Google search algorithms change, new social media platforms come into play, and new keywords pop up every few months. But there’s one thing that won’t change: The construction industry will always be highly visual.
At the end of the day, your prospects will always be searching for examples of your work. Sure, your competitors probably have a portfolio filled with pictures of past projects. Maybe they even have a few video walkthroughs, but they’re probably shooting those videos on a smartphone. That’s where high-quality, professionally produced video content can set you apart from the competition.
Video marketing creates an open line of communication between you and your prospects. It’s an opportunity to answer homeowner questions directly, put a face to your brand, and build trust among potential leads.
Not only that, but it provides dynamic views of your work—even in-progress projects—to showcase your expertise and paint a picture of your process. When you throw professional production into the mix, you’re showing future clients that quality is your top priority in everything you do—from your marketing content to your workmanship.
Incorporating video into your digital marketing plan might seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. From shooting different types of videos to showcasing your remodeling projects online, here’s everything you need to know to grow your business with video marketing.
There’s a good chance that your prospects are researching you—and your competitors—long before they pick up the phone or request a consultation. They’re scrolling through your website, checking out your social media profiles, and reading the articles you’ve published on your blog.
During this initial research phase, you want to cut through the digital clutter and show prospects why they should choose your business. Photography used to be a game-changer to set your business apart from the competition, but now every builder, remodeler, and contractor has professional photography on their website.
That means your prospects are seeing the same pictures of subway tile bathrooms, finished basements, and renovated patios. Even though your work speaks for itself, your prospects probably won’t be able to tell the difference between your work and the competition.
Enter video. In 2022, online videos will make up more than 82 percent of all consumer internet traffic. As of January 2018, 85 percent of all Internet users in the U.S. watched online video content monthly. Still not sold on video marketing? Studies show that 54 percent of consumers want to see more video content from brands and businesses.
Video is the easiest way to set yourself apart from the competition. When your prospects are in research mode, they’ll watch your videos, get to know your brand, and start trusting your business before they even reach out to you. Then, when they’re ready to schedule a consultation, you’ll be the first one they think of.
There are countless approaches to layer video content into your digital marketing strategy, but you’re going to do things differently from the competition. Beyond just hiring a professional video agency for your next home remodeling project, it’s worth partnering with an agency over the long term to keep your website and social media profiles fresh with professional video content.
Here are the most impactful, attention-grabbing video marketing techniques for home remodelers—and how to leverage each type of video to your advantage—so you can hit the ground running.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve seen a whole new world of video walkthroughs in place of open houses for home renovation projects. Today, homeowners expect to tour model homes and check out projects from the comfort of their own homes—and you need to exceed those expectations to step out in front of the competition.
Professional home walkthrough videos make an emotional connection with homeowners in a way that pictures can’t. From virtual 360-degree walkthroughs to high-quality guided walkthrough videos, they’re an invaluable tool to bring your home remodeling project to life.
How to use walkthrough videos: Walkthrough videos perform best on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. And if you’ve built an online portfolio on Houzz, you can add video walkthroughs to Houzz projects for an extra boost. Don’t forget to publish walkthrough videos on YouTube and embed them on your website’s portfolio page so potential clients can watch them while they’re in research mode.
What’s the best way to set yourself apart from the competition? Put a face to your brand. Your audience wants to get to know your business, understand your renovation process, and discover what sets you apart. Why not sit in front of the camera and tell them?
Talking head videos are relatively easy and quick—all you have to do is set an hour aside each quarter and knock out a few videos. You might create a mini-series of five 5-minute-long videos where you answer FAQs that you get on social media, offer tips for choosing a home remodeling company, or explain the kitchen renovation process.
Make sure to wear your best branded shirt, use natural light, and keep it short and sweet. By batching these videos, you’ll streamline the editing process. Plus, you’ll have enough new video content to publish monthly so you don’t have to scramble last-minute to meet your content deadlines.
How to use talking head videos: Videos describing your renovation process, introducing your contractors, or talking about your company history should all have a home on your website. They make great Facebook and Instagram posts too, but they’ll be the most impactful and persuasive when someone is already on your website.
Client testimonials are a self-fulfilling prophecy. Someone enjoys your contracting services, so you encourage them to leave a review. Clients naturally trust each other more than your marketing collateral, so client testimonials add more weight to their decision. Those initial happy clients encourage more sales—and that leads to even more happy clients.
So, if you go above and beyond to exceed your client’s expectations, why not ask for a review? And if that client leaves a raving review about how great it was to work with you, ask if they’d be willing to say it on camera.
You might ask them to send you a file from a smartphone recording—or you can take your client testimonials to the next level by booking a session with a professional video agency. If you have a few clients willing to shoot video testimonials, you can book a studio for a day and line those clients up back to back.
How to use client testimonials: Social proof is indispensable to any marketing plan. You should be sharing your client testimonials everywhere to boost your credibility and showcase your expertise. Consider creating a dedicated page for testimonials on your website. You can also post testimonials on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
When you share pictures and videos of the final product, you’re only telling one side of the story. Showing what your next bathroom renovation looked like before—and then showing what you’ve accomplished after—will make your results that much more impressive.
Before and after videos aren’t just great for showcasing your work. They’re also a powerful top-of-the-funnel tool to attract leads in the research phase. Your leads are feeling the frustration of living in the “before” videos. With before and after videos, you’re showing them exactly how your services can add value to their lives—whether that’s increasing their kitchen storage space or converting their basement into a functional home office.
How to use before and after videos: Before and after pictures are some of the top-performing posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Sharing the same type of content—but in video format—plays perfectly into Facebook’s algorithm, giving you the boost you need to cut through the endless stream of friend updates and news stories.
“Why should I hire a video production agency when I just could do it myself?,” you’re thinking. Hiring professionals to create video content on your next home renovation project might seem like a waste of money, especially if you have an old camera or smartphone lying around—but it’s well worth the investment.
Think about it this way. Your next client could technically remodel their own kitchen, but you’re a professional. At the end of the day, you’re always going to provide a higher-quality product. That’s what professionals are for. Likewise, business owners can tackle their own video marketing. But when it comes to representing your business, why would you settle for anything less than perfect?
Our clients tell us that well-crafted, professionally shot videos make a huge impact on their bottom line. Not only that, but it gives them a competitive edge when they’re competing with local competitors who post video content.
Still not convinced? Here are a few more reasons why you should invest in a professional video production agency.
From the opening scene of a video to the header of your website, you’re making a promise to your customers. You’re showing future clients how much quality matters to your company—and everything you do moving forward needs to fulfill that promise to your customers.
Professional video content helps you put your best foot forward, tell your brand’s story, and resonate with potential clients. We’ve all seen bad commercials and cheesy ads. There’s a time and place for smartphone-captured video, but when you’re looking to make a positive first impression, low-quality video only reflects poorly on your brand.
Beyond the technical skills that agencies bring to the table, they also bring creative expertise, which is often overlooked during the DIY production process. Concept ideation is harder than it seems (let’s face it—not everyone can write a quality video script).
Video producers are master storytellers. Between professional lighting, polished editing, and a great script, they have the experience required to garner the right response from your target audience. They can also provide an outsider perspective on your creative ideas—something an in-house staff member might not be able to provide.
Smartphones have come a long way in recent years—and you might even own a high-end video camera. But when you hire a professional video agency, you’re not just paying for a professional video camera. You’re investing in years of lighting, shooting, audio, and directing experience—and the list doesn’t stop there.
Video production professionals also have access to the latest editing and rendering software. Plus, they have experience using these products in the most creative ways possible. An experienced marketing team might even have experience with quick turn-around projects, hiring actors, and finding a studio space or location to film.
Sure, you can learn how to do all of these things on your own, but it’ll cost you time that you can’t afford to sacrifice away from your business.
Even if you’re working with a limited budget, you’ll need to factor in the time and expense of being pulled away from running your business. Will you need your sales team to work overtime to answer the phone while you’re producing the video? Do you need an extra contractor in the field to work on your current remodeling project?
We’re willing to bet that video production is more time-consuming than you realize. You need to set aside time to shoot the video, edit, render, and embed the video on your website (and/or share it on social media). Without a professional agency, producing quality video content might require putting your day-to-day responsibilities on the backburner.
If you’re producing a video on your own, you risk a lengthy DIY production process (or worse, having to go back and fix things later on). Even if you have someone on staff helping you out, it’ll take them significantly longer to produce a polished video than a production agency.
Sometimes, our clients want to steer clear of trends because they don’t want to be like everyone else. Even if you’re not staying up-to-date on the latest home improvement trends, it’s worth keeping up with trends in the marketing world.
Why? Because trends help you tell your brand’s story. Social change and cultural movements impact content ideation. Your messaging should align with your target audience and meet them where they are. Sure, these trends might not seem like big issues in the home remodeling space, but relevant messaging is your secret weapon to break through the noise and stay top of mind.
Of course, the other benefit of keeping up with trends is realizing when a trend has been overused. If your competitors all have video content on home office remodels, it makes sense that your prospects want to see something different. Keeping up with trends can help you set your brand apart by expanding ideas into your own.
There are also trends when it comes to video filming and editing. You might not notice it as a viewer (that’s the point), but the way stories are captured can help set the tone and mood of your video—and it might just evoke the emotional reaction your leads need to pick up the phone and schedule a consultation.
Developing a strong relationship with a video production agency gives you easy access to creative professionals who genuinely care about your business. Let’s face it—no matter how creative you might already be, you have a business to run and a team to manage. Even if you’re spending hours producing video content, running your business is still your #1 priority.
When you partner with an agency that cares about your brand, you’ll ignite your marketing strategy with high-quality video content. The right video production team will work day and night to grow your business and tell your story so you can spend more time investing in your business and clients.
At the end of the day, impactful video marketing can transform your brand. Video can boost your brand reputation, set you apart, improve your SEO, and build trust among potential clients. At the same time, it’s one of the most effective tools to answer questions and move clients through the sales funnel.
Even though video content is king, “video” itself isn’t a strategy. Ultimately, the real power of your video content lies in how it’s leveraged with a holistic, long-term marketing strategy.
Ready to take a different approach to digital marketing? Our video professionals can help bring your vision to life so you can fill the gaps in your home remodeling marketing strategy with compelling, engaging, and polished video content. Reach out to our team to upgrade your digital marketing plan with the power of video.
