Small business video content marketing gives organizations an opportunity to reach customers in a natural, accessible way. The popularity of video content marketing has grown as companies learn how to be creative and engaging with the medium and consumers discover an efficient, compelling way to receive information.
Producing a video for your business may seem overwhelming, but it’s often quite simple. With today’s digital technologies, you can purchase excellent, yet inexpensive equipment and user-friendly software to create videos that will capture the attention of your target audience. From there, you can share the video on social media and your website, making it easy to get your message out to the world.
The Evolution of Video Content Marketing
We live in the YouTube age. The consumer-focused video channel is the second-most popular website – just behind Google. It has exploded as a place people go to share ideas and engage with content. According to Pew Research, approximately 73% of U.S. adults use YouTube. This is more than Facebook, used by only 68 percent of U.S. adults. It’s also a much greater market share than Instagram (35 percent), Pinterest (29 percent), or Twitter (24 percent). So, if you’re a restaurant owner trying to expand your customer base, you may reach a broader audience on YouTube than through other social media platforms. Of course, ideally, your video content marketing will appear across multiple channels.
According to Pew Research, approximately 73% of U.S. adults use YouTube. This is more than Facebook, used by only 68 percent of U.S. adults. It’s also a much greater market share than Instagram (35 percent), Pinterest (29 percent), or Twitter (24 percent).
Because YouTube is so dominant, online videos designed for the channel are more likely to foster engagement. While the goal is to market your product or services, content that feels too much like an advertisement may not perform well. Consumers browsing YouTube respond better to casual and creative videos. Additionally, it’s important to keep your videos short: 1 to 2 minutes is a good benchmark.
Small business video content marketing is one of the best tactics to increase brand awareness and introduce new products and services. Periodically analyze your video strategy to produce higher-performing content further down the line.
The Benefits of Small Business Video Content Marketing
Video is growing faster than ever, making it crucial for companies to adopt video marketing strategies. According to Cisco, video will make up 82 percent of all consumer internet traffic by 2021. Small businesses are seeing highly successful results by using the power of this visual medium to attract, convert, and retain new customers.
Video Ideas to Get You Started
One challenge with small business video content marketing is that you can do just about anything. Don’t let the possibilities overwhelm you. Keep it simple. Here are a few ways to get off the ground:
How-to videos: You can create videos that show how you make a specific product or service that you sell. For example, if you’re in the restaurant industry, you could film a cooking lesson with your head chef. If you’re a landscaper, your how-to videos could focus on general lawn care and maintenance. How-to videos help generate brand awareness and drive organic growth.
Product demonstrations: These types of videos offer consumers a closer look at a product and explain its key benefits. If you’re in the manufacturing industry, for example, you could film a quick tour of the production lines or equipment that gives you a competitive advantage, showing how you construct a specific part or asset. In retail, you could highlight new inventory you think might fly under the radar on the store shelves.
Customer testimonials: Sales materials can leave customers unsure if you’re making promises that don’t always pan out. Hearing how real people have benefited from your products and services, on the other hand, creates a relatable, clear idea of what your business has to offer. Reach out to satisfied customers and see if they’re willing to provide you with a recorded testimonial. You can then use their story across various marketing platforms to offer an unbiased perspective of what it’s like to work with your company.
FAQs: Dealing with frequently asked questions via video lets you take a fun and creative approach to solving consumer headaches. Well-made FAQ videos make your business look professional and answer the questions your customers are or should be asking.
Launching a Video Marketing Program
Leveraging small business video content marketing is a powerful strategy to promote and grow your business online. While video is more accessible than ever, it still comes with costs. Working capital loans can help businesses tackle the expenses that come with a move to video without having to deal with complex, long-term financing. The extra capital can be used to purchase video equipment, hire a videographer, or pay for promotions.