Small businesses who are still stuck in the olden ways of marketing are missing out on the massive reach and awareness building potential that video marketing presents. Of the 12 small business owners I spoke to recently, only 3 of them actively make an effort to produce videos about their business.
The other 9 business owners think its a pain to produce, edit and distribute videos.
Video marketing is an essentail part of any Digital marketing strategy for small businesses.
So in my sample set, only 25% of small business owners effectively use video marketing tactics as a part of their digital marketing strategy.
I told the other 9 business owners that they are being left behind. All the tools they need to make videos and improve digital marketing outcomes of their business is available right in their smartphone.
Youtube and tik-tok have provided a free distribution channel for all videos that small business owners can make. Its much easier today to make and distribute videos than it ever was.
Dont get bogged down by things like number of subscribers, likes etc. Your aim as a small business owner is not to monetise any youtube channel. Its simply to put out useful video content about your business that can attract a potential audience.
Today, videos are an integral part of any content marketing plan for small businesses.
What is video marketing?
Video marketing is a way of using videos to promote and market your small business, brand, product, or service. Nowadays, video marketing is an integral part of any digital marketing strategy for small businesses. It’s really effective because videos can quickly grab people’s attention and communicate a concept much easier than written text can. By making and sharing videos, small businesses can build their brand, explain their products or services, and connect with customers.
In video marketing, the content of the video is important. This content can include things like how-to guides, product demonstrations, customer testimonials, or even behind-the-scenes looks at the company. Good video content helps people understand what a brand is all about and can make them more interested in what the brand is selling.
Videos are also great for online sharing. When people share a business’s videos on social media, it’s like free advertising. It helps the brand reach more people without spending extra money. Plus, videos can be used on many different platforms, like a company’s website, social media pages, or even in email campaigns.
Another cool thing about video marketing is that it lets businesses show their personality and authenticity. This helps build a connection with the audience. When a brand’s personality shines through in its videos, it can make people feel more connected to the brand, increasing brand loyalty.
Videos can help with increasing sales. When a video explains a product well, it can answer questions or clear up any doubts, making it easier for customers to make a decision. This is why video marketing is so important for businesses today.
Benefits of video marketing for small businesses
Video marketing offers several benefits for small businesses. Videos are a highly engaging way to showcase a brand’s products or services. By creating videos, a small business can convey its core message vividly, making it more memorable for viewers which increases brand recall.
Build and enhance online presence – Videos enhance a business’s online presence. When used in marketing, videos improve user engagement on the business website and on social media. This is crucial for small businesses seeking to establish a strong online brand identity and drive organic traffic to the business. Sharing videos on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook increases visibility, reach and awareness which can attract new customers.
Diverse forms of content – The content in videos can be diverse, ranging from product demonstrations to customer testimonials. This variety in content keeps the audience interested and engaged. Moreover, good content in videos can significantly boost a brand’s credibility and trustworthiness.
Videos are actually cost effective – Video marketing is in reality a cost-effective for of content that can be done in-house. Even with a small budget, businesses can create impactful videos using smartphones and basic editing software. This affordability makes video marketing a viable option for small businesses. In fact its better for small businesses to use basic tools and editing since it makes the videos more authentic.
Videos can drive sales – A well-crafted video explaining a product or service can persuade viewers to make a purchase. It simplifies complex information, making it easier for potential customers to understand the value of what the brand is offering.
Helps improve SEO performance – Videos are also great for SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Including videos within a blog post on a business website can improve its ranking on search engines, leading to more organic traffic. This is a major advantage for small businesses seeking to build a long term stream of organic traffic.
Display Creativity – Videos allow for creative storytelling. A small business can use videos to tell its brand story in an unrestricted and personal way, creating a deeper connection with its audience. This emotional connection is vital for brand loyalty and long-term customer relationships.
Importance of video marketing for a small business
In an era, where marketeers and businesses are vying for an increasingly overlapped demographic in terms of potential customers, video content becomes a differentiating factor. Any small business that does not adopt video marketing techniques is bound to face some headwinds in the overall market.
The following are some limitations for a small business if they do not use video content marketing.
- Limited Customer Outreach – Not utilizing small business video marketing techniques can result in a significant reduction in customer outreach. Small business videos are highly effective in reaching and engaging customers on various platforms, especially social media. Without this, businesses may miss key opportunities to connect with their target audience.
- Decreased Social Media Engagement – Videos are crucial for maintaining high engagement levels on social media. A small business that does not leverage video content may find its social media marketing outcome and social media engagement rates significantly lower compared to competitors who use video marketing.
- Competitive Disadvantage in Marketing: In the competitive world of digital marketing, not employing small business video marketing strategies can lead to a serious disadvantage. Competitors using videos effectively are more likely to attract and retain customers, leaving businesses without video content behind.
- Slower Brand Recognition and Customer Loyalty Development: Small business videos play a vital role in building brand recognition and customer loyalty. The absence of video content in marketing strategies can slow down the process of establishing a strong brand identity and customer connection.
- Challenges in Demonstrating Product/Service Value: Small business videos are an excellent medium for demonstrating the value and benefits of products or services. Without the use of these videos, businesses might struggle to communicate effectively with potential customers, leading to missed sales opportunities and a weaker market presence.
Using video for promoting and marketing a small business
Small businesses can effectively use video marketing content to promote their business by harnessing platforms like YouTube. Creating engaging content that resonates with their target audience is the key to success.
Effective videos should be clear, concise, and reflective of the brand’s personality, making the business relatable and trustworthy. Additionally, small businesses can craft compelling ads for YouTube, focusing on storytelling and highlighting unique selling points to captivate viewers.
Utilizing YouTube’s vast reach and the power of visual storytelling, small businesses can significantly enhance their marketing strategies and audience engagement using video marketing.
Using youtube as a social media platform for video marketing for small businesses
Youtube today is one of the most important platforms for small business owners to publish video content as a part of their digital marketing plans. Youtube is infact the second largest engine right after google in terms of search volume. Not being present on youtube is a sure fire way to ensure that you r business is losing out on potential customers and potential revenue.
I have myself purchased from many small businesses after learning about their products and services through their you tube videos.
Some of the ways in which small businesses can make use of youtube for promoting their business uing videos are
- Showcase Products or Services – By creating videos that demonstrate what they offer, small businesses can give customers a clear understanding of their products or services. This can include how-to videos, product reviews, or demonstrations.
- Tell your Brand Story – Small businesses can use YouTube to tell their unique story. This could be about how the business started, the people behind it, or what makes them different. It’s a great way to connect with customers on a personal level.
- Educational Content – Offering educational or informative content related to their industry can establish a small business as an expert in their field. This builds authority and is one of the main drivers of customer acquisition. Small businesses should focus on having at least 70% of their content as educational content.
- Customer Testimonials and Reviews – Featuring real customers talking about their experiences can build trust and credibility.
- Behind-the-Scenes Glimpses – Showing the inner workings of the business, like the manufacturing process or a day in the life of an employee, can make the brand more relatable and transparent.
- Collaborations with Influencers or Other Businesses – Partnering with influencers or other local businesses for videos can reach new audiences and add an exciting twist to their content.
- Interactive Content – Hosting live Q&A sessions, webinars, or contests can engage viewers directly and make them feel involved with the brand.
How to use content for small business video marketing campaigns
Now many small businesses will have invested in long form content such as blogs as a key part of their overall digital marketing strategy. This is a great starting point. A 2000 word blog post can be expanded to a 10 minute video for youtube with the business owner covering nuances that cannot be easily conveyed via written content.
There are some principles that small business owners should follow while using content.
- Focus on the Audience’s Needs – Understand the target audience and create content that addresses their interests, problems, and questions. This could be through how-to guides, product demonstrations, or answering common queries.
- Tell a Story – Use storytelling to make the content more engaging. Share the story behind the business, customer success stories, or the journey of a product from concept to creation. Stories create emotional connections with the audience.
- Be a teacher – Provide value through educational content. Teach something relevant to the business’s niche, like industry insider information, tips and insights. This positions the business as a knowledgeable leader in its field.
Once you nail the basics with the above factors, you are ready to go and scale the amount of video marketing content you make.
How to create an effective video ad for a small business?
Lets look at this from a perspective of a bakery and how they went about building an ad. I will walk through the key 5 steps involved in making a good ad using video content.
Let’s use the example of a small fictitious local bakery, “Sweet Treats Bakery,” to illustrate a practical approach to each step in creating an effective ad:
- Identify Your Goal and Audience:
- Goal: Increase online cake orders.
- Audience: Local residents planning celebrations (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.).
- Example: “Sweet Treats Bakery aims to attract local families and party planners looking to order custom cakes.”
- Craft a Simple Message:
- Message: “Custom cakes for every occasion, baked with love.”
- Example: The bakery focuses on its unique selling point – custom, hand-decorated cakes for special occasions, emphasizing the homemade, personal touch.
- Choose the Right Visuals and Audio:
- Visuals: Footage of beautifully decorated cakes, happy customers at celebrations.
- Audio: Upbeat background music with a friendly, inviting voiceover.
- Example: The ad shows a montage of various custom cakes, highlighting their unique designs. The ad also shows little ones feeling the thrill of looking at their favourite cartoon heroes in the form of a cake and with a voiceover saying, “Make your celebration extra special with a Sweet Treats Bakery cake.”
- Include a Call-to-Action (CTA):
- CTA: “Order your custom cake today! Visit our website or call us.”
- Example: The ad ends with a clear invitation, showing the bakery’s website and contact number, encouraging viewers to place an order.
- Test and Refine:
- Testing: Monitor how many orders come through the ad.
- Refinement: Adjust the ad based on customer feedback and order rates.
- Example: If the bakery notices more orders for birthday cakes, they might adjust the ad to focus more on birthday themes, or offer a special promotion for birthday orders.
This is a very simple example the 5 step process small business owners should take to make an ad using videos.
Examples of effective strategies for small business videos that can boost sales
In this section, I would like to share some really great videos made by small businesses on youtube. these are real small businesses that have been successful with video content. They can be an inspiration for you to do something similar.
All of them have something in common:
- They are authentic in their videos, no fluff, no cover up – they make their business seem as it is
- Low cost of production – they are not fancy production house videos
- Simple and clear messaging – They know their customers and they message accordingly
- They invoke curiosity, or an emotion or provide and education
Little Plant Shop – their videos are on their social media instagram channel, check them out to see how a small business can build a great drip campaign using videos to build curiosity and curate an audience.
Cupcake Royale – They are a Seattle based bakery specialising in cupcakes. Check out their tralier video meant to evoke emotions of summer and freedom.
Green Bay remodelling – is a small business in the bay area that specialises in home remodels. Checkout the video below that shows authenticity of how they go about their job.
Hope that these 3 videos give you an example of what to look for while deciding how to make your films.
Promoting your brand on social media using a video gives a small businesses many advantages
I have written in detail about why businesses need to consider a social media marketing strategy. In this section, we will look at some of the advantages that small businesses get while promoting their videos on social media.
Cost effective – Social media platforms provide a cost-effective and accessible way to reach a vast audience, making social media marketing an essential tool in today’s digital landscape.
Social media allows for targeted marketing – Small businesses should tailor their content to reach specific demographics, interests, and locations, ensuring their product or service is seen by the most relevant audience. This targeted approach leads to more effective and efficient marketing efforts.
Can boost engagement – Incorporating video marketing into social media strategy is particularly beneficial. Videos are highly engaging and can convey a message more effectively than text or images alone. They offer a dynamic way to showcase products, demonstrate their use, and tell the brand’s story. Video content on social media often has higher engagement rates, leading to increased brand visibility and customer interaction.
Social media helps direct communication with customers – Small businesses can use these platforms to respond to queries, gather feedback, and build relationships with their audience. This two-way interaction enhances customer service and loyalty.
Social media is ideal for viral marketing – Engaging content, especially videos, can be easily shared by users, expanding the reach exponentially. This organic spread of content can significantly boost brand recognition and credibility.
In summary, social media marketing, particularly through video marketing, offers small businesses a platform for targeted and engaging promotion, direct customer interaction, valuable analytics, and the potential for viral reach. These advantages make social media an indispensable tool for modern business promotion.
Tools and Equipment needed for video marketing for small businesses
There are some basic infrastructure that you will need to film videos and edit them before publishing, its a short list covering only the essentials. The list can become much larger if you want to have a professional set.
- A good video recording device – a nice smartphone will do
- Some extra memory, either on cloud or on memory cards so that you have enough memory storage
- A tripod stand to make sure the video does not shake
- A decent free video editing tool for some polish after filming
- A pleasant location – typically your own workplace or office for the authenticity
What are the free software tools available for video marketing as business owners?
Since most of the business owners i know use an apple device either an iPhone or a macbook, the iMovie is one of the best free video editing software that small business owners can use.
For those who don’t use a mac, i would suggest using the free version of Canva for all your video editing needs. I use Canva as well and can say that it has some really user friendly tools and templates that make video editing simple enough for a novice (myself included).