5 Types of Video Content Perfect for Each Stage of the Customer Journey (original) (raw)

Few people buy on a first look.

Way before they take money out of their pockets, people are looking for a solution to a problem. When they become aware of something that may solve that problem, they need to consider which solution is better. Finally, they need to choose wisely among providers that solve the same problem but in different (faster, cheaper, better) ways.

How do you create engaging content to boost each step of the customer journey and help prospects get through your sales funnel?

Video is an ideal tool, especially to explain the most complex ideas and concepts. Videos also are great for audience retention and can increase purchase intent by 97%. Besides, video is great for sharing cool content on your favorite social media channels.

Videos are great for audience retention & can increase purchase intent by 97%, says @MediaPost. Share on X

Now, the thing is, a single video will not suit each stage of your sales funnel. Let’s dive in to learn what types of video content are better for each stage of the buyer’s journey.

Educational videos at top of funnel

People realize they have a problem and search for a way to solve it, but they often don’t know what type of product, item, or service they need. They are in the “awareness” or “interest” stage of the sales funnel.

Educational videos are the perfect type of video content to cover this top part of the funnel. These types of videos don’t blatantly promote your product or service. Instead, they reveal valuable and useful information to help your audience understand how their problem can be solved. And the best thing is that they do it in an informative way.

Educational videos are the perfect type to cover the top part of funnel, says @juanjo101. Share on X

Educational videos help you attract new audiences and potential clients by showing them how you can help them learn how to solve their problems. They show your brand as a valuable resource interested in educating your audiences.

In addition, educational videos can work well to generate leads through social-media sharing and help SEO when posted to YouTube (No. 2 search engine after Google).

Educational videos help #SEO when posted to @YouTube, the #2 search engine after @Google via @brandwatch. Share on X

Example: Yum Yum Video’s animated educational video ranks first for its related keywords (“explainer video,” “explainer videos,” and “best explainer video style” among others) and has over 130,000 organic views on YouTube:

Explainer videos for middle of funnel

Once your potential customers know the possible solutions to their problem, they’re ready to consider their options. At this stage, you must be clear on what you’re selling and, at the same time, showcase your brand in an engaging way. People need to understand your product or service and begin to believe in it and the brand. They aren’t likely to buy from you if they can’t trust you or your solution.

Explainer videos are the best format for this particular stage. They can make the perfect pitch every time – literally explaining (not plainly showing) how your product or service solves the problem. They differ from any other kind of video style due to their use of storytelling and, in most cases, appealing and stimulating animation.

Just like educational videos, explainer videos also are super shareable on social media because of their content and length. (They shouldn’t be longer than 2 minutes.)

Explainer videos are super shareable on #socialmedia because of their content & length, says @juanjo101. Share on X

It’s quite awesome to combine educational and explainer videos in a content-focused customer-journey campaign because one naturally leads to the next. Educational videos drive new visitors to your site as they’re trying to solve a problem. Once they learn how to solve the problem, your explainer videos can show them how to implement the solution.

TIP: Include a clear call to action based on your marketing objective at the end of every explainer video.

Example: Here’s a cool explainer video from The Hire Lab (formerly WizZki), an online hiring platform. Watch how the first seconds tell an engaging story (including superheroes and villains) and introduce the characters and their problems; at the 40-second mark the brand appears to save the day. Once the viewer is hooked by some fun storytelling, the rest of the video explains how the app solves the characters’ problems and even shows a few features.

Demos, testimonials, and more videos for bottom of the funnel

OK, your potential customers have learned all about the problem and sorted out a solution to it. They have trusted you enough to download your e-book or subscribe to your newsletter. The thing is, they’ve probably done the same thing with your competition.

But now it’s time for them to make a decision. Time to analyze your product features in detail. Time to see which brand stands out and is better than the rest.

A demo video is the right type of video content for the final stage of your sales funnel. Your prospects are willing to invest more time for you at this moment of their journey because they need to analyze your features, your advantages, and your disadvantages before they take their money out of their pockets.

A demo video can run up to 10 minutes because the viewer is eager to learn the details. The screencast technique – a recorded screen share with narration and/or subtitles – is a popular low-cost option for demo videos.

Example: This demo video shows how the commodity-oriented C-Track platform works; it displays its main features in real time without adding any post-production footage or special effects.

Testimonial videos are also perfect for the “action” stage. Third-party endorsements of your product, service, or company are an excellent way to generate brand trust. But they require a higher budget. You need people to tell others about your product and your company and explain why they chose you instead of the competition.

Third-party- endorsement videos are an excellent way to generate brand trust, says @juanjo101. Share on X

Example: Here’s a great testimonial by LaBarge Media for ALDI supermarkets. By telling the story of manager trainee Amanda in first person, it reveals authentic real-life values easily linked to the brand itself, noting the benefits of working with ALDI at the same time:

“About” videos are another great option. Besides generating brand trust, their genuine nature and involvement of people who are in charge of the company (most include a few words from the CEO or president) show the world how your team works and solves the problem of your potential customer.

Example: Here’s a neat About video by inbound marketing firm HubSpot. In the first few seconds, the two founders detail the mission and vision of the company, then explain why people choose them, and finally add social proof by disclosing their main achievements:

Conclusion

It’s important to choose the right type of video content for each stage of your sales funnel – a handy educational video to make your potential customers aware of your brand, an entertaining explainer video to help them understand what you do, or an honest testimonial that leads them to decide why they should choose your company among others. Videos are definitely the best type of marketing content nowadays, but to get the best results you have to make good choices.

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Cover image via Ryan McGuire