Instagram is no longer going to promote Reels, YouTube has put short videos in the general feed, and TikTok has become less attracting. Does this mean that short videos will be watched less?
Isabel Plotkina, an expert in integrated strategic marketing and director of business development at Concept Group noted that they include and will continue to include the TikTok, Reels and YouTube short video format in most of their strategies.
This channel continues to bring huge new audience reach to brands and bloggers. And as much as platforms try to convince us of the importance of all publishing formats, so far short videos are the most effective channel for the primary stage of the marketing funnel. So let’s figure out how to build it with the help of short videos.
To start, let’s look at the main marketing goals we can achieve with this format: increasing awareness of a new brand or product, awakening interest in the product or service, and engaging and developing the brand. What marketing channels can short videos be compared with? With targeted advertising, Google or Yandex media advertising and promotion on YouTube. The main difference is that short videos generate organic rather than paid advertising traffic. And the level of trust and engagement is always higher in organic.
Short videos are shown to a new audience each time
Let’s look at two examples of short videos for a car brand.
In the first video, beautiful shots of a new car change to a trend music. Why would a user want to watch this video?
- If he already owns this car, he will be motivated to join and give a like or a reaction-smiley face without even watching the video to the end.
- If the user does not own these car, and he does not need it at the moment, he will swipe it.
- Only if the user doesn’t have this car but really needs it, he might watch it to the end and give it a “Like”.
In the second video, the presenter while driving explains what the lane control system is and shows it in action.
- Those who own this car are likely to watch the video till finish in order to understand the situation on the road and how to use this function.
- Those who don’t own this car will also watch to the end to understand what this function is and how it works. Some of these viewers will want to buy the car.
A lot more user engagement occurs with such meaningful video content. So what should a brand do to make sure that after watching this video, the viewer would be interested to stay with the brand and possibly to try a test drive? After the useful content, when the trust level is at the highest level, it’s time for a native sale and user’s upgrade to the next level of the funnel. This is where you should offer to try this car function on a test drive. It is important to make it clear for the user where he should go next: a link to the site, a phone number, a link to Instagram. In this case, the phone number or link to the site works best.
Short video funnel options by channels
We often see brands and experts building funnels in multiple channels, but they always start with short videos.
For example:
TikTok video + YouTube + Website
TikTok + Instagram stories + Instagram post
Reels + Stories + Post
Reels + Stories + Live stream
Reels + Telegram channel + Landing page or website
TikTok or Reels + offline location (store)
Note: as with any marketing funnel, the user retention time gets longer with each stage. The user’s been warmed up and he makes purchase. For example, there’s a short video where the stylist shares 3 ways to wear socks on TikTok, at the end of the video he invites to see 2 more cooler ways in the stories, and the stories takes the user to a post with a gallery of product models and colors, features and price in the description. In this funnel, in just two channels, the user reaches right to the purchase and sends direct message with a specific request, as if in the shopping cart on the site.
As with any funnel, if you mix up the stages and start selling right away, there will be no result. If you’re selling a unique product or service, it might work, and even from the first video sales can go through.
But in other cases, you need to communicate with the audience using different formats, to catch and engage them. We lead the user to a sale point, and then we get his loyalty, if provided products and services are good.
