How to create an effective sales video

How do you create an effective sales video?

1: Plan your video

2: Be clear

3: Be personable

4: Give useful information

5: Consider your environment

You've heard it a million times that you have to start creating videos for sales and marketing if you want to keep up with the competition.

You've done your research, you know that 50% of consumers prefer video content over other platforms like blogs, email and social media (according to HubSpot).

You know that product videos can increase purchases by 144% (that's according to Neil Patel) and you know that according to OptinMonster, video marketers get about 66% more qualified leads a year than those who don't use video.

But while creating an effective sales video is simpler, cheaper and more financially beneficial than you thought, creating an effective sales video (or marketing video for that matter) isn't easy if you're new to it.

Luckily, with a bit of planning and practice it's pretty easy to get good at video sales and marketing, and in this blog we'll give you a couple of tips to get you going.

Plan your video

At the end of the day, video is just another tool in your inbound marketing tool box (an effective tool, but still a tool).

The first thing you should do is plan why you're now doing video.

If you're doing it just because everyone else is then you should sit back and think of a better reason - like is it going to be beneficial.

Simply sitting in front of a camera, filming a video and pushing it out isn't going to do you any good unless it's got a solid plan behind it.

Then there's planning the actual video itself.

You don't need to write a full script, but you at least need to plan what you're going to say and what topic you're going to focus on.

What information are you going to give to people? Is it useful information? What are the key takeaways going to be for your audience?

This all needs consideration and saves you waffling and coming across like you don't know your topic.

Above all, make your videos personal to the audience.

Read this blog which goes into how personalised videos can help boost sales.

Be clear

If people are taking time out of their day to watch your video, they want something they can take away from it - without having to work out which are the important points.

Being clear and concise is important in every piece of content you produce, and particularly in video. Give your audience the information they need in as short a time as you can.

This is where some planning comes in and can help keep you on point and focused.

Be personable

Video has become so important in inbound sales and marketing because it helps create more human connections and experiences, which asking people to read blogs and emails just can't achieve.

Being in front of a camera doesn't come naturally to some people (probably most people) but treat it as if you're having a conversation with a single person and let some of your personality come through.

The most important information could be easily lost on an audience that is more focused on how wooden and monotonous you appear to be.

Being natural on camera is something that comes with practice (which is why the earlier you start with video the better).

Give useful information

If you're considering using video in sales and marketing because you've always fancied yourself a TV star and think this is your time to shine, think again.

Like any piece of content you create, the aim should always be to give your audience useful information to help them make decisions or tell them something they didn't know - and hopefully encourage them to take more actions.

Don't assume that the person watching your video has prior knowledge of your company, product or benefits and make sure you're giving them all the information they need.

If they go away with no answers, just more questions, then your videos aren't working.

Some of this could come down to what kind of video you should make to get information across.

This blog has more information on the types of sales or marketing video you could make (and which are best for different circumstances) but as a quick intro, a few video types are:

• Explainer videos
• Demo videos
• How-to guides
• Case studies

Consider your environment

You don't have to set up a green screen or anything but you should keep in mind where you'll be filming your video.

A natural environment like the office is as good a place as any, and can actually work well for the kind of sales and marketing videos you'll be creating.

Ideally you want to be in a quiet space to make sure you're not being drowned out by any background noise, and make sure wherever you are has good lighting.

Also keep in mind how you are framing your videos and how the position of items in the background impact the shot.

You should try and break the frame into thirds (both horizontal and vertical) to create a grid and position yourself just off centre between the second and third sections of the screen. 

If you've ever watched the news on TV and seen how people are positioned when they're being interviewed, this is how to set up.

The same goes for the camera height. If you appear too high in the shot for instance (like it's cutting off the top of your head) reposition the frame.

Props and items in the background can also help fill some space in the frame and make it look more natural than a load of empty space in the background, but consider how they appear. If it looks like a plant is growing out the back of your head, it could be considered distracting.

Why put yourself through all this?

It's a fair question. It's probably the same one most marketing and sales people asked a decade ago when the idea of content and inbound marketing started to take off.

The answer is. Because it's helpful to your customer and that, in the end, is the game we're in.

Like it or not, customers (people) prefer videos to text.

They find educational, informative (dare we say entertaining) video content to be a valuable part of their buying process and they are likely to turn towards brands which feed them with the information they want - in the way they want it.

Now getting into video can be daunting (believe us, we get it) but if you follow a few simple steps, take some time to put a plan in place and practice speaking on camera until it no longer feels like you've walked into a room with your pants tucked into your underwear and everyone is staring at you - you'll quickly find your feet and start creating effective video sales and marketing content.

If you're still unsure about whether video is for you, why not download our Guide to video sales (there's plenty of good stuff in there).

Or, we had a webinar with Vidyard - who know a thing or two about video - not too long ago on how to use video to grow in this new contactless world. Even if you missed the live show, you can still catch up on what was discussed here.