As a small business owner, you have a multitude of responsibilities to handle. It’s likely that the last thing you want to do is incorporate video marketing into your already busy plate, especially if you lack experience in this area and don’t know where to begin. Many small business owners and entrepreneurs are hesitant to engage in video marketing due to the misconception that it is overly complex, time-consuming, or even expensive. You are not alone in these concerns: research shows that 16% of non-video marketers refrain from utilizing video marketing due to time constraints, while another 17% avoid it because of perceived high costs. However, implementing video marketing doesn’t have to drain your time or deplete your budget. This article aims to provide you with some cost-effective and time-saving strategies to promptly commence video marketing for your small business.
Why small businesses should use video marketing
It may seem impossible to make a significant impact with video while working on a limited budget, especially when we are constantly exposed to high-cost videos from brands like Nike.
One of the advantages of video marketing is that small-budget videos can go viral like more established brands. Video can effectively attract new audiences, engage and delight existing customers, and even generate sales, even for a mom-and-pop shop.
Video marketing ideas for small businesses
If you have a small business, you may feel overwhelmed with the various ways you can utilize video. It can be challenging to determine where to begin, especially if you are short on time. However, there is no need to fret! To assist you in saving both time and money, here are five effective types of videos that any small business can rely on.
1. Brand story videos
By thinking step by step, you can rephrase the text below while preserving its meaning: Brand story videos provide individuals with a deeper understanding of your business’s past, objectives, and the unique qualities that distinguish you from your competitors.
Brands that effectively communicate their purpose are deemed more appealing by 64% of consumers. Additionally, 52% of consumers express that they are more inclined to make purchases from brands that uphold a greater cause beyond their products and services, in the event that the brand values align with their personal values. As a result, discussing your personal background and values, particularly through the intimate and immersive medium of video, can potentially foster a sense of connection.
2. Product videos
Product videos are a means of showcasing your products, highlighting their advantages, and demonstrating their functionality. Considering that 96% of individuals have utilized video content to gain further knowledge about a product or service, product videos serve as a remarkable avenue for small businesses to exhibit their products in action and attract attention from prospective customers.
3. Educational videos
By creating educational videos, you can position yourself as someone knowledgeable and experienced in your field. These videos aim to educate your audience about various subjects in your industry or niche, such as providing guides, tutorials, Q&As, or tips and tricks. Instead of directly promoting your products or services, you offer valuable information to your viewers by teaching them something they may not know, usually involving how to accomplish a specific task related to your product offerings. This strategy helps establish trust with your audience and enhances your credibility in your particular industry.
4. Social proof videos
The concept of social proof suggests that the behavior and viewpoints of others have an impact on our actions. For your small business marketing videos, you have the opportunity to utilize the credibility and sway of individuals not directly affiliated with your company to establish social proof and foster a favorable image of your brand. These videos may involve testimonials from customers and reviews of your products, collaborations with brand ambassadors or influencers, or user-generated video content shared by your customers on social media platforms.
5. Behind-the-scenes videos
Behind-the-scenes videos provide your customers with a sneak peek into the individuals or team running your business. These videos can include introductions to your team members, personal anecdotes, or showcases of everyday operations such as product creation and customer interactions. A key benefit of behind-the-scenes videos is their time-efficiency in production.
Four low-cost tips for promoting your small business videos
Once the video production is complete, it is now necessary to shift the attention towards promotion and distribution. These tips will assist in carrying out this process within a limited budget.
1. Share your videos on social media
Seven out of ten individuals are on social media, as stated in a report released by the Pew Research Center.
Hence, Buffer simplifies the process of sharing your videos on several platforms, ultimately making social media the ideal avenue for promoting your video. In addition, our guides provide assistance in establishing and optimizing your presence on YouTube, recognized as the most popular social media platform, and a great platform for video promotion.
2. Use video on your landing page
It is logical to include a video about your business on your landing page in order to boost sales, considering that 84% of individuals have been persuaded to make a purchase after viewing a brand video. As your website is the primary platform where potential customers are likely to make a purchase, having a video can greatly assist in driving sales.
If you are a new small business without a website, you have the option to use our Start Page, which allows you to create a mobile landing page. Additionally, on this page, you have the choice to include a link to a YouTube video that you want your target audience to view.
3. Partner with influencers
When working with influencers, one advantage is that they can assist in expanding your brand’s exposure and reach, while also enhancing your social proof. It is worth noting that 49% of consumers rely on influencer recommendations, and as a result, 40% have made purchases after coming across content on Twitter, YouTube, or Instagram. When it comes to small businesses, collaborating with micro-influencers is often preferred since they typically have a niche target audience or a smaller but highly engaged following compared to larger influencers. Additionally, micro-influencers are usually more cost-effective or open to partnerships in exchange for free products.
4. Use paid social advertising
If you have already noticed that your videos are performing well organically, you can enhance their visibility by utilizing paid social advertising. Facebook ads and Instagram ads are the preferred ad platforms for small businesses, offering the benefit of never exceeding your budgetary limits.
Steps to create a video marketing strategy.
1. Choose your target audience and find out where they spend their time
Given the popularity of video and user-generated video content, it is essential to focus on a particular audience for each video. If you currently lack well-defined buyer personas, it is recommended to begin creating them now. In the case that you already possess a set of buyer personas, it is advisable to update them to incorporate the latest video research.
2. Connect with stakeholders to align on a plan for the video
When creating a video, there are usually many participants involved. How can you ensure that they are all in sync?
To ensure consistency and centralization of responses, create a questionnaire using either Google Forms or SurveyMonkey and distribute it to the project stakeholders. This will enable you to obtain uniform feedback by asking identical questions to all parties and consolidating their responses in a single location.
It is crucial at this point to reach a consensus on a precise set of objectives. Are you aiming to enhance brand recognition through video marketing? Or perhaps you seek to boost event ticket sales? Alternatively, are you looking to launch a new product? What specific action do you desire from your audience following their viewing of the video?
3. Set a timeline and budget for your video
With a step-by-step approach, consider a video as a condensed, faster, and more cost-effective alternative to your beloved film. Despite requiring fewer resources, creating a video can still be a lengthy and costly endeavor. However, effective planning and project management can help you save both time and money.
To ensure timely delivery of your video, it is important to establish a well-defined schedule that outlines each step of the process and allows for occasional delays. It is crucial to acknowledge that even a minor video production requires the involvement of numerous individuals with diverse skill sets. Therefore, it is imperative to anticipate unexpected challenges and modifications in order to meet the agreed-upon deadline.
4. Choose the best platform to distribute your video
Before you begin creating your video, consider the platform on which you plan to share it. YouTube SEO is gaining importance equivalent to website SEO. Reflect on what content users on that platform are seeking, and additionally take into account the following factors:
- Average view time
- Size and sound limitations
- Communities
- Budget
- Promotion
Although videos are frequently utilized for advertising purposes, it is important to note that a video does not promote itself. Certain platforms have inherent means of promotion, whereas on others, you will need to invest time and effort to increase the viewership of your video content. By consulting this compilation of video platforms, you can determine which platform is most suitable for your video campaign.
5. Develop messaging and choose the right types of video for your personas
If you are uncertain about how to begin, utilize these marketing video examples to inspire your video strategy and effectively communicate your message. To ensure that your message resonates with customers at various stages of the buyer journey, align your video messages with the flywheel.
Consider your budget, skills, and resources when considering potential creative obstacles. Is it necessary to hire a designer for producing lower third graphics? Are you planning to develop an animated video or a live-action video?
6. Decide which metrics you want to track and how you will measure success
In order to begin production, you must first establish your video objectives and identify the most suitable metrics to assess your achievement of those objectives.
Using the metrics provided by your chosen platform can be a solution, but it may pose challenges in evaluating the performance of your video strategy in the long term. Additionally, it can hinder the measurement of the efficacy of multichannel video strategies.
Instead of starting with tracking your video marketing, choose several key performance indicators that align with your video goals. If you’re uncertain about where to begin, this list of metrics is a good starting point.
