7 ways small businesses can use video marketing
We’re guilty of it. While we use video marketing for our client strategies, we don’t use it as much as we should for our own business. It can be easy to get caught up in the things you think are going to make video marketing hard – it’s too expensive, it takes too long, no one will care what I have to say – and the list goes on.
Did you know that 85% of consumers – you know those people that you target with your marketing – WANT to see more video from brands in their marketing? If that’s not enough to convince you to include video in your marketing strategy, by 2021, Cisco says that video will account for over 80% of all Internet traffic. And when you do decide to include video in your marketing strategy, make sure it’s mobile-friendly because over half of the video content that is out there is consumed on mobile.
If you’re still reading – congratulations! You are one step closer to including video marketing into your strategy. But how do you do it so that you aren’t breaking the bank and killing your productivity in other areas of business?
Here are seven easy ways to include video marketing into your strategy.
#1: TELL YOUR STORY
One of the easiest ways to get started with video marketing is to introduce yourself and your brand. More and more, customers are demanding transparency and authenticity from the brands they buy into. Those are often two overused buzzwords, but when it comes to this type of discussion it should point you in the direction of thinking about connecting with people. Even though you are trying to connect with them as your brand, there are still humans running your strategy.
It might be tempting to go into detail about your story, but try to keep this video short and sweet – approximately 90 – 120 seconds max. Focus on your brand values and ethics and what makes you tic as a brand – all of the things that will allow your audience to create a deeper connection with you.
#2: TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DO
Beyond telling your brand story, you can use video marketing to talk about what you do – whether you offer a product or service or you are B2B or B2C. Using video to explain what you do can help your target audience understand better what you do. Product and service explainer videos are so easy to consume that 95% of people have watched one. Of your competitors that use video and other brands in other industries, 97% would say video marketing in this manner helps increase understanding of the product or service offering.
#3: LET PEOPLE SHOW YOU LOVE
Customer testimonials and reviews can be your not-so-secret weapon when it comes to helping people make a final decision. Make it easy for people to give you a video testimonial by having a list of questions they could answer. Make sure they know that these questions are just a guide and that they don’t need to answer all of them. This allows you to get them to focus on certain aspects during testimonials. For example, did you want them to focus on customer service? Product quality? Value?
Testimonial videos are easy to embed on your website and even easier to share on social media. The best part is that YOU don’t have to make them
#4: A DAY IN THE LIFE
If you are keeping things conversational for social media and you subscribe to transparency in what you do, let your audience get to know your team on a deeper level through video. You can do team features that view like a video bio, following your team through the office for the day, let your audience “sit in” on a brainstorm, or simply showcase a little bit of personality. You can really have fun with these videos.
While none of your videos need to be overly produced, these videos especially should feel spontaneous and true to who you are as a brand.
#5: HOW IT’S MADE
Does your product go through a specific manufacturing process? Why not show it? This is also a good opportunity for you to showcase how you do things ethically or how you take environmental considerations into account.
#6: FROM BLOG TO VLOG
Not everyone has the time to read your latest written masterpiece! Why not create a video with the top three to five nuggets of information your readers just can’t live without? It’s always good to have the option of text vs. video because 72% of people actually prefer to watch a video rather than reading. If you have the option, they can get the quick version in video and bookmark the blog to read later when they can go into more detail.
#7: ABANDON YOUR EXPECTATIONS
It can be easy to get stuck in the “I don’t have enough money” rut when it comes to video, but then you are likely doing it wrong. In MOST industries, videos don’t have to be highly produced masterpieces that cost you tens of thousands of dollars. Social media has made it easy to do simple videos shot on your smart phone. Find an editing app that works for you, or stick to live videos where it is just raw.
While change can be scary, it can also be a good thing! If you aren’t sure how you can make video work for you within your budget or time availability, be sure to give us a call!