One of the biggest hurdles for many small businesses worldwide is facilitating growth on a limited budget. Luckily, in today’s increasingly digital world, growing a small business is easier than ever. But one of the best ideas for expanding your small business is by including videos in your marketing strategy.
The recent growth in popularity of video technology has proven invaluable for many small entrepreneurs. As videos are one of the most popular types of online content currently, using them can help you get your brand in front of millions of eyes quickly. With such immense potential and reach, is it surprising that videos became the go-to method for many marketers worldwide?
According to the latest Wyzowl survey, 86% of businesses utilize videos in their marketing endeavors, while 99% plan to continue investing in video marketing in the years to come. Oh, and did you know that as many as 88% of marketers found excellent ROI using videos? That’s right!
Unfortunately, despite videos being such a potent tool for growing a small business, using them can be intimidating, especially for beginners. What kind of videos do you make? How do you use them? How do they help you drive revenue? These are all questions you might have when considering getting into video marketing. That is why we have decided to give some excellent video marketing ideas for small businesses to help you start!
Let’s start with the basics!
Why Small Businesses Should Use Video
Aside from the above, there are many other reasons small businesses should leverage video marketing in their growth.
Did you know that 64% of small businesses said that video marketing was their primary marketing channel, while 77% deemed it a crucial part of their overall strategy? That’s right! But what is it that videos bring to the table that is so appealing to these entrepreneurs?
It’s pretty straightforward — there are many benefits of videos for small businesses. We’ve talked about them in great detail in one of our previous articles, but here are a few notable ones:
- Videos can help build brand awareness.
- They improve your online presence.
- Videos can increase your sales.
- They help you build trust with your customers.
Aside from all of these benefits, one of the best parts of video marketing is that it is doable on all budgets! Getting started with making videos doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg, so small businesses don’t have to worry about extensive fees. The same goes for getting a reliable video player. There are many affordable video players out there, so you’ll find one regardless of your budget.
As you can see, there is no reason not to give video content a shot for promoting your product or service. It doesn’t have to be costly, it’s highly beneficial, and it’s easy! So if you think you’re ready to try your hand at video content marketing, let’s analyze some video ideas to inspire you!
Video Ideas for Small Businesses
When it comes to brainstorming ideas for your videos, there is only one rule — be creative! After all, there are no limits when coming up with video content ideas. Different styles of videos will suit various purposes, which will all depend on your business needs. But creativity is always what will make your content pop out.
Although we can’t give you a surefire formula on what will work, we can offer a few ideas and an overall framework of what is usually effective. Here are six video types small businesses can use to market themselves:
- Introduction Video
- Explainer Videos
- Testimonial Videos
- Behind-the-Scenes Videos
- FAQ Videos
- Event Videos
Let’s take a closer look at each of them!
Introduction Video
If you’re new to the market, creating an introduction video can do wonders for your brand. These videos allow you to introduce your team and brand, showcase your business goals, illustrate company values, etc. Such a video can be your entry ticket to your target industry. Also, it’s an incredible opportunity to document your brand’s humble beginnings! Once you develop your business and grow, you will be able to use this video to show the world just how far you’ve gotten. Either way, an introduction video is an excellent video marketing idea for your small business to start with!
Explainer Videos
When people search for information online, they most often look for help. That is why explainer videos are one of the most popular videos on the web. The primary purpose of these videos is to help your viewers, and you can do that in many ways.
For example, you can create a tutorial video demonstrating to your consumers how to use your product. Alternatively, you can teach your audience a skill your brand is an expert at. Either way, explainer videos are a surefire way to earn traffic to your brand’s site and gain your customers’ favor.
Testimonial Videos
Video testimonials are an excellent video marketing idea that even small businesses can utilize. You can implement testimonial videos in your marketing strategy seamlessly, and they are incredibly useful for building brand trust.
Showing your brand in a positive light is imperative for any business, let alone a small one. So reaching out and asking your regular customers to leave a video testimonial can benefit you significantly. Did you know that 92% of consumers look up a testimonial online before making a purchase? That’s right! And what do people trust more than online reviews? Video testimonials, of course!
Keep in mind that you don’t have to limit yourself to customer testimonials. Why not include your employees too? Asking some of your workers to share their experience with your company on camera might be less challenging than getting customers to do it, so why not try it? Trust us — you’ll see changes quickly!
Behind-the-Scenes Videos
Since we’re living in the 21st century, companies can no longer hide behind their corporate facade — they have to showcase the human element. Customers want to be entertained and love when they can relate to their favorite brands. Even though you’re a small business, you still have to keep that in mind and adapt accordingly.
And what better way to show your brand’s values than by giving your customers an inside look into your business’s work culture? We can’t think of anything! So if you want an easy-to-make but incredibly potent video marketing idea your small business can use, try behind-the-scenes videos!
FAQ Videos
Regardless of your brand’s size, your customers are bound to have plenty of questions. Instead of directing them to your website’s FAQ section, why not make a video that answers their potential inquiries? That’s right — most people prefer watching videos to reading, so creating a video that addresses your users’ questions is an excellent way to improve their experience with your brand. Also, these videos are much more personalized than customer support representatives or a traditional FAQ section. That will allow your business to maintain close relationships with your consumers!
Event Videos
Last but not least, you should use the power of video to capture your brand’s events, conferences, or similar happenings. Whether you’re organizing a company dinner or are holding a panel at a conference or a gathering, you should record it! That way, you can demonstrate your brand’s expertise and show it to the world.
But you don’t have to stop at recording a video; you can take your endeavors to the next level by live streaming your event! That way, you can offer your audience an opportunity to get in on the action by observing it in real time!
Whichever option you choose, you can’t go wrong with event videos. We all know how crucial PR is to any brand, big or small. That is why leveraging event videos is a multifaceted opportunity you mustn’t miss!
How to Use Video Marketing to Promote Your Small Business
Now that we’ve given you some video ideas that can help propel your small business to stardom, let’s wrap up by giving you some useful tips on marketing your business with video. Here are five handy tips for using video marketing to grow your brand:
- Repurpose Your Existing Content Into Videos
- Include a Video on Your Landing Page
- Share Videos on Social Networks to Boost Engagement
- Showcase Your Expertise
- Express Appreciation
Let’s get right into it!
Repurpose Your Existing Content Into Videos
Repurposing content has proven as a killer content marketing strategy. People have different tastes and preferences, and the same goes for their preferred content formats. Some enjoy reading, while others might like an audio recording or a video! With that in mind, you can likely see how repurposing your blog posts or other content into videos can be a potent way of increasing your audience. On top of catering to diverging audience tastes, content repurposing gives you access to various platforms, each with their enormous audiences.
For example, if your business only focused on written content so far, your distribution platforms were likely social networks like Facebook or Twitter. But if you decide to repurpose your blog posts into videos, you will gain access to platforms like YouTube, which is currently the second-most popular website in the world, right after Google!
So don’t neglect the incredible potential of repurposing content! It can make a significant difference in your brand’s success!
Include a Video on Your Landing Page
Another excellent video marketing idea that any small business can easily implement is to embed a video on your brand’s landing page. Your site’s landing page is not only the face of your business but is also likely the most visited page on your site. Whether you will earn your customer’s trust or drive conversions purely depends on your landing page’s quality. But how does having a video help with that? We’re glad you asked!
Did you know that having a video on your landing page can boost your conversions by up to 86%? Also, because consumers love videos, they are more likely to stay on your website if they have an engaging video to entertain them. And the longer they spend on your site, the bigger the odds of them deciding to return or purchase your product.
With all that said, it should be evident that you’d be remiss not to include a video on your landing page. If you’re interested in learning more about this, check our article on how videos on landing pages increase conversions.
Share Videos on Social Networks to Boost Engagement
Not using social media to drive in potential customers is a huge mistake, even with videos! There are many social video platforms out there you can use to promote your content, but even traditional social networks are an effective place to promote your videos. Not using social media in the 21st century to grow your business is like trying to make pizza without dough — it’s insanity!
So syndicate your videos to social platforms like LinkedIn, YouTube, or Facebook, and get your business noticed! Oh, and don’t forget to include a compelling call to action at the end of your content. After all, your goal is to get your viewers to act, isn’t it? Thought so!
Showcase Your Expertise
One of the best uses for videos is to showcase your brand’s expertise! Do you offer a product like no other in the world? Does your team consist of well-known experts with years of experience in the industry? Share that with the world! That can build your brand’s credibility, which will drive more interest from your audience.
Express Appreciation
Last but not least, videos are the perfect medium for you to show your customers that you care for them. Nobody likes brands that are out-of-touch with their consumers or that don’t appreciate them. So sit in front of a camera and send your audience a heartfelt message! They will love and appreciate you for it!
Go Use Video Marketing to Propel Your Small Business to Stardom
As you can see, videos are an incredible tool any small business can easily use in their marketing endeavors! Due to their massive potential for growth, adding videos into your marketing strategy can get your business on its feet in no time. It already has an impressive track record, after all! Many companies can fully attribute their success to videos.
Although we can’t guarantee your small business will go viral by following these video marketing ideas, we do have to say it can happen! However, if you aren’t among the lucky few who’ve made it big overnight thanks to videos, we can assure you that you’ll start seeing results in no time. Marketing is a game of consistency and patience, after all. So don’t give up, and good luck on your journey!
Until next time!