Emerald Fox Productions: Denver Video Strategy Company
You’ve heard about these all-powerful “funnels”, but aren’t entirely sure if they would work for your business. Or perhaps you’ve tried it out, but it didn’t quite get you the results you wanted. Or, maybe you’ve created an effective sales funnel, but are at the point where you are looking for a more modern approach that will speak to a more targeted, ideal client.
Whatever stage you are in, if you are looking for information on creating and implementing a sales funnel, you’ve come to the right place!
So a sales funnel, quite simply, is the path through which a prospective customer becomes a buyer. There are 4 main parts to the sales funnel - Awareness, Interest, Decision, Action.
To implement an effective sales funnel into your business could be the difference between success and failure. However, it’s much easier said than done.
Step 1. Awareness
When a person becomes aware of your business (through paids, SEO, word-of-mouth, walk-in, etc), they’ve reached the first step of the funnel!
At Emerald Fox, we love creating quick (15-ish second) promo videos to attract your ideal client to your website or landing page. (For beautiful landing pages, check out https://stickymarketingtools.com/ and click on Sticky Folios.) Pro-tip: For higher conversion rates and a longer bounce rate, put a brand message video from Emerald Fox Productions on your landing page!
The trick is to lead someone aware of your business into the ‘interest’ part of your funnel. One easy way to do this is to offer them something in exchange for signing up for your e-mail list and/or following you on social media.
Offer a free guide that your ideal client may find useful:
A fitness gym could offer a guide on simple dieting tips
A chiropractor could offer a guide on at-home exercises to supplement chiropractic care
A restaurant could offer a copycat recipe for a favorite menu item
Offer a coupon
20% off
Buy one, get one free
Sponsor a Contest
Enter to win a (high value) free product or service
Once you have a prospective client’s e-mail or they follow you on Social Media, they convert into a ‘lead’ and you can begin working on the next step.
Step 2. Interest
Interact with your leads during this part of the sales funnel! At Emerald Fox, we suggest interacting with your leads through at least three mediums: Facebook, at least one other social media account (Instagram, TikTok, SnapChat, etc.) and e-mail marketing. Send out relevant (and hopefully engaging!) e-mails and social media posts to your interested prospects/followers.
Sign up for Sticky E-mails at https://stickymarketingtools.com/email/price/ to create easy and automated e-mail sequences. StickyMarketing is aimed at wedding photographers, but it is a solid platform that could work for many businesses!
So, what information can you send and what should it be about? First, what is your brand? Are you an industry leader? Are you every man’s best friend? Are you a mom that was thrown into entrepreneurship with a solve-it product? Create content based on your branding. Here are some specific examples:
A b2b manufacturer can send tips on onboarding new employees into the ins and outs of their products or information on how their products are produced ethically.
A Clothing boutique can send quick fashion tips or ‘you are beautiful’ pick-me-ups
A yoga studio can send daily affirmations or tips on nailing a specific pose
Invest in video marketing to showcase your products/your brand/yourself!
I have so many ideas! If you are struggling with this step, feel free to reach out to me for help! Contact Me Here.
This step is probably the most time consuming and may be where a majority of your prospects hang out for awhile, so make sure that you put some thought and hard work into this!
Step 3. Decision
When a consumer decides they would like to become your customer. How can you convert all of your leads into customers?
This answer is different for all of us, but Robert Cialdini came up with 6 principles of influence that are now considered the basics of consumer conversion. Check out this article for more information: https://cxl.com/blog/cialdinis-principles-persuasion/
Step 4. Action
When a consumer actually goes through the buying process and completes the transaction. One big considerations in this step is to make sure that your buying process is completely clear and accessible. (Psst… video can assist with this step if consumers are having trouble figuring out how to purchase!)
Now that the sales funnel has been laid out, are you ready to launch yours???
Not quite?
It’s a little overwhelming, right? Let me turn this entire sales funnel into a real world example.
Let’s use a fitness gym as an example. The action that the gym owner wants at the end of the funnel is for his leads to sign up for a monthly subscription.
Step 1: The Gym owner creates a 15-minute, explosive and fast-paced promo video featuring a tour of his space. The ad copy touts all of the benefits of a gym membership - access to the sauna, salt-water pool, fitness classes, etc. When interested prospects click on his ad, they are led to a landing page.
The landing page contains a longer brand message video showing the gym owner and one of the lead trainer’s talking directly to the camera. A gym patron claims that she has found her ‘home’ at the gym. A pop up offers a free guide on a pre-workout nutritional program in exchange for sign up for the mailing list.
Step 2: As soon as a prospect signs up for the free guide, they are sent an e-mail welcoming them to the club and promising a series of information on the pre-workout nutritional program over the next couple of weeks.
As e-mails are sent out about the at-home program, gym membership benefits are highlighted that can supplement the program.
The last e-mail is a video in which the gym owner speaks directly to the camera, personally inviting the lead in for a personal tour and free fitness class, but the offer is only available for the next 48 hours.
Step 3: The lead takes advantage of the free workout and personally meets the gym owner from the video. Before the lead leaves the gym, the gym owner personally goes over membership benefits and asks the lead for the sale.
Step 4: The lead decides to invest in the monthly subscription and (hopefully) continues her subscription for months and months.
So, let’s say the gym owner spent $5000 on the ads, video creation, time to create the at-home nutritional program, etc. The ad got 150 clicks, 75 e-mail subscribers and managed to convert an initial $150 monthly subscribers who stay for a year, on-average. That’s an initial $9000 in sales that more than cover the cost of creation! And the best part is that the gym can continue using the sales funnel over and over again!
Still need help? Contact us for help creating your very own sales funnel!
Emerald Fox Productions: Denver Video Strategy Company
There are so many ways to use video in your day-to-day business operations.
When business owners think about beginning to utilize video in their business, the obvious thoughts are creating commercials or promotional videos . These ARE great uses of video, but there is so much more video can do for you.
Saving Time
Business owners have so much on their plate - actually doing the thing that their business offers, business administration and marketing! One of the best uses of video is using it to save you time. Let’s walk through just a few ways video can save you time!
Phone Consults
Is a large part of your business making phone calls? Do you nail the call every time or sometimes get off the phone and think that you could have done so much better. Do you book your clients during the call? Do you make a sale during the call?
How much time does each call take to schedule it (potentially re-schedule it), mark it in your calendar, work all your calls around your other tasks???
Instead, take your phone script and make it into a short video clip! Your message will be perfect - every single time. Your clients will be impressed by the modern approach and your professionalism. Think of all the time you will save! With the click of a button, your phone calls, your scheduling and re-scheduling, etc. will evaporate!
Internal Videos
If your business has employees, internal videos are such a great investment. Employees don’t last forever and when a new employee is on-boarded, you will find yourself saying the same thing over and over again. Make a video explaining processes and procedures/job duties. This also acts as a way to make sure you cover everything that you need to cover and don’t forget to include important information.
Customer Service
I’ve heard from so many different business owners that their clients have a hard time figuring out how to actual interact with their website.
“We get so many e-mails asking us how to buy our products…. I don’t know how to make it any easier!”
Make a quick tutorial video explaining the actual buying process! Hint - sprinkle a little product placement to hopefully upsell and guarantee the buyer actual completes the purchase!
This are just three quick examples of how video can save you time, but the options are endless!
Emerald Fox Productions: Denver Video Strategy Company
Many of our clients have come to us wanting to begin a video marketing strategy and I always start the concept by discussing their brand identity. This is when a lot of small business owners look confused and say something along the lines of, “I’m not (blank) enough for branding yet.” or others will attempt to explain, but are unable to actual express in words what their brand is. Other, still, will eagerly show me their logo and their brand colors, but when I ask for more details, haven’t gotten any further.
So…. branding is JUST AS IMPORTANT (if not more important) for a small business than for a big one. You don’t have be successful, have a ton of clients (or really any), make a bunch of money or have a bunch of employees. Branding should be strategic, calculated and implemented right from the beginning.
What is Branding
Branding is so much more than just a logo and a color palette - it’s your brand’s identity and reputation.
Think of bottled water and imagine the many different brands available and what you feel about the many choices available to you. In the end, it’s all just expensive water. But, the company’s branding creates a sort of attachment and pull toward that very expensive water.
Branding is made up of (yes) your logo and your color palette, but it is also your website, your office space or retail location, your customers and ideal clients are part of your brand, your values, your purpose and your mission!
So there is so much that goes into it and it’s not something that just develops on it’s own. Branding takes hard work!
So, what if i don’t have any branding?
First things first it to create a brand strategy.
Brand Strategy
Take some time to figure out how you are different from your competitors, why your clients should trust you, define your target audience and explain your mission.
From there, create a flow chart for your branding strategy. You want your customers to not only be aware that you exist, but you also want them to trust you, to feel loyal to you and to tell others all about you!
Recognition/awareness -> Trust -> Allegiance -> Referral
Map out how you will move your target audience from recognition all the way through to the referral stage. This doesn’t need to be exact and tangible just yet, broad ideas are fine! :)
[For example, recognition/awareness is created through my logo and brand colors as well as through SEO, PPC and Social media engagement. Trust will be developed by positioning my company as a resource for knowledge about the products and how to use them. Allegiance will come from a strong product that exceeds expectations. My relationships with my clients both during and after our work is complete will lead to referrals.]
A good brand strategy utilizes your message, your audience, your voice and your story to strategize exactly how to lead your clients through the flow chart. To get yourself started, make sure you are 100% able to answer and are CONFIDENT in the following questions:
Who is your ideal client?
Are you more expensive, similarly priced or less expensive than your competitors?
Do you have a niche focus or is it less specific?
Will your customers get to know you on a personal level?
How much are you (the business owner) a part of your brand?
Why would your customers invest in you and your product?
While a consumer experiences your product or service, how do they feel about it?
After a consumer experiences your product or service, how do the feel about it?
How are you different than your competitors?
What is your story?
What is your mission?
Whew! That’s a lot of work!!! But, without creating a brand strategy, how will you be able to design anything?
Brand Design
This is the fun part! Design your logo, your colors, your website, fonts, packaging, etc. all based on the brand strategy you just implemented. I absolutely recommend you hire a professional for this step, but a good starting point to give you an idea is to explore color palettes on google and imagine for a minute how each color palette makes you feel.
Brand Marketing
This is when you actually get to target the first part of your flow chart you created in your brand strategy - creating brand awareness.
There are so many different forms of marketing you can utilize, SEO, PPC, user experience, Social Media, E-mail campaigns, etc! But, it’s probably a good idea to do an assortment of all of these. Use your brand strategy to lead your marketing campaigns.
This is also where we come in. Emerald Fox specializes in video marketing specifically and understands the importance of your message being on-brand and a true reflection of you! We will help you implement a video strategy that compliments your brand strategy to best position you and your brand for a successful future.
Why is Branding so important?
Good branding attracts your target market specifically.
Your customers will trust you.
You will stand out from your competitors, who may not have invested time/money into a brand strategy.
You will be able to charge more for your product/service for the same quality of work.
You will have a better understanding of what you are offering, so that you can better explain it in a way that a consumer will understand.
Branding places you in a leadership position in your industry.
Emerald Fox Productions: Denver Video Strategy Company
So…. Can’t you just use your phone to make your very own business video?
Short answer is Yes! Absolutely. You can definitely make a script, set up your phone and record some footage. However, is that what you want to show your audience???? Here are some considerations on why you need to hire a professional video company, rather than DIY your business videos.
Professionals Hire Professionals
You’ve perfected your logo, refined your brand colors, decided which textures best represent. your company, spent thousands on your website and may have hired out social media content creation in order to keep your messages on-brand! Your videos are just as important as all of these other things that you’ve done to brand yourself and your company as a competent and trust-worthy professional. If you aren’t willing to invest in your business, why should your clients invest in you?
Clients can spot a DIY video right away and if that’s not the message you want to send to your clients, think twice about using your phone.
Create a Video Strategy
Shooting a promo video for your business is a GREAT first step and if that’s all you have time/money for, then that is absolutely understandable. However, implementing video into your overall business plan can be a much bigger and better undertaking. There is a wide variety of ways in which videos can assist your company to grow. Hiring a video strategy company like Emerald Fox can shed light on those areas and can create solutions to problems you didn’t even realize could be solved. Stop for a second and think about your business. If there was one thing you could change with a snap of a button, what would it be? Do you need more customers? Do you need more time? Do you need to increase sales? Video can help solve all of these!
While we typically suggest a brand message video as the first step (check out this blog article for info on what three video to utilize to jumpstart your video marketing), there are instances where a different approach can yield better results! Contact us to set up a completely free consult and to discuss your very own, custom video strategy!
Audio
When you hire a professional company, you’ll be mic’ed like a movie star! This isn’t only fun, but it also allows the editor to use REALLY good audio clips of you speaking into the camera. The thing about good audio is that no one notices good audio. But, bad audio is heard and recognized from miles away. We’ve all turned the radio station, clicked off of video or been confused by bad audio in a video. Don’t let that be you!
Editing
To put it bluntly, an experienced editor will produce a better video for you. Video transitions, color correcting, syncing audio/video, exporting to .H264? All of this is better left to an experience professional
Those are just several reasons to hire a professional! But honestly, long story short, is your brand “good enough” or are you incredible?
Emerald Fox Productions: Denver Video Strategy Company
Using music in your company’s video is pretty standard right? Here are some things to consider when choosing the right music for your video.
You can’t just choose any song that you love
You can’t just use most songs, actually, due to copyright laws. Just like no one is allowed to take your intellectual property that you have worked so hard for, you can’t use a musician’s song without their permission (or, more likely, their publisher, who likely holds the copyright). While it is possible to obtain permission from the publisher or musician, that is usually very difficult and very expensive. So what can you do? You’ve got some options:
Commission an artist to compose a song for you
This can be quite expensive. But, for good reason! A ton of work goes into creating, designing and the actually production of new music! But, if you have your heart set on a specific song that you can’t get the rights too, you could hire someone to create a similar sounding piece! And how cool is it to commission an artist to create a song just for you and your company??
Talk with your video production company for help
Most production companies pay for access to music libraries in which they have the ability to license a large variety of songs from new composers. Some of these subscription services even have the option that you can purchase the song (for an extra charge) so that you have the sole rights to it - no one else can use it! Your video production company can sift through, choose several songs that they think may fit you and your brand and go from there.
Music choice matters.
The background music may not be a huge part of your vision when you are imagining your newest video project, but it really is integral and sets the entire mood and tone to your video.
At Emerald Fox, we ask each of our clients to describe their brand in three words (Professional? Challenging? Fun? Laid-Back? Fast-Paced? Luxurious? Etc.). Then, we sift through our music library and choose a select number of musical choices that we feel fits the description and the brand. Now, this isn’t the end-all! Music choice is often a collaboration. We may narrow down the music styles you are leaning toward and come back with another couple rounds of music choices for you to choose from.
Choose your music first.
The best video editors can base their editing choices around the music. For example, rather than laying a song over an existing cut, a good editor will line up the video cuts and tone of the story with the beats and the feel of the music. This creates a cohesive edit that further engages the viewer.
Ask for feedback
Music is such an important part of our culture and many people have lots of emotional connections with music. Before you ultimately settle on a music selection, ask several other people you trust what they think of the music (your video production company should also be able to help you with this!) Music that might make you feel triumphant and powerful, may make someone else may feel inspirational and relaxing. It’s a good idea to just check in and make sure that the music is sending the right message out!
Emerald Fox Productions: Denver Video Strategy Company
When your business invests in a professional video, it can be expensive, take valuable company time, but also yield great results! If your video is well-made, you can see quite a ROI! Give yourself the greatest chance of success by avoid these common errors:
Not ensuring that everyone is on board.
This is more an error in communication. Before pulling the trigger, make sure that all the decision-makers in your company are prepared for the investment and understand the benefits. It can be difficult to create a great video when on half the company leaders are on board.
At Emerald Fox, before signing the contract, we request a meeting with each of the company leaders to go over the video plan, costs and benefits to your company.
Creating a video that is too long.
It’s easy to create a 3 -5 minute film. It’s difficult to cut that down to 1 to two minutes, but it MOST cases, that is what is necessary. A video that is too long or touches too many points will encourage the viewer to click away. When we suggest cutting content from your video, we aren’t being lazy and wanting to put less effort into your video. We have your best interests at heart and want the viewer to watch all the way to the end.
Involving too many people.
I know it is fun and exciting to include yourself and all of the company leader’s in your video, but having too many faces in too little of time confuses the viewer and completion rates will tank. A good rule of thumb is have no more people than the number of minutes your video is long, plus one. So for a three-minute video- no more than 4 people. For a one-minute video, no more than 2.
Not defining the purpose and the goal of your video.
Step one if every video product should be defining the purpose and the goal - this can’t be an all-in-one approach. This is something Emerald Fox can help you define! What problem do you want your video to solve?
Here are just a couple options to consider:
Increase Brand Awareness for website visitors
Lead more traffic to your website
Recruit new talent
Increase or aid in sales or the sales process
Introduce new ideas, products or services
Tell audiences about a sale or promotion
And much more!
Including Industry Jargon
When speaking to your audience, most of your viewers will not have the same skill set that you have and will be turned off by what they do not understand. Keep it simple and easy, strike a friendly tone and most importantly, be yourself!
Not investing in hair and make-up
It’s not everyday that you are in front of the camera! Anyone that is on film should have professional hair and make-up before the shoot (with Emerald Fox, we bring HMU to you!). A camera look is much different than your everyday office look, so it is best to leave that to the professionals! As an added bonus, you will feel confidence and empowered, which will come across favorably in the video.
Ignoring the planning process
Before the day of your shoot, you should have a pretty good idea of how shooting will take place, what will be discussed, what sort of things you will talk about in front of the camera and any additional footage that will need to be captured. Emerald Fox helps you plan from pre-conception to the final edit!
Choosing the wrong video production company
Make sure to choose a production company that does more than show up with a camera. At Emerald Fox, we don’t consider ourselves just a video company, we are a video strategist! We’ll assist you in finding the areas in your company that will benefit the most from implementing the usage of video. To set up a free consultation, contact us here: Contact.
Emerald Fox Productions: Denver, CO Video Strategy Company
We all know that video is one of the best way to reach consumers out there, but where to begin?
When a potential client reaches your website, you want them to:
Stay on your website and learn what you offer
Feel an emotional attachment to your product
Contact you or make a purchase
Video can definitely assist with all of these things! Bounce rates are decreased by as much as 34%, just by having a video on your site!
Types of Videos
Brand Message Video
This is the most important video to invest in. A brand message video showcases your product and the people behind it with a 1.5 to 3 minute video. This is your time to shine and to show your clients all about what makes your company different (better!) then your competition!
You will feature your brand message video on your website and on social media accounts.
Check out these Brand Message videos created by Emerald Fox:
and
After watching a brand message video, your clients won’t just want anybody for your products/services - they’ll NEED you!
Promotional Videos
A promo video is a shorter, 30 second-ish video whose goal is to drive visitors to your website. A promo video can be a more generic video about your brand or to share news about a new product or service or explain a new deal you have going on!
You can feature your promo video in google ads, facebook ads, Youtube ads, etc. as well as your social media accounts or do share quick information when a longer video is inappropriate.
Check out this promo video:
Testimonial Videos
A testimonial video goes above and beyond a typical review. We all understand the importance of online, positive reviews, but a testimonial video goes one step further, showing your potential clients real, authentic and genuine opinions from your previous clients. Testimonials help show your clients that you can be trusted, that your previous clients LOVED your work and can be the push to get them to reach out!
If you are selling something that is high-cost and/or high-risk, testimonial videos are SOOO important. Luxury products, luxury vacations, chiropractors, lasik eye surgeons, etc!
Testimonial videos should also be featured on your website home page! These are great to share on social media accounts as well!
Videos are TOO much work
At Emerald Fox Productions, we understand that videos are, indeed, a lot of work. What will you talk about? Where will the video take place? How will I look good enough in front of the camera to persuade anyone to purchase from me???
We don’t just show up with a camera. We are a full service video company, from pre-conception to the final delivery of your product. This means we help you discover the best use of video marketing for your business, develop a plan and write the script!
We also plan logistics for the entire thing and focus on showcasing the most-confident version of you! We have a hair and make-up team that will come to your office to help make you and your team look absolutely amazing on camera! During production, Annette will make sure that stray hairs are in the right place, that your toes are pointed the right way and that you are looking in the right direction, etc!
For a free consultation on how video can help your business succeed, contact us here: Contact Us
Emerald Fox Productions: Denver, CO Video Strategy Company
Videos on your website can help make you stand out. Consumers have been watching more and more videos over the years and that number just keeps growing. Honestly, it has become the choice medium for shoppers to research their buying decisions.
Having videos on your website and your social media platforms not only tells your viewers that you are serious and that take pride in your work, but it also more effectively communicates your messages, invokes emotion and tells a story.
Should you utilize video marketing?
The most obvious reason to incorporate video marketing into your business is that video increases conversions and bounce rates. If you are spending a bunch of money on your website, on your SEO, etc. you need people to go to your website and stay there until they make a buying decision.
According to Crackitt.com, bounce rates are reduced by as much as 34% for website with video on them. 34% is HUGE, considering that about 65% of consumer’s purchasing decisions are based on what they see on their cell phones!
The most valuable client is one that is already looking for your services. An engaged couple actively searching for a photographer, a pregnant mom ready to book her newborn photographer, a high school senior searching for a photographer…. When these people go to Google and type in ‘XXXXX photographer near me’ and land on your website, you have only a few seconds to stand out from the 5-6 other websites (your competitors!) that these clients will also check out. You want your website to invoke emotion, to tell your story to make your clients not just want any photographer - they NEED you! Video is incredible at this task.
Can Video Boost your SEO?
Video also makes you more discoverable. Video boosts your SEO - helping you land on Page 1 or 2 on a google search engine. There is a TON of information out there about how to really boost your SEO and which keywords and labels to use. I won’t get into it know since that is an entire article (or 10!) on it’s own, but it is definitely worth it to take some time to jump into all of that and research how to use this absolutely free tactic!
According to Animoto, “96% of consumers find videos helpful when making purchase decisions online and nearly three quarters are more likely to purchase a product or service if they can watch a video explaining it beforehand.”
Get Personal
So much of being a photographer is more than shooting a camera. Wedding photographer’s are Brides and Grooms wedding day best friend, a Newborn Photographer helps mom learn to soothe her newborn while also offering her support in the difficult transition to motherhood, a boudoir photographer gives self-esteem and confidence to he clients.
A client reading your ‘About me’, just isn’t enough to showcase who you are and to position yourself into a place of trust. A video can show your clients exactly who you are and give them the final push to contact you first!
Check out this brand message video from Emerald Fox Pin-Up and Boudoir done by Emerald Fox Productions!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1c47QjMxV4&list=PL5TV65xAR6zzyyLrBi3xvBkMPRJUOL6_W
Can’t I just do this myself???
You have a camera, right? While you probably could take the video yourself with a tripod and a microphone, you won’t get the same level of professionalism as you would if you hire an experienced professional. Is your brand a DIY, good-enough business???? Or are you a professional that won’t settle for less than amazing?
Can you monitor the audio levels while you are filming yourself? (Not unless you’re wearing headphones during the shoot!) Do you have the skill set to sync audio and video? What about color correcting in Davinci Resolve or Premiere Pro? Just hire a professional - I promise you won’t be disappointed!