Video marketing is becoming more and more prevalent. With technological advances and the capabilities of our smartphones (which are able to generate high-quality videos), there has never been an easier time to start implementing video marketing strategies.
Video marketing is essential to building trust with potential clients. Imagine an audience that can see and get to know you before they ever meet you. They get a sense of who you are as a person and the quality of work you are able to produce. When they do finally meet you, they feel as if they already know, like, and trust you.
Some different video marketing statistics to help entice you into implementing videos into your strategy are 93% of brands got a new customer due to a video on social media. 94% of video marketers say that video has helped increase user understanding of their product or service. 84% of people say they have been convinced to buy a brand's product or service by watching a video. There are several other statistics that prove how effective video marketing truly is, but hopefully, you will adopt video into your strategy!
Use the navigation below to go to specific sections on our page and learn more about video marketing!
Video marketing is exactly as it sounds — utilizing videos in your marketing efforts. There are several different platforms to incorporate video marketing to help generate more leads and to grow your business. Some areas to strategically place videos include your website, which additionally helps with SEO throughout your website, social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Houzz, TikTok, or a YouTube channel if you have one. If you have an email strategy in place, including your videos in promotional emails, nurturing sequences, and newsletters can also help boost conversion rates.
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A 2020 study showed that people are watching on average 100 minutes of videos per day. As the world becomes more digitally advanced and more people are spending countless hours online, this only increases the demand for video marketing. Roughly 92% of marketers are adopting video into their marketing strategies already.
Videos are much more engaging in comparison to your regular photos, graphics, or long captions that have become the standard over the past several years. With the movement that videos provide, audiences stay captivated and engaged while watching your product and seeing your brand longer.
Additionally, depending on the type of video, this helps build trust with your audience. If it's a video where you are looking and talking with the camera, this helps put a face and voice to your business and gives your audience an opportunity to connect with you. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a video triggers an emotional response similar to how a real conversation does.
Lastly, you're able to convey your project that you have completed much better and more in-depth. Sure, you can post a bunch of pictures that people need to swipe through, but a video captures all of this and makes it a much more enjoyable time to watch. Not to mention throwing your logo into the video and adding a call to action at the end and - bam - you have yourself an effective brand awareness tool.
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Real Estate & Construction Video Marketing CostHere's the short answer. Construction and real estate video marketing can cost anywhere from nothing (using your own smartphone and doing all the filming, editing, and marketing yourself) to tens of thousands of dollars (professional filming, editing, and marketing). Most construction companies including contractors, builders, and remodelers that take video marketing seriously will at least spend $2,000 - $10,000 on video marketing.
The pricing for videos has several different variables. Are you going to buy all the equipment necessary to record and edit it yourself? Where do you live and how much competition is there in videography? What type of video or package are you buying? Are you scripting your own videos or hiring a professional to help with copywriting and planning? If you want to hear more about whether you should hire a videographer, check out this episode of our podcast.
Let's start off with buying the equipment and producing all the content yourself. Our phones are now powerful enough to not only record in high definition, but most can also record in 4K definition and at 60 frames per second if you are looking for slow-motion footage. So, if you are not interested in buying a camera, that is a perfectly viable option.
If you are looking to buy a camera, you most likely won't need anything special, so on the low end, you could expect to pay anywhere starting at $300 and on the high end of $1,500 or more depending on the quality you are looking for. If this doesn't come with a lens, you will most likely only need a wide-angle lens and that can cost anywhere from $100–$500+ depending on the quality of the lens you are looking for.
Next, you will need a tripod to hold the camera and that will cost anywhere from $50–$500, again depending on the quality you are looking for.
If you plan on shooting video indoors (especially from your desk), it's worth the extra few bucks to consider your lighting. This $20 ring light kit has multiple settings to help combat darkness, blue light glow, and sun glares - all from a remote!
The last piece of equipment you will need if you are just recording stationary videos is a microphone. You can get a shotgun mic that will just clamp on to your camera, an omnidirectional mic that can clip onto your shirt, or you can buy a mic you might see in podcasts. These can range anywhere from $20–$500.
You will also need video editing software. Naturally, there are some programs out there for free but they don't offer much flexibility in customization and capabilities compared to higher-end options. You can go with Final Cut Pro which is only for Macs and is a one-time fee or Adobe Premiere which is a monthly fee. If you're looking for quick and dirty editing, then something as simple as Wave.video or wevideo.com may be simple, affordable solutions.
While scripting your own videos may be free, it can definitely be time-consuming! You will want to research topics that are often Googled that you could answer, look up frequently searched keywords that you could include in your script, and make sure the level of the brand you're trying to portray is equivalent to the type of project you're trying to attract. The more professional and educational you sound, the more trusting your higher-end audience will feel while watching.
All-in you are looking in the range of $500–$3,000+ all depending on the quality you are looking for. Obviously, the setup for $500 is not going to be professional in comparison to hiring a videographer. There is also the learning curve with knowing how to set everything up and edit which can also take some time.
As stated earlier, there are several different factors that get played into the cost of hiring a professional videographer. Some factors that need to get taken into consideration are:
With all these factors taking into consideration, on the absolute low-end for a real estate video, you can expect to pay $500, but $1,000 may be more of a closer target. Obviously, paying this much you may not be getting the most experienced person, your project may be a smaller one, and possibly located in a less populated area.
However, if you have a bigger project and are looking for a more experienced videographer, a good high-end average would be $10,000. Now this price can fluctuate higher if you are wanting a more experienced professional and your project is bigger in size.
If you are looking for a video about your team or business and depending on the size of the video and project, this could range anywhere from $1,000–$15,000. If you're looking to batch multiple videos to maximize your videographer, this could easily run from $15,000-$25,000 over multiple days (or weeks) between setup, shooting, and editing. Did you know that we have video packages? Schedule a discovery meeting with Spencer to find out more about our packages.
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Depending upon the type of video you were seeking and the professional you hired, filming and editing the video can take anywhere from a few hours to an entire month. If you are going with a standard real estate video of the house or project that you built, the filming alone can take up to a day to do. The video editing process can take anywhere up to a week to get back to you. However, the videographer should be able to turn around the video within a couple of days.
If you are approaching your video marketing by yourself and doing it in-house, this could potentially make the process longer. Learning all of the basics to video, setting up lighting and props or backgrounds, getting good shots, learning how to edit, and finding the time or someone on your team to edit everything may make the process longer than it would take for a professional unless you or someone on your team is knowledgeable with cameras and editing. If you don't have time, we would recommend spending the money if your time is more valuable.
In terms of how long it will take for video marketing to see results, it could be as little as one day and as long as a year. You may be thinking a whole year? The reason it could take a year is that your videos will most likely be evergreen and it may not hit right away. But it could stick later down the road (especially with a boosting or advertising budget on social), and that's the beauty of video. Some videos may need updating after a year, but if you do a gorgeous custom home, your best project yet and you capture a video of it, you will then be able to show that to current and future clients that don't even know who you are yet.
There may be some videos that need updating every now and then such as team videos if you have some employee turnover. However, if your projects are captured on video and it is well put together, you are able to advertise that for as long as you think it proves value to your company.
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There are several different ways to measure results. First, it all depends on the platform that you are using. Typically, the kind of videos we have discussed thus far are for social posts (Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube) and also can be embedded on your website.
When we are looking at Facebook, some key metrics that you want to look at are the play rate, the shares, likes, comments, and reactions, click-through rate, and watch time.
The majority of these statistics are based on your business Facebook profile. Look at past measures and the amount of engagement received prior to set your baseline, then compare the two. If you are comparing with a photo, more often than not, you should receive better engagement. When we look at averages, 3% is around the average, but you want to aim for about 10% and this will put you in a good position.
In regard to play rate, anything above 10 seconds is good and if you're above 30 seconds, you're doing something right! This is excellent.
Click-through rate is usually a lower score, so don't get discouraged! If you are anywhere between 2–5% this is around the average.
Instagram marketing insights are a little more basic. There are a few different statistics you want to pay attention to and those are impressions, views, and engagement. Impressions are the number of people who saw your video while scrolling their Feed. They didn't have to watch it for more than 3 seconds, they just had to see it while scrolling. If you received more impressions than usual, pay attention to why this may have happened. Did you get more shares on the video? Did you put some good hashtags on the post? These are a few of the several ways that can impact this number.
Lastly, just looking back at previous data and ensuring that your videos are increasing your engagement, following, and impressions compared to the past, means you are doing something right!
If you are using YouTube as part of your integrated marketing efforts, the majority of these videos will be evergreen. The benefit to this is that your audience will be able to come and discover past projects, learn more about you and your team, watch client testimonials, and browse any other videos you may have. Some key metrics to understand and keep in mind are click-through rate and average view duration.
Click-through rate (CTR) is the number of impressions and people that end up clicking and watching your video. If they see your thumbnail and video on their recommendations, that counts as an impression. If you have 100 impressions and 10 views, that will most likely be a 10% CTR, however, it might be less because a single person could be watching your video multiple times. CTR is a metric that is unique to everyone, so paying attention to your personal CTR and trying to improve upon that. A 5% is a good CTR and if you are able to aim and get about 10% that is a really good CTR to get to. If you notice a lower CTR, then you may want to try switching your thumbnail and title around to make it more enticing for someone to click through.
Average view duration is a metric that shows the average amount of time spent watching a video. It also shows drop-off points in your videos where people stop watching. This metric is really key to keep in mind as YouTube is more and more making this one of their favorite metrics to look at. They want users on videos and for as longs as possible. Understanding parts where the viewers stop viewing your video and why they stopped is great to implement into future videos.
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There are several opportunities for engaging video content for home builders that will help grow your audience and build trust. The first one that everyone should create is about your business and what you do. This is a great way to connect with potential clients instead of just using text to explain who you are and why they should choose you. You'll be able to place this video on your website in your about section, you can also include text there as well, but webpages perform better when there are videos embedded on them. An important Google ranking factor is time spent on-page, and when users spend several minutes on your website watching a video, this signals to Google that you are sharing helpful information.
Next are virtual tours of completed homes or model home walk-throughs. Walk-throughs will definitely perform better, as there will be a face the viewers can put to the business and helps build trust. This can be a little bit more work but will pay off in dividends.
Facebook, Instagram, Houzz, and even TikTok are recommended platforms that will perform well with video content. People love looking at new houses with extravagant features. The best part of creating videos on TikTok is that there doesn't have to be as much effort put into creating them, and those videos can also be repurposed on other social platforms.
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Similar to home builders, creating an "about your business" video and adding that to your website can help with Google rankings. It will also lower your bounce rate by sharing more information quickly rather than frustrating users who feel they have to hunt for answers on your website. There are other videos that you could also create to post on your websites such as teammate videos, project spotlight videos, or home remodeling process videos. People in the research phase of their buyer journey would much rather watch videos than have to read.
You are an expert at remodeling, so creating explainer videos to share on social media can be extremely powerful. These don't have to be high-quality videos; even a simple selfie video while sharing how to spot water damage or where water could be leaking from is helpful content! This is a great way to show your knowledge and expertise so clients will know they are hiring a quality business for their remodel.
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Similarly, to home builders and remodelers, many video ideas and concepts can translate. Creating videos about your business, your team, and your process can all be on your website as well.
Explainer videos are also a great topic for contractors. You can walk through the process of what you did, why the client wanted it done, and show your expertise. These types of videos may trigger a potential client to reach out because they're experiencing the same problem.
Also, several contractors are doing well on TikTok and as stated before, the content can be repurposed. Showing before and afters of projects, how-to-style videos, and time-lapsed videos all perform well.
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Whether you are creating videos on your own or hiring a professional, a key aspect is having a plan with what videos you want and how you will be implementing them. So, the first step is to have an idea or plan. Next, you want to understand your audience. Is this video going to provide value to your audience? Will they be able to benefit from it or are you just making video to make a video because you heard they're good to implement?
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Getting Started with Video MarketingThe first thing you need is a plan. Decide what videos you want to post, where they will get posted, and the purpose of the videos. If you don't have social platforms and you want to post them there, now may be a good time to get them set up and come sprinting out the gates!
Next, decide on if you are doing videos in-house or hiring someone to film and create the video for you. If you are hiring someone, you can also ask them for their feedback on what they think would be good, what they don't like, and ways to improve upon your ideas and plan.
Once you make a decision on recording and editing, start with recording topics you know best and will be comfortable talking about. Below we have several popular recommendations on different video topics for your industry. This is your industry, so be an expert there and show that to the audience in your videos.
Be sure you are tracking and paying attention to all the insights and data that you are collecting. This is vital to help improve upon your future videos and marketing efforts.
Lastly, search matters. Be mindful of your titles, descriptions, and tags as this all helps gets your videos to be seen and pushed to a wider audience. There's a lot to learn when it comes to YouTube SEO, but it'll be helpful in the long run to understand how to help your videos rank!
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There are several different types of videos you may be looking to record. We will cover a few popular videos in the industry, but you can also check out a more in-depth look into videos that would be beneficial for your company.
This can be a good way to get your audience to meet your sales team, construction team, office team, anyone they may see and a good way to just build trust with you and your company. These can be simple sit-down videos where everyone just talks about themselves and what they do to help your customers. You can make it fun with some interesting questions to get to know them a little before they meet.
These are always great for your future clients to see. It shows trust and that you can do a good job. Client testimonial videos also connect with leads who feel "Wow, that sounds just like me."
This is a good way to showcase past projects, how you got started, and what your company's mission and vision are about. The goal of this video is to alleviate any doubts a potential client may have about choosing your company.
Explainer videos for builders, remodelers, and contractors mean educating your audience to show your extensive knowledge in the industry. Different aspects of certain projects might stand out and leave the audience saying, "I want that," or "That is really cool." These types of videos can be more amateur, and you don't need a professional. Just have someone film you at the project site explaining certain areas and aspects of your project.
You may need a professional for this one, and they can spice it up with b-roll, good audio, and potentially even drone footage. You will just walk through your project talking about all the details and little intricacies. If you're comfortable, you can even share price ranges (not the exact price to protect your client's privacy).
Again, for this type of video, you will most likely want to hire a professional unless you have all the necessary equipment and know your way around a camera. This is just a cinematic way of showing off your house or project that you have completed. Usually these videos include some drone shots mixed in with slow-motion shots throughout the project.
This is a double-edged sword. There are a number of home builders, remodelers, and contractors hanging out on TikTok and doing extremely well on it, too. You may be thinking that your audience may not be on there, but there are benefits to being on the platform.
These videos can be easily made with your phone, and you can maximize this content across all social platforms. When you make a video on TikTok, you can then turn it into an Instagram Reel and also post it on your Facebook page.
With TikTok, you are now able to make money on that platform. But that's not the purpose of sharing on this platform, that could just be an additional benefit. If you get people from TikTok to follow you on other platforms, this will help you increase brand awareness which will ultimately push your content out to more people, all organically.
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Here at Builder Funnel, we can help you acquire your goals through video! We offer several different packages ranging from a full-service production to formal and testimonial videos, all the way to a consultation. Whatever you are looking for, we can make your video marketing dreams come true!
Instead of searching around for a video production company, we will be there for you! We are industry professionals and partner with home builders, remodelers, and contractors so we already know the nuances of the industry and where to capitalize on.
This will include strategy, execution, and implementation to help you reach a wider audience. We will travel to you, record 5–8 video full-length videos which may include client testimonials, meet the team, company history, or whatever your goals are - we provide all the professional equipment. We can support you in strategy, scripting, and editing as well.
We will also be able to clip 2–3 eye-catching videos from the full-length videos, so you will be able to implement these towards social media platforms, giving you enough content for a year (posting 1–2 times per month). We will also have a drone and record lots of footage for b-roll and potentially for your own stock footage - because everyone can see through stock photography and videography at this point.
The ultimate goal with this package is to provide you with enough valuable content for a whole year and a customized video marketing strategy that you will be able to implement to generate more leads. We will also help walk you through the process of uploading and implementing so you can have a successful integrated video marketing campaign that works alongside your inbound marketing strategy!
If you are only looking for the video production side, we can do that too! We will fly out to you and create 3–5 testimonial videos, along with 2–3 scripted company videos. We will handle all the video and editing, this package is more so targeted towards someone that does not need help with the strategy and implementation. If you already have a grasp of the marketing side of your business, this package is perfect for you!
This is our basic package if you think you have a handle on the video production side of things, but may be looking for some pointers. We will help with planning and scripting, shooting techniques, and what to pay attention to and look for in your frame, software, and proper equipment. We also offer minor editing support with this package. If you are looking at spearheading this, but might only know the basics or less, we can help guide you through the process!
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ConclusionVideo marketing is becoming more and more prevalent. You don't want to lag behind the crowd and let your competitors explode onto the video scene. You want to be among the first adopters whom companies look up to.
People are going to companies' websites and social pages in the awareness and consideration phase of their buyer journeys. They are looking for content and preferably video content to be able to connect with that company and make an informed decision. Companies are getting new customers directly through the videos they are creating and sharing.
If you are wanting to start a video marketing campaign or just looking for some guidance, we are here to help you succeed and generate more leads for your business!
