If you are a manufacturing company and haven’ t invested in video marketing yet, you’re missing out. Video marketing has been proven to increase conversions by up to 80% in many market. And it can work in manufacturing marketing, too.
The problem is many manufacturers don’t know how to use video to benefit their business. If this is the case for you, we have some tips to help you understand the basics of video marketing.
Testimonials
Video is a great way to build trust quickly. If you want to make an impact with your video marketing, use third-party endorsements. The easiest way to do this is to create video testimonials. Testimonial videos don’t need to be professionally produced to be effective. They could be a simple video shot over a boardroom table with your iPhone. The important thing is what your testimonial giver has to say about their experience. If you do have well-know customers that are prepared to give you video testimonials that’s ideal. More important than that is the relatability of the individual giving the testimonial. If they sound genuine and are someone your target audience would relate to, that will make a powerful testimonial.
Case Studies
To take the power of testimonials further, use case studies. Case studies tend to be longer than testimonials and research has shown this can be more effective. In a case study you can demonstrate what you do, how you do it and the benefits of working with your company. More important than all of that is the experience your customers have had working with you. While you can showcase the products you manufacture using video, it’s the relatability of what your customers say that makes these videos work best. Videos are more effective than written content because it is easier to communicate emotion and authenticity. Research has shown that 68% of consumers would prefer to watch an explainer video than read text. While it may be less than this in a B2B manufacturing businesses, people are people, and we all like to buy from those we know, like and trust.
Engagement
One of the biggest mistakes video marketers make in the manufacturing industry is trying to focus on making a sale rather than engaging with audiences. Sophisticated B2B customers do not like salesy pitches and ads. They are looking to do business with companies that are reliable and will solve their problems. Make your videos as engaging as possible by using simple story telling principles. Show them the problems other customers faced before working with you and how you solved those problems. Try to pro-actively address the most common objections you face in your industry. If you can overcome objections using video, you can speed up the sales process.
Virtual Tours
If you are an international manufacturing company, your customers may not be able to visit your premises and may have concerns about the quality of your operations. Give them a virtual tour of your location, showcasing it in the best possible light. You may choose to show the various departments and the manufacturing process and facilities. The key is to get the balance between information and timing right. If it’s too long and dry, nobody will watch it at all. If it’s too short, it wont give your prospective customers enough insight into your facilities.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
Don’t ignore SEO either! Another benefit of having a video is the positive effect it can have on your online presence. Websites with video tend to have people stick around longer. Search engines recognize this and assume the website is worthwhile so they rank them higher in search results. The higher your website is on Google’s search results, the more traffic your website will receive which should create more leads and sales. So there you have it; just some of the ways you can use video for marketing a manufacturing company. You’ll notice we’ve mainly focused on online video. That’s for a very good reason–DVD use is no longer as effective as it once was. Sure you can still use the DVD format and send a physical copy to prospective clients as a direct mail marketing piece however the cost to do this often produces a lesser return on investment (ROI). Having said that, test, measure and tweak everything to see what works best for you. Every company is different!