The Science of Business Videos and strategies for the sales cycle with Jules Blundell

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The science of business videos + sTraTegies for The sales cycle

cheat sheet by jules blundellAs a business decision maker, you already know that video is important.

You’ve certainly heard people say it enough, but you may have held back on video because you thought that you didn’t have a big

enough marketing budget to do it right.

Or, maybe you simply didn’t know where to start?

In this Cheat Sheet, we bring you video insights courtesy of Jules Blundell. Jules is a master of creating marketing collateral. From

brochures to business cards, she uses the science of influence to augment otherwise boring marketing tools.

Jules is also the founder of VideoBuzz, a company that takes the fundamentals of small business marketing and applies them to video.

In this lesson, we take a look at how you can incorporate explainer videos into your marketing strategy and analyze what types of

video work best at different points in the buying cycle.

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contents In thIs cheat sheet:1. Why explainer videos?

2. Four parts of the buying cycle

• suspects• Prospects• Leads• customers

3. What’s trendy in video? What’s passé?

Watch the video

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What is the not-so-FReaKY UnIVeRsItY?

It’s a library packed full of resources and courses. But unlike many other membership sites for entrepreneurial business owners and operators, the NSFU is dedicated to instruction. It is about providing the steps needed to achieve an outcome. The biggest barrier to achieving any goal is knowing where to begin. NSFU courses solve that problem, by providing a clear and repeatable path. Why the unusual name? We focus on the topics that freak out even the most seasoned business operators. We simplify technology trends, online marketing, leadership principles, raising money, boosting cashflow, pitching, presenting, productizing, starting a new business or re-engineering an old business to start again. Change is relentless. Myopia will kill you. We isolate the freaky in business and un-freakify it.

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WhY exPLaIneR VIdeos?

The explainer video is used by businesses to communicate a valuable message quickly. It is a

very simple way to deliver your message to your audience.

The reason for this comes down to customer behavior. Many people no longer want to read

text; they want to watch videos. People want to share easily. People want to be able to grasp

a concept quickly. People are time-poor. They want to engage with you when they are ready.

Video makes all those things possible.

Most people focus on the technical aspect of video. Smart business builders bring it back to

strategy. You already know that there are different times in the buying cycle to talk to your

customers and, at those times, you will need to talk to them in different ways.

The buying cycle starts with suspects, people who’ve just started researching.

“Most people focus on the technical aspect of video. Smart business

builders bring it back to strategy”

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WhY exPLaIneR VIdeos?

Maybe they’ve only recently realized that they have a problem. (Or maybe you’re about to

convince them that they have a problem!) They are poking around, doing background research.

Eventually, they might need someone like you. But not yet.

As a suspect builds confidence and certainty in what they need, they become prospects and

will start seeking more detailed information.

Then, you guessed it, they evolve into leads and begin asking more focused questions. And

lastly, they turn into conversions – you make a sale.

The thing is, each stage of the buying cycle needs a different kind of video. Let’s take a look at

each stage in the cycle in turn.

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BUYIng cYcLe PaRt 1: sUsPects

content: General

example: Promotional Video

Definition: Promotional videos provide a FIRST glimpse at what your company has to offer. This

type of video whill usually convey your company pitch or value proposition.

Key Points:

· Great script

· Not about you!

· No jargon

· Size matters

· Humor is contagious

· Production quality counts

Real world example:Dollar Shave Club’s promotional video makes great use of humor. It also captures the

audience’s attention within the first few seconds and, most importantly, it condenses the

company’s core message into a video.

Dollar Shave Club makes the simple, clear message, “shavers, once a month.” This is what your

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8promotional videos should reach for: condensing your message into its simplest form.

The simplest message is the most memorable.

By the third “why” you will usually have uncovered your core message.

BUYIng cYcLe PaRt 1: sUsPects

actIon stePs: Play “the Why game”Ask yourself what you do and keep asking why until you drill it down to a message as palatable as Dollar Shave Club’s.

things to ask:

• Why do you do what you do?

• Why do you do that?

• Why do you do that?

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Click to watch the video

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BUYIng cYcLe PaRt 2: PRosPects content: Specific

type: Educational Video

Definition: Educational videos provide specific information about your products and services.

Key Points:

· Scaffold their learning

· Keep it simple

· Add “WOW factor”

Real world example:

This humorous educational video from Letterbox Deals stars a little character (“Dave”) who,

while sitting at his desk, tells the viewer about his problem – with which, incidentally, they

relate. The video uses humor and wow factor. The content of the video speaks to prospects,

“The content of the video speaks to prospects, who want to know more

than suspects.”

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who want to know more than suspects. The first forty seconds of the video address each

item in what we like to call T.o.P (Target, obstacle, and Promise).

like the example from letterbox deals, the video aimed at your PRosPects should quickly

identify the three elements of t.o.P (right off the top!).

BUYIng cYcLe PaRt 2: PRosPects

actIon stePs: Know your t.o.P!Use a piece of paper to jot down the following:

• Who is your target audience?

• What is the obstacle facing them?

• What can you promise to do to help them?

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BUYIng cYcLe PaRt 3: Leads

type: Instructional Video

definition: Instructional videos provide detailed information about how your products or

services work. They can also outline other customers’ experiences.

Key Points:

· Step by step how to operate or use products or services

· Don’t worry about giving away intellectual property (IP); nobody does it like you!

· Word of mouth

Real World example:

Old-economy businesses believe that “the margin is in the mystery.” But that line of thinking

doesn’t work anymore in an age when sharing is marketing, simply put. The most successful

television chef you can think of became famous by sharing his or her “secret recipes.”

Instructional videos are your ticket to success through sharing what you know. Leads are

looking for expert knowledge. Consider an instructional video example from Daniel Priestley,

“...yet note how much free information he offers up in this video posted for all to

see on YouTube.”

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BUYIng cYcLe PaRt 3: Leads

who freely gives away some of his IP in a video called “5 Keys to Business Growth” from his

company, Entrevo. Priestley is a globally recognised entrepreneur and author – yet note how

much free information he offers up in this video posted for all to see on YouTube.

To see an example of a brilliant instructional video for a product, check out “Google Glass

How-To: Getting Started with Google Glass.”

actIon stePs: the “scooby doo” statementIt may sound strange but the best IP to give away is that piece of information that you think is obvious but consistently surprises others – so named “The Scooby Doo” statement for the sound Scooby makes when he is surprised! (This is how Leads should respond to your insights.)

Your action step is to write the most obvious statement that condenses your core message to a problem faced by your target audience. It may seem blindingly obvious to you but, for your leads (who want to know what you know), it is likely to be valuable information.

This is IP worth giving away!

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BUYIngcYcLe PaRt 4: cUstomeRs

type: Touch Point Videos

definition: Touch point videos provide encouragement for further engagement with your

customers.

Key Points:

· Create advocates by always showing how much you appreciate their business

· Give, give, give – create endless loops when transacting

· Create endless conversations with customers

Real World example:

Check out the “Social Media Guard” video from Coca Cola. The amusing clip introduces a

problem we all face: social media’s effect on interpersonal relationships. The solution?

Ultimately, it’s the same as it has been for over a century now: share a Coke!

Coke has a massive budget and a global customer base but you can still learn from this video.

Coke seldom faces the burden of having to sell its product to a new customer – everyone has

tried Coke. As a result, its advertising is, by and large, aimed at the existing customer.

“Continue to entertain and educate your customers with videos that distinguish

them from other parts of the buying cycle”

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BUYIngcYcLe PaRt 4: cUstomeRs

Continue to entertain and educate your customers with videos that distinguish them from

other parts of the buying cycle by offering solutions to problems relevant to them.

actIon stePs: What headaches can you cure for your customers?To keep maintain engagement with your customers, create a list of headaches you can cure for them. This list of ideas will provide topics that you can talk about in videos on an ongoing basis, earning repeat business in the process.

Take out a sheet of paper and list four or five problems that your products or services can solve for your customers. Now, what are other ways to solve those problems? By showcasing solutions in a thorough way, you build loyalty and avoid perceptions of self-bias.

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What’s tRendY In VIdeo? What’s Passé?

Your success in video comes down to choosing the right video message at the right time.

What’s passé? What’s Trendy?

White board animations Strong, colorful illustrations

Doing it yourself Outsourcing to specialists/pros

Video of you talking about your company “It’s not about you”

Describing what you do Talking about their problems/pains

Features and benefits Solutions to their problems

Believing videos sell themselves Having a marketing plan

No strategic intent/no return on investment Lots of strategic intent/ROI

Believing your video will go viral Not chasing viral; chasing “niche”

Ukulele and whistle music Anything else

Using text for your key message Having a video, front and center

Not having a collection of videos Multiple videos for different audiences

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Jules Blundell is the Founder & Director of VideoBuzz. Today, business owners are overwhelmed by the multitude of new ways to communicate with customers. New digital platforms pop up seemingly overnight and mobile devices have revolutionized how information is consumed. VideoBuzz takes company messages and turns them into fun and engaging videos that can be shared and consumed in a variety of ways at different points in the buying cycle.

LInKs

VideoBuzzJules Blundell on LinkedIn

Click to watch the video