How to Use Video in Your Product Led Growth Strategy

 

Product led growth (PLG) is a marketing methodology centered on the idea that a good product or service speaks for itself. It’s bolstered by the same spirit that drives infomercials, free trials, and LeVar Burton’s trademark Reading Rainbow imploration “But don’t take my word for it”. However, it can be so much more than that. 

A well-rounded PLG strategy speaks to consumers at every stage of the marketing funnel, from lead generation through conversion. What’s more, it takes advantage of more accessible and personable forms of communication, namely video. In this article, we’ll walk you through why video marketing is an essential tool in your marketing toolbox and how you can leverage it in every stage of your customer’s PLG journey. 

Understanding Product Led Growth

The best way to understand product led growth (PLG) is to know what it looks like. Think back to the last time you signed up for a free tutorial. Did you find the product easy to use? Did it convince you to purchase the product? Would you recommend it to someone else? If your answer to these questions is yes, then you encountered an effective PLG strategy. 

This methodology uses the product as the primary driver for customer acquisition, retention, and expansion. For PLG to work, your product needs to be easy to access, easy to use, and have demonstrable value for the costumer. If that’s the case, then the product will sell itself and lead to numerous and meaningful customer testimonials. When you look at it this way, PLG marketing is about getting people in the door and finding ways to improve their experience with the product. 

 

Why Use Video in Your Marketing/PLG Strategy?

This is all well and good, but what does it have to do with video? The truth is, you should have video worked into your marketing strategy regardless of whether you’re exploring PLG. Video is more engaging, dynamic, and personable than most other methods of communication. This especially makes sense when you’re considering a strategy that leans heavily on refining the customer experience with your product and brand.

Benefits of Video for Product Led Growth Marketing

• Educate – Video is an effective way of conveying complex features and concepts to help customers and free trial users make the most of your product. This will make their experience more positive and fulfilling, thereby making them more likely to purchase or, if they’ve already done so, become brand advocates.
• Build Credibility – Everything from customer success to product launch videos can help build brand credibility by showcasing your products in dynamic, engaging, and polished ways. 
• Go Viral – Well, your video may not go viral exactly, but it is far more likely to get viewed, liked, and shared than more traditional content and advertisement mediums. In this way, PLG is also brand led growth. Create a positive experience with your brand to increase your reach. 
• Foster Relationships – Put simply, people connect more to a face than a set of words on a page. Your customer-base will connect more with your brand and product marketing messages in video format. 

It’s worth mentioning that a PLG video strategy is particularly handy for software companies where live demos and free trials are already fundamental tools for engaging and hooking potential customers. By using video to teach functionality, demonstrate effectiveness, and showcase success stories, these companies can lower the learning curve for using their products and smooth out the customer journey. 

 

Video for Your PLG Strategy at Each Stage of the Funnel

Let’s spend a little more time on that term: customer journey. A journey is something they are electing to go on, and it can be rife with potholes, roadblocks, and opportunities to exit. 

Some companies focus on speeding up this journey, cinching a “yes” before the customer gets too weary. Once the customer is locked into a contract, then company becomes all about convincing them to renew with deals, promises, and the hope that the customer doesn’t want to bother going out and finding a better route. 

PLG-focused companies are all about making the journey easy and enjoyable. They pave over the road with accessibility and appeal. (For a software company, this might mean having an intuitive and attractive user-interface.) They remove roadblocks with tutorial videos and clear calls to action. When a lead turns into a customer, the PLG-focused company organically promotes renewal and advocacy by maintaining a product or service that people want to use. PLG is not just about making sales; it is a philosophy that underlies every stage of the customer journey.

Lead Generation

This is a customer’s moment of discovery. Use the following video types to make customers aware of your brand and products. These are the on-ramp signs for your PLG highway. Keep most of these videos brief and eye catching. In the case of sponsored webinars, remember that you’re building a brand with influence and appeal.

• Product explainer videos  
• Broad video advertisements 
• Snappy video testimonials  
• Sponsored live webinars

Lead Nurture

Now the lead has chosen to take your onramp, demonstrating interest. You’ve got their attention, but not yet their commitment. Show them why they should give your product a chance. This is where your company’s free trials and demos live. It’s also where your video marketing truly takes a turn into something that’s product led.

• Brief product demos
• Live streaming demos
• Customer success video stories
• Targeted video advertisements

Lead Conversion and Onboarding

This is the moment of truth when it comes to making a sale, but it is not the end of your customer’s journey. Their first experiences as a newly converted customer will heavily inform their impression of the product and your brand. Targeted use of video can help transition new customers in such a way that makes them easier to retain in the future. 

• Detailed and specific product demos
• Step-by-step and comprehensive tutorials
• Live video training and webinars

Customer Retention and Advocacy

A truly effective sales and marketing strategy remembers that making sales is not your goal. Your goal is nurturing a happy customer who will go to bat for you in testimonials, case studies, and more. A product that speaks for itself will inspire customers to speak for it too.

• Ongoing training and webinars (live and otherwise)
• New release and new feature demos (live and otherwise)
• Promotional videos from long-time customer advocates

 

Getting Started with Video for Product Led Growth 

Now to address the elephant in the room. How do you even start?

The idea of wrapping your brain (and marketing strategy) around video might seem overwhelming at first, but it really doesn’t have to be. Video streaming platforms like Wowza Video make it easy to get started with live streaming or video-on-demand (VOD), including end-to-end analytics and a best-in-class video player. However, what really helps Wowza Video put your PLG marketing strategy over the top is the expansive video CDN and adaptive bitrate streaming (ABR) capabilities that allow you to reach the widest (potential or otherwise) customer base with ease. 

But hey, don’t take our word for it. Start a Free Trial today!