While most brands create videos, only a few develop funnels. A video funnel is a structured sequence of videos that guides someone from first touch to final conversion. Basically, you look beyond going viral or chasing views and use video with purpose at every stage of the customer journey.

At the top of the video funnel, you build awareness. In the middle, you're educating and earning trust from your prospects, while at the bottom, you drive action. Each video plays a specific role and speaks to a different level of intent.

In this article, we explain what a video marketing funnel looks like and how you can use it to turn viewers into leads and leads into paying customers. We also share the INDIRAP Video Funnel Framework to guide video funnel creation.

What Is a Video Funnel?

A video funnel is a series of videos that moves viewers through specific stages of the buyer's journey, including awareness, consideration, and decision. Each stage addresses a different mindset.

At the top of the funnel (TOFU), the goal is visibility. These videos introduce a problem or a brand to a cold audience. Here, you can create short-form video content, social ads, or educational clips that make the viewers curious without pushing a hard sell.

In the middle of the funnel (MOFU), the focus shifts to evaluation. Viewers are now aware of the problem and are looking for solutions. In this stage, videos go deeper and can include use cases, testimonials, behind-the-scenes walkthroughs, or explainers that build trust.

When prospects reach the bottom of the funnel (BOFU), you're moving toward conversions. The audience is almost ready to buy. These videos remove final objections and drive action. You can create personalized demos, comparison videos, or limited-time offer messages for high-intent leads.

So, what is the difference between a video funnel and random video content? The former has more intent and structure. Every video is mapped to a specific goal, and the transitions between stages are planned rather than being left to chance.

Stages of a Video Marketing Funnel

Below, we look at the stages of a video funnel and the kinds of videos that do well in each stage. We also share real-world examples for inspiration.

Top of the Funnel: Awareness

Your video strategy starts here. The target audience doesn't know your brand yet, or even if they do, they're not yet thinking about your product or service. Your goal here is to get on their radar with content that's easy to consume and relevant.

As we've mentioned, short-form and high-reach content like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts works best at this stage. You can also create problem-first videos that surface a challenge your audience might not have clearly defined.

Educational content like quick tips and did-you-know style videos also work in this stage. Brands can also introduce themselves in mission-led storytelling videos. For example, Notion has a YouTube video called "What Is Notion" that gives viewers a brief overview of their product.

The tone of your videos in this stage should be entertaining or relatable. Do not go for heavy pitching here since the audience at this stage is still looking for more information and is not yet ready to make a purchase.

Duolingo is a good example of a brand that does this right. They lean into humor and trending formats and have made language learning a part of viral culture. Their awareness strategy is on-brand and feels native to the platform.

Middle of the Funnel: Consideration

Now that you've got your viewers' attention, you have to give them reasons to stay in your orbit so that they eventually choose you. Your audience is now comparing options and doing research, so your videos should be informative.

Some videos you can create are:

• Product Explainers: In these, show how your solution actually works.
• Use Case Video: Here, demonstrate specific applications or industries in which your offering can be used.
• Behind-the-Scenes Content: Introduce your team and show the process behind your product or service.
• Customer Testimonials: Let your real users tell the story of how they found success with your product or service. Prospects are more likely to believe them than your claims.

For example, Western Union shares customer testimonials on YouTube to build its credibility.

Similarly, Slack uses short animations and product tours to show how teams collaborate inside its platforms. These videos balance clear functionality with a human tone, which is perfect for viewers who already know Slack but haven't yet committed.

Bottom of the Funnel: Decision

In this stage, your audience knows who you are and understands what you offer. They are weighing whether to commit, so your goal is to remove friction and address their final objections.

Personalized demo videos work well here since they directly address the prospect's pain points and show how your offering can solve their problems. Plus, you can create comparison videos, time-sensitive promos or discounts, and FAQs or direct responses to common hesitations.

Use a direct and confident tone here. Instead of going for hyped-up statements, show proof. For example, Shopify has a comparison video that shows the difference between the regular Shopify offering and Shopify Plus to make it easy for prospects to decide between the two.

Similarly, you can compare your offering with that of a competitor. Omnisend does that wonderfully in this video, in which they compare their features to Mailchimp's.

End of the Funnel: Retention & Loyalty

The funnel doesn't end at the sale. You also want to retain your customers for long-term growth and brand advocacy. At this stage, the goal is to turn customers into repeat buyers, power users, and vocal supporters.

Here, you can create onboarding videos, feature update videos, and exclusive content for your customers. You can also highlight user stories and community spotlights to make customers feel seen and valued.

For example, Canva has a video that introduces Canva AI for existing users so that they can make the most out of this new offering.

You don't necessarily have to create full-length videos to introduce new features. Many brands also use YouTube Shorts as product videos to update their users on new features. Although these videos are only a few seconds long but they effectively show the new feature and how it can be used.

How to Build Your Video Funnel

When building a video marketing funnel, you have to produce the right content with a clear purpose at every stage. Here's how to build a funnel that guides viewers through their buyer journeys.

Map the Customer Journey First

Before you can start thinking about the cameras or scripts, begin with the customer. How do they go from discovering your brand to becoming a loyal customer and potentially a brand advocate?

Identify the triggers that start their search, the problems they want to solve, their doubts and objections, and the motivations behind their actions. You can get this information through buyer personas, sales team input, and customer interviews. Each step should have a matching video that answers a need or nudges a decision.

Set Objectives for Each Funnel Stage

Use the section from above to set objectives for every stage of the funnel. When each video has one job to do, messaging becomes sharper and outcomes become trackable.

For example, the awareness stage is about engaging prospects, while consideration helps them understand your offering's value. The decision stage is for encouraging action, while retention is about keeping prospects engaged.

Research and Plug Content Gaps

Start by reviewing your current content and then identifying gaps in your video funnel that could hinder progression from one stage to the next. Think about the customer journey at each phase and ask yourself: what questions are being left unanswered, and what problems remain unsolved?

Conduct market research to learn more about your target audience, such as their pain points, needs, and aspirations at each stage of the funnel. Are there specific issues they're facing that your current video content doesn't address? For example, maybe you have plenty of content for new customers but not enough for users who are at the decision-making stage.

Recognize these gaps and create video content to fill them. This way, you're meeting every prospect's needs throughout the buyer journey.

Build Transitions Into the Funnel

Don't assume that viewers will naturally seek out your next video. Instead, you have to guide them with things like:

• End Screens and CTAs: These can suggest the next video to watch or encourage viewers to subscribe to your channel.
• Email Follow-ups: These are triggered by specific actions, such as watching a certain percentage of your video or clicking on a CTA. They can help you nurture leads.
• Retargeting Ads: Retargeting ads bring people back based on where they dropped off.

A strong funnel has visible next steps and low friction between stages. It also leads your audience to follow the path you designed for them.

Get Creative with Video Production

Creativity is an integral aspect of your video production process. At each stage, your content should captivate your audience with visuals and audio that evoke emotion and tell a story.

Get creative with everything from visuals to voiceovers. Figma's YouTube videos are a great example of this. They use animated visuals for explainer videos that are in line with the concept they are explaining. For example, in a video explaining vectors, they use vector-based graphics.

Storytelling is also a powerful tool in this regard. You don't only have to explain your product but also create a narrative that engages your audience emotionally. For example, if you've created a video that shows how your product solves a key problem, humanize your brand and make the content memorable.

Monday.com has done that in their videos. They use animations and interesting voiceovers to explain everything you can do with their product.

The quality and creativity of your video content make a huge difference in driving the viewer from interest to conversion. If you don't have the creative ability to do this in house, you can work with a video production agency like INDIRAP.

The INDIRAP Video Funnel Framework™ is a dynamic, 360-degree content ecosystem that spans every stage of the customer journey. Our framework is designed to capture attention while nurturing leads and driving customers toward making a purchasing decision.

INDIRAP's funnel is holistic in nature, which means it covers all stages of the buyer's journey. From eye-catching social media content to in-depth product videos and retention-focused campaigns, every piece of content is strategically placed to keep the buyer moving forward.

Plus, INDIRAP also integrates social media content and paid ad campaigns into the funnel to maximize reach and engagement. Every video we produce is built with the goal of catching attention and sustaining it for the long run.

Track Performance by Stage-Specific KPIs

It's common knowledge that you have to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to keep an eye on your video funnel's performance. However, you can't simply pick and choose metrics without considering the stage of your funnel.

Instead, you have to track stage-specific KPIs. Here's what you should track at every stage:

• Top of Funnel: Views, view-through rate, shares, and new traffic sources
• Middle of Funnel: Watch time, engagement, return visits, and lead magnet downloads
• Bottom of Funnel: Click-through rate, demo requests, and conversion rate
• Retention: Churn rate, repeat purchases, and Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Also, don't limit yourself to monitoring these metrics only once. Keep an eye on them continuously, and when you notice any ups and downs, adjust your video marketing funnel accordingly.

Power Your Video Funnel With the Best Video Production Company in Chicago 

We've already established that building a strategic video funnel isn't about making great content but creating the right content that drives results. INDIRAP comes in to help you achieve this. As your dedicated Chicago video production agency, INDIRAP helps brands grow smarter and faster with content designed to convert.

Our done-for-you approach covers every touchpoint in your customer's journey. The INDIRAP Video Funnel Framework is a tried and tested approach that we've used for hundreds of clients with exceptional results every time. 

Book a free, no-obligation Discovery Call today to learn how we can turn content into profit.