We’re currently in the process of launching a new generation of our range of apps, to help make your everyday use of our solutions even easier and more efficient. What better opportunity to look at how you can elevate the videos you create for your customers to even higher levels?

Across CitNOW Web, Sales and Workshop, there are lots of great tactics and tips that you can take full advantage of, so that you truly stand out from the crowd in 2022. In this blog, we’ve collected fifteen of them – five for each app – so that you can create content that truly engages and resonates with customers, and generates the buying decisions you’re looking for.

Stand out with Web

Learn how to create more engaging, informative vehicle listings to attract the interest of your potential customers.

1. Prepare your vehicle: Make sure a vehicle is retail-ready before you start – clean and fully prepared, including wheels, exterior, and interior. This ensures you’re always prepared for capturing a full range of assets – from exterior walkarounds to in-car tech close-ups.
2. Plan your location: The ideal filming location is free of direct sunlight (which leads to dark shadows), other staff, pricing boards and any other potential distractions or interruptions. Ideally, the same location should be used for video, images and 360° shots for all vehicles to ensure consistency of assets.
3. Set up the shot: For both video and still images, devices should line up with the area where the bonnet and windscreen meet, using a tripod where required for sharpness, stability and consistency. Our in-built wireframes can be used as a guide to make sure images are perfectly angled and framed.
4. Inform and engage: Your video should be around 70 seconds long, to strike a balance between depth and holding a customer’s attention. You should also plan your video structure ahead of time to ensure that you highlight the main features and benefits.
5. Apply the finishing touches: For even more consistent listings, use our automatic background replacement (aBGR) feature to automatically remove image backgrounds in seconds and replace them with a clean, professional backdrop of your choice.

Engage prospects with Sales

How to best utilise Sales to elevate your video communications and build even better relationships with your customers.

1. Formulate a plan: Create a list of what you want to achieve and communicate with your videos. At a wider level, consider every part of your customer journey, and whether video (either pre-recorded or Live) can be used to complement it.
2. Create a good first impression: Your videos should be positive, welcoming, informative and reflect your own personality. Our experience indicates that including yourself within the videos you create is a great way to boost engagement – so starting and finishing the video on you maximises your chances of building a relationship with both current and prospective customers.
3. Add personalisation: Every video should be personalised to the customers’ interest and requests. If they asked for something specifically, then that information should be focused on heavily when recording. Ensuring the customer gets the information they want is more important than including every possible detail and overwhelming them.
4. Record a high-quality professional video: Several elements come together to give Sales videos a rounded, slick look. These include ensuring there is enough space around the vehicle for the walkaround; using visual aids for describing features; and utilising Multipart to automatically stitch together multiple video clips you record. Language should be simple, clear and free of automotive jargon.
5. Wrapping up: At the end of every video, the customer should be in no uncertain terms about what they need to do or what you will do next. They should also be asked to rate the video, so that you can generate valuable feedback.

Build trust with Workshop

Enhance your Workshop videos to help drive trust, transparency and repeat custom.

1. Prepare yourself: As with Web and Sales videos, it’s always worth spending a few minutes to prepare your content, and work out what you’re going to say, how you’re going to say it, and how visuals can back it up.
2. Engage throughout the video: Every video should be personalised to the customer, starting with introducing yourself, and with their car clearly visible with the number plate on show. Keep the car in shot throughout the video for authenticity.
3. Boost transparency and confidence: Explaining work that’s required and the reasons why can be hugely beneficial in building customer trust, and using visual aids such as tyre tread depth gauges and chalk can help make this easier. Items should always be described in clear, customer-friendly language that’s free of jargon.
4. Record clearly and professionally: Do whatever you can to minimise background noise and distractions when recording. If areas are especially noisy use Clarity powered by Dolby.io, our latest feature to help enhance and balance your video audio, to improve the sound output.
5. Take the opportunity to increase revenue: Send VHC Amber Follow Up reminders to help increase sales of Amber work, and utilise our integrations to make it easier for customers to approve work online. Lastly, remember to include a clear call-to-action for customers to approve work: 26% of those receiving CitNOW Workshop videos approve work within ten minutes of receipt.

Get ready for 2022 with our informative webinars, which focus on the usability and features of our next generation apps. Our biggest-ever upgrade has been designed for retailers like you to fully embrace streamlined, intuitive communications. Find out more here.