Personalized video marketing is an important tool for niche businesses to connect with target audiences.
Affordable, accessible, adaptable. These characteristics are why video marketing has taken off over the last 10 years and why it’s poised to continue to grow as an important tool to engage customers.
People love video. From 2013 to 2018, online video viewing grew by an average of 32 per cent a year. A report by Zenith Media predicts the average person will spend 100 minutes a day watching online video in 2021, up from 84 minutes in 2019.
Marketers are paying attention. The latest research shows 85 per cent of businesses already use video as an advertising tool. It also reveals 92 per cent of marketers have made it an important part of their strategy and 88 per cent say it provides a positive ROI.
This is great news. However, it also creates a challenge. With so much video being created and consumed, how can a brand stand out? Personalized video marketing is the answer.
Fast fact: 91 per cent of consumers are more likely to shop with brands that recognize them as individuals and provide relevant offers and recommendations.
How to use personalized videos in your marketing strategy
- Curate existing content and use personalized video to promote it
- Use personalized video to invite customers to events
- Develop personalized video to introduce new products, services, or features
- Use personalized video to retain customers and stay connected
- Post personalized videos on social media
Personalized video marketing can help level the playing field for niche businesses competing with bigger, more recognized brands. It’s also easier than you may think. That’s because personalized video relies on the deep understanding you have of your target customers.
Fast facts:
- 72 per cent of consumers say they will only engage with marketing messages that are personalized.
- 60 per cent of marketers consider personalization to be a key strategy for improving the quality of their leads.
Through personalization (not high production values), you’re able to provide highly targeted solutions to consumers’ needs, effectively saving them time when it comes to shopping and making a purchase decision. You’ll also become a lot more memorable, which is important as more than 90 per cent of consumers are more likely to shop brands they recognize and that provide relevant offers and recommendations.
On top of this, 48 per cent of consumers say that they want videos to reflect the products and services they’re interested in when it comes to informing their decision-making. Interestingly, 43 per cent said they want videos to be interactive so they can decide what information they want to view and when. This could be the next step in video personalization.
What is personalized video marketing
Personalized video marketing uses the data you’ve collected about your existing and target customers — such as their names, locations, images and contact information — to create customized video experiences. This can be as simple as starting the video by addressing an individual and highlighting what that person is looking for in a product. Tailoring the introduction in this way makes the entire video feel personal and shows the customer you are invested in helping them specifically.
Personalized videos share three foundational elements:
- A unique experience for the user. This will make it memorable.
- The feeling of a natural, in-person interaction. This will help build a connection and trust.
- Consumer data. This is the core of personalized video marketing.
Benefits of personalized videos in your marketing strategy
Personalized video marketing:
- helps businesses cut through the noise to capture the interest of their ideal customers;
- builds engagement by providing target customers with the customized experiences they want;
- increases click-through rates and conversions; and
- achieves higher ROI.
How niche businesses can get started with personalized video marketing
The following best practices can help you make better connections with your target audience at every stage of the buying journey in a cost-efficient and effective way.
1. Curate existing content and use video to promote it
This will give new life to blog posts, whitepapers and any other marketing content you’ve already created. Pull together content you think a prospective customer would value and create a personalized video to tell them about it. It’s enough to include a small recognition such as, “This resource was developed for….”
2. Use personalized video to invite customers to events
Include a video to personally invite a target customer to an event, conference or seasonal sale. Include a customized admissions ticket, coupon or whatever makes sense for the event.
3. Develop video to introduce new products, services or features
Whenever you have an announcement that you think will be of interest to a prospective customer, reach out with a personalized video that demonstrates you understand their pain point.
Fast facts:
- 48 per cent of consumers say that they want videos to reflect the products and services they own or are interested in.
- 43 per cent of consumers want interactive video that lets them decide what information they see and when.
4. Stay connected with video
Use personalized video marketing throughout the year to help retain customers. For example, you can create videos to show appreciation for their loyalty or to encourage them to meet their goals.
5. Post personalized videos on the channels your customers use
Email and social media are the most effective ways to deliver personalized video. These are the channels that will help you get the attention of your target customers, engage them and build relationships.
Fast facts:
- Adding personalized video to email increases transaction rates.
- Adding personalized video to social media channels raises awareness and increases engagement.
Tip: Optimize conversions by sending all your traffic to a dedicated post-click landing page to watch a personalized video.
If you’re marketing a smaller, niche business, don’t be intimidated. Creating effective personalized video marketing doesn’t have to be complicated. By incorporating best practices to personalize video content and messaging you can build awareness and engagement, and drive conversions.
