When you think about video marketing, what pops into your head first?
Promoting the heck out of each video you create for maximum ROI…
Getting as many views on your video content as humanly possible…
Or maybe even going viral, so your message can touch thousands, ideally — MILLIONS of people.
And all those things are part of video marketing, for sure. BUT:
What if I told you that you *also* want to produce videos that only ONE PERSON will ever get to see? And more than that — that those kinds of videos are key to your business success?
Now, you might say:
“Summer, why would I produce video content that doesn’t scale? Sounds like a waste of time, to be honest.”
That is an excellent question. And before we can answer it, we need to examine the #1 problem with marketing today…
Marketing isn’t dead — but it sure is broken
I’m sure you’ve heard other entrepreneurs complain that marketing doesn’t work as well as it used to. Some say that people hate being marketed and sold to, now more than ever before. And others might even go so far as to say that “marketing is dead”!
…Why do you think that is? Well, here’s my theory:
Customers have stopped responding to the same tired, generic tactics and messages that most brands use. They have become experts at sniffing out lazy marketing and sales — and they simply aren’t having it anymore.
It’s not that people have suddenly become allergic to being marketed and sold to in ANY way…
They simply don’t like it when companies treat them as numbers on a spreadsheet; as faceless leads to be converted; or as ATMs giving out cash if you just “do the thing.”
And honestly, who can blame them?
Of course customers want to be treated as individuals! Of course they want to be seen, heard, and understood! But sadly, that kind of personalized attention is in VERY short supply in modern marketing and sales.
That… is exactly why we need bespoke videos that DON’T scale.
Your customers and clients are fed up with generic messages. They want you to make the effort and communicate specifically WITH THEM. They are hungry for personalized nurturing.
And you can deliver it to them with short-form videos made specially for them.
Sure, they may not “scale”… but they make an unforgettable impression. And even a single video like that can outshine hundreds of generic messages your prospects see every day.
So, if you’d like to implement personalized nurturing videos in YOUR business, let me share some of my favorites with you.
Here are my top 3, in no particular order…
1. Video voicemails: sleaze-free follow-up that converts
Successful marketing often comes down to consistent, effective follow-up.
Your messages don’t always reach prospects right away, or they don’t lead to immediate action. People are busy, they forget, they get distracted, you name it. So it often takes multiple impressions to get the response you’re looking for.
And as essential as they are, follow-up messages often come across as mechanical and cookie-cutter. They are awkward as heck to write and sometimes embarrassing to get:
“Have I really left this person hanging for 6 weeks? …Oops!”
Video voicemails almost feel like cheating, because they banish all that awkwardness with ONE simple change: by reintroducing the human element into the interaction.
When your prospect can see you AND hear you talking, rather than just read a dry email script you’ve copypasted a hundred times, it feels so much more human and authentic. And they become so much more likely to remember who you are, and to respond!
So what can you do with video voicemails? Well, like I’ve said before, they work wonders for follow up. You can use them to:
- Reactivate leads and prospects who fell through the cracks in your pipeline, so you can ultimately close more sales. Video voicemails get consistently more engagement than “normal” follow-ups.
- Ping existing customers and clients you haven’t heard from in a while. Keep that relationship alive and you’ll have customers for life! (Didn’t mean for that to rhyme, but I’m glad it did.)
- Send reminders or follow-up questions after calls, share useful info and resources, and generally inject some extra warmth and personality into ANY interaction with a prospect.
2. Personalized demos: creating crystal clarity + driving sales
One of the most powerful things you can do during a sales process is to SHOW your product or service in action.
That’s why we have sales calls, and explainer videos, and public demos, and all sorts of other nifty strategies.
But sometimes your prospect stumps you with a question that’s too small for a sales call or a full demo… but also too technical to explain in an email. And it would be so much easier if you could just SHOW them!
B2B software entrepreneurs… you know this pain VERY well.
This is where personalized demos come in. These are short videos — rarely over a minute long — that you or someone on your sales team can record for a specific prospect in response to their question.
Personalized demos usually come in the form of screencast recordings, or “hybrid” talking head and screencast videos.
They are a fantastic tool that accomplishes three things at once:
- They showcase specific features of your offer in this “show don’t tell” way that’s INFINITELY more effective than any text or audio explanation. Plus, they are lightning-fast to record and send!
- They make the sales process feel human and authentic, which can be challenging to accomplish with emails and DMs only.
- And maybe most importantly, a PERSONALIZED demo signals to your prospect that you care enough about the relationship to take valuable time out of your day to answer their question thoroughly. That’s something you simply can’t do with pre-made demos and FAQ videos.
3. Thank you / welcome videos: underrated retention engines
One of the most underrated marketing strategies is… simply being nice!
You know… Thanking a new buyer for their purchase. Welcoming a new client to your community. Small gestures like these can be very meaningful, when done right.
The problem is, when we’re operating at scale, it’s hard not to treat these pleasantries as just another checkbox to tick. Just stick the words “thank you” on the purchase confirmation email — surely that will be enough!
Spoiler alert: it won’t.
But what if instead of generic, impersonal copy, your new buyers received a short-and-sweet video where a member of your team thanked them BY NAME for their order, and invited them to reach out with any questions or issues?
What if someone who subscribed to your monthly offer got to watch a special welcome video — once again, greeting them BY NAME and showing the next step to get started?
What if, through these bespoke little videos, you could make your new customers and clients feel genuinely, personally valued and seen… instead of feeling like a number on a spreadsheet?
This strategy is beyond simple, but almost NOBODY does it. Why? Because it “doesn’t scale.” I’ve been saying those words a lot this episode, haven’t I?
Well, that aspect of not scaling very well is, in part, what makes this strategy so powerful and meaningful. People crave genuine interactions; they want to be treated like, well, people!
You can implement this whether you have just a handful of high-paying clients, or thousands of customers. Even companies the size of Warby Parker have used thank-you videos successfully — and so can you! Your customers will notice and appreciate it, I promise.
Remember: your customers want you to be human
And there you have it! These 3 types of personalized nurturing videos are all different, but they share one trait in common — besides the fact that they take a bit of time and effort upfront.
They break the monotony of distant, impersonal marketing that expects deep engagement from prospects… but refuses to give the same.
Marketing that hides behind automation, checkout flows, sales pages, autoresponders, and countless other tools. Not to make the business easier, or to make the process easier on the consumer — but to avoid ever interacting with them in the first place.
By taking the time and by making the effort to put together a video just for them, you send a powerful message that says: “You are seen, you are valued, and this company will do its part in our relationship with you.”
And that alone will help you stand out and convert more customers. I hope you use these strategies wisely… and I hope you mean it every time you do.
