It seems that video is set to become the most prevalent form of web content, with Facebook recently predicting that by 2020 all content on its site will be video, whilst IT giant Cisco estimate that video will make up 80% of consumer internet traffic by this time. Evidence of video’s growing importance in the digital landscape includes the fact that YouTube is the second most popular search engine, behind Google, and social media users are increasingly engaging with video content via their social channels (according to Twitter, 82% of its users watch video content on Twitter).
Further confirmation of the dominance of this medium came today with the announcement by marketing automation experts HubSpot of the launch of their very own video platform. Speaking at INBOUND 18 in Boston their VP of Product, Christopher O’Donnell, revealed to the assembled audience that as of today users of their Professional and Enterprise level packages will be able to harness the power of video across their marketing, sales and service hubs.
Using video in marketing, sales and customer service.
For HubSpot, the role of video goes far beyond purely entertaining and engaging customers, it can play a vital role at all stages of the buyer’s journey and beyond. From making potential customers aware of a product or service, to providing valuable, helpful advice when the customer is looking to purchase through to personalised customer service videos once they’ve made the purchase, video is a powerful means of helping and, in HubSpot’s words, delighting customers.
Until now the use of video has always seemed complicated to many businesses. From the budget and skills required to produce good video content through to the hosting and embedding of it on their website, many companies have been slow to adopt this form of marketing. Add to this the problem of integrating it into an overall marketing plan and then accurately measuring the effectiveness, not to mention the ROI, has put many companies off. But for customers of HubSpot, all of this is about to change.
So what have HubSpot announced?
Essentially, there are 3 aspects to their video hosting platform.
The Video Marketing Tool
Firstly, the Video Marketing tool will allow users to easily embed videos into website pages, blogs and social media posts, at the click of button. Added to this, you’ll also be able to add HubSpot’s legendary CTA (calls-to-action) and forms directly into the videos enabling you to drive users down the conversion funnel. For example, the system will enable you to include a pop-up form during the video which the user will be required to complete before viewing the remaining content.
Likewise, CTAs can be added to drive users to other relevant content. In addition to this, the video marketing tool will work in conjunction with HubSpot’s workflows enabling you to enrol users in specific workflows dependent on the video content they have engaged with. Perhaps most importantly all of this functionality is supported by a full video analytics package enabling you to assess the performance of individual videos and make adjustments accordingly in an attempt to improve engagement and, ultimately, conversions.
From analysing which videos are most popular, to how long a viewer watched it and how many times they watched it, the analytics will provide you with all the information you need to make the most of your video content. For example, if you notice viewers stop watching after a certain period, rework that section of the video and see if you can drive users to complete the video and click on the all-important CTA.
Selling with video
HubSpot see video as a powerful tool in the salesperson’s toolkit and have developed this tool to help them drive sales. Why write a lengthy proposal or send your prospect links to written web content, when a video provides an easy, accessible and engaging means of conveying the information? And what’s more these can be easily personalised and sent directly from the HubSpot CRM. In accordance with HubSpot’s mantra of “helping not selling” they see videos as a highly useful component of the sales process. And these videos don’t need to be high quality Hollywood productions either. Whether it’s a product demonstration or a Q&A about services, the “real” feel of a relatively basic video can add the human side to the process, whilst also helping prospects better understand your offer and build stronger relationships from day one.
Video in Service Hub
Finally, HubSpot are also including video in their Service Hub enabling businesses to provide high quality video content to customers after their purchase and beyond. In much the same way as the salespeople can help their prospects, the customer service team will now be able to assist the customers via the medium of video. Whether it’s helping them set up a product, troubleshooting an issue or providing ongoing support, the video tool will enable you to continue to delight your customers and develop a strong ongoing relationship. To really enhance the customer experience, you could even personalise each video before sending them directly from the CRM. As many of these videos are likely to be relevant to multiple customers, the bulk of a video could be a standard piece which you top with a personalised intro. The standard element of the video would also simply work as a standalone piece and could reside in the site’s “knowledge base” providing help and support for customers browsing this section.
Make video work for you
The use of video across all aspects of business continues to grow and these announcements by HubSpot highlight just how bright a future the medium has.
For more information about how HubSpot’s video hosting platform could add value to your business, talk to our team today.
