latest hack), or hosting an event, or releasing a new product. You can answer questions in real-time and interact with your audience with ease.
Whereas your testimonial video wants to feel polished and well-done, your social media videos can be a little more relaxed. They should feel as though you’re having an in-person conversation, not a scripted film.
Email Marketing
Email marketing and video marketing for IT consultants may seem like completely separate channels with not much in common. But when combined, your videos can give emails a big boost. When you integrate your videos with your email marketing strategy, you have a few different options. You can either place a link in your email to a landing page with a video on it, create a video download, or embed the video directly in the email. Which one you choose depends on what your goals are for your videos.
If you want to create conversions, add a teaser shot of the video to your email with a link to a download form for the whole thing. If you’re looking to give a landing page a boost, use the video as an incentive, or if you want to increase your email open rate, place the video directly in the email. Integrating video marketing for IT consultants into your other marketing strategies often has benefits for both channels. When email and video work together, you’re entire marketing strategy gets a boost.
Landing Page Design
Creating a landing page-specific video is a great way to increase time spent on the page and the conversions your form receives. The most effective landing page video that we’ve found is akin to a more polished version of the testimonial and LinkedIn videos. You want a close-up shot of your company’s CEO or top consultant. The video should discuss what the client will receive if they download the eBook or fill out the conversion form.
Seeing exactly who they’ll be talking to makes people feel more comfortable submitting the form. If the video auto-plays when someone clicks to the page, it also captures the viewer’s attention with unexpected audio and movement.
Homepage Design
Using a video on your homepage is a great way to make your website look that much more professional. Homepage videos give you another chance to show off your team, your office, and your work. However, one of the most important things to remember is to be authentic with your homepage video. Don’t show actors and someone else’s office if yours isn’t that stylish. A great homepage video relies on authenticity, not on flashy film.
Video marketing for IT consultants requires experience in video editing, knowledge of the market, a great strategy, and a team to get it done. If you don’t know where to start with your video marketing, contact us today. We can help you with everything from strategy to production.
