As a marketer or business owner, you know how important the customer experience journey is. It’s at the heart of everything we do, especially today, with brand interactions happening over many digital channels. That’s why using video content is more important than ever. It’s a key strategy for reaching your audience through these channels.
Let’s face it, the right marketing video, shown at the perfect time and place, can really boost your customer experience journey. Whether it’s creating initial awareness or offering post-purchase support, these videos are great tools to engage and make your audience happy, encouraging them to return.
But this only clicks if you really get what your ideal customer experience looks like and, more crucially, how to smartly use your video marketing to make it better.
Good news – that’s exactly why we’re here.
In this article, we’ll dive into the key elements of a successful customer experience journey. Then, we’ll explore some marketing video types that can give you a hand at every step of the way. Ready to dive in? Let’s go!
What is the customer experience journey?
Let’s dive into understanding the types of videos that can boost your strategy. First, let’s align on what a top-notch customer journey looks like. Picture every interaction with your brand as a step in this journey. Your role? Craft moments that meet customer needs and encourage them to come back.
Now, think about the vast array of products, people, and markets out there. At its heart, the ideal customer journey is pretty similar across the board. It’s often split into three to five key phases.
Today, we’re focusing on a straightforward, three-part model: pre-purchase, purchase, and post-purchase. This will help you see where videos can make a big impact.
1. Pre-purchase Stage
At this part of your customer’s journey, we’re focusing on all the interactions they have with your business before they buy something. This starts from when they first learn about your brand. It goes on until they click the “Buy” button or finish their shopping cart.
Your goal here is to help people discover you. Let them learn about your products and solutions. And, lead them to choose to buy from you. You want to encourage folks to connect with your brand. Help them understand your products. And, show them that you can deliver what they need and what you promise.
Content marketing is super helpful in this stage. It guides potential customers to your brand and products. Sharing insights, solving their issues, providing clear info, and building trust are important. These steps improve the customer experience at this point.
2. Purchase Stage
As we continue on the customer journey, we arrive at the purchase stage. This is where interest turns into actual buying. It starts when someone decides to buy from you and lasts until they start using what you’ve sold.
Your job here is to make the buying process super smooth. A hassle-free experience is key. It really impacts how people view your brand. Plus, you need to reassure them about their decision.
In practice, this means showing clear prices and having transparent transactions. Also, ensure the payment process is secure. But remember, content is still important. Provide detailed product info, support guides, thorough reviews, and comparison charts. These help in decision-making and ensure your soon-to-be customer feels great about their choice. Your aim is to make a sale in a way that leaves them confident they’ve made the right decision.
3. Post-purchase
bonds after a sale. This covers everything that happens after someone buys your product. The focus is on keeping them connected and happy.
Your aim is to make sure your customers are satisfied and stay loyal to your brand. This means living up to your promises, being reliable, and going the extra mile to delight them.
Content is a big part of this stage too. Quick customer support and handy FAQs show you care about your customers’ happiness. Offering special content and sending personalized follow-ups are important tactics here.
To sum up, the post-purchase stage is crucial for building strong relationships and loyalty. It’s where customer experiences turn into powerful marketing tools, bringing them back for more.
What types of videos can improve the customer experience journey?
Now that we’ve set a common understanding of how customers interact with your brand and content, let’s dive into the details. We’ll explore how certain marketing videos can really make a difference at each stage of your customer’s journey.
1. Improving Pre-purchase Experience With Video
At this point in the journey, you need content that introduces potential customers to your brand and products. It’s important to have videos that show off what you offer in the best light and explain how your products can make a positive difference in their lives. Plus, you want videos that encourage people to take the next step and make a purchase.
💡 Pro tip: You can use Ads, Explainer Videos, and Product Videos to accomplish that.
Using Video Ads to Improve the Pre-purchase Experience
Video ads are short, catchy clips that grab attention and spark interest in your company and products. They’re designed to catch the eye and encourage people to click through to your website, kickstarting their interaction with your brand.
These ads are a fantastic tool for drawing attention to what you have to say and getting people to click. They’re also an engaging way to introduce your company or showcase the unique features of your product in a brief yet impactful manner.
By stirring up viewers’ curiosity and interest, ads set the stage for a great customer experience. They invite people to find out more about what you offer, lighting the spark that leads them to explore more about you and your brand.
Using Explainer Videos to Improve the Pre-purchase Experience
Animated Explainers are fantastic at breaking down complex ideas and presenting information in a way that’s easy for everyone to understand. This makes them incredibly valuable in nurturing your customer’s journey. What’s great about these explainers is that they use storytelling to show the value of your products.
Storytelling is key to creating a memorable customer experience, and it’s a core part of the Animated Explainer format. This makes them powerful tools in shaping how potential customers see your products and brand.
On one side, they provide all the information viewers need to understand something and make smart choices. On the other, they tell a relatable story that reflects real-life experiences, making viewers care about what you’re saying and encouraging them to act.
Overall, Animated Explainers are well-rounded pieces of content that significantly help your customers understand your products and engage with your brand after watching.
Using Product Videos to Improve the Pre-purchase Experience
In digital marketing, Product Videos are the best way to create an experience close to actually handling a product in a store. These videos give potential customers a detailed view of what you’re offering and show how it can make their lives better.
It’s important to focus on more than just listing features. Sure, anyone can make a video detailing a product’s features, but when your video not only informs viewers about your product but also connects with them and makes them interested in what else you have, then you’re really onto something.
Your product videos should showcase real-life situations and demonstrate how your product solves common problems. This helps build trust in what you’re offering and lets people see if it meets their needs.
A great product video creates a sense of a tangible experience with your products. It helps potential customers imagine how the product will fit into and improve their lives, significantly enhancing their interaction with your brand and products moving forward.
2. Improving the Purchase Experience With Video
You’ve probably realized by now that your customers’ experience with your brand doesn’t stop once they make a purchase. Actually, buying something is just the start of a new phase in their relationship with your brand. Your content needs to mirror this new stage. You should aim for videos that help customers get the most out of their purchases and make sure they’re happy with what they bought.
💡 Pro tip: To that end, Onboarding and Training Videos have proven extremely effective.
Using Onboarding and Welcome Videos to Improve the Purchase Experience
Onboarding and Welcome videos are like personalized greetings from your brand to new customers after they’ve made a purchase. They give them the tips and tricks they need to get the most out of what they’ve bought. These videos help guide customers through the first steps of using your product or service.
This makes these videos a key part of enhancing your customer’s experience right after they buy. They set a positive tone for the transaction and help smooth out any bumps that might come with trying out a new product. More importantly, these videos make customers feel valued and supported from the start.
Great Onboarding and Welcome videos usually include instructions for setting up and using the product, provide all the information needed to get started, and suggest ways to begin using it effectively. By giving a friendly and encouraging welcome, you lay the groundwork for customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Using Training Videos to Improve the Purchase Experience
Welcome videos are great, but sometimes, especially with more complex products, your customers might need a deeper, step-by-step guide. That’s where Training Videos come in handy.
Training Videos are detailed educational pieces that really get into the nuts and bolts of your product’s features, how it works, and what it can do. They show viewers not just how to use the product, but how to get the most out of it, helping new customers become proficient users.
By offering in-depth tutorials and how-to guides, you’re giving your new customers the resources to learn about your product at their own speed. This lets them unlock advanced features, find creative ways to make the most of their purchase, and even solve problems on their own. All of this helps create empowered customers who are more likely to be happy with their purchase, building a strong sense of partnership with your brand and boosting their confidence and satisfaction.
3. Improving the Post-purchase Experience With Video
If it’s not already obvious, the customer experience goes way beyond just making a purchase. Once your customers have your product, their relationship with your brand changes, and so should the digital content you create for them. At this stage, the goal is to offer videos that help build customer loyalty and create a positive feeling about their experience with your business.
💡 Pro tip: For that, you can deliver Customer Delight and Milestones Videos.
Using Customer Delight Videos to Improve the Post-purchase Experience
Customer Delight videos are special content made to surprise and show gratitude to your customers for their loyalty and support. These videos often have a personal touch or are timed to coincide with special dates, like anniversaries or birthdays.
Perfect for the post-purchase part of the customer journey, these videos are all about strengthening and nurturing your relationship with customers. They aim to create unforgettable, positive experiences that make your customers feel closer to your brand.
By putting in extra effort to make content that shows customers they’re valued—be it a thank-you video, an unexpected discount or gift, or even a birthday wish—you’re building a stronger, more personal bond with them. This extra step sets you apart, showing that your brand cares about its customers well beyond the initial sale, and helps make people feel really good about choosing to do business with you.
Using Milestone Videos to Improve the Post-purchase Experience
Milestone Videos are all about cheering on big moments, achievements, or special dates related to your customer’s journey with your brand. Whether it’s a video marking a year of using your service or celebrating a certain milestone reached with your product, these videos are a way to pause and celebrate your clients’ accomplishments with what they bought from you.
They’re a fantastic part of any post-purchase customer experience plan because they recognize and celebrate the journey that continues long after the initial purchase, helping to maintain a lasting relationship with your brand.
The best part about these videos is that they let your customers feel proud of their achievements. You get to acknowledge their loyalty and commitment, boosting their positive feelings about your company. Most importantly, Milestone Videos create a sense of ongoing progress and engagement, increasing the chances that your customers will return to you in the future.
Wrapping Up
In today’s competitive market, video content is a powerful tool in shaping the whole customer journey, even beyond buying something. Ads, welcome videos, training, happy customer moments, and milestone videos are key parts. They help you make memorable moments with your brand.
Now, creating an amazing, unforgettable experience is what sets you apart. Use every tool you have to make content that’s not just enjoyable, but also gives your customers strong reasons to stay engaged and come back for more!