How using video on your website can drive winter tire sales.
Winter is just around the corner and your customers are likely to be preparing their cars for the colder weather. If they’re not, reminding them why they should be might help get them over the line. A great way to get information across to your clients is via video on your website. The survey Building Trust and Loyalty with Drivers shows that 51 percent of respondents aged 18 to 44 watch videos as part of their automotive service research. After viewing a video, 30 percent of respondents visited a service center. That’s something you can’t turn down, right?
What’s more, Google’s Capturing Aftermarket Winter Demand report shows that people spend a staggering 250 percent more time seeking automotive hints on YouTube in the winter months. There are clear benefits to getting into video marketing and it could be easier than you think.
What kind of videos do my customers want?
Video marketing works for several reasons. Video allows you to make a connection with your potential customer on an emotional, human level. A video can be more engaging and it can show your clients some of your personality. The Google algorithms, which work out how high up the search engine rankings you appear, also take into account the amount of time visitors spend at your website. If they are engaged by a video, visitors could stay longer and therefore boost your website’s ranking. There are plenty more reasons out there — including increasing interest in your business and increasing sales conversions — that make it a great way to reach customers.
The Building Trust and Loyalty report figures show that one in three people who watch an automotive video are watching do-it-yourself instructional material. Show your customers what it is you do and how it works. Or perhaps they’d like to see your technicians at work? A video answering frequently asked questions is also a great idea.
But video is expensive, right?
Using video in your marketing doesn’t have to be a costly exercise. With a little time and effort you can create attention-grabbing videos yourself, without the expense of hiring a production crew. These days cell phones come with pretty high quality cameras that are great for filming YouTube videos. But if you’re planning to make videos regularly, it might be worth spending a few hundred dollars on a quality video camera.
How polished the end result looks will depend on your team’s editing skills but remember people are mostly interested in getting high quality information not Hollywood production values. There is plenty of free software out there you can use to edit your videos and give them a polished look. Here are some options:
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Those with a Mac computer should already have iMovie installed. It is a great little editing program that lets you merge clips and create shareable videos
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Windows Movie Maker is Microsoft’s free editing suite software, used by many video bloggers
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Animoto is an easy-to-use online self-editing service that gives you video style and design options and even music options
Consider who will front your videos. There’s no need to hire an expensive actor. It’s far better to use someone who is passionate about tires because the video will look more authentic and be more trusted by the viewer. If your host knows everything there is to know about tires but is not a natural performer it might be worth investing in a little media training to help them become more comfortable in front of the camera. They will get better as they become more experienced in any case. Practice makes perfect.
Once you’ve shot your video, you have to think about distributing it. There are plenty of options online, so do some searching and find the option that is more likely to reach your customers. There’s also some great information out there in terms of what to avoid in your marketing videos.
Who does it well?
All sorts of companies are creating videos to promote their businesses but lets look at some tire industry examples first. Timberland Tires have an innovative unique selling point as they are recycled into shoe soles. They have a great series of professional looking videos on their YouTube channel explaining how their products are made and work.
Virginia Tire and Auto has a great series of videos targeting potential customers and investors in which they explain their core values, career development opportunities, and culture. (There’s a fun television ad, too.)
Outside the tire industry, this video by Paulie Gee’s is a great example of striking the right balance between professional production and engaging, emotive content. Wood-fired pizza isn’t unique to Paulie Gee, but he sells it to us with his passion and he shows us how he makes his product.
Air BnB’s video explains to the viewer how the service works and uses music, live action and some clever graphics to make it engaging.
On the other hand, this video by Dollar Shave Club makes the viewer laugh. More importantly, it also conveys the benefits of the business. Don’t be afraid to show the personality of your business, but remember you also want to show your customers that you’re professional and trustworthy.
If you’re marketing online, video is a great way to engage with customers. Think about what you have to tell your customers, the service you run, and the best way to show them. It’s about striking the right balance.
