If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a moving picture may be worth 10,000 views? While that may be a stretch, the value of online video marketing for small businesses is real – if production and promotion are approached strategically.
One of the biggest difficulties small businesses face in developing an online video presence is the dollars – so many entrepreneurs scratch their head at the cost of video production for online marketing. Yet, beyond these misconceptions exists a video reality – developing an online video marketing strategy can be a cost effective way to increase brand awareness, and maybe even generate leads.
So before you even begin to look into video marketing for small business, check out these quick tips to get you started:
1) What Topics to Cover for Small Business Video Marketing: Often the hardest part in the process is determining a video content strategy, and what topics to focus on. Here are a few popular ideas:
Topics:
- Product Promos
- How-To Videos
- News and Current Events/Roundups
- Humor/Jokes and other Popular Entertainment
- Interview with Industry Insiders
- Interviews with Consumers on the Street
Formats:
- Regular video taken with any consumer-level camera
- Flash animations and other animated graphics
- Photo slideshows with music and narration
2) Equipment is Not Everything, and Videos Don’t Need to be Flawless: It does not take a professional camera rig or studio to produce video for online marketing. In fact, both Windows and Mac have default applications that are capable of creating valuable video content for online marketing.
In terms of the camera, most cell phones have cameras that can capture video – often in high enough quality for web publication. Depending on the topic the video covers, your brand image and the nature of your major demographics, a valuable video can be as simple as an on-the-street interview using a cell phone.
3) If Video has Potential to be a Primary Channel, Than Hire a Production Company or Skilled Employee: Although we noted that video does not have to be perfect – the better the video the more likely it is to be a valuable piece of content. If the prospected reach and possible leads justify a move for more ROI, than finding video marketing companies is your best bet. Reaching out to those with the knowledge, technique and equipment could be a more sound investment.
People like video – it’s that simple. Hosting your own videos on your own website can have a strong impact on page views, shares and visitor engagement. Utilizing video services like Youtube and Vimeo can motivate viewers to share your production, and may also help attract new eyeballs and get your brand name out there.
About The Guest Author: Zach Kremian is a writer for Marketing Weekly.
Woman Holding Video Camera Photo via Shutterstock
What types of video do you find most effective? I’ve used screen capture of power points and videos of me and haven’t done enough of them to see which performs better. What do you find about these types or any other that you might find more effective?
A decent ($100) digital microphone also goes a long way. You may not need to have an HD quality picture but making sure you sound good (or at least not sounding bad) is key.
It’s not enough to make a video. You have to promote it, too. Don’t expect people to just flock to it; your vid is just a drop in the ocean that is YouTube.
Agreed with #2. This is especially true for those who are just starting with their small businesses.
Getting started with the videos right away – using the equipment you have at hand – is far more beneficial than waiting for the time to you have a professional video camera to shoot with. The earlier you start with your videos the better.