Marketing automation software and strategy is quickly becoming the Marketing Department’s right-hand tool for lead generation, behavioral and demographic insight, and engagement analytics. We want to know WHO is viewing and engaging with content, along with the other 3 W’s: WHAT, WHERE and WHY. This is becoming more and more important as content becomes a) the number one lead gen tool in your box, and b) companies are getting smarter about segmenting content for target audiences.
Video can reveal some truly unique metrics and insight into audience behaviour and engagement. Where you might be able to ascertain limited information from a static piece of content (like a white paper, article, or blog post), video can offer more granular metrics.
With marketing automation software or a tool like Wistia (for example), you can go beyond number of views – and track exactly when your user engages with your video, and when they drop off. Did you capture their attention within the first 10 seconds? What percentage of viewers watched the entire video? How about their rate of engagement; what did they do after they watched your video? Did they follow your call to action, or does it need to be stronger, or more compelling?
As for lead generation, marketing automation integration with a CRM will streamline your processes. Include a form, or email submission as a gate on your video. You might consider gating your video with an email submission field at the beginning, or in the middle (once you have them hooked!). Once you have the email address, send it directly into your CRM or email program. Voila! A new warm lead without lifting a finger.
If you include some CASL-compliant language (i.e “By submitting your email, you will also be put onto our list to receive periodic news and relevant content from our marketing team. Don’t worry! You can unsubscribe from this list at any time.”), you can place that lead into your subscribers program to receive all of your email marketing in the future.
Surface metrics isn’t enough for marketers these days. We want more. Marketing automation is making it possible to go deep, especially with video content.