Video Funnel Creation

TL;DR: I was challenged to improve the company’s lead generation funnel and demonstrate that a strategic, data-driven approach could drive better engagement, retention, and ROI. I created the Precision Engagement Funnel, which directly competed with the existing Legacy Scaled Funnel. By refining audience targeting, messaging, and webinar content, I significantly improved retention and conversions.

The result?

• Higher-quality leads and better engagement

• Ad spend scaled from $25/day to $200/day due to strong performance

• The company fully replaced its old funnel with my campaign

Key Insights:

• More Views Didn’t Equal More Conversions – The Legacy Funnel had more page views but worse engagement; the Precision Funnel had fewer visits but far better retention.

• Content Alignment Increased Watch Time – The Precision Funnel delivered relevant content immediately, reducing drop-offs.

• First 10 Minutes Were Critical – 25% of Legacy attendees dropped off within 10 minutes, while 100% of Precision attendees stayed engaged.

• Longer Watch Time Drove Higher Conversions – 18% of Precision attendees watched 30+ minutes, compared to just 3% in the Legacy Funnel.

• Strategic Ad Scaling Maximized ROI – The Precision Funnel started at $25/day and scaled to $200/day, proving its efficiency.

• Reducing Drop-Offs is the Next Opportunity – Retention was strong through 30 minutes but dipped slightly after; mid-point engagement tactics like case studies and Q&As will enhance future performance.

  
  

For a detailed breakdown of this case study and the strategies that drove these results, keep reading.

Case Study: Transforming Lead Generation Through Strategic Video Marketing Executive Summary

The company had long relied on its "Legacy Scaled Funnel" as the primary method for generating leads. This campaign followed a traditional performance marketing model: a Facebook video ad → HubSpot landing page → an on-demand demo hosted on EasyWebinar. While effective in generating volume, this approach was not fully optimized for audience engagement or conversion efficiency.

As part of a strategic initiative, I was tasked with developing a new lead generation campaign—one that would challenge the status quo and demonstrate how a modernized, audience-centric video strategy could outperform the existing framework. This led to the creation of the "Precision Engagement Funnel", which followed the same overall structure but with key improvements:

• Inbound Marketing & Segmentation Strategy:

  • The Legacy Scaled Funnel was a generic "catch-all" webinar, sent to any loan officer looking for general marketing solutions, regardless of their specific pain points.

  • The Precision Engagement Funnel, however, was built using a segmentation-based inbound strategy. It specifically targeted loan officers interested in social media marketing—ensuring that the ad, landing page video, and webinar content directly addressed their needs.

• Ad-to-Webinar Content Alignment:

  • In the Legacy Scaled Funnel, loan officers would often wait 5+ minutes before the webinar even touched on social media, leading to drop-offs before reaching the core value proposition.

  • In the Precision Engagement Funnel, the landing page video and webinar intro immediately reinforced the promise made in the ads & emails, ensuring a seamless transition from the first touchpoint to the full demo.

• Ad Spend Optimization & Scaling:

  • The Legacy Scaled Funnel was capped at $60/day in ad spend.

  • The Precision Engagement Funnel initially launched at $25/day but, due to strong performance, it was scaled up to $200/day, demonstrating higher confidence in its ability to deliver qualified leads efficiently.

Key Insights for Stakeholders

1. More Views Didn't Mean More Results

   • The Legacy Scaled Funnel received more page views but performed worse in actual webinar attendance and engagement.

   • The Precision Engagement Funnel had fewer initial visits but far superior retention and engagement rates.

2. Immediate Content Relevance Increased Watch Time

   • Legacy Funnel: Attendees waited 5+ minutes before their pain points were even addressed, leading to high early drop-offs.

   • Precision Engagement Funnel: Strategic messaging alignment from ad → landing page → webinar content kept viewers engaged longer.

3. The First 10 Minutes Are Critical

   • 25% of Legacy attendees dropped off within 10 minutes.

   • 0% of Precision Engagement attendees dropped off within 10 minutes.

   • This proves that audience-first messaging prevents early churn.

4. Longer Engagement Leads to Higher Conversions

   • 18% of Precision Engagement attendees watched at least 30 minutes.

   • Only 3% of Legacy Funnel attendees reached this mark.

   • This suggests a direct correlation between engagement length and lead qualification.

5. Strategic Ad Spend Scaling Increased ROI

   • The Legacy Scaled Funnel maxed out at $60/day.

   • The Precision Engagement Funnel started at $25/day but was scaled to $200/day due to strong performance.

   • Scaling wasn’t just about increasing spend—it was about attracting better-qualified attendees.

6. Future Optimizations to Reduce Drop-Offs

   • Retention remained strong through the 30-minute mark, but a small drop-off (~11%) was seen afterward.

   • Next steps: Integrate a mid-point engagement hook (e.g., case study, success story, or interactive Q&A) to keep viewers engaged.

Head-to-Head Campaign Performance

To measure impact, both campaigns—the "Legacy Scaled Funnel" and the "Precision Engagement Funnel"—were run simultaneously over the same days. The findings were clear:

• Higher Engagement & Retention:

  • Leads engaged longer with the Precision Engagement Funnel webinar than with the Legacy Scaled Funnel demo.

• Improved Lead Qualification:

  • The new funnel’s messaging, intro video, and CTA flow resulted in higher alignment with audience needs, ensuring higher-quality leads.

• Stronger Funnel Performance Despite Less Initial Traffic:

  • Despite the Legacy Scaled Funnel receiving more initial page visits, the Precision Engagement Funnel outperformed it in meaningful webinar engagement metrics.

• Webinar Platform Utilization:

  • EasyWebinar provided clear engagement analytics, which showed how the new video structure led to higher watch durations and lower drop-offs.

Retention Insights:

Key Findings:

1. Average Watch Time for Precision Engagement Funnel (11.43 mins) is significantly higher than the Legacy Scaled Funnel (2.18 mins).

2. More attendees watched at least 30 minutes of the Precision Engagement Funnel (18.18%) compared to just 3.03% for the Legacy Scaled Funnel.

3. Completion Rate:

   • 9.09% of attendees finished the full Precision Engagement webinar.

   • 0% of attendees completed the full Legacy Scaled Funnel webinar.

Implications for Stakeholders:

• The Precision Engagement Funnel is significantly more effective at retaining viewers, demonstrating the importance of audience-targeted content and early engagement strategies.

• Drop-offs in the Legacy Scaled Funnel indicate weak alignment between expectations (ad promise) and content delivery.

• Future efforts should focus on reducing drop-offs and increasing completion rates by enhancing audience segmentation, CTA placement, and webinar structure.

Drop Off Analysis Key Insights:

Key Takeaways:

• The Legacy Scaled Funnel had major drop-offs early, with 25% of attendees leaving by the 10-minute mark and 50% leaving by the 20-minute mark.

• The Precision Engagement Funnel retained viewers longer, showing zero drop-off until 20 minutes and a much smaller decline thereafter.

• At 30 minutes, the Precision Engagement Funnel still had over 88% of its engaged attendees, while the Legacy Scaled Funnel had already lost most of its viewers.

Implications for Stakeholders:

• The Legacy Scaled Funnel failed to hook viewers early, leading to a rapid decline within the first 20 minutes.

• The Precision Engagement Funnel successfully maintained engagement longer, proving that the tailored messaging and immediate value delivery were effective.

• Future improvements should focus on reducing the small drop-off at 30 minutes in the Precision Engagement Funnel, ensuring that more attendees stay engaged through the full demo.

Further Insights & Optimization Opportunities for Future Campaigns

Based on the drop-off analysis, retention insights, and engagement data, here are key takeaways and strategic recommendations to further refine the lead generation funnel and maximize ROI.

1. The First 10 Minutes Are Critical for Hooking Viewers

Insight:

• The Legacy Scaled Funnel lost 25% of attendees within the first 10 minutes, meaning the opening content wasn’t compelling enough.

• The Precision Engagement Funnel showed 0% drop-off in the first 10 minutes, confirming that addressing pain points immediately kept viewers engaged.

Optimization Strategy:

• Use a bold, attention-grabbing opening statement in the webinar to reinforce the promise made in the ads.

• Add a “Why You’re Here” slide within the first 30 seconds to confirm alignment with viewer expectations.

• Integrate micro-commitments (e.g., “Stick around for X and get Y”) to incentivize staying longer.

2. Precision Engagement Funnel Outperformed, But Drop-Off at 30 Minutes Shows Room for Improvement

Insight:

• The Precision Engagement Funnel retained over 88% of viewers at 30 minutes, but we saw a small drop-off of 11% around this time.

• This suggests that viewers may feel the content is losing momentum at the halfway point.

Optimization Strategy:

• Introduce an engaging “mid-point reset” segment (e.g., a case study, a customer success story, or an interactive Q&A).

• Add a subtle CTA at the 25-30 minute mark to encourage engagement without asking for a commitment too early.

• If the webinar is longer than 30 minutes, test splitting it into two shorter sessions, since shorter-form content is known to improve completion rates.

3. Viewers Who Stayed Past 30 Minutes Were Highly Likely to Finish the Webinar

Insight:

• 9% of Precision Engagement attendees watched the full 60 minutes, while 0% of Legacy Scaled Funnel viewers did.

• Once a viewer made it past 30 minutes, they were much more likely to stick around to the end.

Optimization Strategy:

• Make the last 10-15 minutes highly engaging by emphasizing key takeaways, real-world application, and a strong, benefit-driven CTA.

• Personalize the closing message with a direct appeal like: “You’ve already invested your time—let’s make sure you get results from this”.

• If possible, include an exclusive bonus or incentive for those who finish the session.

4. The Ad Spend Increase Correlated with More Qualified Attendees, Not Just More Registrations

Insight:

• The Legacy Scaled Funnel was capped at $60/day, whereas the Precision Engagement Funnel started at $25/day and scaled to $200/day.

• The increase in ad spend wasn’t just buying more leads—it was attracting better-qualified attendees who stayed engaged longer.

Optimization Strategy:

• Continue scaling strategically—instead of just increasing spend, experiment with new audience segments, ad creatives, and messaging variations to refine who enters the funnel.

• A/B test different retargeting sequences for attendees who watched more than 30 minutes but didn’t convert.

5. Future Improvements to Reduce Drop-Offs & Increase Conversions

Key Next Steps to Optimize Future Webinars:

1. Shorten webinar duration or create modular content for better engagement.

2. Make the CTA more actionable—test variations of appointment-setting vs. direct offer CTAs.

3. Enhance post-webinar follow-ups—use automated email & retargeting to engage those who dropped off early.

4. Incorporate audience interaction elements (e.g., live Q&A, polling) in future versions of the webinar.

5. Expand to multi-channel traffic sources (LinkedIn, YouTube Ads, etc.) to reach different audience segments. Strategic Shift & Takeaways

As a result of this head-to-head performance test, the company officially retired the Legacy Scaled Funnel in favor of my Precision Engagement Funnel, reinforcing the power of a refined content and video strategy in lead generation. This transition validated the importance of audience-first messaging, strategic content sequencing, and a seamless webinar experience for converting loan officers.

Next Steps: Reducing Drop-Offs & Maximizing Conversions

While the Precision Engagement Funnel successfully improved engagement, the next priority is reducing drop-offs at key stages. The data shows that once a lead begins watching my video, they stay engaged longer than those exposed to the original funnel.

To further enhance performance, I will focus on:

• Refining ad creative & audience targeting to increase front-end lead quality

• Testing variations in landing page content & CTA placements to increase conversions from visitors to registrants

• Enhancing webinar retention strategies to drive higher completion rates & downstream conversions

Final Takeaway for Future Employers & Stakeholders

This campaign proves that I don’t just generate leads—I build systems that optimize engagement, increase retention, and improve ROI over time.

If your company has an existing marketing funnel, I can refine and scale it to drive better-qualified leads, higher conversion rates, and lower acquisition costs—just like I did here. If you're looking for a marketing strategist who understands audience behavior, optimizes engagement, and drives measurable results, let's connect!

Click here to contact me!

Additional Information: Creating ads that attract a specific audience has been second nature to me since the 90s, when I promoted events, designed flyers, developed themes, and booked DJs to craft experiences that resonated with the right crowd. Over the years, I have refined this skill into one of the most essential functions of marketing—the ability to build a buyer persona and use inbound strategies to deeply understand audience pain points.

By actively listening to customers and delivering solutions that meet their needs, I have driven engagement and conversions, not just for external audiences but also in recruiting and training team members. Whether attracting leads, delighting clients, or building high-performing teams, I have always prioritized creating a tailored journey that speaks to people on a deeper level.