How to Use Video Updates to Improve the Client Journey

Do clients really understand all the work you do? Looking for a unique way to update clients on your progress before you bill them?

In this article, you'll discover how to use video to stay in touch with clients and show the behind-the-scenes work that goes into your deliverables.

Leveraging the Power of Video Content Throughout the Customer Journey

In today's digital age, video has become an increasingly powerful tool for agencies to connect with customers and drive engagement and sales. By incorporating video content at various customer journey stages, companies can create a more immersive and personalized experience that resonates with their target audience.

Armando Leduc, founder and CEO of Leduc Entertainment, a full-scale production company specializing in digital content creation for businesses, shares his insights on leveraging video throughout the customer journey. Drawing on his background in acting, improv, and movie creation, Armando helps service-based companies transform their social media presence from bland to cinematic. He shares advice and actionable strategies to help you harness the power of video to boost your agency’s success.

#1: The Importance of Storytelling in Video Content

One of the key factors that inspired Armando to establish his company was the lack of storytelling in the marketing space. Companies often get stuck in the rut of churning out generic, salesy marketing content that fails to capture their audience's attention or build genuine relationships. 

He also noticed that businesses focus heavily on lead generation but drop the ball when nurturing existing customers. 

“We would stop the touches… in the follow-up process, when you're bringing a prospect to becoming a client,” Armando explains. “[There are] a lot of touchpoints… and then we just ignore the client once they're a client.”

This inconsistent communication leaves customers feeling unappreciated and can ultimately damage retention and loyalty. By bringing his acting and improv background to the world of business video content, he aimed to create more engaging and entertaining experiences for viewers.

Before, Armando would deliver content to clients without any excitement. It was hard for the marketing team to feel accomplished because they didn't have a sound system for delivering work each month. The team also had trouble getting paid because clients weren't clear on what they were doing.

Now, Armando and his team let clients know at the start of each month what they will be delivering, and they guide them through the whole process. Clients understand what they’re doing behind the scenes, like editing and writing scripts, not just the visible parts, like shooting videos. This process helps clients see the value in what they're paying for. Keeping clients in the loop makes them more comfortable working with Armando and his team.  

If you want to stand out, Armando recommends focusing on the journey of potential customers, not just current ones. For example, Armando and his team created a special box with a red and blue pill (gumball), like in The Matrix. There's a QR code that takes potential customers to a video where Armando is dressed as Morpheus, the main character in the film. In the video, Armando tells them their market is in danger, and they have two choices: stick with what they're doing (blue pill) or join his company to see how deep the rabbit hole goes (red pill).

This unique direct mail piece has been effective in Armando’s sales process. It comes in a sleek black box with just the company’s logo. When potential customers are close to making a decision after seeing the team's presentation and pitch, this box helps convince them to go with Leduc Entertainment. It's increased their conversion rate by 40%.

Armando emphasizes the importance of using video to create “wow” experiences throughout the customer journey. By capturing the audience's attention and emotions through compelling storytelling, agencies can differentiate themselves from competitors and build stronger customer connections.

#2: Integrate Video Content Into the Customer Journey

Armando’s innovative approach to video content involves integrating it seamlessly into the various stages of the customer journey. By creating targeted videos for each phase, companies can provide valuable information, build trust, and guide customers toward purchasing.

Armando breaks his process down into five key phases:

• Development
• Pre-production
• Production
• Post-production
• Distribution

At each customer journey stage, Armando and his team create unique videos to keep clients informed, engaged, and valued from initial contact through project completion and beyond. 

For example, during the development stage, they might send a Mission Impossible-themed video inviting the lead to schedule a discovery call. Once they become a client, a fun welcome video, complete with music and dancing, celebrates the new partnership. Other journey-specific videos provide friendly reminders to approve topics, prepare for a shoot, and give feedback on the final product.

This approach not only keeps clients in the loop but also adds an element of fun and anticipation to the experience. By consistently communicating with clients through personalized video, Armando and his team build trust and transparency, making clients feel more comfortable and valued throughout the journey.

Tailoring Video Content to Specific Industries and Personas

While Leduc Entertainment serves diverse clients, from attorneys to tour companies, they recognize the importance of tailoring video content to specific industries and customer personas. Businesses can create more relevant and impactful video content by understanding each target audience's unique pain points, goals, and preferences. 

For example, when working with attorneys, Armando and his team create informative and reassuring videos that guide clients through the legal process. Addressing common concerns and providing regular updates, these videos help to alleviate stress and build trust between the attorney and their clients.

#3: Scale Personalized Video

One challenge of this high-touch, video-centric approach is the time and labor involved. To make it scalable, Armando developed a systemized process he calls “Content Into Clients.”

Rather than getting bogged down in endless customization, Armando recommends that agencies hone in on a single service and create an end-to-end video journey optimized for that offer. You can adapt your templated system to additional services once you test and refine it.

It's also essential to tailor your content to where each potential customer is in their journey—it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. For example, Armando has a virtual assistant who manages his client tracking spreadsheet. Every day, she checks where each person is in the process and determines which video they should receive next.

Armando tried using automation, but here's the problem: artificial intelligence (AI) and automation are so common now that they don't make you stand out. Armando says that if you want to differentiate yourself, you have to put in extra effort and do things that get you noticed. People can tell when something is automated. It's just another generic message. But when it's personalized, and they know a real person sent it, that sets you apart. This approach ensures a scalable and efficient video marketing strategy that effectively reaches and resonates with each target audience. 

Harnessing the Power of Referral Videos

One of Armando’s most impactful video strategies is using referral requests. Many companies struggle to ask for referrals, fearing it will come across as pushy or self-serving. Armando solves this by crafting videos that make a friendly, direct ask while focusing on customer relationships.

For example, his team might create an end-of-project video that thanks the client for their business, celebrates the initiative's success, and politely invites them to refer any colleagues who could benefit from similar services. He then continues nurturing past clients by sending a brief referral request video monthly.

“If I send you this video on a monthly basis to ask for referrals, I'm gonna probably get it a lot easier,” Armando notes. “Just reaching out in that nice way to ask… ‘If you like my services and you know of someone, just give us a referral if you don't mind.’”

Making this “ask” a consistent part of the customer experience makes it feel more natural and expected. Clients are more likely to follow through since they've been primed to think of referrals as an easy way to support a company they value.

Measuring the Success of Video Content in the Customer Journey

To gauge the effectiveness of video content throughout the customer journey, Armando recommends tracking key performance indicators, such as email open rates and engagement. 

By monitoring these metrics, agencies can identify which videos resonate with their audience and make data-driven decisions to optimize their content strategy. Leduc Entertainment has seen remarkable success with its video-centric approach, achieving email open rates as high as 75%—a testament to the power of compelling and relevant video content.

Overcoming Key Challenges in Video Content Creation

Creating high-quality video content can be resource-intensive in terms of time and budget. To overcome these challenges, Armanso offers several strategies for companies of all sizes:

• Start small and focus on one service or product line at a time.
• Don't get hung up on expensive equipment, especially when starting out. Partnering with local universities and film programs to access student filmmakers and editors can be an affordable way to dip your toe into video production. Focus first on developing your strategy and process. 
• Utilize freelance platforms like Fiverr for cost-effective editing and social media management.
• Invest in a reliable tech stack, including project management tools like Asana and video hosting platforms like Frame.

Businesses can gradually scale their video content efforts as they see a return on investment by starting with a focused approach and leveraging affordable resources.

#4: The Future of Video in the Customer Journey

Armando predicts video will only become central to companies' customer experience and marketing efforts as technology evolves. He envisions a future where every company, regardless of industry, will have an in-house production company or work closely with an outside agency to meet their video needs.

While generative AI tools like ChatGPT can assist with specific tasks, Armando believes the human element is still essential, especially when creating authentic video content. “AI is going to help with the jumping-off points,” he says. But once again, what's happening is you can tell when something is written by [AI] now… we use ChatGPT as jumping-off points… it's the heavy lift.”

To stay ahead of the curve, Armando advises marketing agencies to:

• Consistently create organic, non-promotional content on social media, such as behind-the-scenes glimpses of your business and team and Q&As. Leduc Entertainment was making around $69K–$70K per year for about five years. Then, they started posting daily on social media as part of their strategy. In just one year, their income jumped to half a million dollars. Now, they’ve reached 7 figures and are still growing.
• Create a “content funnel” that positions you as an expert in your space. This could include an eBook, online course, keynote speech, and weekly evergreen webinars centered around your unique methodology. These core assets will make content for social media and client projects easy to repurpose and help you attract new clients. 
• Set a schedule and stick to it. Consistency is key, whether it's a weekly live webinar, daily social media posts, or monthly referral requests. Treat your content and customer journey with the same care as a client's. 
• Embrace podcasting as a powerful networking and brand-building tool.
• Consider hiring in-house content creators or partnering with production companies like Leduc Entertainment.
• Track your results. Note how your videos impact email open rates, conversions, and revenue. Use this data to optimize your approach continually.

By adapting to the changing marketing landscape and prioritizing authentic, value-driven video content, agencies can position themselves as thought leaders and trusted partners for long-term success in the digital age.

“Now more and more people see what we're doing… they're like, ‘Oh, they're a trusted source and not just asking me for money,'” Armando says.

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