When you create video content, it’s a powerful way to connect with your potential customers to improve conversions, and at the same time, it can be used to build loyalty so that your customers then become brand advocates.

Your marketing funnel, which is also known as your sales funnel, is a tool that helps you understand the journey of your possible customers, and you can map out how you plan to guide them through the stages of awareness, conversion, and retention. There are usually four stages in a marketing funnel, starting with awareness. Then, the marketing funnel moves to consideration, decision and loyalty.

The top of the funnel is your awareness stage, and you want your audience to get to know you here. They can get a feel for what you do and how you can help them solve a particular problem.

The middle of the funnel is your consideration stage, where you begin to educate your targeted audience on what you offer and separate yourself from your competition.

The bottom of the funnel is the decision stage, where conversion happens, and you can facilitate this through the cultivation of a sense of urgency and reassurance stemming from the provision of social proof.

Finally, the end of the funnel is your retention stage, where you’re providing that push to make sure your customers are staying loyal to you and hopefully becoming strong brand advocates.

Video can and should be used at each stage of the funnel.

Top of the Funnel

At the top of the funnel, consider the reality that your potential customers have a need or they’re dealing with a problem. Customers are researching so they can start to understand more about their problems and how to solve them.

Some of the types of video content for the top of the funnel include:

• Brand videos: These are great for the awareness stage, and you can show what your values and mission are. Highlight how you’re unique through storytelling and create that initial point of contact with your audience. Everyone wants to buy from companies whose values they feel align with their own, so you want to think about that as you develop video content for this part of the funnel.
• How-to videos: How-to videos and educational videos are good at the awareness stage of the funnel because this is a time when people are looking for information and they’re conducting research. You can deliver value to your customers that’s applicable to them in their daily lives. You’re building trust with your targeted audience.
• Entertaining videos: Short and entertaining videos can be amusing and can get attention through creativity, which will improve brand awareness.
• Animations: Animations and explainer videos are excellent for introducing your products or services. They’re short and simple videos that explain topics concisely.

Middle of the Funnel

Some of the ways to use videos in the middle of the funnel include:

• Email marketing: Adding videos to your email marketing helps nurture already warm leads. You’re getting your audience excited and differentiating yourself. You can reinforce your brand and get the interest of your audience so that they feel compelled to click on something and learn more.
• Product/service videos: The middle of the funnel is a good time to show how your product or service actually works. These are good for conversions.
• Testimonials or case studies: Social proof-related videos can give your prospects the nudge to make a decision. You can showcase what people’s real experiences have been with your products or services.
• Culture videos: A culture video shows your audience in the middle of the funnel why you’re the best brand to work with.

Bottom of the Funnel

Video content designed for the bottom of the funnel can include:

• FAQs: Put frequently asked questions into a video format. The bottom of the funnel tends to be when your leads are looking for answers to those last lingering questions before they make their ultimate decision, so this type of content can reassure them they’re making the best decision.
• Demos: In a demo video, you can show how you’ll continue to provide support to customers once they make a purchase.
• Personalized video content: Maybe at this stage where you’re making the final push, you leverage the power of personalized content. Create a unique experience for each lead that makes them feel like you value them and care about them. Personalized video content can also spark the law of reciprocity.

Going Beyond Your Funnel

When someone has made the decision to purchase from you, and you want to go beyond the funnel to promote loyalty, video content that could be useful includes:

• Thank-you: Send your customers who have purchased from you a thank-you video. This will keep them engaged, show them that you value them, and it might energize them to advocate for your brand.
• More demos and how-to’s: You can continue to use demo videos, and how-to’s beyond your funnel because you’re not showing your audience how something works. Instead, you’re showing them how to maximize their use of it. You can also send out very short snippet-style videos where you’re giving people tips and tricks on your products or services.
• Product launches: If you want to keep your audience up to date on everything going on with your brand, you can create videos to announce your latest new offerings or updates.

If you don’t currently have video content as part of your sales funnel, do an audit as the year begins and see where you can begin to add it. Think about what parts of your funnel you feel are underperforming right now, and more than likely, you’re going to want to start by focusing on your top-of-funnel or awareness videos because this is where you’ll build your audience.

From there, once you’ve started to build out your top-of-funnel video content, you can move down your funnel and expand it at every stage.