Video Marketing Is a Small Biz Goldmine

Just about every day, market research data is released confirming the exploding use of online video content by marketers.

In 2017, online video was predicted to account for 74 percent of all internet traffic with 55 percent of people watch videos online every day (Invisia). Video marketing is certainly the hottest marketing tool out there right now and shows no sign of slowing in 2018. 

And video marketing is now more accessible than ever to small businesses, who may not have the budget required for video production in the past. If you have an iphone and access to the internet - you have what it takes. 

But why should you invest time into video? We'll start there.

Benefits of Video Marketing

Videos are great marketing tools for a lot of reasons. Done right, they’re a great vehicle for presenting your content in an innovative and dynamic, engaging format. Videos can help build your brand, facilitate SEO value and link building, promote your company as an industry expert, and increase your online presence.

• Significant SEO value - Forrester Research found that businesses were 53 times more likely to receive an organic first page ranking if they had video on their web site.
• Decreased bounce rates - Statistics prove your website bounce rate will decrease with video clips, as visitors will stay on site longer to watch.
• Increased Clickthrough rates - Video in an email leads to a 200-300% increase in click-through rates, according to HubSpot.
• Great ROI - Although many retail brands have been reluctant to jump on the bandwagon, those that have are raking in the rewards. Online shoe behemoth Zappos generated over $500,000 in annual revenue after adding video to their marketing plan.

LEARN HOW TO PRODUCE EFFECTIVE, LOW BUDGET MARKETING VIDEOS IN HOUSE

Lights, Camera, Action!

You don’t need to possess the talent of Martin Scorsese or the budget of Warner Brothers to create an effective video. While many companies opt to have them professionally produced, some of the most successful videos are ones that were produced in-house, by various staff.

According to a recent MarketingSherpa survey, 58% of marketers spent less than $1,000 per video. All that’s really required is a basic video camera, great content, and some basic guidelines.

Equipment

Your camera doesn’t have to be expensive or very sophisticated. Select one that’s easy to use, that allows for easy download of the video you shoot, and that can capture high resolution, HD video. For clearest audio, use a good microphone plugged in the external mic jack.

Length

All successful videos have one thing in common – brevity. Your videos should be 2 -3 minutes, maximum. This is especially important if you want your audience to share and redistribute it. If you have a complicated subject that you’d like to share, break the video into a series of shorter segments within a series.

Content

No need to over think your concept; just choose a subject that will interest your best customers. Product demos, interviews with staff or industry experts, testimonials from loyal customers and how-to videos can all be engaging subjects. Be sure to include a clear call to action and don’t forget your contact info.

Messaging

Perhaps most importantly, your video should represent your brand and your company vision. Though not everyone is comfortable on-camera, talent should try to be really authentic and not too staged or scripted. Humor is fine, but don’t get too cute. Remember, your ultimate goal is to spotlight your company and its products and services.

Edit

Whether you choose to hire a professional or do it in-house, you’ll want to edit your video to remove mistakes and polish it a bit. Keep it simple and avoid fancy special effects; they can detract from the subject of your video. Add voiceovers and Royalty Free music. (YouTube will remove content that includes music that’s not properly licensed.)

Delivery

Your completed video can be uploaded to a video sharing site, such as YouTube, and embedded on your site. For a more professional look, you may want to choose a professional video hosting service. Such platforms provide all the key functions like uploading, encoding, hosting, player customization, analytics and delivery.

What are you waiting for?

If you haven’t added videos to your marketing plan yet, you may want to tweak your strategy. Marketing online video is one of the most powerful ways to build trust with your audience and can be easily implemented. 

If video marketing seems intimidating to you, or maybe you feel like you don't have the budget or resources to devote to it, watch our on-demand webinar, Low Budget In House Video Production.