When you run a small business, it may be difficult to keep up with the advertising budgets and resources of your larger competitors. But you do have one major advantage; it’s your mobility and ability to stretch that dollar. And one of the best and cost-efficient ways to create an engaging brand is Video Marketing.
First, video is the easiest form of content to consume. I’m sure you noticed that Facebook began converting even pictures of your recent trips into videos, which is a great indicator of what people want. A simple 30 second video will not only boost your brand’s credibility but also substantially increase user engagement on your website and all social media platforms.
You don’t need a production crew or an expensive camera to create awesome videos around your product or service. There are countless examples of brands succeeding in a major way after their videos went viral.
My favorite is the “Dollar Beard Club,” an online retailer selling beard products. I’m sure you’ve seen the YouTube commercials of a macho bearded guy walking around a warehouse full of other bearded guys, talking about how it is “macho” to have a beard. The video amassed over 127 million views, hitting $8 million in sales in only the first 8 months, and oh yeah…the video itself cost $1,000 to produce. According to its founder, ChrisStoikos, the viral video is the number one reason the brand achieved such growth. Of course you can say that this guy got lucky, it’s an anomaly, etc., but it has been proven over and over that if you make your branding content easy to consume and entertaining, people will buy your product.
Even if you, as a small business owner, don’t have $1,000 to spend on video production, that’s totally fine. Ask a buddy who is able to hold a camera to help, or shoot it yourself on a DSLR camera or even a smartphone. You can then get it edited for under $100 by a professional video editing freelancer online. Platforms such as freelancer.com or upwork.com are a great source of affordable media professionals. You’ll be amazed what a skilled editor can do with a seemingly average quality footage.
Some of the Major Benefits of Video Marketing in 2016
A Chance to Be Different
Video marketing is an excellent way to appear different and more creative than your competition. Very few small businesses engage in video marketing. From my experience, most business owners think it’s out of their budget or they simply don’t need it. Let’s take two businesses that sell exactly the same product, without an obvious difference in price or quality of service. Company A uses only traditional marketing, while company B creates videos and shares them on YouTube and social media. Who do you think will have an unfair advantage?
Showcase Your Brand
Your brand is more than just your logo or website — it’s what makes your brand stand out. And video marketing is your best opportunity to visually showcase it. Take customers behind the scenes to see how your product is made, how your service is provided and what value will it bring, what other customers or users are saying about it, etc. By visually showing the audience your brand, you can solidify that promise in their minds, allowing them to connect to your brand’s overall message even better.
Build a Loyal Following
Even if they don’t immediately buy your product, customers who like your brand are much more likely to subscribe to your YouTube channel, like your Facebook page, or join your mailing list. And what better way to tell your brand’s story than through video? The more familiar your customers feel with your company, the more loyal they are likely to become.
Get Feedback from Your Customers
People are unlikely to tell you what they really think about your product to your face, or even on Facebook. Getting feedback in the YouTube comment section is a great way to receive anonymous insights from your target market, engage your audience in a two-way conversation, and get their thoughts on your latest products.
Many entrepreneurs and business owners know they need to start using video, but when it comes to actually creating one, it might feel overwhelming and you won’t know where to begin.
Here are a few ideas for video marketing that you can start with:
- Create a simple product/service demonstration
- Film an interview with a client who used your product
- Make a tutorial video/share your knowledge on the subject
- Create a video of you or your employees at work
- Create a short (30–45 second) video ad featuring your product or service
Video is where your marketing efforts should be focused if rapid growth is what you truly want for your business. Numerous entrepreneur success stories have confirmed this theory over and over. If video is what people want, video is what you should give them. With the potential for success video has these days, there’s really no excuse for not starting work on a video marketing strategy.