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Video marketing has become an essential strategy for serious small businesses to grab attention in their marketing campaigns. Businesses have recorded massive conversion and engagement rates when including video in their social campaigns, landing pages, websites, and video channels.
In this article, we will look at the benefits of video marketing for small businesses, types of videos, strategies in producing videos for marketing your brand, as well as ways to promote your marketing videos.
Small Business Videos: What is Video Marketing?
Video marketing is the use of videos to promote or market your small business, brand on digital channels.
Simply put, video marketing is when you use video to promote your brand, product, or service, engage with social media channels, educate potential and existing customers, and interact with them.
Why You Should Use Video Marketing To Promote Your Small Business
Video marketing should be a part of your overall digital marketing strategy for a number of reasons. In this section, we’re going to look at the reasons why we should use videos to market small businesses.
#1. For more conversion and sales
Using videos as part of your small business marketing campaigns can pay off with huge returns. A product video can help increase conversions by up to 80%.
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Videos can also directly lead to sales. Studies showed 74% of people who viewed an explainer video about a product/service purchased it.
It is not hard to see why video is so effective. Our most dominant sense is vision. Vision is the primary way our brain processes information. Imagine what moving images could do for your small business if photos already increase engagement dramatically.
#2. Videos provide a great ROI
Creating a video is not child’s play. It takes a lot of time, planning, and money. However, all the time and resources invested in producing a video can yield great ROI for your business.
Thankfully, many video editing tools are continually improving and becoming cheaper. And there are quite a number of software and online video editing tools that can edit videos for a small monthly or one-time fee. Even your smartphone can create and edit decent videos.
The good news is that videos don’t need to be perfect. It is the content that counts! Recent research has shown that most users are put off by videos that do not adequately explain the product or services than by the poor editing.
#3. Video Builds Trust
Trust is the basis of conversions, sales, and business. Trust and long-term relationships are the foundation of content marketing.
Because video marketing for small businesses is more likely to ignite emotions and engage viewers, you can easily connect and build relationships. This way, your viewers can easily connect and trust your brand even more.
Videos can be used to build trust. Some consumers remain skeptical about buying services and products online due to fears of fraud and cheating. However, effective marketing videos convey your products in a conversational manner. It creates a feeling of individuality which is why 57% of customers feel more confident to buy online.
#4. Google Loves Videos
Videos can increase the time people spend on your site which is a good signal to Google. Also, a small business video embedded on your site will make you 53 times more likely to be found first on Google.
This is another good reason to create videos for your business. You can upload them on YouTube or Vimeo and also embed them on your blog. That way, you can get traffic and increase your chances of ranking your blog at the top of Google SERPs.
#5. Easier to explain your Product
Are you planning to launch a new product? To demonstrate how it works, create a video.
According to Wyzowl, 98% of users have watched an explainer video in order to learn more about a product. 45% of businesses that use video marketing have an explainer video embedded on their homepage. 83% of those businesses said their homepage explanation video was effective.
Do you want to explain difficult concepts? Make animated videos. Animation can bring concepts alive in a way that text and live video cannot. Talking heads and boring voices are no longer enough to cut through the clutter. Animated videos combine entertainment, nostalgia, simplicity, and entertainment. They simply work.
#6. Videos encourage social sharing
Most social media channels now encourage more video content; from Facebook to Instagram. Video marketers need to remember that social media users share emotions and not facts.
According to Wyzowl, 76% of users say that they would share a brand video with friends if it was interesting. So create fun entertaining videos to encourage social shares. Although emotions are not necessarily ROI, social shares can increase site traffic which is also a win.
Video Marketing For Small Businesses – Types of Videos You Can Use For Video Marketing
#1. Explainer videos
Explainer videos are videos intended to explain a product, service, concept, etc. They can be in the form of helpful tips, guiding viewers through an activity, or showing them how to solve difficult problems. It’s a great strategic idea for video marketing for small businesses.
These videos can be used to establish authority and expertise, as well as capture the “how-to” and “hack” questions in search results.
Information-oriented queries are more popular than those with intent to purchase or other questions that arrive later in the funnel. These videos are more likely to be viewed from a search perspective.
Explainer videos aren’t designed to promote your product or services. They provide valuable information to help your audience and introduce you to them.
Your audience will start to trust your company and, hopefully, become a trusted provider for products and/or services.
#2. Brand Videos
These videos should, in a way, introduce you to your viewers. Your audience should be able to tell the story of your brand and rave about your core values. This will help them believe that your company is special and worth their time.
Animation is a great way to distinguish your brand video from other videos. It has many creative possibilities to showcase your brand in a unique way, stimulate emotions, and put viewers in a positive mood.
Animation allows you to include a brand character. Every day, your viewers come across more brand names than they can recall, including on ads and product packaging. It’s easy to forget a company’s name, but it will be much easier for them to recall the faces of memorable characters.
These videos should be short, funny, and original.
#3. Product Review Videos
Product review videos are made to highlight the benefits or cons of using a particular product based on testing it.
According to MediaPost, 57 percent of online shoppers feel more confident after viewing a product demonstration.
One way to make these small business videos is to review and prove the superiority of your product.
This is a great way to build trust with your viewers.
#4. Company Culture Videos
Many customers love companies that have a healthy culture at work. If you can share videos about your company culture, your customers can connect with you on a higher emotional level. They feel like they are part of your company too which makes them more secure. That feeling of security can turn them into loyal and repetitive buyers.
Video clips about company culture can make your brand more human and people will be more likely to share such videos.
These videos could include anything from a tour of your office to an employee interview, a company outing, or any other type of video that highlights your company’s unique dynamic.
#5. Testimonial Videos
Testimonial videos are a type of video marketing video where people who have used your product and loved it share how your product helped them. You can praise your company all you want, but people are more likely to be moved when the praise comes from someone else.
These testimonials can be obtained at an event in your store, tradeshow, or right after the publication of your latest project. Look for enthusiastic attendees who are willing to share their happiness about your products with others.
Reaching out to happy clients is a good idea to get positive testimonial videos. You can even solicit them to make a video recording of how they feel about your product.
You must make them as real as possible. People are turned off by testimonials that aren’t real.
#6. Event Videos
You can share videos of your events to show the joy of the event to people who were unable to attend.
You can showcase your event on social media in different formats. Facebook Live lets you broadcast your entire event live to any person who is viewing your Facebook page. Snapchat Stories and Instagram allow you to share small segments of your event, along with the possibility to add geo-marketing stickers, geotags, and filters.
These live videos are a great way to connect with people. We also use social media for news updates, family, and friends. According to Facebook, live streams receive 10 times more engagement than regular videos.
Event videos can show the viewers what goes on behind the scenes during an event, such as the setup and backstage area, and give those who weren’t able to attend an opportunity to be there and witness the event online.
Basic Equipment Needed For Small Business Video Production
1. Cameras
For great video marketing for small businesses, I recommend using your smartphone if you are just starting out and would like to include video on your website, channel, or paid ads/marketing.
You can get 2 shots from one with an iPhone, Samsung, or other smartphones with a 4k sensor if you have a newer iPhone.
Your smartphone is an extremely powerful tool, especially when it is mobile.
If you want to go more professional, you can go for a good DSLR camera. Note that there are many Canon and Nikon DSLRs that can record video on Amazon for as low as $500.
However, it’s worth noting the best camera is one that you have with you. For most people, that’s their phone.
2. Microphone
A microphone is an essential tool in video production. They come in different shapes and types. The 3 main types of microphones you should know are the Condensers, Lavaliers, and Cardioid.
a) Lavalier microphones
The lavaliers or lapel microphones are those microphones you can attach to your shirt so no one even notices you have a microphone. Some of them are wired while some are wireless.
They are great for interviews, podcasting, and presentations. You must be careful when choosing your lavalier microphones as many of them can disappoint.
b) Condensor microphones
A condenser microphone is another type of microphone you should consider for video production. It’s often called a “shotgun microphone” due to its direct sound pickup pattern and ability to reject any sounds around it. These microphones are great if you desire a professional appearance with the microphone hidden in a frame.
An example of that is RODE which is a budget-friendly version of a condenser microphone and can be plugged directly into your iPhone’s lightning port.
This is a great option if your goal is to record vlogs with your phone. It also allows you to record outdoors without worrying about wind noise.
c) Cardioid microphones
These microphones are ideal for voice-overs and podcasting. These microphones can also be used for other video types where you don’t mind the microphone being visible in the shot. They usually come with a USB plug and can be plugged directly into your laptop. This type of microphone is great for Zoom or skype calls or voiceovers over the laptop.
An example of that is the Blue Yeti microphone. It’s good for small business videos.
3. Tripod
A tripod gives your phone or camera balance. It holds the phone or camera so you can freely record your videos with ease. You can find many tripods in different shapes and sizes when you go on Amazon.
4. Lighting
Lighting is also an important piece of equipment to consider in video production – especially the ones you shoot indoors.
So unless you are using the sun, which is an unpredictable source of light, you will need a professional-grade light that doesn’t make you look amateur.
Some of the lighting equipment you can use for your small business videos are Aputure lights or ring lights. Aputure lights are great. They’re bright and cool, have excellent color rendering, and also have great quality.
5. Noise Control
You don’t want to spend thousands or hundreds of dollars and then the noise in the room will make all your efforts go to waste. You should pay attention to the room you will be recording in and find a way to control the sound.
If the room is in a noisy area, you can try to make it soundproof and the degree of the noise depends on how much of the area you soundproof.
How To Make A Marketing Video For Your Business
1. Plan your video
You must know the reason why you need the video and exactly what you want to use the video to achieve. You must take into consideration the target audience, goal, time you need the video to go live as well as budget. Also, consider the type of video you need and the tools and human resources that will play a part in shooting and producing the video.
2. Script your video
For the sake of professionalism, you should prepare a script for your video. Failure to have a script would mean that you could end up saying things are not needed and wasting more time than necessary when editing.
Bear in mind that most video marketing for small businesses scripts are shorter than blogs. For instance, a 400-word video is already 2mins+ long.
3. Understand your camera
On a lower level, your iPhone is enough to shoot your video. Or any good Samsung or other Android phones with quality cameras. You must not have a professional DSLR camera or video gadgets before you can shoot a good video. You just need to understand how to set the size of the video depending on where you will use it.
For instance, YouTube videos are mostly 1080p by 720p or higher, whereas Too often the fear and uncertainty of equipment keep businesses from trying out video marketing. But learning to shoot video doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
It’s likely you have a great, easy-to-use camera right in your pocket: your smartphone.
4. Set up your studio
Use a corner of your office as your studio and get the necessary equipment like tripods, lighting, and microphones. Make sure the background and video environment look good for the kind of video you want to shoot,
5. Prepare your talent
If you are the one who is going to shoot the video, you should practice making sure you present well. Practice looking directly at the camera and the pace at which your speak. Don’t speak too fast or too slow.
While preparing for your video marketing for small businesses, if you are lucky enough to have an employee who is also good at video presentations, you can prepare the person to present during the video. Otherwise, you may have to hire someone to do it.
If you do the presentation, make sure you follow your script. Don’t worry if you make any mistakes as you can repeat the line. The unwanted parts will be cut out during editing.
6. Organize your footage
After shooting your video, organize it in properly named folders on your device storage. You should most preferable use an external drive because raw video files are usually bulky and will lag your computer.
If the video is a series or has a series, you should take this time to arrange it properly to avoid mixing things up during the editing process.
7. Edit your video
It’s now time to edit your small business video. Cut out the unwanted parts, merge clips and keep tweaking till you get your desired result.
There are many video editing tools you can use to do this and some popular ones are Adobe Premiere Pro, iMovie, and Camtasia. You will need to have strong video editing skills to use Adobe Premiere Pro and intermediate video skills to use iMovie and Camtasia.
If you don’t have such skills, it is best to outsource the project to a skilled freelancer.
8. Record your voice-over
While you were editing your video, you may have recorded your voice. However, if you prefer to record a voice-over separately, now is the best time to do so. Simply find a serene location, practice, and record with your condenser microphone.
9. Render your final video
At this stage, you have completed all the necessary things. You can now render your video to share on your channels, blog, and social sites.
Video Making Software Tools
Try Movavi
Movavi
Filmora
Wedit
Animoto
Magix & Vegas
Alternative Sources of Marketing Videos
There are times when it’s not an option for you to produce your own marketing videos. It could be due to the time factor or you are not just the type that would want to learn new stuff. You would rather focus on your business and family while getting the videos from other sources. If that is the case, here are other sources where you can get videos for your small business marketing.
#1 Buy Stock Video Clips
You can simply buy videos that resonate with you and your business and use them for your marketing. Though this may not be 100% suited to your brand, it can come in handy and be available instantly.
Here are websites where you can browse and buy stock videos for your marketing needs:
Ponds5 Stock Videos
Shutterstock Stock Videos
#2 Hire a Video Production Freelancer
It’s also possible to hire freelance video-makers to produce marketing videos for you. Check the following links to recommended video freelancers
>> Fiverr Video Freelancers
>> DroneVideos
>> TaskRabbit
>> Toptal
#3 imArena Video Production Team
We maintain a team of top-notch video production for in-house use and to produce marketing videos for our clients. You can access our imArena video production service here
8 Great Ways To Promote Your Small Business Videos
Now your video has been produced, but how do you make it reach as many people as possible? Remember the idea is to do video marketing for small businesses I’ll show you 5 great ways to promote your videos online.
- Make sure your video cover image is captivating. Even if you spend thousands to run an ad for your video to get viewed, a bad thumbnail image will lower the click-through rate.
- Use a Catchy Headline and a good description or hook. Make sure that when sharing your videos, it goes with a catchy headline and description or hook to increase the click-through rate.
- Optimize your videos for SEO. If your videos are uploaded on YouTube, it’ll do you a lot of good to optimize it to rank on both YouTube and Google.
- Share on social channels. Even if you share your videos on YouTube, also share the video or the YouTube link on your social handles. While doing that, make sure your use hashtags to increase the chances of more people finding it.
- Run Video ads. You can run video ads on YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram to gain more brand awareness or even sales.
- Make the videos shareable: Make sure that your videos can easily be shared by the viewers as this will help you gain more exposure.
- Embed in Your blogs: You can also embed your videos in your blogs as people who read your blogs may also want to watch your videos. Moreso, Google loves blogs with videos embedded within and can rank your post higher on SERPs.
- Ask your friends to share. Don’t be shy to ask your friends and colleagues to share your videos.
Video Marketing For Small Businesses – Conclusion
Video marketing has become a great marketing strategy adopted by many businesses. It has the potential of marketing your brand more than just text and images. Although a lot goes into producing a video, it can pay off for your business big time. You just need to have the right strategy for it – from conception, production, and distribution.
What is your view on using video marketing for small businesses? Let us know in the comment section.
