"We're operating in a world where one good video can lead to a massive social following." -Mike Henry-
A video is worth a hundred of thousands of words. Imagine if a picture can convey a profound message and capture the viewer's attention for just a second; what then would a video do? Especially in this 21st century, people consume graphical content rather than written text.
About buying a product or getting valuable information about a brand, surveys show that people consume content made as video more than any other means because video has a direct link to the brain, and it arouses emotions that urge the viewer to make quick decisions. This is one of the primary reasons businesses rely heavily on video to market their products and brand. As a business owner, you are familiar with "marketing ."Marketing is crucial for business growth, and the means of marketing you adopt for your business go a long way in creating whatever image people see and conjure whenever they hear about your business. This article aims to equip you with the necessary information about video marketing and provide you with video marketing ideas for small businesses like yours. Here is everything you need to know to create an impressive and unforgettable image of your business using what 80% of the world population enjoys: video.
WHAT DOES VIDEO MARKETING ENTAIL?
Only the minority, roughly 20%, do not watch videos out of the world. This may be due to psychological or mental issues. There's hardly anyone who doesn't enjoy watching a video, whether on YouTube, Facebook, or other platforms. Video speaks volumes; imagination or fantasy is brought to life on a stage, and people get to catch a glimpse of that fantasy through video. Have you ever wondered why your interest is piqued anytime someone sends you a video clip on WhatsApp? Most times, your curiosity gets the best of you, and before you consider the effect on your internet subscription, you're already laughing at the comedy video you just received.
Just as a comedy skit would catch and hold your interest until the very end, that's how a video advertising for small businesses would also hold the interest of your viewers. Videos for advertising's sake are believed to have a similar effect other kinds of videos have on the viewer, which is why many small businesses adopt it over the old written content marketing. The power of video is extreme and unconsciously stimulating; it hooks you, arouses your curiosity, and pin you down until you have satisfied your thirst and your curiosity is in check.
Videos, especially creative ones, trend faster on social media platforms than any other format. When a video receives wide publicity, the creator feels achieved and on top of the world because hey! It's not easy for a video to go viral on social media, especially when so much graphical content is flying around. So, Imagine if the video going viral on Twitter, Facebook, or WhatsApp is a video that tells people about your business; think of how much publicity your business will attract.
Attracting the attention of the multitude to your business, managing and marketing your brand, products, and services is very challenging for most small business owners, and that's why they are constantly seeking the best and fastest way to reach out to the multitude and get them to choose their brand over others. Video marketing is the best and fastest means of getting your desired attention. The idea of video marketing for small businesses was born out of the need to help small businesses grow and attract potential customers.
Taking a quick chip from the name, video marketing is advertising and selling through videos; it is a powerful means of communicating to your audience and potential customers by graphically presenting your brand and products and giving the audience helpful information about the service you render. Unlike every other video you enjoy watching, talking about Hollywood and Bollywood, which entertain and keep you busy, a video meant for marketing gives your viewers a detailed imagery description of your business brand and products available to promote and inform the targeted population about your services.
Most people think video marketing for small businesses is expensive and demanding, but truth be told, it is not. All that is needed is a little creativity, proper planning, in-depth research, and an adequate workable budget. You might end up spending less than you budgeted.
IMPORTANCE OF VIDEO MARKETING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
The benefits video marketing offers to businesses can not be overlooked. In this digital age, where people are usually engaged, nobody has the luxury of time to read through the lengthy text brochure stating what the business is about. With the little time they can spare, people prefer short creative, and informative videos which will hold their interest for a few minutes. The best practices for video marketing have a lot of benefits to offer its users, and if you aren't using it to pass the message about your business across, you are missing out. Some of the importance of video marketing are:
•It is the most effective, popular, and highly recommended 21st-century means of communication and a powerful marketing tool.
•It captures and holds viewers' attention, entertains, and allows your potential customer to have a clear virtual description of your brand and products.
•Video marketing increases the understanding level of your viewers about your services and dynamically engages them.
•It helps your customers decide what to buy; getting a video description of a product will clear any doubt they might have about the products at first.
•Showing your product through video will allow potential buyers to see the quality of your goods and trust your judgment. There are various video marketing ideas you can implement to achieve this concept.
•It spreads faster, gains popularity, and stays longer on social media platforms. People can always refer back to the videos anytime.
There are several other benefits of video marketing for businesses aside from those mentioned above.
HOW TO CREATE AN INTERESTING VIDEO MARKETING STRATEGY
Many of the creative videos you watch and enjoy online are created and directed after rigorous hours of researching, planning, and appropriate execution of plans. Creating a video is not as easy as it sounds, even when you have everything you need in place. A video for marketing purposes is more demanding; it takes step-by-step analysis and preparation. Before making a video, there are certain things you need to consider, like your budget, the kind of video you want to create, the length of time duration (keep this in the back of your mind that a lengthy business video will bore your audience rather than communicate to them). It would be best if you also prepared adequately before setting the camera rolling. If you need more information, you can always research video marketing ideas for small businesses; this will provide videos on how to go about yours. Here are things to consider
Your video goal: what message do you want your audience to get when watching your business video? What action do you want them to take? The first and most significant step before creating a video is knowing whom you want to talk to; is it your old-time customers? Or are you looking to get new potential customers? If so, your video should create awareness about your business, products, and services.
Your Target Audience: Think about your target audience before setting up the stage for video production. Who are you making the video for? This is a significant step that will ensure the success or failure of your plan. Who is your audience? The young or old? Rich or middle class? Adults or children?
If your target audience is people aged 18-28, and you ended up making videos that engage ages 45-60, you know your plans have been negatively affected. Draft out plans that involve the gender and age you want to address with your video, and check out the platform where you can reach them. One of the most helpful video marketing tips for small businesses is knowing your audience.
Your story: Everyone has a story to tell. What's yours? One of the many reasons people have taken to social media platforms is that they want to disclose or share their stories. Successful people want to tell the story of their success journey. A dermatologist wants to tell the story of how to look good like she does, so what story does your business video want to tell the audience? Your story must be engaging, inspiring enough, and solve a problem that people face.
Think about the novels you've read and how it takes you on a journey through time and events. Your video should be; it must take the viewers on a journey of how a product was created to solve a significant need and how your business intends to bridge the gap between needs and wants. Ensure that you tell your story well and leave your viewers emotionally and financially captured.
Be creative: if it's not creative and unique enough, it's not worth a second look. When creating a business video, you must be creative, don't copy others' work, and be different. Look out for video marketing ideas that can guide you easily.
Have a realistic budget: don't go overboard with your expectations; it's okay to daydream but remember reality checks. Have a budget and work with the budget. Make inquiries from people who have ideas about video production, scriptwriting, and everything you need, attach reasonable prices to them, and work according to what you have at your disposal.
THE KIND OF VIDEO YOU SHOULD CREATE
When it comes to creating a video for marketing your small business, do you just create any comic or tragedy video? No! You don't just put together acts and upload them online just like that. You must know the kind of video you want to create, and you can get more information by researching video content for small businesses and the kind of people acting out the content. So, what type of video should you create? You'll get the answer by learning about the types of video marketing available, and you get to pick the one suitable for your business and plan.
Types Of Video
There are several types of videos, and this page won't be enough to talk about them. This section is limited to the top and popular marketing videos.
Commercial videos
Catchy, short, precise, and straight to the point are characteristics of a commercial video. Such videos are meant to seek new customers by showing off the business brand, its products, and services in a fascinating, entertaining, and memorable way. Some of the best practices for video marketing include using funny gestures, graphics, and words to drive home their points.
Product video
It's a video that gives a detailed virtual description of certain products. The video answers questions about the product, such as the problem it solves, its genuineness, effectiveness, the product at work, and why people should buy it. This video is often used when a new product has been released.
Explainer video
This video explains to your audience what your business is about and the services you provide. It introduces your brand, brings it to the limelight, and informs people of the problems your business can solve.
The kind of message you want to pass across will determine the type of video you create. Do you want to sell a product, engage the audience, introduce your brand or advertise your company? The kind of video you create matters. If you still have no idea what type of video you want, you can request the service of the best video maker for marketing; with his experience, you can quickly get what you want.
STAGES OF VIDEO MARKETING CREATION
There are three stages of creating marketing videos. They are;
Pre-Production
Now that you know what video marketing means, the benefits, and the kind of video you can create, it's time to get started. The first stage of developing your video is the pre-production stage; this is where you draft out the short video marketing ideas, bring together the production team, pick dates and times for shooting, locations, shooting equipment, and put the finishing touches on your story, character, plot, style, and duration of the video.
Production
Yay! It's time to put the acts together. Set up the stage, check the lighting, the audio/visual quality, the physical appearance of the characters, and start in the count of one, two, three, action!
Post-production
The production is done, and that's the most challenging part. All you need to do now is check the audio/visual effects, sound quality, and graphics. Check your work and grade yourself.
FAQS
How do I distribute my video?
Use the right social media channel that is effective such as the company's media pages, website, blog, YouTube, and run paid ads so your company can benefit from video marketing for small businesses.
Can I send the video through email?
Yes! You can.
Can I create more than one video?
You can, but it is advisable to pick the best kind of video that addresses your need and create one.
I just started my small business; how do I get started on video marketing?
You can always research more after reading this article. You can search for video marketing ideas for small businesses. This will guide you.