When video messaging started to take off, I mostly dismissed it as a fad for sales pitches. I was getting them in my LinkedIn messages constantly: “Hi Hope, let’s talk about your something something” (I never knew what they were getting to – I turned it off). I saw it as nothing more than a desperate way to get attention in a world that wants to ignore you.

But over time, I’ve started to see video messaging as a valuable addition to both a video marketing stack and basic company communications. Since the world went remote in 2020 (and seems to want to stay that way), companies need to find a way to help their teams communicate more effectively digitally — including with clients and prospects. But Zoom fatigue is real, and more meetings is certainly not the answer. More emails and Slack messages don’t always get you there either. More and more, video messaging is emerging as a way to fill in a gap.

Advantages of video messaging:

• It’s asynchronous, like email. Unlimited numbers of people can watch and respond on their own time.
• They’re easy to record with any smartphone or computer.
• You don’t have to show your face if you don’t want to.
• It’s easier for a lot of people to explain complex topics verbally rather than in writing.
• It lives forever. One recording can be regularly reused.
• On the flip side, they’re easily personalized for one time use.

Let’s look at a few specific use cases for video messaging.

Video messaging to replace meetings or emails

We’ve all been in meetings that are essentially one person talking or presenting. If there’s no requirement for regular back and forth between participants, then try using video messaging instead. Video messaging allows people to watch whenever they need to, allowing flexibility for working parents, for example. It also allows people to schedule their own day, instead of being periodically interrupted mid-task for meetings.

In addition, video messaging allows people to rewatch or forward the video as needed. Sure, you can record meetings, but most likely a prerecorded video would be shorter than a meeting. Sharing information as a video message instead of on a call is great for:

• New employee training
• Presenting project proposals or deliverables
• Sharing updated guidelines, SOPs, or other internal communications

A shorter follow-up meeting can always be scheduled for people to ask questions.

Video messaging can also replace some emails. Have you ever started to write a long email, then just sent a meeting invite because “It would be easier to explain live?” A lot of us speak faster than we type. Taking 10 minutes to record a video message explaining something can be more efficient for the creator than writing out a long email, and you may find the information is shared more clearly.

Video messaging for video marketing

Video messaging is a simple (and CHEAP) way to support your wider video marketing efforts. To get started, ask your salespeople or business development representatives to create a list of the most common questions they hear on new business calls.

For example, at Umault we have three basic project packages. While we had a list of what was included in each on our website, one of the most common questions we heard from prospects was, “Can you walk us through exactly what we get with this package?”

If you’re getting the same questions over and over, there’s something not being communicated through your existing marketing. We took that question and created a short video for each package. These videos were inexpensive to make (only requiring the time of our creative director and a designer) and support visitors to our website who want to learn more.

Before you raise the issue: No, I don’t think self-recorded video is “unprofessional” or looks unpolished on your website when used judiciously. When considering using video messaging, ask yourself: Where in the customer journey or sales funnel does this content fall?

As prospects move deeper into your funnel, they are looking for more information and require less polish. In our usage, by the time a prospect lands on a specific product page, they’re fairly far along in their buyer’s journey. It’s less important to impress them with expensive cameras and more important to serve them with the information they need to make a buying decision.

Videos recorded using video messaging platforms are also great for social media, where TikTok and Instagram Reels have long since taught us to be fine with self-recorded video.

Video messaging for business development

Ok, I am not using this section to call for the cold call-style videos I derided at the beginning of this post. But video messaging can play a beneficial role in your new business process.

For example, record a video message walking through a proposal, or explaining the differences between package options. It may save email back and forth, and can also save needing to find time to schedule calls – both of which ultimately reduce friction in the sale and potentially can get the sale to close faster.

As mentioned earlier, video messaging allows your prospect to watch on their own time, rewatch if they have questions, and best of all, share with other people on their team.

Video messaging platform recommendations

1. Loom - Loom is one of the most feature rich options out there. There’s a free tier for anyone who wants to see if video messaging fits their workflow, though free users are limited to 5 minute videos. We love that Loom makes it easy to leave comments and reactions in the video.
2. Vimeo - For teams looking for a solid basic option, Vimeo’s video messaging recorder is easy to use and inexpensive for teams.
3. BombBomb - A great option for teams that want to focus on the 1:1 use of video messaging, such as for sales. Their platform emphasizes analytics.
4. VEED - VEED is a more robust video creation platform than the other options here. They offer a free plan with videos up to 10 minutes, but they will be watermarked. The screen recorder features a user-friendly Chrome extension.