As the competition in the eCommerce space keeps increasing, brands are looking for new, more efficient ways to acquire new customers.

In this search, businesses are focusing on different aspects of their marketing strategy: channels, budgets, automation tools, KPIs, etc. One of the things that often gets discussed is content – to what degree can different types of content have an impact on your marketing and user acquisition outcomes?

When we talk about content, It’s become clear that video belongs on the list of the most popular new formats you can use to engage customers at all stages of their journey. And, of course, customers at different stages of the acquisition funnel need to be engaged with different types of videos.

So, let’s go over the types of videos you can use for different stages of the funnel, along with some interesting examples that can serve as inspiration.

What is customer acquisition?

Simply put, customer or user acquisition is the process of getting people to buy your product or service.

However, when we talk about customer acquisition, we’re not talking about the act of getting a single customer – we’re talking about putting a system in place that allows you to get customers on a regular basis.

To approach customer acquisition more strategically, a lot of brands are using marketing funnels. These funnels allow companies to segment customers into different groups, depending on the stage of the funnel they occupy. Then, all customers receive different messaging that is intended to get them over to the next stage.

Source: Skyword

Customer acquisition is measured with a wide range of metrics, the most important one being CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) which tells you the total cost (sales and marketing) of acquiring a new customer.

How can video help with user acquisition?

There are many reasons why video seems to be the content of the future.

For one thing, customers seem to prefer it. According to HubSpot, over 54% of users want to see more video content from brands. Furthermore, this trend seems to be more prevalent among younger people, which is an encouraging stat for the future of video.

Video marketing also seems to be more profitable for marketers. Around 88% of marketers report that video content gets them positive ROI. Five years ago, only 33% of marketers said the same. This tells us, yet again, that video content is a trend that’s here to stay.

Let’s see which types of video content you can use to join that group of marketers.

1. Product promo videos

Users that are at the beginning of the sales funnel typically need to be introduced to your product. They are in what we call the “Awareness” stage, which means that they have a problem or a need but they don’t know yet that your product/service can solve it.

You can target these users with product promo videos. As their name suggests, these videos focus on the product and its features. We use them to highlight your product’s USPs, visual appearance, and those features that are most likely to spark interest.

Mainstream TV commercials regularly use product shots as a technique to promote their product.

Here is a good example from Training Mask:

While this video doesn’t go into details about the product, the whole commercial is focused on how the product looks and how it can be used. The video is short and it’s clear how the mask can help you if you’re a serious athlete.

The commercial also has a specific feeling that goes perfectly with the nature of the product – dynamic, intense, and confident.

2. Animated videos

If you need to explain complex concepts or illustrate something in great detail, you might want to consider making animated videos. In many cases, it’s hard to explain a process or show actions using only real-life footage.

That’s when animated videos come in: with voiceover, titles, and some simple effects you can get your message across and inform your audience in under a minute.

These videos are also useful if you want to tell a brand story. For example, a company that makes craft beer might want to use animation to explain the whole brewing process – from harvesting hops and barley to bottling and selling.

Compared to high-end promotional videos, animated videos are typically more affordable because you don’t have to hire a whole crew.

Here is a video from Vans that uses animation to tell their story engagingly:

Notice how the animation style, the script, and even the voice actor they used all fit the brand identity perfectly.

3. Demo videos

Companies that sell software will most likely use a demo video at some point in the customer acquisition funnel.

Demo videos allow you to showcase your product/service, explain different processes that the users can go through, and talk about the platform’s main benefits. These videos are usually short and used only to cover certain key features of the product quickly.

However, demo videos aren’t used only by software companies. A lot of businesses that sell physical products that need setting up use demos to help their customers when they make their first purchase.

SurveyMonkey executed their demo video perfectly:

They cover the product’s most interesting features in under two minutes, highlighting their USP and showcasing how the product looks. From the first second, the video immerses you in the platform’s fun design, taking you through all the dashboards. The animation with matches at the beginning and end is also very impressive from a technical standpoint, and the whole video is incredibly well-made. 

4. Personal message from the CEO

At Bonjoro, we’ve been raving about the importance of personalization: if you can address your customers (and potential customers) directly and honestly, you can start creating unique relationships based on trust.

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you run a subscription-based business that enables customers to first sign up for a trial and then buy the whole service if they’re satisfied with it. Now imagine sending personalized video messages to each of those trialists – it’s hard to believe they wouldn’t have an impact.

Getting in front of that camera and speaking honestly shows your potential users that they’re dealing with an actual person who is involved with the business on a micro level and cares about their experience.

Check out how we helped a meditation business called Into Deeper Waters get 39% response rates from new opt-ins. Close to 90% of those customers were opening the emails, around half of which were actively engaging in conversations!

5. Tutorial videos

Although they are similar to demo videos, tutorials are distinctive by the fact that they allow you to go deeper into your product and its functions.

While a demo video will almost always be a more general presentation about the product, a tutorial will drill down into a specific issue or feature and explain it in great detail. Tutorials typically use screen recording, close-up shots, and voiceover to detail every action you need to perform.

Here is a good example from CNET that shows us how to delete our Facebook account:

The video starts with some general information about Facebook and its popularity. It then quickly moves into a series of screen captures both on a laptop and smartphone to show you the exact steps you need to take to delete your account.

Tutorial videos are perfect for later stages of the acquisition funnel when your customers have either signed up for a free trial or have made their first purchase. Even though they’ve already purchased the product, sending them a video tutorial will make their experience more pleasant and make them more likely to become repeat buyers.

6. User-generated content

At any point in the funnel, it could be a great idea to engage your users with user-generated content.

This type of content is one of the best testimonials you can have – it usually shows your customers enjoying the product and being connected with the brand enough that they would take the time to create a video.

You can ask your fans to share their content on social media and then use that content as a key part of your campaign.

To get people to share content with them, some brands will offer incentives like free products, rewards, or even money. In most cases, however, the promise of getting featured on your social media pages or anywhere else in your campaign might be enough.

For example, Apple famously bases their whole Instagram approach on user-generated content. Of course, the incentive here is that you would be featured on a highly popular IG page and get exposure for your personal brand.

Source: Apple Instagram

7. Influencer videos

We live in an age where influencers can have a significant impact on your business.

This Think with Google report tells us just how deeply millennials are connected with influencers. Around 40% of millennials believe influencers understand them better than their friends, and 60% of them would follow advice from a YouTuber on what to buy over advice from a film or TV celebrity.

Having influencers feature some of your products in their videos can give you significant reach, especially if you choose the influencer from the right niche.

Here is an example of how an influencer can include your product organically and create interesting content around it:

8. Testimonial videos

Your customers can be your best brand ambassadors – if you let them tell their story.

Customer testimonials put the spotlight on your users and the unique ways in which your product helped them solve problems, overcome challenges, and achieve results. Once you get enough customer stories, you can start inviting those customers to take part in your testimonial campaign.

Unlike with user-generated content, you can take an active part in producing these videos, making sure they’re presentable and send a strong message. The stories should feel organic (which they should be) but you can take control of the creative process.

Here is an example of a well-executed testimonial video from LifeLock:

The video starts on a relatable note, hooking viewers with an event that they can all imagine happening to them. From there, we slowly segue into talking about the product and its features. We hear directly from satisfied customers how the product solved a problem and helped them.

9. Live videos

Another highly personalized, ad-hoc type of video, live videos help you create a spontaneous connection with your audience.

Whether it’s a live IG video from an event or a live stream of your latest webinar, live videos can be a useful tool if you want to give your users a behind-the-scenes look into your brand. Out of all the types of videos on this list, these videos are perhaps the most direct and improvised. But, they can also be the most exciting and engaging!

If you use them on social media, live videos give you the unique opportunity to directly engage your audience. You can answer questions, ask for feedback, and have entire conversations. That’s what makes these videos perfect for Q&A content where you can provide valuable information to your followers.

Source: Later.com

The best videos for user acquisition: the final word

Getting your users’ attention is one of the most important steps in acquisition marketing.

And, as we established, video is among the best attention-grabbing formats out there. If you decide to engage your users with videos, you need to ask yourself two things: 

• Which types of videos should I use for which stage of the marketing funnel?

• Which types of videos make the most sense for my product?

Once you answer these questions, you can get into the technical details of how to create videos and how much those videos will cost.

To make it easier for yourself, you might want to consider Bonjoro – it will allow you to create personalized videos on your own, with no big budgets and video editing knowledge.

Register for a free trial and try it out!