Why short-form video is the future of lead generation

Brief-form video is revolutionizing the way in which companies strategy main lead era. However have you learnt why—and easy methods to apply it to your advertising and marketing technique?

When HubSpot began rising within the early 2000s, the first lead era technique was natural search optimization. This has labored extremely nicely for HubSpot (and lots of different companies), serving to us grow to be the corporate we’re as we speak. However instances have modified.

AI advances and the ensuing modifications to Google’s algorithm have considerably disrupted search engine optimisation, making competitors for key phrases extra intense than ever — and making rating and driving site visitors harder and costly. But many new companies are nonetheless turning to this technique to drive progress in 2024, with out taking a look at different avenues — which Kieran and I consider is a large mistake.

As mentioned in a current episode of Advertising Towards the Grain, we see the way forward for main lead era shifting to short-form video — and the information backs us up. Brief-form video is reported to have the very best ROI of any social media advertising and marketing technique in 2024, with over 84% of entrepreneurs saying that video has helped drive site visitors to their web site.

However what are the advantages of short-form video and how will you combine it into your advertising and marketing plan?

Advantages of Brief-Type Video as a Lead Technology Device

Brief-form video — comparable to YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram reels — presents corporations vital benefits over conventional lead-generation methods. Whereas the precise advantages will differ relying in your product and enterprise mannequin, three that Kieran and I discover significantly compelling are:

• Scaled distribution: Video platforms give companies entry to giant audiences, which is particularly beneficial for brand spanking new corporations trying to develop their buyer base. For instance, in 2023 the variety of each day YouTube Shorts views will attain 70 billion.

• AI Defensibility: Video content material is inherently extra characterPushed by Data-powered, which means exhausting to duplicate with AI, guaranteeing your content material stays distinctive and fascinating

• the distinction: Many companies nonetheless depend on conventional search engine optimisation, adopting short-form video units you aside from the competitors and lets you shortly achieve traction in much less crowded areas.

Three ideas for utilizing video for lead era

Learn to check and incorporate video into your advertising and marketing workflow by accessing HubSpot’s Video Advertising Starter Pack and contemplating the concepts beneath:

1. Lean into storytelling.

“Most model advertising and marketing is boring,” says Kieran. “As an alternative, attempt to strategy your model such as you’re writing a TV collection.”

For instance, as an alternative of creating conventional, short-term video campaigns, take into account long-term collection with recurring characters and plotlines. This storytelling strategy establishes a deep reference to the viewers, making your model memorable.

Additionally, by no means underestimate the ability of humor. “I believe one of many weirdest issues is hiring a comedy author to develop an organization’s model marketing campaign,” says Kieran. Humor once more makes your video content material memorable and units you aside from rivals.

2. Recycle current content material.

Particularly for groups with restricted budgets and sources, repurposing current video content material is an efficient approach to increase your short-form content material portfolio.

For instance, recycle long-form movies by slicing them into shorter, extra digestible clips. Flip webinars into video advertisements or buyer interviews into testimonials. This strategy maximizes the shelf-life of your current content material and permits it to succeed in a wider viewers.

Additionally, do not be afraid to lean on AI. As Kieran defined throughout the episode: AI instruments now allow you to take textual content from a weblog publish and create a two-minute tutorial video that completely summarizes the details of the weblog. Add AI-generated audio, embed the video again into the weblog, and distribute it to different platforms to drive site visitors. Immediately, you have created a multimodal weblog publish that engages readers in new methods.

3. Associate with influencers.

Collaborations with influencers enable manufacturers to succeed in goal demographics with much less effort. For instance, I might search for individuals who have actually profitable YouTube channels and TikTok accounts with very particular audiences — after which accomplice with them for sponsored video content material or embed my merchandise of their content material.

Associating your model’s movies with (rigorously chosen) creators will increase your credibility, as they’ve already established belief with their followers. Moreover, high quality and brand-aligned influencers enhance authenticity and guarantee your message resonates with a receptive viewers.

To see our full dialogue on the way forward for management era, watch the complete episode Advertising towards the grain beneath:

This weblog collection is in partnership with Advertising Towards the Grain, a video podcast. It digs deep into concepts shared by advertising and marketing leaders Kip Bodner (CMO at HubSpot) and Kieran Flanagan (SVP, Advertising at HubSpot) as they unpack progress methods and study from standout founders and friends.