Everything You Should Know About Video Sales Funnels
Video’s ability to make messages more engaging, improve KPIs and increase revenue means that your sales and marketing would be mad not to include it. Chances are, your competitors know this and are figuring out how video can drive more traffic, collect more emails, and build more brand awareness.
Besides video’s inherent ability to grab attention and communicate well, the rise of video marketing sales funnels has been strongly supported by the rise of online video in general. TikTok has helped make audiences expect video as the default medium. Instagram has followed suit and now prioritizes video reels over other formats like stories and stills.
Google is continuing the trend and has reportedly been prioritizing video in its results too. Hardly surprising: there are many people out there that learn visually and would far rather watch a video than read.
Firstly, let's define what a video sales funnel is
Video sales funnels are just like your regular sales and marketing funnels.
In case you need a refresh, a funnel is a sales and marketing system that helps you turn prospective customers into buyers and advocates of your product. Fresh leads who are yet to buy from you enter the funnel at the top. As they engage with your marketing and they decide if your product is right for them, the number of prospects slims, leaving you with a smaller amount, ready to buy.
Strictly speaking, a sales and marketing funnel isn’t always digital. But since we’re a) talking digital video and b) Bullseye’s audience uses predominantly digital methods, we’ll keep things digital for this blog.
At every stage of the funnel, the goal is to address any needs or objections that the prospect might have around buying your product. Success in doing this will move them down the funnel and make them convert. These stages will of course vary depending on what you’re selling. If you’re selling five-dollar sandals, you may have a simple funnel consisting of just an Instagram ad and a follow-up email. But if you’re selling an expensive piece of SaaS then you could be driving leads with content and advertising, collecting email addresses, putting leads into one of several nurture sequences, signing people up for a free trial, and then converting them post-trial with more emails and a sales call.
A video marketing sales funnel is simply one that incorporates video within each stage. For example, it could drive leads with content on YouTube. Then users could be driven to your website, sign up to your list, be educated about your product with video at each stage, and then nurtured towards conversion with product demos.
Each video also needs to be different at each stage of the funnel. You shouldn’t say the same things to those unfamiliar with your product that you would say to those who are nearly ready to buy.
How to create a video sales funnel that works
Before we tackle the individual stages there are some overall pointers to consider. Firstly, remember to get as clear as you can on your customer avatar. You need to know everything about them; age, location, fears, desires, why they buy your product, and more. If possible it’s also good to know how they talk. Writing your funnel with the language of your target audience is always going to be effective – particularly for video scripts. Talking to your audience is one of the best ways of achieving this, so if you can, book an interview or two with some happy customers.
To complement audience research, you should learn about your competition. See what kind of content they’re creating, what content is performing best, what their core messaging is etc. It will also help to see what their users are saying. Scouring your competition’s social media channels can be a good shout. As can reading your competition’s reviews.
You also need to get clear on your KPIs. Make sure you have a way of tracking what success looks like. Metrics like bounce rate, video engagement, click-through rate, etc. will all be important.
Depending on various factors like the nature of your product and your resources, you’ll need to choose between several possible top-of-funnel traffic sources. There are a few popular options.
Paid ads: typically running on a social platform or Google
Playing the SEO game: either by publishing blog content or YouTube videos
Building a social following organically
Of course, there are all sorts of ways to introduce your audience to your product. You could even use methods that aren’t strictly digital like making podcast appearances or giving in-person talks. Do whatever’s most effective. Once people are into your video sales funnel you can then move them down it.
Make sure every stage has a CTA too. You want to make the action your prospect should take as clear and idiot-proof as possible. A clear, well-worded command and an obvious and clickable CTA button will make that possible.
When it comes to using video in the funnel, remember to think carefully about what the role of the video will be at each stage. It could be to complement the headline on a landing page and lower the bounce rate. Or the video could serve as the advert on YouTube that introduces customers to your product. Either way, make sure every video at every stage is focused on achieving one goal.
Ultimately a good funnel is smooth and “well-greased”. You want a funnel that is as easy, persuasive, and engaging as possible so that your prospects can’t help but move on to the next stage. Video is particularly helpful here as it can be great for telling stories and the “here’s what happens next factor.”
This is when you tease your audience with a sneak peek of what content or offers are coming next in the funnel.
There are four stages to any sales funnel.
Awareness
Consideration
Decision
Retention
We’ll spend the rest of the blog covering them in more detail.
The awareness stage
This will be your audience’s first contact with your marketing and unless you’re an established industry name, probably the first time people come across your brand. Whether it’s social content, a YouTube ad, an SEO optimized post, or something else, your awareness stage messaging will need to address a certain issue your prospects are facing and tell them that your product can solve it.
Videos at the awareness stage should be as big, memorable, and ideally sharable as possible. Some video examples could be a product demo, an explainer video, or even a webinar.
The five stages of awareness also come into play here. These outline the relationship your prospects have to your product and your problem. They are
Unaware: your prospects have no idea they have a problem, it’s your job to tell them they do and convince them they need to solve it.
Problem aware: your audience knows they have a problem, know they need to solve it but they’re not sure how.
Solution aware: they know there are solutions but they’re unfamiliar with your brand and your solution.
Product aware: they know what you’re selling but they’re not sure your product is right for them.
Most aware: they know exactly what you’re selling and they just need a little nudge – maybe an offer or a buy now button – to coax them into getting their money out.
As you might expect, an audience at #1 will be harder to sell to than if they were at #5. Chances are your product will be somewhere within the problem aware/product aware zone. Wherever they start though, your messaging during the awareness stage should aim to move them smoothly along to the next stage of awareness.
Now, depending on your product and your audience, getting awareness could take a variety of different forms. For example, if you’re selling products in the health and wellness space to an audience that doesn’t know it has a problem, it may be best to build trust with social or YouTube content that slowly and steadily establishes your authority. If on the other hand, your audience is solution aware, then maybe one memorable YouTube advert is all they need to become interested.
Still, whatever you’re selling, your messaging at the awareness stage needs to build trust and make your audience believe that your product might be a solution they can count on.
In some rare cases during the awareness stage, you can talk effectively to a range of different awareness levels at the same time. I think this video is the perfect example of that.
Even if you’ve never heard of Volvo, if purchasing trucks is your thing, you might end up investigating Volvo trucks after seeing this commercial. Equally, you could be solution aware and already on the lookout for a truck with advanced steering capabilities.
I will admit that this commercial is kind of the exception that proves the rule; most awareness videos rarely go viral like this did. Still, as marketers, we can all take a leaf out of its book and try and make our awareness marketing as big, loud, and memorable as possible. The aim is to cast the net wide so that anyone who might be interested in your product has the chance to engage with you.
One thing that is usually best avoided is getting into specific product information. If it’s relevant at the early stages it might make sense to mention one or two product specifics just to get people interested. Plus, sometimes the line between awareness and the following stage (consideration) can be blurred. This ad did a great job of going from unaware to ready-to-buy in one video!
But on the whole, overcoming objections, finer details, and comparisons with other products, etc. can be dealt with by other videos in other funnel stages. The goal of any awareness stage marketing is just to get people interested and on to the next stage. An email list signup or a follow on social media. To do this, you don’t normally need to get too deep into specifics.
Some examples of awareness stage videos
A typical digital marketing explainer video like this is great top-of-funnel video content. This is because they can quickly make your pitch to your prospects. This is also why the awareness stage is where explainer videos are most common. They can address and agitate a specific problem then introduce the product as a solution. Ideally working well as YouTube ads or on a website or landing page.
Sometimes you just need a video that introduces people to your brand. With a brand intro video, you can ease off on the product description a little more and just focus on creating a memorable video. Many standard commercials do this pretty well.
In a similar manner, your awareness video could be an emotional introduction to your brand like this.
Big memorable product demos can work quite well too if your product’s functionality is a particular selling point.
And then if you want to go for the super-soft sell, educational content works well during the awareness stage.
The consideration stage
Anyone in the consideration stage is aware of your product and has usually opted-in to receiving some kind of marketing. This will often be on an email list but the consideration stage could simply consist of prospects engaging with a social account, the content on your blog, or even retargeting using ads on Google. This stage is all about feeding curiosity, building a relationship, and offering any help or guidance your prospects need. The key here is to avoid being pushy or too salesy at all costs.
Customer research will be very handy here. The consideration stage needs to answer all the questions and address all the doubts a customer has in their head. For this, videos that demonstrate social proof and offer direct comparisons to the competition work well. Product demos, case studies, and comparison videos are all great choices here. Consideration stage videos also need to be more specific and more detailed than the awareness stage videos.
Some examples of consideration stage videos
If your prospects are looking for specifics about how your product works, then a more specific how-to or product demo “screencast style” like this could be a good call.
A how-to video like this could be another way to show people how simple a particular process might be.
Equally, using an explainer video could work. Only this time it should have more of a focus on demonstrating the product.
Comparison videos like these can be great for explicitly challenging any reservations your prospects might have when comparing your product to a competitor.
At the consideration stage your audience is looking at your product with a critical eye. They’re interested, but they’re weighing up any pros and cons and trying to figure out if the claims you’re making are credible. This is why videos that demonstrate social proof become the weapon of choice. Unlike in the awareness stage, big bold look-at-this-product-it’s-amazing videos won’t work anymore. For this reason, case studies and testimonials are another great option.
The decision stage
Here prospects are warm. Typically, they’ll be on your email list and fully embedded within your sales and marketing ecosystem. At the decision stage, your audience is doing one final round-up of every pro and con that buying your solution has. This means it’s up to you to present the pros in the best possible light.
Your decision stage video needs to present:
● Your product’s advantages
● Why it’s the best at solving your customer’s problem
● What makes your product unique
● What makes it preferable over the competition
Flaunting any awards, showing more testimonials, and more reviews can be helpful here.
Another good move might be creating a sense of urgency. A limited-time offer or saying “while stocks last” has been proven to hurry up the sale. Don’t create fake urgency though. Your audience will realize this eventually and your entire funnel’s credibility will be compromised.
If there’s one thing you should focus on during the consideration stage, it’s your prospect’s potential objections to buying. They’re about to hand over their money: what are their fears? Could your product break? Is there a chance it won’t work? Are they worried a superior product will appear out of nowhere and make their purchase redundant? Again, going over any customer research you’ve done will give you the answers you need. You can then respond with some appropriate social proof, a guarantee, a special offer, etc. to address these concerns.
Some examples of decision stage videos
FAQ videos are some of the first things you should consider. They may not even need to be your typical question and answer format. As long as your content clearly and succinctly addresses the most common questions your audience asks, you’ll be in a good place.
Before and after videos are another great option for the consideration stage. If your product produces a final result that’s visual, then these will be particularly useful. Health and fitness, beauty, and domestic cleaning products are some of the biggest users of before and after videos.
Many of the types of videos that we had at the consideration stage or even the awareness stage could be used here. The only difference is that they should be more focused. Instead of having a product demo that introduces the product and its main functions, you may want a demo that shows you how to perform a specific function. Maybe one that is key for any audience member seriously considering your product. Maybe you could show case studies and testimonials that help prospects overcome specific objections. Or maybe you could show a webinar again, only this time it will educate your prospects on product specifics.
The retention stage
Here things are a little different. Unlike the other three stages of your video sales funnel, you don’t need to persuade your audience in quite the same way. They’ve already bought into your brand so your job is to focus on rewarding them for loyalty by presenting special offers and priority access to new products and features.
Helpful video content can also be effective. This can often be onboarding content and tutorials about how to use your product. Especially worth considering, if your product is complicated. Even if your product is simple, educational content can help with retention and brand advocacy. For example, you might be selling a garden tool or kitchen utensil; a few decent gardening or cooking tips may be well received by your audience.
Whatever you do, never forget that your customers have made a purchase. At the very least it’s a way to ensure they don’t give up on your product before they’ve even started. And at most, it’s a great way of growing your business by turning customers into brand advocates.
Some examples of retention stage videos
These videos will usually be distributed via your list but they could also be posted to your website or social channels. Retention stage videos could take a few forms since their content will be whatever your users require to maximize the benefit from your product.
As mentioned, onboarding videos are one of the first things you should consider. Especially if it’s not 100% obvious how a customer should start using your product.
If you find you need to make announcements to your customers - be it new features, special offers, or company news - then personalized announcement videos can make your audience feel valued.
Helpful tips and tricks videos – not too dissimilar from some top of funnel content - could feature in the retention stage. Making these tips exclusive to paying customers can be a great way of making them feel looked after. Another consideration could be a well-timed and well-executed thank you video.
Some important things to consider for all your sales funnel videos
A decent hook
Every video needs to quickly give viewers a reason to continue watching. At the awareness stage, it could be something particularly loud or crazy – the pooping unicorn from the Squatty Potty video mentioned above comes to mind. But even if you’re showing people a webinar or a screencast you need to start with an opening message that compels them to continue watching. With so many reasons to be distracted in this modern world, the success of any video lives and dies by the strength of its hook.
An enticing thumbnail
This essentially works in tandem with the hook. A good thumbnail will make that play button as clickable and unignorable as possible whilst persuading people to watch the full video. Click here for the lowdown on making great thumbnails.
They need to end before they get boring
You don’t want your video to go on for too long. How long is too long? Some would say anything under two minutes. I would say that in many cases, under two minutes might be right. However, in many cases, there are plenty of reasons why videos should go beyond the two-minute mark. It all depends on what needs to be communicated and how relevant what you’re communicating is. This blog here should help you figure out the video length debate.
Clear next steps
Make it 100% clear what you want your audience to do after watching your video. In many cases, it will be something like “scroll down” or “click below.” Having both audio and text on the screen saying this will make the message as clear as possible.
Assessing whether your funnel is working for you
The art of building and testing funnels is a boundless and bottomless science that I certainly don’t have all the answers for. What I can tell you is that it’s very rare for any funnel to get it right the first time. From your videos to your copy to your targeting, every element in your video sales funnel needs to be tested and optimized. Focus on testing one element of your funnel at a time and determine what metrics will define success. Is your awareness content getting enough views? Is your consideration content getting enough watch time? Are you getting enough sales at the bottom of the funnel? Even when you have a profitable funnel, never stop testing and optimizing.
Final thoughts
Make no mistake, at Bullseye Motion we focus on animation for sales funnels, mostly dealing with top of the funnel, awareness-focused explainer videos. That said, in my years as a tech copywriter, I’ve written messages for every stage of a sales funnel so if you think you have room for an explainer video beyond the awareness stage, then I would be happy to advise.
At Bullseye Motion we place the ROI of our work above everything else. This means we’ll never suggest creating a video for a scenario that we don’t think is appropriate to the audience or the place in the funnel.
If you think your brand is ready for the kind of quality video work that can transform a sales funnel, click below to book a meeting with me, Bullseye Motion’s creative director.
P.S. all comments and feedback on this blog are appreciated! If there’s any way you think it could be improved, then feel free to shout and I’ll see if I can work them into a redraft. xx
