Running an eCommerce store comes with its fair share of challenges – from attracting customers to retaining them as loyal customers. In 2019, studies revealed that only 3% of eCommerce website visits converted into sales. While advertising still remains an astute means to get customers, it doesn’t provide a solution to retaining them. This can be a huge problem, as it can lead to shopping cart abandonment and a decline in marketing ROI.
One of the major ways to solve this is by investing not only in content marketing but in video marketing. Nothing speaks volumes about the product like a video highlighting product features and reasons why customers should use a particular product or service. Although creating an eCommerce video might be quite overwhelming and costly, it’s a worthy investment that multiplies marketing ROI.
If you haven’t started using video marketing in eCommerce, there’s no better time than now. In this blog, you will learn how to use video marketing in your online store to multiply sales.
Why you should invest in video marketing
Video marketing remains an effective marketing tool for eCommerce brands, from high sales conversions to building quality brand-customer relationships.
Here are five benefits of video marketing.
- Boosts website SEO
There are millions of websites on the internet competing for the first page of search engines. This is a major challenge for eCommerce websites. Embedding a video on your webpage or product store can increase the chances of ranking above your competitors. This is because content with lots of visuals, such as videos and images, is considered more relevant and informative to search engine bots than those without videos and pictures.
- Increases brand awareness
Internet users love videos! High-quality, relatable and informative videos get more shares on social media, therefore increasing brand visibility organically.
- Drive massive sales
Another benefit of investing in video marketing is its ability to compel customers to purchase a product or service. 84% of online shoppers bought a product after watching a brand video. A large percentage of eCommerce brands got a new customer due to a video on social media.
- Increase brand credibility and authoritativeness
One of the ranking factors on search engines is authoritativeness. With informative videos, eCommerce websites can gain credibility and trust from their customers. This results in the possibility of ranking on the first page of SERPs.
- Generate quality backlinks
Embedding a video into a webpage or sales page nearly triples the average number of linking domains (Moz).
Types of product videos you can use to boost eCommerce video marketing
The types of videos you create is dependent on your marketing goal at a particular time. If you are unveiling a new product, a How-To video would come in handy. A Testimonial or Social proof video would work to drive product adoption or sales.
Listed below are five types of product videos that can help increase online sales.
- How-To Videos
This type of product video educates customers step by step on how to use a product or service without investing in experts or professionals. It can be a short DIY (Do-It-Yourself) video or an explainer video. This type of product video is perfect for sharing information about a product or service.
- Testimonial Videos
Testimonial videos are essential social proofs used to compel potential customers to make a purchase. If you’re trying to convert visitors to customers without being too “sale-sy”, testimonial videos are the perfect option.
- Product Videos
Product videos demonstrate to customers how to use a specific product or service. Highly engaging product videos can shorten the buyer’s journey through the sales funnel. Also, it can help win customers who are sceptical about making a purchase. They are effective marketing tools in converting first-time visitors to long-term customers.
- About Us Videos
This type of video is not very common but remains a potential marketing tool to drive sales. It can be a short video featuring the CEO sharing how the company started, brand goals, etc. Video ads featuring CEOs performed much better than those without a CEO.
- Story-based Videos
You can capture the heart of your customers with story-based videos. Sharing real-life experiences with your customers is a reliable conversion tactic.
How to use video marketing in eCommerce
Creating an effective and high converting eCommerce video can be boring and tiring without an actual plan in place. Although video marketing yields high conversions, the efforts can be futile without employing the right strategies.
Here are ten steps to using video marketing to boost online sales:
- Create a buyer persona
Understand what the deepest needs of your audience are. What are their pain points? What are they trying to solve? What stage are they on the sales funnel? These questions will help you create an engaging video that can drive profitable conversions.
Understanding your audience is the first and most crucial step in creating eCommerce videos. Invest time and resources in finding the right audience for your product, including relevant information like demographics and psychographics analysis.
- Set SMART goals and KPIs
Pen down the KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and goals you want to achieve with your videos. Without having clear goals and KPIs, you might get distracted by vanity metrics instead of focusing on essential metrics such as engagement and sales.
If the goal is to attract new visitors to your site, focus on measuring views, impressions, unique users, etc. On the other hand, if the goal is to track engagement, focus on measuring watch time, brand interest lift, consideration lift, etc.
- Have a budget
Producing a high-quality video is quite pricey. The cost also varies, from investing in quality equipment to hiring professional video experts, depending on video technicality. Having a budget will help limit investment in video production and allocate resources more effectively.
Still, you don’t need a large budget to get started. A smartphone with a quality camera and a handheld tripod is an excellent way to start. If you have a huge budget, you might consider hiring a professional videographer and editor.
- Pick the right products
Before setting the camera, selecting the right product is vital. Choosing the wrong product might not generate the desired conversion. The right product depends on several factors. Few of which includes:
- Seasonal products that only require promotion for a short time.
- The best selling product in the store.
- Products that are high in demand.
- The product with the highest return on investment.
- Have a video script
The video script keeps you on track and ensures that you don’t digress from the actual purpose of the video. An excellent video script bridges the gap between brand and customers. Use a compelling story that can provoke the emotions of the viewers and convert them to customers.
With a well-written video script, people can connect more with the brand. A good script should be straight to the point, concise, and gripping. To save time, you can hire the services of a freelance scriptwriter on freelance marketplaces like Fiverr and Upwork.
- Invest in high-quality videos
Video quality is one of the vital factors that determine the success of a video marketing strategy. A high-quality video helps to attract and retain customers. In addition to this, it builds credibility, authoritativeness, and brand image.
Since online shoppers are attracted to high-quality images, it’s only advisable to invest in one. The video should be well organized with aesthetically pleasing visuals.
Consider investing a few bucks in video hosting platforms like Adilo, Vimeo, etc. These video marketing platforms allow users to manage everything about video marketing in one place, from creating videos to hosting them online.
- Customize the video
Make the videos visually appealing and relatable by adding music and other things that attract your customers. Remove background noise, cut out unnecessary scenes in the video, add captions and music. For live videos or About Us videos, make the video sonically appealing by using a good microphone.
To drive better conversions, keep the videos short and engaging. The video should be between 30 seconds to 1 minute long. At most, 2 minutes long, except they are live videos.
- Use a strong Call to Action (C.T.A)
A CTA tells viewers what to do after watching a video. They create a sense of urgency in customers and compel them to take action. Without a CTA, viewers might get confused and forget about the video entirely!
After creating a riveting video, the next thing step is to close with a compelling CTA. A good CTA should not be too long. Instead, use simple and concise action words such as buy now! Subscribe now! Join the waiting list,e.t.c.
- Optimize videos for all devices
Most online shoppers like to watch videos on handheld devices like tablets and smartphones. Optimize videos to fit all devices, including mobile phones with compact screens.
- Share on other platforms
Content distribution is equally important as content creation. After video production, it’s vital to share it on various platforms, including social media, blogs, vlogs, and emails. For maximum reach, you can embed the video on your webpage to drive organic traffic.
Another option is incorporating the videos in mail newsletters and sharing them on social platforms.