In our tech savvy world, if you want to find out how to do something, all you need to do is go on YouTube. Whether it’s how to wallpaper a room, change a tyre or solve a problem with your smartphone, you can normally find at least three or four videos that explain what to do. Some of these are made by amateur enthusiasts, many are created by companies hoping to boost engagement.
For businesses, video is proving to be a great marketing tool that, done well, delivers exceptional results.
But will a few how-to videos actually lead more people to buy your product?
While not as direct as a traditional advert, get your tutorial right and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t see a boost in sales and connection to your business.
Building Trust and Visibility
The first big thing a how-to video can do for your business is create trust between you and the viewer. You are not selling directly but you are providing useful information that they are actually looking for.
Video is also a pretty good way to improve SEO. Why? Well, YouTube is owned by Google and since that relationship started, they have been keen to introduce video on search engine results. There are a number of ways to optimise your video so that it appears high in the rankings and that in turn can lead more people to visit your site and find out what you are offering.
On the surface, while your brand is simply coming to someone’s aid when they are looking for a solution to a particular problem, it’s actually beginning to develop a relationship.
For instance, let’s say you’re a local solicitor and you want to get more people contacting you for a particular service you offer. Rather than creating an ad, a tutorial on how to do something specific, such as making a claim for personal injury, is probably more likely to be viewed. It will create a sense that you are helpful and knowledgeable about a subject and perhaps someone the viewer can contact.
The Buying Cycle and How-To Videos
How these types of video exert their effect is different from direct marketing material like pay per click video ads. It’s usually more important to have tutorials for the beginning of the buying cycle where the consumer has a problem but isn’t quite sure what they need.
How-to videos can also be used later in the buying cycle after a product has been purchased. For example, if you have a new smartphone, posting tutorials about how to get the best out of it can create a stronger bond between you and the consumer that lasts over time. They might upgrade later on or buy accessories from you because they like your brand and your tutorials.
The Key to How-To Videos
The big factor you need to think about before you start shooting any video is whether your content is going to be useful. It’s important to put the idea of sales and increased revenue on the back burner and start considering what your customer is looking for.
You also need to look for consistency when you are producing a series of videos so that all your content shares your brand ethos and meets the same high production values. The more content you develop and post online, the more feedback you will get about how your consumers interact with it and which subjects work best for future projects.
Finally, our biggest tip is to keep your how-to videos short and as focused as possible. Try not to have too many different things going on and concentrate on one particular problem or need that your customer wants to solve. Talk to our video experts today to discuss how to build how-to videos into your overall video strategy to make them work effectively for your organisation.