With many businesses seeing their sales and traditional marketing efforts severely impacted by COVID-19 – it’s more important now more than ever before to stay on top of digital communications as part of marketing and sales strategies. 

If you haven’t started using video, (and yes, Zoom doesn’t count) now is the time to take a proactive approach to using video as a tool to build authenticity and trust during this time. 

Businesses around the world have had to adapt and spend more time focusing on their online presence, investing in their social media presence, live streaming, e-commerce websites, apps and other forms of digital technologies.  

As well as more brands looking to utilize videos, more consumers are now watching more videos than ever before and this is expected to grow – there is an average 19% increase year on year increase of consumer daily video viewing minutes. The result is more investment in the online video advertising space. This also means that there will be more competition and more businesses upskilling in creating the right type of video content at the right time for their business. Whether it’s B2C or B2B, video offers its audience content that can be swiftly delivered and digested, and can be both informative and personal.

We’ve come up with a few ways to integrate video into your business during lockdown:

How do I produce professional video content during a lockdown?

During lockdown, at VidOps we’ve seen a 66% increase in animation projects. Creating 2D animation is perfect during a lockdown scenario as the production of images is done using computer software such as to create precise and vivid animations. An animator can recreate graphics from previously created icons, logos or company assets that are already in development and turn them into something new and eye-catching. 3D animation, by virtue of being 3D gives animations a realistic look and feel and therefore is a great tool for products, demonstrations and process based information. Stock footage is handy when paired with a new storyboard and a great editor who can re-purpose the content for a new video.

Now that we’ve all had time to adjust to the new normal, many video and production companies have had time to integrate COVID-19 appropriate measures so that certain live shoots can take place. Each production company should have its own guidelines so check their new safety measures before productions begin and ensure your team is comfortable with any of the limitations they present.

How do I integrate video into my sales strategy?

As video becomes one of the easiest forms of communication today, the concept of using video as part of the sales process is becoming increasingly common. 

There are many ways to approach adding video to a sales strategy, from product videos, to personalised videos and testimonials. In a recent interview Jon Mowat (Author and MD of Hurricane) found that using created content in the sales process is  helpful and creates a customer who is more in tune with the service you’re providing and therefore more likely to move forward with the sale —  “Personalized video is an under-utilized tool and worth testing. From our experience, campaigns frequently generate 50%+ email open rates and 40%+ CTRs. The results speak for themselves" and close faster – in addition to increased click rates, higher open-rates, and greater engagement, video allows prospects to see your face. So next time you’re thinking about improving your sales pipeline, why not integrate a testimonial video from current customers, or personalised videos describing your product or service into the mix?

Instead of reinventing the wheel every time you want to create videos for your business, finding new creatives, unsure of how to go about writing scripts or storyboards, sourcing editors – at VidOps we're on a mission to change the way you create content, and make it easier to support your digital marketing strategy.

Original article published by Sales Tech Star: https://salestechstar.com/guest-authors/the-benefits-of-video-in-sales-marketing-today/