Business Marketing Videos: Talking About Your Customer Versus Talking About Yourself
Congratulations!
You’ve realized that as a business owner, the best return on your marketing dollars will be by investing in a business video.
You’ve done your research, and have decided on a reputable, professional video production company in your city that can handle your project.
Now, the hard part is over, right?
Wrong.
One of the first questions that come up when planning a marketing video for a business is, “What is our video going to be about?”
Probably a better question that should be asked is, “What do we want our business video to do?”
Well, obviously you want your marketing video to help you grow your business.
So, it makes sense that your business video should describe your company, how it works, and what it does.
These are often called “explainer videos,” and they usually work really well — that is, when done correctly.
The problem is, most people go about producing explainer videos all wrong – that is, they make the explainer video all about the company.
But – that’s what an explainer video is supposed to do, right?
Well, yes – but not really. I’ll explain…
Have you ever been to a party where you end up meeting someone that just talks and talks and talks about themselves… all the time?
When that happens, how does that make you feel?
Bored? Ignored? Disrespected?
Does being on the receiving end of what can only be described as a sales pitch make you want to invest in a relationship with that person?
Of course not. It makes you want to hightail out of there, and fast.
Why would you want to sit through a conversation that’s all about the other person? When there is no reciprocation and no value offered to you?
All these kinds of people do is take, take, take.
Why would you want to pursue a friendship with this arrogant, greedy fool?
What about you? Your opinions, hopes, and dreams? Don’t you have something to offer?
When you feel unheard in such a conversation, it understandably makes you want to check out.
Well, the same logic applies when you make someone sit through a commercial.
What makes you think anyone is going to donate their precious time to sit through your business video, just for a chance to spend money on your product or service?
It’s a lot to ask up front.
Your explainer video needs to sell your business, but it can’t be all about your company because that’s meaningless and boring to your target audience.
Instead, your explainer video needs to be about your audience.
The secret to a great explainer video is to make it all about the customer, because everyone loves it when you talk about them.
Make it about their needs. Their dreams. Their goals.
Here are 3 ways your business video can be all about the customer, while still working in a pitch for your company…
1. Solve a Problem for Your Client
Your explainer video should offer value to your target audience.
What problems can your business solve for your potential customer?
What advice and expertise can your business offer?
By focusing on improving the lives of your potential customers in some way, you make your explainer video incredibly relevant to your audience.
The nature of your business will be in the underlying story told in the video, but the emphasis is on helping the customer, not bragging about yourself and dominating the conversation.
Furthermore, by demonstrating that you know what sort of challenges your ideal customer faces, you are in fact showing that you care and are responsive to the needs of your audience.
This immediately builds trust and rapport with your potential client. And, as every marketer knows, people buy from businesses they trust.
When you make your potential client feel like they are heard and understood, by identifying and solving their problems, you have established yourself as an expert in your industry, and you have built a solid foundation for a long-term professional relationship.
2. Produce a Testimonial Video
A testimonial video is a very powerful sales tool.
A testimonial video is usually comprised of interviews with some of your most satisfied customers.
Featuring real-life happy clients (as opposed to actors) adds immense credibility to your explainer video.
Your audience of potential clients will see themselves in your existing clients. They will relate to the struggles and pitfalls your interview subjects encountered and the reasons they sought out your business for help.
And, when the interview subjects reveal that their problems were solved because of you and your business, your audience will be convinced that you are the right choice for them as well.
Talking about your company through the eyes of the customer is key here.
Your video production company should script and shoot interviews that tell the story of your past clients’ problems, what solutions you came up with, and the amazing results that followed.
Great testimonial videos convey a lot of emotion in a way that resonates with the target audience, without feeling inauthentic.
Striking an emotional chord with your audience will help convince your audience that you are the one to do business with.
3. Describe Your Business in Terms of Results
If you decide to produce a straightforward explainer video, you can do so and still keep the focus on your audience.
You achieve this by focusing on the results your business achieves, as opposed to what it actually does.
Don’t focus on how fast, cheap, cutting-edge, or reliable your product or service is.
Instead, focus on how you benefit the client.
Does your business save your client time? Money? Resources? Peace of mind?
These are the things your explainer video should focus on.
Results.
Focusing on results will keep the audience interested, because at the end of the day, all they really care about are results.
Just the Facts
Producing an explainer video is a great way to market your business, but make sure you do it right:
- Always keep the focus of your business video on your audience – in other words, your potential client.
- Offer value in the form or expert advice, and provide solutions to the various problems your target audience may be facing.
- Shoot and edit together video testimonials from your satisfied customers, for authenticity and credibility.
- And, focus on the results your business is able to achieve for your client, as opposed to what your business does.