If you are searching for a way to leverage video messaging for sales in your business, you have come to the right place. With the sales landscape becoming increasingly competitive, it’s worth your time to think about effective ways to connect with prospects and increase your conversion rates. After all, even if you aren’t thinking about these new strategies and tactics, you can be reasonably sure that your competitors are.
So the fact that you recognize the power of video for sales is an excellent first step. As I’ll describe below, video in the sales context is effective for so many different reasons. Whether you are trying to promote a new product or service or simply want to upsell to your current clients, video can help you reach your goals. It really is that powerful.
In this lengthy post, I want to cover several different things. For starters, we are going to talk about why video is so powerful in the sales context. Whether you are just getting started with video messaging for sales or have been doing it for some time, you’ll get a great sense of why your work is worth it. From there, we’re going to discuss ways that we can use video messages to connect with any type of audience. Then, we’ll speak about some mandatory and optional items to get started with video messaging for sales. Finally, we’ll wrap it up with some first principles and how Dubb can help you create fantastic video messages for sales.
Are you ready? Let’s jump into it.
Table of Contents
Humans Are Attracted to Visuals
Humans Are Attracted to Storytelling
Video Helps You Build Relationships
Why Video Messages Can Be So Effective
Video Messages Can Offer You a Positive ROI
Video Messages Are Easy to Make
Video Messages Can Be More Engaging
Types of Video Messages for Sales
What You Absolutely Need to Get Started
Recording, Editing, and Distribution Software
Some Optional Items For Your Video Messages
First Principles in Video Messaging For Sales
How Dubb Can Help With Video Messaging For Sales
Getting Started With Video Messaging For Sales
Why Video Is So Powerful
To start this post off, I want us to take a hard look at why video is so powerful in the sales context. It’s important to discuss this because you have plenty of options whenever you are communicating with your audience. If you are sending a quick message to a specific prospect, you may opt for a quick email or text message. If you need to address some specific questions about your product or service, you may opt for a longer phone call.
All of these methods can work. There is a reason why things like cold calling have lasted for so long. That being said, I think we’re in a new era where video can be a fantastic tool when you are communicating with virtually anyone.
Why, you may ask? I think it comes down to several different reasons.
Humans Are Attracted to Visuals
For starters, video is so powerful because it is tapping into a deep, long-lasting preference that all of us have. That preference is toward visual images. One study showed that 90% of the information that is transmitted to the brain is visual.
Millions of years ago, this was extremely relevant. We needed to rapidly process visuals because there could be a dangerous predator lurking behind some bushes. While we don’t face the same threats that our earliest ancestors did, our brains haven’t evolved quickly enough to reduce this preference.
If you are looking to capitalize on video for sales, however, you can use this fact to your advantage. Simply put, because our brains have a preference for video, your video content has a higher likelihood of being retained by your audience. In other words, by sending a video message to any type of audience, you have a much better chance of standing out. If your competitors are sending text-based messages and you are sending video messages, your message will probably resonate more strongly with your audience.
This is a big deal. Putting aside the actual content of your message, the fact that you are communicating via video puts you in a great place. In effect, because we are attracted to visuals (and will be for the foreseeable future), you are giving yourself a head start in appealing to your audience.
Humans Are Attracted to Storytelling
Along with our natural inclination to visuals, video messaging is so powerful because it lets us tell intriguing stories.
Like visuals, our brains are attracted to stories. Ever since our earlier days around the campfire, we have been attracted to hearing fascinating stories. Stories give our lives meaning. Whether they are funny stories, serious stories, or entertaining stories, they can give us important lessons about life and tell us about the storytellers themselves.
Granted, you can tell great stories through text-based communication. Just look at the great stories that are told in books.
Having said that, there is something to be said about telling stories in a visual way. Instead of forcing your audience to imagine the story that you’re telling, you can simply show them. Through the power of video, you can take them inside the story, which makes your story more engaging and entertaining. And yes, you can certainly do this in a business context. Whether you are telling the story of your company’s founding or are telling a story behind how a recent product or service was created, you can make those stories more engaging by using video.
Video Helps You Build Relationships
Along with the reasons above, video is so powerful because it helps you build relationships with virtually anyone. Video makes this job easier for so many different reasons. For starters, two of those reasons are above. Because video leverages visuals and lets you tell compelling stories, you are able to build better relationships with your audiences.
Going beyond those reasons, video is so effective in building relationships because it is so personal. Sure, you can send a personal email or text message to a prospect or client. However, by sending a quick video message to that prospect or client, you get to give them a different experience. Your recipient can not only physically see you, but they can hear your tone of voice. They can subconsciously account for the microexpressions that you are throwing off when you are speaking to the camera.
Combining all of these things, you can deliver a much more personal and intimate experience than you would via another medium. By putting in the work over time, you are in a great position to build a long-term relationship with your specific audience.
Video Can Save You Time
This is an underrated benefit of video that you will certainly want to use. It comes from the fact that video can help save you time. For instance, if you need to communicate with a colleague, you can do what many of us do and open up your favorite email client. You can type a lengthy email and send it to your colleague.
While this can certainly be a way to communicate with your colleague, it may not be the most efficient way. Typing out a long email takes a significant amount of time. By shooting a video, however, you will likely save time. You don’t need to type, edit, and recheck your copy. Instead, you can pull out your cell phone, share your thoughts on camera, and then send them to that colleague. In other situations, you could even create quick screen recordings and send them to your coworkers (screen recordings are particularly valuable if you are working on a problem with a digital product).
In the end, some people may think that it takes a longer amount of time to shoot and send a video. However, the simple reality is that shooting a video takes a lot less than you think. All you need to do is pull out your cell phone and talk. Most videos don’t need dramatic editing. Ultimately, keep this in mind as you are marrying video and sales. You can save some valuable time, and you can put that time to work in other, more important areas.
Why Video Messages Can Be So Effective
Those are just four reasons why video can be such a powerful tool. Whether you just started a startup or work in the marketing department of a much larger company, you should seriously consider incorporating video into your day-to-day work.
With all of that said, this post is all about video messaging for sales. In other words, it is about the way to use video in a sales context. There’s great news here. Video is an excellent way to find new clients for your business. In particular, video messages can go a long way in helping you hit your sales goals and growing your organization.
I think there are several important reasons why video messages can be so effective.
Video Messages Can Offer You a Positive ROI
For starters, video messages can offer you an extremely positive return on investment. What do I mean by this? Basically, by incorporating video messages into your sales process, you get a substantial bang for your buck.
Video messaging is a great example of an asymmetric bet. Asymmetric bets are bets where the potential upside is substantially greater than the potential downside. With these sorts of bets, your potential losses are very small while your potential gains are sky high. These are extremely attractive bets to make because you can put in a little to get a lot.
So how does this apply to video messages? Basically, it doesn’t take that much time to make a video message. All you need to do is pull out your phone, hit record, and then distribute that video to your audience. From the moment you hit record to the moment you hit send, it may take only a few minutes. However, the effect of that message can be much larger.
With just one video message, you can potentially earn a customer for your life. That video message can be everything from a quick check-up call on an interested prospect or a longer video message which explains your product or service. Whatever it is, sending that video message, especially if it is personalized, to a specific audience member can move mountains. What costs just a few minutes of your time can result in thousands of dollars for your business.
Don’t forget this fact when you are making video messages. Even if you aren’t seeing the traction that you want to see right now, one video message can literally change the course of your business. The return on investment is that substantial. In fact, one study showed that you can obtain a 20 to 30 percent increase in conversions by leveraging the power of video. Don’t forget this as it can go a long way in helping you reach your sales goals.
Video Messages Are Easy to Make
There isn’t just a significant ROI when you are creating video messages for your business. Ultimately, video messages are so effective because they are easy to make. By now, you can tell that you can leverage a quick three-step process for many of your video messages. That three-step process? Pull out your phone, record a selfie video, and send it directly to your audience.
Using a tool like Dubb, making a great video message is easy as pie. Let’s face it: our day-to-day lives are extremely busy. Not only do we need to put out fires on a daily basis, but we also need to work on projects and tasks that serve our businesses well for the long term. In some situations, it’s difficult to think of an opening where you can work on video messages.
If you are feeling these fears, there’s no need to worry. As you can see, you can capitalize on video messages in an extremely short amount of time. Whether you have a few minutes before a meeting or are even driving on your way to work, you can incorporate video messages into your sales process.
In the end, don’t overthink it. For the vast majority of use cases, there really isn’t a need to invest in expensive equipment or sleek sets to send effective video messages. All you need to do is take action right now.
Video Messages Can Be More Engaging
Not only are video messages easy to make. They tend to be more engaging than other types of communication with your prospects or clients.
I mentioned some of the reasons above. By using video in your messaging, you can tell better stories and leverage visuals in unique ways. But going beyond the inherent qualities of video, video messages can be more engaging because your audience can interact with your video content.
The magic comes when you offer ways for your audience to respond to your video messages. But let’s take one step back.
When you are sending a video message in a business context, you might have a variety of goals. You may, for instance, want to simply follow up with a prospect or check in with a current client. With all of that said, the overarching goal of video messages for sales is to generate sales. While there may be ancillary benefits that come from that, we are primarily sending video messages to generate revenue.
With this background in mind, you’ll be able to see how video can make your content more engaging and accomplish your revenue goals. The power all comes from something called a call to action (CTA). You can basically think of a CTA as a tool that can lead your audience members down your sales funnel. Essentially, a CTA is a tool that leads a person from point A to point B. It is a way to both provide value to your audience (thereby, making your video more engaging) and making it more likely that he or she will purchase your product or service.
If you include a CTA with your video message, you can make that video message much more engaging. You increase the odds that your audience will remember your message. Not only that, but you increase the odds that your audience member will follow up with you or your company. Your CTA can be so many different things (like scheduling a call on your calendar), so you’ll definitely want to take advantage of them in your video messages.
Video Messages Are More Fun
Finally, I want to mention one important characteristic of video messaging for sales. That is the fact that video messages are simply more fun to create. There are so many different ways that you can construct and design your video message, which means that you have that many more opportunities to be creative.
Sure, you can be creative when using text-based communication. You can tell an extremely creative story in email copy that you send to your audience. However, it can be an arduous process. Writing any sort of copy not only takes time, but it is difficult to find the right words to tell your story.
I think that creating a video message is easier and more fun. You can use your camera in so many different ways. You can tell a story directly to the camera or by recording a conversation that you have with a colleague or friend. You can include graphics, emojis, or other fun elements on the screen. Or you can choose to have a combination of all of the above.
Ultimately, the choice is yours. Whatever you choose, you will quickly discover that making video messages can be a ton of fun. Whether you are creating video messages yourself or with your larger team, have fun with it. Don’t take it too seriously. By embracing it, you’ll actually make better and more engaging video messages.
Types of Video Messages for Sales
So as you can see, there are plenty of reasons why video messaging for sale can be a great choice for your business. From building better relationships with prospects and clients to helping you save time, video messages can provide so much value for your organization.
With all of that said, if you are creating video messages for the first time, you may not know what types of video messages you can create. You may even be intimidated at the start.
The good news is that there’s no need to feel daunted or intimidated. Yes, there are several types of video messages that you can leverage to get started. In other words, you don’t necessarily start from scratch. But having said that, there’s no need to religiously follow these templates. If you have a great idea of how to use video messages for sales in your business, don’t hesitate to pursue it. It may lead you down a really unique path to build relationships with your audience and generate more sales.
The Selfie Video
This is really your bread and butter for video messages for sales. I’m sure that you’ve shot selfie photos or videos in your personal life. As you know, a selfie video is extremely easy to shoot. All you need to do is take out your cell phone, hit record, and start speaking to the camera. The same is true if you are recording a selfie video on your laptop or tablet. Simply open up your camera app and start recording.
Selfie videos are so effective for video messages. Primarily, their effectiveness comes from your face being in the center of the frame. It is an intimate way of communicating with and speaking to your audience members—no matter the actual content. It’s almost as if you were in the same room as your audience members.
Really, you can shoot selfie videos wherever you are. The natural place to do this is at your desk. However, you don’t need to restrict yourself. You can shoot selfie videos in your car, on a walk, or even when you’re out to lunch.
Selfie videos are normally short. They can be as little as a few seconds to as long as a minute or two. These types of video messages are especially great as a way to quickly get in (or stay in) touch with a particular prospect. For example, if you just met a new prospect, you can send him or her a quick selfie video message. That video message can thank him or her for meeting you and can direct that individual to your website (or any other resource). Through only just a few clicks of your cell phone, you can easily send a quick, personalized follow-up message to that individual prospect. By doing so, you’re making it more likely that he or she will become a paying customer.
That’s just one way to use selfie videos. You can also create a quick selfie video to check in with a key customer. If that customer recently made a substantial purchase, you can create a quick check-in selfie video and send that to that customer. Below that selfie video, you can also include a CTA option that lets your customer send a video message of their own or schedule a call on your calendar.
There are so many possibilities here. If you are looking for a great way to get started with video messaging for sales, you should start with selfie videos. Shoot a couple and see how they turn out. If you don’t like the selfie video style or are looking for some more variety in your communications, you can rely on some of the other possibilities below.
Product Release Videos
Your video messages can also contain product release videos. These tend to be longer than quick selfie videos that you shoot for individual audience members. That said, product release videos can be a great way to build hype and buzz over a new product or service that you are releasing.
For instance, let’s say that you are releasing a brand new digital product for your audience. This digital product was months in the making, so you want to make sure that your launch is successful. Days before the launch, you can create and distribute a product release video. That product release video can discuss many different things, including the digital product itself, the reason why you and your team created the digital product, some of the key features that you’ll find on the product, and more.
Essentially, with a product release video, you can build both functional and emotional connections with your audience. The functional connection comes in the form of learning more about the digital product and how it can help their lives. But beyond that, a product release video can help you build an emotional connection. If, for instance, you speak about why you created the product and explain the value that it can create in your users’ lives, your audience members will trust you more. They will understand that you’re willing to let your customers and audience into your tribe. It may seem small, but this emotional connection can help you win customers for life.
Ultimately, if you are coming out with a new product or service, you’ll want to seriously consider creating a product video. Once you do, you can easily send that video through a video message. You’ll find that your product launch is more likely to be successful and you’ll be strengthening relationships with your audience.
Testimonial Videos
This is another outstanding way that you can use video messaging for business. To put it simply, testimonial videos can go a long way in building your credibility in the eyes of your audience. After viewing a testimonial video, your audience will be more likely to make a purchase.
We’ve all seen testimonial videos. They come in different forms, but at their core, they include a satisfied customer talking about their experience with your product, service, colleagues, or company. In these videos, the individual is usually enthusiastic, speaking about their great experience and how they were extremely satisfied.
Testimonial videos are powerful. Primarily, it is because an individual unaffiliated with your organization is speaking highly of your organization. Even if you have the sleekest and most “professional” marketing video, your audience will intuitively recognize that your organization is behind the video. They know that you have an agenda (namely, generating sales), so they may have some skepticism—even if it is slight—about the truthfulness of your claims.
Testimonials are different. Their difference lies in the fact that you are borrowing the satisfied customers’ credibility. Essentially, your company gets to take advantage of the fact that a non-partisan source of information (a satisfied customer) is speaking highly of your company, product, or service. Instead of your company being the messenger, the messenger is a normal person.
Essentially, testimonial videos leverage the word-of-mouth effect. Word of mouth is one of the most effective ways to market a product or service. Once again, it comes down to trust and credibility. Therefore, if you can create and distribute testimonial videos, you get an automatic bolster of your company’s credibility. Therefore, when you are using video messaging for sales, definitely consider recording and distributing testimonial videos. You won’t regret it.
Catch Up Videos
When you are designing a strategy for video messaging for sales, it’s natural to focus on creating videos for prospects or individuals that are earlier in your sales pipeline. After all, your organization is always trying to find new customers. New customers represent growth and all of the benefits that come from organizational growth.
I get the focus on new customers. However, that shouldn’t come at the cost of staying in touch with your current clients or customers.
Selling to your current customers can be one of the most profitable ways for your business to generate sales. You don’t need to find interested prospects and move them down your sales funnel. Instead of that, you can provide value to individuals who have already found value from your organization.
So how does this tie in with video messaging for sales? I think that one of the best ways to keep in touch with your current customers and clients is through catch up videos. By catch up videos, I mean very quick videos that are personalized. In most instances, this comes in the form of selfie videos. What you can do is pull out your cell phone, record a quick greeting or follow up, and then send it to that customer. Critically, you don’t need to be selling anything to create a catch up video. In some circumstances, by being too salesy, you may actually be hurting your cause.
A great example of this occurred during the height of Covid-19. In March and April 2020, for instance, we were all trying to deal with the ramifications of a global pandemic. With lockdowns and social distancing becoming common, you could have reached out to some of your critical clients. In these catch up videos, you could have reached out and simply asked how your clients were doing during those unprecedented times. Going in for a hard sell would have likely hurt you. Instead of that, you could have reached out on a personal level, with the intention of helping your clients as they needed it. In the long-term, reaching out on this personal level can actually increase your chances of making further sales.
While Covid-19 is an extreme example, it shows the power of staying in touch with your current clients. Doing so through a catch up video is a quick and easy way to maintain—and even build—those important customer relationships.
What You Absolutely Need to Get Started
There are so many types of video messages for sales that you can create. Those are just four outstanding examples. Even if you just rely on those four, you will be in a fantastic position to use video messaging for sales.
At this point, you may have a great idea of the type of video messaging for sales that you want to create. If so, great! If not, there’s no need to worry. You can think about it for some time before you make a decision. Don’t think for too long, however. The best way to get started with video messaging is to create video messages—no matter what they are. Once you get in the habit of doing this, you’ll find a type (or types) of video messages that speak most to you.
Before you start recording your first video message, however, you’ll need some tools. The good news is that there aren’t too many tools that you’ll need. That being said, without all of these tools, you won’t be able to create any type of video message. Therefore, make sure that you have them before proceeding. It can help you avoid any unnecessary headaches as you get started creating video messages for sales.
Some Sort of Camera
No matter what type of video message that you’re creating, you are going to need some type of camera. Most often, this will be in the form of your cell phone camera. Whether you have an iPhone, Android, or some other type of smartphone, you’ll discover that your cell phone camera is likely good enough for your video messaging needs.
If you are recording from a stationary location (like inside your office), you may also consider using your laptop’s camera. Your laptop’s camera likely isn’t as good as your cell phone camera, but it is another option if you want it.
Now, when discussing cameras, it is easy to think about purchasing some advanced or expensive camera for your video messages. If you want to do so, there certainly is no one that can stop you. However, I’d encourage you to think hard before making that purchase. In the vast majority of scenarios, the camera that you have will be sufficient.
Let’s face it: with video messaging for sales, you aren’t necessarily creating the sleekest type of video. Most of what you shoot will be good enough for your purposes. Because of this, you certainly shouldn’t feel any pressure to invest in an expensive camera. It’s better to use the camera you currently have and begin making video messages than be overly contemplative about the camera that you think you need.
Recording, Editing, and Distribution Software
Shooting your footage isn’t enough. Even if you create the world’s best selfie video, you still need a way to get it to your intended audience. Moreover, you may not have necessarily created the best selfie video. Your raw video may need some work, whether that is a quick trim or edit or something more involved.
It is for this reason that you need to invest in some recording, editing, and distribution software. Better is software that includes all of these features under one roof. Because video messages for sales are a digital-based medium, having this type of software is non-negotiable.
I may be biased, but I believe that Dubb is the best solution if you want software for video messaging for sales. As I will describe later in this article, Dubb provides you with all of the tools that you need to create outstanding video messages for your audiences. Whether you are looking for a wealth of CTAs, ways to keep your audience engaged with your video messages, or simply a way to automatically send video messages to certain members of your audience, you can do so by using Dubb’s tools. Better yet, there is a plan for everyone, meaning that you will find the tools that you need according to your particular budget.
Even if you choose not to become a Dubb user, there are tools out there that can help you record, edit, and distribute your software. No matter the tools that you use, you’ll need them to create your video messages and send them to your audiences. Don’t forget this step.
Patience and Determination
Finally, this is another “must-have” that is often overlooked when creating video messages for sales. Patience and determination aren’t things that you can buy at a store, yet they are a requirement when you are taking on this work.
If you are creating video messages for the first time, there may be a situation where you aren’t getting as much traction as you expect. There’s no need to panic in these early days. What you need to do is take a cold, hard look at what is working and what isn’t working.
Using a tool like Dubb, for instance, you can leverage a whole host of analytics. These analytics can tell you how your audience is really reacting to your video messages. From there, you can double down on what is working and avoid what isn’t working. While it may take some time to see the results of this iterative work, you can be confident that you’ll see more traction in your video messages. No matter what your goals are, being patient and determined will help you achieve them.
Some Optional Items For Your Video Messages
Now, let’s talk about some optional items that can help you create video messages for sales. These optional items can make your life easier and can help you create better-looking video content. However, the key word here is optional. If you want to start creating video messages right now or you don’t have the budget to invest in some production equipment, you can ignore this entire section.
That being said, there is something to be said about using some of these items to create your video messages. While they won’t automatically get you sales in and of themselves, they can make your videos look better. They may even make your video messages more engaging.
So let’s jump in.
A Different Camera
I alluded to this above. While your smartphone camera will work in most circumstances, you may want a different camera to capture video. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this. There are plenty of cameras that can help you record outstanding video content.
Before purchasing a camera, however, you want to make sure that it actually suits your needs. There are some cameras out there that can help you take beautiful (even stunning) video. That stunning video, however, comes with a hefty price tag. If budget is not an issue, then that shouldn’t be a problem. For most of us, however, we can’t spend thousands of dollars on a camera that we don’t necessarily need. We need to be economical with our sales and marketing budget—particularly towards equipment that we’ll use to make sales videos.
Therefore, when you are considering another camera for your video messaging work, make sure that you are buying a camera that meets your needs and fits your budget. It may take some time to find that camera, but rest assured that it is out there. If you find it, you can create some stellar video content, whether you are in a stationary location or on the go.
A Different Microphone
Microphones are another important tool when creating any type of video message. It intuitively makes sense. Without great audio, you’ll find it hard to create effective video messages for sales.
If you are on a bare-bones budget, your phone or computer’s microphone will likely work. While it isn’t the greatest quality, it will get the job done—especially if you are recording on your cell phone. But having said this, a different microphone can be a great investment. It dramatically enhances the sound quality of all of your videos. Better sound quality is less distracting to the viewer, and because of this, they can more fully concentrate on what you’re actually saying. And by being able to more fully concentrate on what you’re saying? You’re able to increase your odds of making sales.
Like cameras, there are plenty of microphones on the market. You can see this by going on Amazon and searching for microphones. That said, there are two general types of microphones that I want to highlight here.
The first type is a podcasting microphone. Even if your company doesn’t have a podcast, a podcasting microphone is a great microphone to use in your video messages. They are best used if you are in a stationary position. For instance, if you want to record a conversation with a team member about an important item in the news, you can sit down at a table and place a podcasting microphone between both of you. You’ll get great sound quality and the video will look polished. Whenever you are stationary, a podcasting microphone can be an essential tool.
If you are on the go, however, you may want to invest in a lavalier microphone. As you may already know, a lavalier microphone is a little microphone that you attach to your clothing. If you watch TV news anchors, for instance, you’ll notice that they wear lavalier microphones. Lavalier microphones are great choices if you are recording selfie videos away from the office. They can be useful if you are recording a quick video message from a convention or other in-person event. You can even use them when interviewing a satisfied customer or gathering a testimonial. Whatever the case may be, lavalier microphones can be extremely useful.
Those are just two examples, but they go to show that there are solid microphones out there to help you with your video messaging needs. Once again, evaluate your budget and do your due diligence. If you want to invest in another microphone, you’ll find one that suits you.
Lighting
Lighting may not be at the top of your mind when you are creating video messages for sale. However, lighting can make a big difference in the quality of your videos.
The base case is pretty obvious. With poor lighting, your audience won’t be able to see your face (especially if you are making a selfie video). Without being able to see your face, your audience will be disengaged. All of your hard work probably won’t pay off. On the contrary, if you have great lighting for all of your video messages, your videos will be extremely engaging. Your audience members may not consciously recognize it, but they will notice that your videos are simply better.
Whenever we are talking about lighting and video messages, it is easy to think that you need to buy something like a selfie light. While you can get some better lighting by using a selfie light, there are likely better options for you. For example, an LED grid light can offer some great lighting for your stationary videos. They are pretty inexpensive and they can go a long way in giving you greater light. It’s just one option, however, so make sure that you shop around before investing in any type of lighting.
The bottom line? You may want to invest in some lighting for your video messages. It is an underrated yet important part of making a great video message.
Tripods
Tripods are another “nice-to-have” when you are making video messages. We all know what tripods are. They can keep your camera steady as you are recording any type of video content.
Like lighting, tripods aren’t the thing that comes to the top of our minds when creating video content. However, tripods can make your life easier. Instead of trying to find a way to prop up your camera when making your video messages, you can set your camera on a tripod and begin recording.
Now, if you are creating selfie videos for most of your video messages, your tripod will essentially be your arm. You will be holding your cell phone and speaking directly to the camera. This works in many types of situations, but you may be looking for a greater variety when recording your video messages.
In those types of situations, a tripod can give you the variety that you’re looking for. As just one example, you can purchase a small tripod that you can place on your desk. Simply put your cell phone in the tripod, align the shot the way that you want it, and start recording. The tripod gives you more potential shots, as you can place it wherever you think makes the most sense. Instead of creating video messages that look exactly the same, you can spice it up a little bit.
Compared to everything on this optional list, tripods will likely be the most affordable. They may be a great purchase if you don’t want to constantly think of ways to position your camera.
First Principles in Video Messaging For Sales
At this point, you probably have an idea of the video message that you want to send. You may have a whole host of video messages in your queue. No matter what it is, you also know what kind of equipment that you need to use. At a bare minimum, you have the mandatory items that I discussed above. You may even have some of the optional items that we discussed.
Regardless of your current situation, I want to spend some time speaking about some first principles in video messaging for sales. Whether you are creating a video message for an individual prospect or a whole group of current customers, the principles remain the same.
Sure, a great thing about video messaging is that you get to exercise your creativity. There are few hard and fast rules here. But having said this, these first principles will set you on the right path when you are creating your video messages. By following them, you will set yourself up nicely to accomplish your video for sales goals—whatever they are.
Focus on the Audience
This is a core tenet for virtually any type of sales and marketing work. Sure, you and your colleagues have your goals. On a personal level, you may want to hit your sales quota so that you can receive your bonus. On a larger, corporate level, you and your colleagues have goals that your bosses are asking you to hit.
It all makes sense. Incentives drive behavior. That being said, when you are creating video messages for sales, one of the best ways to accomplish your personal and corporate goals is to be laser-focused on your audience. By focusing on your audience, your financial goals will take care of themselves.
Let’s face it: when you are creating a video message, you are almost always speaking with individuals that are outside your business. Those individuals have their own wants and needs. One of those needs may be purchasing a product or service that addresses a certain problem that they’re experiencing in their lives. Another need may be finding a product or service that satisfies the expectations of their boss or manager.
Ultimately, your job is to create video messages that speak to those needs. You identify those needs by being hyper-focused on your audience. Ideally, you can step into their shoes and intuitively understand what they are looking for. In many cases, however, we need to do more digging. We need to speak with our audience members and get a better sense of what they are actually looking for in their lives. Whether that is through a face-to-face conversation or through many different virtual meetings, it takes some time to do this type of work.
Having said that, this work is critical to creating the most effective video messages possible. Whether you are discovering those needs for the first time or have a great idea of what they are, your video messages need to speak to those needs. You can speak to them overtly or more subtly. However you do it, focus on your audience when you are creating your video messages. Your future self will thank you.
Pay Attention to Length
Another important principle of creating video messages is paying close attention to the length of your video messages. This is especially true when we are discussing video messages for sales.
Let’s face it: all of us don’t have enough hours in the day to consume content. Even though we are closer than ever to video content through our cell phones, our schedules have gotten busier. If you want to break through the noise and deliver a video message that resonates with your audience, you’ll certainly need to have compelling content. But beyond that, you can’t waste your audience’s time. If your audience members sense that you are being too garrulous or are being unnecessarily verbose, they will have a negative impression of your video and your company.
On the other hand, if you find the sweet spot in terms of length, your audience members will thank you. They will intuitively recognize that you understand the value of time. They’ll feel that you respect their time and want to provide the most value within the time that you have their attention.
Now, the natural question is how long your videos should be. Unfortunately, there isn’t a hard and fast answer to this question. Also, it depends on the video that you are creating. For instance, if you are creating a quick check in video for a key customer, that video may be no longer than 30 seconds or one minute. If you are creating a product release video message, however, your video may need to be longer. And if you are creating a webinar and want to release it as a video message? That video message may need to be even longer than that.
While these may not be satisfying answers, there is a rule of thumb. That is to spend only the amount of time that you absolutely need. If you can get your message across in one minute but can spend three minutes recording all of your thoughts, opt for one minute. Then, if you want to record even more content on that specific idea, you can create a separate video. That video (or videos) can be distributed via video message or through any other medium.
No matter what type of video you create, make sure that you are paying close attention to your length. It’s a small thing but it can go a long way in building goodwill with your audience.
Follow the Data
This is another point that I briefly mentioned above. Data is one of the most important tools in your toolkit. It can give you a comprehensive and objective look at how your video messages are performing. Depending on the precise metrics that you track, you can even increase your chances of generating more sales in the future.
Data is valuable for so many reasons. Primarily, however, the value comes from seeing how your videos are performing and implementing a plan to incorporate those insights into your next video messages. It is a two-stage process that requires both legs to be most effective.
As for the first leg, data can provide an extremely granular view of how your video messages are performing. Sure, you can get overarching data like the number of views of your particular video messages. Those are table stakes. With that information alone, you can get a better sense of what your audience wants to see and what your audience doesn’t want to see.
However, some tools let you go one step further. With Dubb, for instance, you can get a whole host of granular data about your videos. Because Dubb is built for sales, your data and analytics can reach the individual level. This means that you can see how an individual prospect or customer is engaging with your video. For instance, if you see a particular audience member watching all of your video messages on a particular topic, you’ll know to mention that topic in your one-on-one conversations with that person. It gives you a better chance of providing value and generating a sale.
Whether you use Dubb or any other tool, you’ll get some insightful data. However, simply holding that data isn’t enough. You need to do something with it. The best way to proceed from here is to take the insights that you received in your prior video messages and incorporate them into your new video messages. You can do this on both a macro and micro level. For instance, if you see an uptick in engagement on a particular type of video message, you may want to think about sending more of those video messages to your audience. On the flip side, if you noticed an important prospect (who religiously watched your video messages) quickly stopped watching one particular video message, you want to dig deeper to find out why.
In the end, data can be your North Star when you are creating video messages. You don’t want to ignore it. In fact, simple acknowledgment isn’t enough. By studying the data and incorporating the insights into your future videos, you’ll be in a great position.
Keep Creating Content
Finally, I want to mention another key principle that you can use when you are thinking about video messaging for sales. It all comes down to consistency. Simply put, to see the most benefits from video messaging for sales, you need to keep creating content for your audience. This is true whether your audience is one person or your entire email list.
Your audience expects consistency. It may conflict with the realities of your job, but it’s a simple fact. Once you start creating valuable video messages and distributing them to your audience members, they’ll expect to keep receiving that value in the future. If you can deliver that value, you’ll find that your audience members become paying customers. But if you fail to consistently deliver high-quality content for your audiences, you may discover that all of the goodwill that you’ve built through video messaging slowly evaporates.
Because of this, I think the solution is incorporating video messaging into your process. Instead of making it an ad hoc part of your process, your sales process should automatically have places where you can leverage video messages. Ideally, it would be throughout the sales process, but you may want to start small. If so, think about including great video messages at the top of your funnel. Get in the habit of consistently delivering valuable video content to your audience. By getting consistent and staying consistent, you’ll unlock all of these benefits of video messaging for sales.
How Dubb Can Help With Video Messaging For Sales
Throughout this post, I have talked about the power of video messaging for sales and how you can leverage that power. Whether you are just getting started with video messaging or are looking for tips to take your work to the next level, I hope this article helps you get much closer to your goals.
As part of this discussion, we spoke about tools that can help you capitalize on video messaging for sales. One of those tools is Dubb. As I described above, Dubb can be a fantastic asset as you are working on your video messages. Better yet, you can get all of these recording, editing, and distribution tools under one roof.
If you want to learn about everything that Dubb has to offer, I encourage you to click here. You will see a whole host of features that you will find by becoming a Dubb user. That being said, I want to discuss some specific features that will be extremely helpful when you’re working on video messaging for sales.
Plenty of CTAs
I want to return to CTAs because they are so important. As I described above, CTAs are really important tools because they can move your prospects down your sales funnels. Because of this, it’s critical to have a large array of potential CTAs that you can incorporate with your video messages.
At Dubb, we are proud to offer plenty of possible CTAs for our users. Some of those possibilities include the following:
- Scheduling a call on your calendar: This is a really powerful CTA for so many reasons. At its core, however, it lets your viewer easily follow up with your organization. There’s no need for sending multiple emails to schedule a follow up call with you or a colleague. Rather than that, you let your viewer move the process forward. With integrations to popular calendar programs like Calendly or Book Like a Boss, you can get a reliable source of follow up calls on your schedule.
- Downloading a white paper or eBook: This is a great CTA if you want to provide more context to your viewer. For instance, you may want to send an introductory video message to a particular prospect, where you discuss one of your company’s products. From there, you can include a CTA that instructs the viewer to download an eBook or white paper that discusses the specific product. It’s another way to provide value and advance the relationship with that particular viewer.
- Reply with video: Reply with video is a great way for a viewer to engage with your content. Instead of needing to type out a lengthy email, your viewer can record a video of their own. Not only that, but reply with video lets your viewer record a video testimonial. If you are sending a video message to a paying, satisfied customer, you can ask them to reply to your message with a testimonial. While there’s no guarantee that your customer will consent, you can easily ask through this method.
- Subscribe: Your CTA can let your viewer subscribe to one of your channels. For example, if you want to drive subscribers to your YouTube channel, you can include a CTA that links directly to your YouTube page. It’s another way to provide value to your viewer after they have watched your video message.
- Make a purchase: Finally, you can include a CTA that lets your viewer make a purchase. Dubb lets your CTA include a link to any web address. This is a great CTA for viewers at the bottom of your sales funnel. That said, no matter the audience, you can include a CTA like this.
These are just some of the CTAs that you can find on our platform. The bottom line? If you are looking for a recording, editing, and distribution tool that lets you leverage plenty of CTAs, Dubb is your choice.
Dubb’s Mobile App
Now, I want to discuss Dubb’s mobile app. It is a free app that you can find on iOS and Android devices.
Ultimately, Dubb’s mobile app lets you do so many different things. It is an all-in-one video solution that lets you record outstanding video messages wherever you are. Not only that, but you can easily edit video when you are on the go. For instance, in the mobile app, you can splice separate clips together, add emojis and other overlays to your screen, and more.
Better yet, Dubb’s mobile app is extremely intuitive. You don’t need to spend hours learning how to use the app before you start recording video messages. You can do so right now and be confident that your video messages will look great.
We encourage you to download the app and try it out for yourself. It makes the video messaging creation process much easier and more fun.
Teleprompter Mode
Whenever we are creating video messages, it can be all too easy to get off track. We know that we want to discuss an important point, but that may come at the cost of other important points that you want to make. While you may avoid these issues when creating 15 or 30-second video messages, the risk becomes greater when you are creating longer video messages.
Dubb’s teleprompter mode can be a huge asset here. It lets you record video messages from your phone or desktop with the text of your script on your screen. This text can be an individual script or a script that you and your colleagues have created. Whatever script you choose, you can be confident that you are making every single point in your video message. You can impress your viewers with scripts that convey your value proposition, thereby making it more likely that you create video messages that convert.
Whether you are creating a short video message or a longer video message, don’t hesitate to leverage Dubb’s teleprompter mode. It can help you record better video messages and accomplish your sales goals.
Custom Branding
Our entire team at Dubb knows the power of customization. Whether you just started a startup or work for a Fortune 500 company, your video content needs to include your branding. And when I say “branding,” I mean things like your brand’s font, colors, logo, and more. If you don’t include these things in your video content (including video messages), you are missing out on a great opportunity to build your brand. Along with this, you’re foregoing a chance for your viewers to remember your brand. Little things (like your logo appearing on the screen) really matter.
With Dubb, you have the power to include all sorts of customization and branding on your video messages and video landing pages. They include some of the items listed above (like custom logos and colors). You can even create a video landing page template that includes your branding as you see fit. Then, when you create a video message and upload the content to Dubb, your video message will include that branding.
There’s one important point here. If you look at Dubb’s pricing, you will notice that the free version does not include custom branding. You will need to invest in Dubb’s Pro or Support Pro plans to leverage custom branding in your video messages. If you opt for Dubb’s free plan, you will notice Dubb’s branding on your content. Keep this point in mind as you are evaluating Dubb and the different pricing tiers.
The Playlist Feature
Now, let’s talk about Dubb’s playlist feature. The playlist feature is an underrated, yet really effective feature when you are sending video messages to your viewers.
Like any playlist feature, Dubb’s playlist feature lets you create a series of videos that play one after the other. This means that you can provide a different type of value after your audience member views a particular video message. For instance, you may create a video message for a prospect that you just met. In that message, you may express your thanks for the meeting and perhaps highlight something that you discussed in your meeting. From there, you can combine that video message with another video that you’ve made in the past. That video can be a more generalized video that discusses your product and the value that you provide to customers. It’s a natural way for your prospect to get that personalized greeting and information from a well-produced video.
This is just one example, but it shows the power of the playlist feature. It also provides an edge over simply posting your video content to YouTube. Yes, YouTube is an outstanding distribution platform. However, it doesn’t let you select the next video that will play once your viewer is done with your video. In some instances, a competitor’s video may automatically play after yours.
With Dubb’s playlist feature, you get to have much more control over the viewer’s experience. You control the video (or videos) that they see after your initial video message. It keeps the viewer focused on your message and on your product, service, or company.
Workflows and Automation
Dubb users also get to leverage sophisticated workflows and automation to distribute their video messages.
If you plan on sending out just one video message from time to time, you could probably do it manually. However, beyond that, you will want to rely on software to automatically distribute your video messages.
Dubb users get to capitalize on sophisticated workflows and automation to distribute their video messages. These workflows are customizable and you can use them in so many different ways. They are as simple or as complex as you’d like them. For instance, you can use if/then statements to segment out your audience after they view one of your video messages. If certain audience members clicked on one of your CTAs, you can show them a certain video message. If they haven’t clicked on a CTA, you can send a follow up email or a different video message.
What all of this means is that you can design your workflows any way that you’d like. If you want to include a workflow with automations on top of automations, have at it. You can do it on the Dubb platform. However, if you just want to include a few if/then statements and delegate all of your work to the software, you can do that as well. Whatever you choose, you can be confident that you’ll find the workflows and automation that you expect.
Pricing
Finally, let’s talk about pricing. Whenever you are searching for a recording, editing, and distribution tool for your video messages, you certainly want to look at the available features. Features, however, aren’t the only factor that you need to consider. You must also look at pricing.
Think about it: you may find the best video messaging distribution software in the world, but if it is way beyond your budget, it isn’t going to work. The same is true if a piece of software fits nicely within your budget, but if it doesn’t have the features you need, you’ll have to move on.
I strongly believe that Dubb offers you the perfect mix of features and competitive pricing. No matter what your budget is, you’ll find a plan that meets all of your technical and financial needs.
To get a better sense of our pricing, I encourage you to visit our pricing page. There, you can see that there are two main pricing categories: “Sales, Marketing & Comms” and “Internal & Support.” Both categories offer free pricing at the start and offer competitive rates as you take on more features. For instance, the “Pro” plan in the Sales, Marketing & Comms category offers plenty of helpful features to subscribers, including unlimited storage and HD videos, a calendar integration, CTAs, portfolio pages, access to Dubb’s CRM system, advanced reporting, and more. That plan comes out to $32 per month if you pay for one year in advance. If you opt for a month-to-month plan, it comes out to $40 per month.
Once again, head on over to the pricing page to get a sense of our plans. I’m confident that you’ll find a plan that suits you.
Getting Started With Video Messaging For Sales
In this post, you have seen how video messaging for sales can be a game-changer for your business. Whether you want to use video messaging to hit a specific sales quota or to bolster your brand in your sector or industry, you can rely on video messaging to hit those goals. While it may feel intimidating to get started, you’ll be glad that you did.
Also, don’t hesitate to check out Dubb. The team and I are extremely proud of the tools that we have developed for all types of businesses. We’re confident that you’ll find value in them, as they will get you closer to your sales goals.
To sign up for a free seven-day trial of our paid products, feel free to click here.
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