Using a Video Series to Double Your Traffic and Leads [Film School for Marketers Podcast, Ep 9]

Ever wonder how a video series actually affects traffic, leads, and sales? Looking for inspiration to launch your next business series on YouTube, Facebook, or your website?

On this episode of The Film School for Marketers podcast we have special guest Cristian Shirilla from River Pools and Spas. Cristian is the Marketing Manager (or as he likes to call it, the "Consumer Education Director") and has been instrumental in building out the video strategy for the company. He joins us to share his story, how he created and helped grow their 2 Minutes In The Pool video series, and how you can get started.

Listen to the full episode here (or scroll down to watch the video):

What Is "2 Minutes In The Pool?"

"2 Minutes In The Pool" is a video series that covers questions people have regarding pools, using the "They Ask, You Answer" approach. Cristian takes a topic and covers it within 2 minutes. 

The series was started November 2017. Drawing inspiration from Peter McKinnon's "Two Minute Tuesday", Cristian liked that it was a quick lesson that covered questions people typically had about pools when they were doing their research. He also noticed that, on average, it was taking website visitors a couple minutes to read their blog posts.

What's Been The Long-Term Effect On Sales and Marketing?

At River Pools, leads have doubled since their YouTube channel launched in 2016. The biggest jump happened when "Two Minutes In the Pool" started. Cristian talks about how views and "minutes watched" have doubled since May of last year.

People are coming in the door, recognize him, and have all the answers to their questions. In turn, the sales process is significantly faster. They know exactly what they want at that point.

How Do You Make A Series Like This Searchable?

The team at River Pools has optimized the videos for search like they would have for written content. By using keywords and tags, making sure the title of the videos are highly optimized and repeated in the description, and using questions, the primary source of traffic is search and discovery via the YouTube algorithm.

They also utilize TubeBuddy to monitor tags. 

How Did You Get Started With Video and Producing Content?

Cristian charted his own path of learning with video. He dives into his method when it came to deciding on what content to produce into video and how to prioritize. He would start with the top performing blogs they had and use them as scripts/outlines. The more he did, the better and more comfortable he got with the information. 

He would record 5 videos per week, which took about a week to edit. The process sped up as he went along. 

The more he shot, the more comfortable he got with everything, and then he gradually began using more effects with his videos.

What Have You Done To Get Comfortable With Not Using A Script?

Repetition.

Being down in the weeds on a daily basis assists in learning about the industry and product from first hand experience. He also takes River's written content, notes the sub headings, and relates the important information under each as he approaches what he plans to say in an episode of "2 Minutes in the Pool."  

Is It Difficult To Get A Video Series Started And Get People Involved?

When people say it's hard, it's because they are in their own way.

If you have people who understand where the company needs to go, they can evolve their skillsets and learn something new. The most effective people are those that can recognize the next need and figure out what they need to do to contribute to the next level of success. 

If people are willing to put their personality behind something they are sharing - you can get video done with an iPhone - at the end, it's all about connecting with the buyer.

What Would You Go Back And Tell Yourself If You Were To Start Again?

Embrace the idea that it will be a little messy. Cristian found himself in the beginning tied up in focusing on perfection rather than getting things out consistently, which would get in the way of him posting a video quicker.

He talks about how to get past that and other struggles you might encounter and how to overcome them.   

Where Should You Publish A Video Series That Addresses The Buyer's Questions?

"2 Minutes in the Pool" is uploaded to Facebook and YouTube natively. They don't do much with LinkedIn now. Instagram is still early for them and they haven't dabbled in stories. 

Cristian talks about his audience on Facebook and the community that has formed there. The community has grown into a group of buyers that have congregated just to stay in the loop with what's happening at River Pools and Spas. 

Zach recommends a book that touches upon naming your fan base called Primal Branding by Patrick Hanlon.

Strategic Tips For Starting A Video Series

First look at your written content. If you have articles that are performing well and fall into the "They Ask, You Answer" strategy, you can take those and begin creating video. Start with the most trafficked written content. 

If there is a commonality amongst the things you sell, think of a catchy thing you can call the series. Consistency is more important than even creating a series.

If you're a company that doesn't have much written content, start doing video in conjunction with content and see what performs best.

How To Get In Touch With Cristian

If you have any questions and want to get in touch with Cristian, you can email him directly at cristian@riverpoolsandspas.com.

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