How Video Marketing Can Help Your Small Business

We all watch videos. Every day, sometimes for hours upon end. Everyone from children to seniors understand how important video is to our everyday lives. And yet, small businesses eschew and ignore the power of video marketing.

Such uncertainty is understandable. Small businesses often do not have dedicated marketing departments. Instead, the marketer must work many different jobs, some of which have nothing to do with marketing. Why add another field onto your ever-growing list of things to do?

The reason is because video marketing can be more efficient and useful compared to more traditional marketing strategies. Whether you sell shoes or are one of the best chiropractors in your area, there are always ways to efficiently use video marketing. Here are just a few reasons and tips.

Search Engine Optimization

There are people who say that search engine optimization (SEO), the technique of redefining your website so that it is more likely to be found by search engines, is dead thanks to new changes from Google. But the reality is that SEO has always been an ever-changing game. Google redefines its search engine, and websites adjust accordingly.

Videos can help improve your search engine results. Videos are often among the first things Google will show, and there is also the benefit of uploading videos onto YouTube. With a higher search engine result, that makes it far easier to let potential customers know of your product.

Content Marketing

The best marketing is not some glitzy ad campaign with pizazz. It is a simple, sober campaign which effectively explains what your business’s product is and how it can help others.

Of course, you can write a blog post or article which explains your product’s appeal. But using an explainer video service is a much better approach. People are more used to watching videos than reading articles, as the former is faster and more visually appealing.

There are more detailed guides on how to create a great content video. But as a first step, you should know that you should use video as your primary media format for content marketing.

Email Click-Through

We get huge amounts of emails every day from marketers, and the reality is that most of us ignore them. Emails thus must stand out to attract the viewer’s attention.

Adding a video to emails can increase the click-through rate by as much as 300% according to Word Stream. However, there are a few things which must be considered. Videos should not be put directly into an email, as that will often trigger the spam filter. Instead, an image of a link to a video, complete with personalization, can attract viewers who would otherwise ignore text.

Easy to Use

If you have a smartphone, you can launch a video marketing campaign. While expensive software and fancy gadgets certainly have their value, iMovie is good enough if you are just starting out.

Viewers often prize authenticity as much as professional, carefully crafted videos. A simple video showing how your product is made or business is run can attract interest and show you to be personable. Do not worry too much about making the “best” video. Instead, just think of something creative, record it quickly, and then you will be able to submit it after some light editing. The low barrier to entry is one of the strongest reasons why small businesses should consider video marketing as soon as possible. 

Brett Sartorial
 

Brett is a business journalist with a focus on corporate strategy and leadership. With over 15 years of experience covering the corporate world, Brett has a reputation for being a knowledgeable, analytical and insightful journalist. He has a deep understanding of the business strategies and leadership principles that drive the world's most successful companies, and is able to explain them in a clear and compelling way. Throughout his career, Brett has interviewed some of the most influential business leaders and has covered major business events such as the World Economic Forum and the Davos. He is also a regular contributor to leading business publications and has won several awards for his work.