The business benefits of video for brand discovery, consumer traffic and customer engagement have been widely documented over the years. But do people really find videos helpful in making purchasing decisions? In a recent survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults, we learned that videos created by businesses really do help people make more confident shopping decisions and feel more connected to a brand. A whopping 96 percent of all respondents said they find video helpful when making purchase decisions and 73 percent said they are more likely to purchase a product after watching a marketing video. These are pretty convincing reasons to invest in video!
But first, it’s important to understand that not all videos are created equal. Videos play different roles throughout each phase of the customer lifecycle, and the best approach is to create videos that are useful for each situation.

Stage 1: Drawing them in

At the acquisition phase, first impression is everything — and video can be the most personal and engaging way to reel in customers. The visual and storytelling nature of video lends itself to engaging prospects in a way that evokes emotion, reminds them of a need or desire, or teaches them something new.

The survey revealed that 64 percent of consumers find it helpful to watch videos to learn more prior to purchasing. For your clinic(s), this could be an impactful video that raises awareness about the disease state of hearing loss for which your service is the solution – make sure you consider where you place the video and the optimal length to capture attention without losing the audience. Eighty-three percent of consumers surveyed said the ideal length of a video to inform and influence a purchase decision is five minutes or less. Ideally one minute. Getting involved in a program that can showcase your clinic in the physician’s waiting room with powerful video that addresses the disease state of hearing loss is a remarkable and affordable way to draw new customers in.

Stage 2: Inspiring action

After hooking the prospect, you need to inspire action. Videos can play a big role in converting sales since they provide a quick and simple way to bring a product or service to life and turn a prospect into a paying customer. Ninety-five percent of consumers surveyed said they find video helpful in researching a product before they buy, and 93 percent find video useful when comparison shopping.
Action inspiring videos should showcase the services your clinic offers, highlight your staff’s experience and spotlight several customer testimonials. So you’ve stoked the fires of curiosity with potential patients using disease state awareness videos playing in physician’s waiting rooms, now place that same video on your website and in your prospecting emails along with a video that explains how you will make a difference in the life of this potential customer. Sixty-seven percent of consumers surveyed said they watched an instructional video in the past six months, and 57 percent watched a product or service demonstration in the same time frame.Brief customer testimonials are powerful tools in influencing action in prospective clients. Because you’re selling professional services, consider giving people a behind-the-scenes look at the people running your business so prospects build a personal connection to your team. Consider carrying this video messaging forward in online video ads. Remember action happens when a customer is repeatedly exposed to the same message – a message that inspires them.

Stage 3: Building loyalty

It’s imperative to keep communications strong after purchase to earn loyal customers who will spread the word about your business to their own personal networks. Video is a remarkable educational and loyalty development tool. Ninety-three percent of consumers surveyed said that post purchase videos related to products they have already purchased are useful. They are also likely to seek more video from a brand after an initial purchase; in fact, 87 percent of consumers find video helpful for researching additional items from the same company. Seventy-seven percent of consumers that viewed a video about a brand, company, business or service, felt a deeper connection with that organization or brand. With increased loyalty and brand affinity comes the powerful strength of word of mouth. By utilizing system such as Hearing News Network which greets your customers and potential customers with professionally developed, engaging video content that makes a personal connection. These videos demonstrate respect for your customers and build the foundation for a delighted patient.

Not sure how to harness the power of video? Give us a call or send us an email, we can help.