How to Get Started with Soapbox

Are you ready to incorporate videos into your sales outreach? Great! You’ve come to the right place. When you use Soapbox for sales, your videos will help you:

1. Stand out: Did you know that emails that include video have higher click-through rates?
2. Personalize your pitch: No one likes a stale, standard pitch. A little bit of personalization can show that you’re more than a salesperson; you’re human, too!
3. Communicate the value of your product: Let your audience see for themselves. When it comes to highlighting your product, showing is often better than telling.

If you’re not quite sure what type of video you should be making, we’ve got more than our fair share of ideas for you. So, check ’em out! Now, let’s walk through the entire journey from start to finish so you can start using Soapbox for sales today!

Prepare for your first video

Decide what to record

Sometimes the hardest part is just getting started. But, don’t worry! Once you’ve nailed down your message, Soapbox makes it easy to create a great video using your screen, your webcam, or both! Having access to the unique, split-screen view can help your communication shine. Once you’ve recorded your message, you can decide how you want your screen to appear and even play around with different transitions. You might try:

1. Showing a split-screen opportunity summary
2. Making a webcam-only introduction video
3. Sharing a screen-focused product walkthrough

Regardless of the path you choose, we strongly recommend showing your face at some point, because it turns out us humans are more likely to understand what’s being communicated when we actually watch someone deliver the message. (And who doesn’t want that?)

Get loose

Confidence is key when it comes to making a great video. And we think that the best videos showcase people’s most authentic selves — even if your most authentic self uses filler words like “um” or “uh.” We don’t think that makes you look less professional; it makes you more human. So, to get started, just take a deep breath and go for it!

And if you’re nervous about looking good on your webcam, we’ve share some handy tips to help you look your best in this post.

Hit record

Once you start recording with Soapbox, you won’t see your face.

Sounds counter-intuitive, right? Well, we’ve found that when people have to choose between looking at themselves on a screen and looking into the camera, they’ll choose their screen (which is no fun for the viewer). So, use the Preview window when you launch Soapbox to situate yourself, then make “eye contact” with your computer’s built-in webcam or your external webcam of choice, and start recording!

Keep it short and sweet

For personalized prospecting videos, don’t feel like you have to say everything at once. You only have to say enough to get your contact to schedule a call. So, save the nitty-gritty details for your call and focus on conveying who you are and the problems you can solve together!

Add a professional touch

Edit your video

Once you have a take you like, it’s time to edit your beautiful creation! From the Edit screen, you can trim the start and end of your videos and add transitions to really make it shine. Full transparency here: You won’t be able to trim moments out of the middle, but don’t let that get you down. Whether it takes one try, or four, don’t give up!

Customize your thumbnail

Every video deserves a quality thumbnail to help make a great first impression. Soapbox will automatically generate a random thumbnail for you, but if you really want your video to perform, we recommend creating a custom thumbnail. Luckily, making a custom thumbnail is super easy with Soapbox: Simply snap a new photo or select a frame right from your video!

What should you feature in your thumbnails, you ask? Great question! We suggest showing your friendly face to help your email stand out in your prospect’s inbox. Or, you could even add a slide with your contact’s name, or have their website up on your browser, to help convey that this is video was made just for them. If you do the former, keep in mind that the “play” button will appear in the middle of your frame. To ensure the button isn’t blocking your face, move slightly to the left or right when you take the shot.

Choose a Call to Action (CTA)

Now, it’s time to put your video to work. By adding a Call to Action (CTA) at the end, you can nudge your viewers in the right direction. You can even add Calendar CTAs (ie. HubSpot Meetings, Calendly) to allow viewers to book meetings right on your video page.

Want to use the CTA to link to other resources? No problem! Simply insert a URL to introduce your viewer to content like other videos, help documentation, or a document to sign. When it comes to analytics, for those on the Solo and Team plans, CTA clicks power the “Video Conversion Rate” metric you’ll see on the Performance page.

Make the connection

Compose a winning video title

One part of the video-making process that you don’t want to forget is coming up with a good title. Your video title is important because it acts as the header for your landing page (and no one wants to watch “Untitled Recording — May 2, 12:42 pm”). At Wistia, we typically use short, personalized titles that have a conversational tone. For example:

• A Video for Lenny!
• Hi Lenny, it’s Kristen from Wistia
• GoodDoggos + Wistia

Write an eye-catching subject line

If you want your prospect to see your video, then you’ve got to get them to open your email — and a stellar subject line can encourage them to do just that. It might feel like the pressure’s on, but it doesn’t have to be too complicated! For example, our friends at HubSpot found that using the word “video” in an email subject line boosts open rates by 19%. That in mind, you could try:

• Lenny, I made you a video
• GoodDoggos + Wistia Video Follow Up
• A Video Invitation to Connect
• [VIDEO] Dogs 4 Wistia

Learn from your creations

Follow up

Now that you’ve sent your video off to your prospect, what do you do? Well, if you have a Soapbox Solo or Soapbox for Teams account, you’ll get a Chrome notification when someone watches your video so you can take action right away. Pretty sweet, huh? Plus, you’ll also be able to see how much of the video they watched, which can help you quickly respond and know how to tailor your next conversation.

Analyze your video

Unlike videos created specifically for marketing campaigns, most of your Soapbox videos may have a short shelf life. And that’s okay! The goal is to make an impact, fast. And that’s where the Performance Page can help you optimize your strategy. This data gives you insight into what videos are working — and which ones aren’t — so you can remain agile and quickly adjust your video style to make better connections.

Give and receive feedback

With Soapbox for Teams, teammates and managers have visibility into the entire team’s performance. You can even watch your colleagues' videos to see how you can learn from their approach. And just as you would with calls and emails, your team’s Soapbox success can be improved with thoughtful coaching and feedback.

For example, if sending a video results in being able to book more meetings, then you should absolutely celebrate! And if your CRM shows that an email is opened, but the video isn’t played, you can use this teaching moment to tell your team how to tactfully talk about this in their next lead touchpoint. Having visibility like this, and taking action on it, is a great way to connect your team and ensure you’re learning from each other’s experiences.

Practice makes perfect

Rome wasn’t built in a day — and your video sales strategy won’t be either. So, experiment with your messaging, the length of the video, and your video titles. If you’re feeling unsure, keep at it! You’ll be sure to get more comfortable on camera with every take.

Get started today

There you have it! We hope you enjoyed checking out these super simple tips for getting started with Soapbox. So go forth, be yourself, and create awesome videos like the star that you are!