In 2016, TIME Magazine reported that the average human has an attention span of eight seconds. That means our attention span is now shorter than that of a goldfish!
This shift has certainly created a challenge for brands looking to effectively connect and communicate with its customers. This is why an effective customer communications management (CCM) strategy is so important.
The good news is that CCM is now powered by specialized tools and resources to help cut through the clutter and stand out from the noise. One of the most effective tools available to help businesses connect with their customers is interactive, personalized video.
Before looking at several compelling reasons why you should incorporate interactive video into your company’s CCM strategy, let’s briefly explain what it is in the context of customer communication and experience management.
When we talk about interactive video we are referring to video content that allows viewers to make some kind of input which allows them to personalize their experience.
A very simple example could be a customer providing their first name so that the video can address the viewer personally.
A more sophisticated form of interactivity uses a calculator or interactive tool before the video plays to gather complex information about the viewer that is then used to tailor a video to speak only to their unique interests. This could, for example, be a questionnaire in which the customer answers questions about their pension plan and is served a personalized pension statement video that offers ways to adjust their savings and meet their retirement goals.
An even more evolved approach would be a branching video which allows users to interact and make choices as the video progresses, each choice taking them down an even more personalized path. This form of interactive video entered mainstream consciousness thanks to Netflix and its ground-breaking show Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, a masterclass in how narratives can be formulated for individuals as opposed to a general audience.
See an example of all of this in action here.
Now let’s look at how you can harness the power of interactive video to maximize your organization’s CCM efforts!
In the hyper-competitive streaming video market, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch was able to stand out from the crowd thanks to its novel, interactive format. Employing interactive, personalized videos can do the same for your CCM strategy, surprising and delighting jaded customers who are all too accustomed to one-dimensional communications from companies. Delivering a personalized experience will cause people to stop and take notice.
The numbers don’t lie. An impressive 72% of customers prefer to watch a video to learn about a product or service over any other channel. Add personalization to the mix, and engagement skyrockets! In fact, 90 percent of customers who receive a personalized video report greater understanding and satisfaction of that company’s products and services. On the topic of understanding and engagement…
To return to the Bandersnatch example one last time, viewers needed approximately 90 minutes to reach at least one ending, but can take significantly longer to explore the film’s many branching narratives on their way towards discovering its official ending. Using interactive video for your customer communications can elicit similar levels of engagement, without the budget or resource commitments of a Netflix-scale production.
If your business has ever employed a call center service, you’ll know it’s not an inexpensive option, costing on average $1 per minute, and potentially a lot more depending on the level of service required. By contrast, interactive videos allow you to scale digital customer service in a cost effective fashion, while still providing self-service and personalized support for your customers.
It’s a true win-win! Reduce your CCM costs while your customers, who almost certainly loathe the call center experience, get to enjoy a level of service that exceeds their expectations.
Consumers are becoming increasingly wary of sharing their personal information. Given the right motivation, a well-crafted interactive video can persuade that individual to be less pessimistic, and open up to your business. Ultimately, this provides much better customer insights.
For example, say you’re an insurance brokerage and are introducing a new policy that you want your customers to request a quote for. While you could start cold calling customers, consider sending an interactive video to your mailing list instead. The video will take them on an informative journey, encouraging them to provide personal information about themselves along the way such as marital status, annual income, or any other relevant information needed for the new policy. The video will then serve them a personalized quote at the end that reveals your new must-have policy that is perfectly tailored to their lifestyle and interests.
Personalized video provides a unique up-sell opportunity after gaining valuable insights into a specific customer base.
Unlike conventional videos, interactive videos allow you to track insights above traditional video metrics like number of views and average watch time. Just think how much more effective your CCM could be with metrics like click-through rates, dwell time, skipped and re-watched sections, and submission rates from in-video polls and questionnaires.
An interactive video transforms content like bills and statements from being a passive experience to an engaging one. We’re no longer a passive population waiting to be served the same information month-over-month. The way consumers interact with brands has been changed forever through companies that utilize interactive video in their CCM strategies.
Not only does interactive video benefit customers, but if implemented correctly in your CCM strategy, it is a valuable mechanism to provide a return on investment. The ability to maximize your ROI through CCM is a combination of the previous two points, resulting in behavioural insights regarding conversion drivers. Knowing what types of behaviours add up to maximize ROI enforces the value of interactive video in a CCM growth strategy.
Your business can greatly benefit from implementing interactive video into your customer communications management strategy. Leverage our platform and enable customers to gain important information in a more meaningful way and make better informed decisions. Interactive video plays an important role in tracking customer experiences and interactions with your brand to better understand certain behaviours that lead to a conversion.
IndiVideo by BlueRush is an industry-leading platform that provides interactive, personalized video experiences to your customers at every stage of the customer journey from initial prospect engagement to onboarding and more. IndiVideo enables you to strengthen customer relationships and boost ROI, serving as both trusted customer advisors and tireless brand advocates.
Contact us today to learn more about how IndiVideo can fit into your CCM strategy and book a free demo.
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