Selling creatively with video marketing
Skip the sales pitches and sneak straight into their subconscious with video.
In the last post, we explored some effective ways of selling to folks who might not otherwise be interested, and it was all about fostering an authentic connection through video.
From demonstrating that you know how the audience really feels, to planting a seed in their subconscious, sell by showing them you care enough to know what they want.
‘Sell’ is such an ugly word. Try showing them you understand instead.
To understand your audience, you need to empathise with them. Empathy can be an incredibly powerful tool, especially when you use video to demonstrate the connection between you and the audience.
Take this innovative timely ad by On The Beach Holidays (OTBH):
Sure, it’s selling us nice beach holidays, but first and foremost it’s demonstrating that OTBH understand what their customer-base is going through. They’re telling us that they’re just as fed up, frustrated, and ready to break free as we are.
You watch the ad and get the feeling that OTBH understands you. They get that you just want to lay out on a beach without a windbreaker and anorak at the ready.
The difference between empathy and sympathy
It’s worth noting here that sympathy, although all well and good, is not as effective as empathy for connecting with an audience.
Say you came across a person stuck in a deep hole. A sympathetic response would be to lean over the side of the hole and exclaim: “Oh, you poor thing, it looks really bad down there!” An empathetic response would be to climb down inside the hole, stand beside the person, and say: “Well, this really sucks down here in the hole; I feel what you’re going through!”
(And for the record, yes, the person in the hole would probably prefer you to call the Fire Service or throw a rope down. Unfortunately for them, that’s not one of the options.)
The sentiment is the same with the brand and marketing content you create – find the common ground and use it to connect with your clients. And don’t worry, it doesn’t need to be the fallout of a global pandemic.
Take this short video ad by one of my favs, Dollar Shave Club (DSC):
As the DCS are demonstrating here, you don’t need to drill down to your audience’s deepest held feelings. It could be as trivial as “we know your missus is using your razor – good, glad she likes it, here’s another one.”
They’ve taken a peek into the lives of many of their customers and they’re very playfully demonstrating that they’ve taken the time to look. They get it. And in this case, they’ve used the ad to attach personal meaning to a second-razor-free offer.
Through the magic of film, all you need to do is notice what your audience is feeling (excitement, concern, confusion, longing, revulsion etc.) and mirror it back to them. When you demonstrate empathy, you create trust, which leads to sales.
Make your audience think it was all their idea
OK, so you’ve demonstrated that you understand your audience and shown that you have the same hopes, dreams, fears and foibles. You’re pals now.
But an audience or potential client doesn’t necessarily need to like you to buy from you, which is where the power of suggestion comes in.
There are loads of ways to plant a teeny tiny seed in the minds of your audience, and you don’t need anything too fancy. Video is a fabulous opportunity to sell simply, just as Audible are doing here:
It’s literally just a delightful English actress in a trench coat whispering at you, but it’s surprisingly powerful. It strips back all the bells and whistles to create a sense of intense intimacy, using sound and vision to create an arresting sensory experience.
And they’re not telling you to go and download an audiobook. They’re simply reminding you how it feels to sink into a story, leaving you to make the decision whether you’ll chase that little feeling all the way to Audible.com.
And the reason they’ve gone with this approach? Audible understand what their audience is listening out for.
When it comes to selling through creating and demonstrating connection with your customer base, you don’t need to be an international mega-corp to benefit.
All you need to begin dreaming up impactful, business-boosting video is a focus on the consumer. It’s where the magic happens, and it’s how we can create irresistible, authentic brand videos that are good for your business and bloody brilliant for your customer base.
And if you’re struggling to come up with good ideas, then scan the QR code and join one of our upcoming, half-hour Video Unwrapped webinars. We’ll help you de-mystify the process of creating effective video content successfully for your brand or charity.