Part 2 - Using Online Video for Generating Sales Leads

(This article is part of a 3-part series from an interview conducted by Paul Ritter (News - Alert), contributor for the Business Video site on TMCnet with Wayne Wall, CEO of Flimp Media on June 16, 2011. Part 1, which focused on using video for internal employee benefits communications can be viewed here. ) 

 Ritter: Wayne, I know that Flimp Media is a provider of a platform for using online video brochures for many applications, and you believe it is particularly effective for companies looking to generate qualified sales leads. How would you describe the term “video lead generation?”

Wall: Very simple. It’s using video with interactive multimedia and viewer tracking to generate detailed viewer engagement, response and sharing information that collectively is lead generation. Video is the key to driving engagement, but it needs to be combined with interactive multimedia to generate response. We call the stand alone combination of video and branded interactive multimedia – ‘video brochures.” These video brochures can be distributed by salespeople and marketers to prospects and target audiences to drive engagement and generate well qualified sales leads.      

Ritter: What types of companies are using Flimp Media’s platform, and what kinds of applications are they using the technology for?

Wall: A wide range of companies and organizations interested in actionable communications and lead generation are using online video. This includes B2B and retail companies, travel and real estate companies, insurance and financial services companies, colleges and universities, unions, health care providers and employers for benefits communications, and nonprofits for fundraising.    

Ritter: What would you say is the right length (duration) for videos that are used for lead generation purposes?

Wall: Anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on the complexity and offer.

Ritter: What are some of the different strategies that should be deployed when using video for branding and advertising, as compared to using video for marketing and lead generation?

Wall: In general, branding with video lends itself more to social media, and video sharing platforms like YouTube (News - Alert) and Vimeo, not to mention Television and pre roll video ads. For direct marketing, there has to be interactivity and that involves combining video with multimedia and individual viewer tracking. Delivery by email, or video landing pages for search ads, as well as new expandable online ad formats that turn into mini microsites are best for direct marketing and sales lead generation.  

Ritter:   Is YouTube the best place for companies to be posting their videos? Why or why not?

Wall: Generally posting video on YouTube doesn’t hurt and it can sometimes help people find you. YouTube is best for consumer engagement and branding – the notion of viral videos being shared due to their entertainment value. For B2B lead generation, YouTube is pretty useless unless the video content is extraordinarily interesting and generates its own media attention and buzz. Most B2B video appeals to a very narrow audience and is not very entertaining. A better practice for most businesses is to create a compelling testimonial, how-to content or problem/solution videos and then deliver them in video brochures to target audiences to generate engagement and sales leads.     

Ritter:   What types of analytics, measurement and tracking are of most importance for online marketers, sales professionals and advertisers?

Wall: This depends on whether you are marketing to B2B or B2C audiences. For B2C, overall campaign data is most important; how many views, average viewing time, what links were clicked most, was the video shared, did viewers watch to completion. For B2B, fundraising, event marketing and selling high value products it’s important to generate viewer specific data by email address or a form fill response so appropriate follow up can take place. Think – what does sales need to be successful vs what is success for marketing. For retail, marketing is more important. For B2B, sales is king. 

(Part One of this three-part series from the interview between Paul Ritter and Wayne Wall focused on how video is being used by organizations for communicating employee benefits information in a more engaging way than static email or print materials.  Part Three will outline seven best practices for using online video for lead generation.  The entire interview can be read in an upcoming issue of the Business Video eNewsletter. Click here to sign up to receive your copy.)