Why Short-Form Video Is the Future Of Lead Generation

Quick-form video is revolutionizing the way in which that companies method major lead technology. However have you learnt why — and find out how to apply it to your advertising and marketing technique?

When HubSpot began rising again within the early 2000s, the core technique for major lead technology was natural search optimization. It labored extremely effectively for HubSpot (and plenty of different companies), serving to us develop into the corporate we’re as we speak. However occasions have modified.

AI developments and the ensuing shifts in Google’s algorithm have considerably disrupted search engine marketing, making the competitors for key phrases fiercer than ever — and making it tougher and costly to rank and drive visitors. But many new companies nonetheless flip to this technique to drive progress in 2024, with out taking a look at different avenues — which Kieran and I imagine is a big mistake.

As mentioned in a current episode of Advertising and marketing Towards the Grain, we see the way forward for major lead technology shifting to short-form video — and the information backs us up. Quick-form video was reported as having the very best ROI of any social media advertising and marketing technique in 2024, with over 84% of entrepreneurs saying that video has helped them enhance visitors to their web site.

However what are the benefits to short-form video and how are you going to combine it into your advertising and marketing plan?

Benefits of Quick-form Video as a Lead Era Device

Quick-form video — like YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram reels — provides firms vital benefits over conventional lead-generation methods. Whereas the particular perks 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 large audiences, which is particularly invaluable for newer firms that wish to develop their buyer base. For instance, the variety of day by day YouTube Shorts views reached 70 billion in 2023.

• AI defensibility: video content material is inherently extra character-driven than data-driven, which means it’s more durable to copy with AI, making certain your content material stays distinctive and fascinating

• Differentiation: with so many companies nonetheless counting on conventional search engine marketing, embracing short-form video units you aside from the competitors and lets you rapidly achieve traction in less-crowded areas

Three Suggestions for Utilizing Video for Lead Era

Learn to take a look at and incorporate video into your advertising and marketing workflow by accessing HubSpot’s Video Advertising and marketing Starter Pack and contemplating the concepts under:

1. Lean into storytelling.

“Most model advertising and marketing is boring,” says Kieran. “As a substitute, strive approaching your model such as you’re writing a TV collection.”

For instance, reasonably than growing conventional, short-term video campaigns, contemplate long-term collection with recurring characters and plotlines. This storytelling method establishes a deeper reference to the viewers, making your model memorable.

Additionally, by no means underestimate the facility of humor. “One of many outlandish issues I believe somebody may do is rent a comedy author for growing an organization’s model marketing campaign,” Kieran says. Humor once more makes your video content material memorable whereas additional differentiating you from opponents.

2. Recycle current content material.

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

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

Additionally, don‘t be afraid to lean into AI. As Kieran explains in the course of the episode: AI instruments now allow you to take the textual content from a weblog publish and generate a two-minute instructional video that completely summarizes the weblog’s key factors. Add AI-generated audio, embed the video again into the weblog, and distribute it on different platforms to drive visitors. Immediately, you’ve got created a multimodal weblog publish that engages readers in new methods.

3. Associate with influencers.

Collaborating with influencers permits manufacturers to succeed in focused 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 associate with them for sponsored video content material or embed my product into their content material.

Associating your model movies with (fastidiously chosen) creators will increase your credibility, as they have already got established belief with their followers. Moreover, worth and brand-aligned influencers enhance authenticity and guarantee your message resonates with a receptive viewers.

To look at our whole dialogue about the way forward for lead technology, try the total episode of Advertising and marketing Towards the Grain under:

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