Making videos isn’t complicated, time-consuming, or expensive—but we don't blame you if you think it is. In fact, 66% of marketers agree that video takes too much time.
No matter how camera-shy you are, though, you need to add video to your marketing strategy. Sixty-eight percent of marketers who use video note a better return on investment (ROI) compared to Google Ads. While we know most financial advisers are hesitant to use video marketing, we (and a lot of other marketers) have found that videos are actually pretty easy to create and do wonders for your marketing.
Videos work because they add a personal, human touch other marketing mediums lack, which helps you build stronger relationships with your prospects and clients.
Attention spans are getting shorter every year, so even though a picture says a thousand words, no one will spend enough time on your picture to understand those words. The best way to get prospects’ and clients’ attention now is through quick, punchy videos, followed by other content they’re interested in.
Don't get us wrong, there's a time and place for all kinds of content, but if your goal is to grab attention and build relationships, video is your best bet.
Your prospects want to see more videos—it’s their preferred content type. Nearly 70% of people prefer learning about new products and services through video, while only 18% look for text articles and 2% want sales calls or demos. On social media, 45% of users prefer video over other types of content.
When someone is still in the getting-to-know-you stage, they want to see you and hear from you, not read a bunch of words about what you do. It’s easier to build a connection with someone when you can put a face and voice to a name, which is why videos are so important when you're trying to build trust and a lasting relationship.
Videos are more engaging because people like interacting with other people. It’s been said that humans process visual information faster than they do words, which may be why videos are better at grabbing attention. And the data reflects just that.
Overall, 87% of marketers who used video in their marketing got a positive ROI. Social media posts with videos also perform better across relevant platforms:
Emails with videos also perform better, increasing reply rate by 26% and open rates by 16%. In our 2021 Half-time Report, we found that financial adviser emails containing videos got more clicks—46.04% compared to 39.53%.
Not a lot of financial advisers use video in their marketing, so doing so will get you ahead of the game. You can use videos on different platforms—paid social media ads, unpaid social profiles and feeds, emails, blog pages, and landing pages. Here’s how to be successful at video marketing in four steps:
You don't just make a video for the heck of it. Knowing what you want your prospects and clients to feel or do after they've watched your video will make your marketing more effective. For example, a video focused on prospecting will be very different from a video that explains new tax laws.
As a financial adviser, some goals you'll want to have for your videos are:
After you've determined your goals, you can then choose the types of videos you want to create.
At Snappy Kraken, we provide videos scripts for our members based on the goals we mentioned above. Each script has a teaser or introduction, the body or main points, and a conclusion that contains a call to action (CTA, i.e., what you want your prospects to do after they watch your video).
Educational Video Scripts
Educational videos scripts, as the name suggests, aim to educate your prospects and clients about simple financial concepts. They should always link back to a service you offer and establish you as the expert by asking thought-provoking questions and sharing your knowledge.
An example of an educational video is our Small Business Tax Credit campaign. The script talks about the CARES Act and who qualifies for tax credits. This video template establishes you as the expert by explaining what the CARES Act is and leading your prospects through the process in an easy-to-follow way.
Current Events Video Scripts
Current events videos are a great way for you to show your clients you’re knowledgeable, caring, and reliable. Some economic and political shifts affect their finances, which may cause worry. The goal of these videos is to address your lead’s and client’s worries while also telling them what you’re doing to mitigate risks.
We created the Tax Law Surprise campaign to help our members explain the tax codes congress recently released and to reassure their clients they’re staying on top of all the changes.
By telling your clients you understand their worries, you show them you’re a real human being who cares about them on a personal level.
Finance-Adjacent Video Scripts
Finance-Adjacent video scripts talk about your lead’s and client’s interests with the goal of starting conversations and building relationships. For example, if your clients are budding entrepreneurs, then create a video about how small businesses work.
We created the 3 Critical Business Mistakes video script to help our members engage the businesspeople on their email lists. It talks about three common business errors and then tells your leads and clients to reach out to talk about their businesses.
Now that you have a script, it’s time to record your video. A lot of people think this is the hard part, but trust us, it’s not.
All you need to create an effective video is a working camera and a clear mic—nothing fancy. Your phone or laptop and a pair of earphones or headphones will probably work. Your background should be clean and simple. If you don't have a clean background, check out video software like Zoom that allows you to upload a virtual background.
Upload your script onto an online teleprompter so you don't need to memorize the script. Remember to adjust your teleprompter's scrolling speed so it lines up with your speech.
Position yourself in front of the camera and then hit record! That’s it—simple and easy.
Quick tip: Add captions to your videos to make them more accessible—92% of viewers watch videos without sound on mobile.
A landing page is like a one-page website with a single goal. A video landing page has a curiosity-invoking title at the very top, followed by your embedded video, a clear description, and a CTA (e.g., “Book a Call Now”).
Quick tip: Make sure your titles and descriptions clearly describe what your video is about, as 60% of people choose to watch videos because of that information.
Upload your recorded video to a video hosting site like YouTube, Wistia, or Loom, then embed your uploaded video onto your landing page.
Housing your video on a landing page makes it easier to repurpose it because you can add a link to that landing page to your emails, your social media ads, your organic posts, and your blog articles.
Videos are easy to make, easy to consume and get you results. All you need is a few tools and a can-do attitude.
If you're excited about video marketing but don't know where to start, check out the Snappy Kraken automated growth program—we create scripts for you so all you need to do is be yourself on screen.