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Using Video to Market Your Complex or Customized Manufacturing Product or Service

Using Video to Market Your Complex or Customized Manufacturing Product or Service

It’s not a secret or surprise anymore… video is the NOW of digital marketing. And, good news for you, if you’re trying to market a complex or customized manufacturing product or service, doing so with video gives you a bunch of advantages... and, it doesn't have to be as hard as you think.

 

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Easier to Educate

If you're onboard the inbound train for your marketing efforts, then you fully understand that consumers want to be educated. They don’t want to be pitched your product; they want to be educated about why it solves their issues. Using merely images, to explain your complex marketing widget and how it can help them is honestly near impossible. Unless you struck gold with an audience who loves diagrams that look like they came out of a comprehensive user’s manual. (I will safely assume that’s not the case.)

 

54% of people want marketers to produce more video content. (HubSpot)

 

Videos allow you to “tell a story” in order to explain your product. And you’re able to use language that is more like talking to a friend in a bar than lecturing. A well-done video can much more easily captivate an audience and relay the same info that your top salesperson can than any image or plain text.

 

 

Less Ben Stein, more Bill Nye?

ben steinI tried to find a good comparison there, and I think that works pretty well. You are probably one of few people that are actually good at explaining your complex marketing widget. That is because it’s complicated and not easily explained. So, I’m sure that you have had that convo plenty of times where you are trying to explain it to someone. When you first started, my guess is that you were a bit more boring… possibly like Ben Stein is portrayed to be. (Bueller? Bueller?) Over time you have found better, and easier ways of explaining to bring life and a bit more excitement to it… like Bill Nye does for science and bow ties.

 

Videos allow you to incorporate that more relatable, personable and not so stuffy and boring of an explanation. It’s a fresh and engaging way to showcase your manufacturing product or service.

 

 

How do you start?

Here’s some good news… people don’t want over polished and professional looking videos. There is obviously a place for those, but in general they want relatable people that make them feel comfortable. So, pull out your iPhone or record something on your laptop. The point is entertaining and educational CONTENT.

 

Once you have the content, then you can find a way to present it in a manner that is relaxed, but still lives up to your brand standards and simply, still looks good.

 

51% of marketing professionals worldwide name video as the type of content with the best ROI. Wordstream.com

 

So, get cracking at the content. Think about the types of videos that you are attracted to when you are researching before a bigger purchase. Here’s a list of types of videos to think about:

 

  • How-to Videos: this could be an in-depth, how-to use your product video or even smaller videos such as how to repair or replace certain aspects of your product.
  • Safety Videos: Give tips on how to use your products safely or show how they can improve safety issues for their company
  • Behind-the-Scenes: Give a quick tour of your facilities and even introduce some of your employees. (Again, get relatable and personal)
  • Testimonials and Case Studies: Let them hear from the folks just like them that enjoyed your services to further demonstrate your company’s value.
  • WHAT, HOW and WHEN: This is one of my favorites. Think about your product… WHAT is it? HOW is it used? And, WHEN is the time to use it? (That should address how it solves their issues)

 

No matter which video type you choose remember to keep it simple and light and friendly and try to have some fun if possible. People want a solid mix of education and entertainment. That doesn’t mean you have to tell jokes or juggle… just think about Bill Nye.

 

Here is an example of a What, How and When video that we created with one of our clients:

 

 

If you ever want any help or guidance in terms of creating videos or even working them effectively into your manufacturing company’s marketing strategy, please do not hesitate to reach out.

 

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