Small business owners have a myriad of responsibilities to deal with. They have a small team of employees to manage daily tasks, and adding another one may make it exhausting. Small businesses have taken video marketing as their latest initiative to enhance their marketing strategies. 17% of merchants still believe that video marketing is too expensive for their brand. Such misconceptions restrict the progress of their business. On the contrary, video marketing can be the most budget-friendly and less time-consuming form of advertising for small businesses as long as it is implemented appropriately.
Benefits of Video Marketing for Small Businesses
Video marketing has equipped small businesses with the power to boost their brand awareness and attract more consumers. Video content is getting consumed faster than ever. Therefore, it is high time for small businesses to get started with video marketing. Below are some perks of using videos to promote your small-scale brand:
1. Brand Reputation
Maintaining and having a positive brand reputation is vital not only for large-scale businesses or corporates but also for small businesses. Consumers need to trust your brand to purchase anything from your store. A high-quality video that humanizes your brand and sends a powerful message will help you connect with your customers.
2. Return On Investment
Videos are an essential component to boost the user experience for site visitors. Video lowers bounce rates and increases the amount of time visitors spend surfing your site. Meaning, it will result in higher ROI. You can track your video ROI through advanced tools available on the internet.
3. SEO
Search engines like Google prioritize videos as a ranking factor as videos bring in more traffic compared to other types of content. Curating high-quality videos for websites that include sufficient backlinking, keywords, and other components will increase the SEO rank of your small business website. It will result in more engagement and sales on your site.
4. Conversion Rate
It is not highly complicated to convert a potential customer into a buying customer. Merchants forget that the oldest trick in the book is to harness the power of videos. Intelligent marketers include CTA or call to action on their videos to draw more attention from their audience and persuade them to buy your products. Another tip is to include annotation links in your videos to increase the consumer conversion rate for your business.
Getting started with your video marketing campaign
Here are some steps you may follow to curate a compelling video at a low cost for your small business.
1. Set Your Goals
You have to start pre-planning before drawing actual plans to create the video. You have to decide the objective of the video you want to curate. Ask yourself questions like what is the purpose behind this video? What results am I expecting? It will help you define the goal behind your project. You can decide which type of video will suitably meet the requirements based on the plan. For instance, to drive sales- product videos are the suitable option, whereas to increase brand awareness- brand story videos are the right choice.
2. Derive Inspirational Ideas
Every video you curate should be unique and relevant to generate the desired results. Assess your competitors’ or peers’ videos and think of some outstanding ideas for your brand. However, remember that taking inspiration and plagiarising is not the same thing. Your content has to be original. You can also get some intriguing ideas by analyzing your social media posts and comprehending the needs of your consumers.
3. Write a Script
You can either write the script yourself or hire a professional to do the same. The writing should be concise and make it exciting and entertaining instead of including all corporate jargon. Less is more while writing a script. Imagine you are telling a summarizing a story and have only the most relevant and crucial information. Build a narrative and ensure to maintain that flow. Additionally, depending on the aim and the type of video, you have to add appropriate data, CTA’s, product information, etc.
4. Video Production Tools
The majority of the video’s quality depends on how it is shot. You don’t need a fancy or expensive camera to shoot a video. Even a typical smartphone can produce a high-quality video. If you have no experience in editing or shooting, you can either learn via tutorials online courses or hire an expert. Some essential tools you will use are a tripod, a microphone, a smartphone with suitable camera pixels, and a video editor for editing your videos. You can also read up on blogs and articles to learn how to edit your videos professionally.
5. Decide a Location
It is perhaps the most undervalued step in the process. A location can either make or break your video. Thus, it is significantly vital to pick the right one that meets the criteria of shooting the video. If you choose an indoor location, make sure it is well-lit. Lighting plays a critical role in determining the look of your products. If you choose an outdoor area, ensure you shoot appropriately. Too much sunlight gives off a harsh lighting effect that can create shadows or glare. Lastly, ensure that your location doesn’t have any background noises or distractions.
6. Press Record
Don’t worry; you have followed every step, and you are all ready to create an outstanding video for your small business. You have done your homework, so now it’s time to hit the record button and start shooting your video. Remember to focus on your brand’s message and connect with your audience through the video
Final Words
It’s okay to feel intimidated or overwhelmed when you’re venturing into the unchartered territory of video marketing. Small businesses sometimes have limited resources, but that shouldn’t restrict you from taking advantage of video marketing. Out of 80% of consumer demand for video content, only 5-10% is being met, and businesses are still not tailoring videos for their website. It’s your chance to get ahead of the competition and boost the profits of your small business through video marketing.