Using Video to Drive Traffic and Increase Conversions
Alright, alright…you already know that video is a really important piece in your marketing strategy. But, like, how do you actually use video? That’s what today’s Listen, with video-expert Chris Savage, is here to help you with. We’re gonna dive right in because there’s a lot to cover.
Note: this podcast player counts down instead of up so our timestamps go in reverse today. Weird, but it’ll make sense when you’re listening.
The fun starts at 34:03.
- (30:30) Blue Leads, a marketing agency, increased their close rate by 80% (damn!) when they created a personalized video to introduce prospects to the team members who they’ll be working with.
- (26:13) Wistia uses targeted video to get in front of prospects and make their name known to companies who don’t know them. Here’s an example of one they created for Slack. Notice that it’s simple, gives love to Slack, and doesn’t sell at all.
- (19:15) The biggest video fail: Don’t create a video that explains how great your company is. No one cares about you announcing your own success. And don’t attempt to create a video in which the only goal is to go viral.
- (17:26) You should consider video over other forms of content because video is the most emotional. It’s harder to be genuine on video, which is a good thing. That means if you are actually genuine, your customers and prospects will feel that.
- (14:32) Before you invest in video, start with a proof of concept video on your iPhone. From there, send it to someone and see how they react. You don’t need to engage with expensive outside firms to create videos.
- (6:55) Using videos in your cold emails can be extremely successful.
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How to Not Waste Time Generating Leads on LinkedIn
Generating leads requires a whole lotta finesse and a whole lotta time. In fact, about 65% of businesses say generating traffic and leads is their top marketing strife. We here ya…
Not to mention that many people aren’t using the platform with the highest-quality leads effectively. Yeah, we’re talking about you, LinkedIn. You elusive temptress, you.
Did you know that more than 80% of B2B leads sourced from social media come from LinkedIn? Problem is, most people are spending too much time on the process, without seeing that mmm mmm good ROI. Neil Patel over at Quicksprout is the man with plan, showing us how to generate leads on LinkedIn without wasting your time.
Here are just a few key points from today’s Read:
- Follow up with old leads before targeting new ones. 80% of sales need five follow-ups, but 44% of people give up after one. Wait about 3 days and then follow-up! Check in several times. Hey, it can even be automated. Businesses who use marketing automation experience a 451% increase in qualified leads.
- Put lead generation on autopilot with content marketing. Demonstrate your expertise to potential customers by publishing content on LinkedIn Pulse! (You can also republish posts from your biz blog.) Do it. One of LinkedIn’s most powerful features is its publishing platform. Here’s some dynamite advice:
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- always leave a call to action and a link at the end of each article
- publish actionable content readers can implement to experience a quick win
- only create content that will serve your ideal prospect
- promote your LinkedIn articles on other platforms
- publish evergreen articles
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- Stop harvesting cold leads. This is a 5-step process that Neil goes into a lot of detail about that we simply can’t squeeze into here.
- Join groups where your ideal prospects hang out. Consider the group size, level of engagement, and group rules, so you can get the most out of LinkedIn groups. How do you find them? Neil maps it out for you.
We only scratched the tip of the iceberg on this one.
The Legend Continues with Nas
If we ruled the world, Nas’s Illmatic would be required listening for all high school students. For everyone, really. It’s one of the most vital pieces of hip-hop history, and some us still bump it to this day. You could say we have real love for Nas at the tDC.
Not only is Nas headlining Advertising Week’s Opening Gala this week, but he stars in Timberland’s latest ad — a visual masterpiece that’s more about jazz than hip-hop. The footwear brand does an amazing job at creating a stunning animated ad, alive with swirls of color and Nas’ own story.
Honestly, it barely has anything to do with shoes (though the brand’s iconic boot is present throughout), Nas doesn’t even mention the brand until the last second. But the ad keeps you hooked with its story told through beautiful visual effects.
That’s probably what we like most about this one — it’s not directly tied to shoes, it’s more about a story.
And it sticks with you. Like your favorite Nas verse. Like those ever-recognizable Timberland boots.
“Create the conditions for creativity, everyone is creative but creativity takes nurturing.”
Piera Gelardi