Small Business Tips
Slick marketing videos were once the preserve of big corporates with swollen marketing budgets and access to top ad agencies.No longer. With technological advancements, creating professional video content is easier than ever for small businesses. The barrier to entry is lower, too, with everyday smartphones capable of shooting HD video that can be edited with relative ease.
Benefits of video marketing for small business in the UK
Today’s SMEs are finding that customers are increasingly looking for online videos on the products or services they’re after. Videos offer the next best thing to being in the store, giving buyers the insight they need to make an informed decision on what to purchase.Small-business promo video is becoming more and more important to online channels. It’s the most eye-catching content on the Internet. Videos no longer buffer and mobile websites are now a joy to use. Video is more accessible than ever – whether you’re sitting at home in front of your PC or stuck on a commuter train.
Multiple platforms
Video is also a hit right across multiple platforms including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and more. Last year, YouTube attracted nearly 1.5 billion viewers and latest figures show a cross-platform reach of 42 million users a month.Video streaming is the future. Video-on-demand has had a huge impact on other platforms. Just look at Amazon. The retail behemoth is now competing with Netflix and other platforms in the TV, movie and live-sports sectors.The move towards video has affected user behaviour. Consumers now interact online not only with each other but also with brands. They expect to see video on social media. If they don’t find it, they’ll move onto a competitor site.And what about ‘live’ video? Live video across Facebook, YouTube and Twitter offer a new raft of benefits. Cisco tells us that live video is set to account for 13 percent of all video traffic in 2018. Consider Twitch. Founded in 2011, Twitch offers an online service for watching and streaming live video broadcasts. Once focused purely on video games, it now offers streams based around talk shows, music and even the odd TV series.Twitch now has over two million unique streamers every month, with over 17,000 making good money through the Twitch Partner Program.
Live video
Big business has already caught on to the benefits of live video. Twitch is owned by Amazon and promoted through Amazon Prime. YouTube shows many live events. And broadcasting live is a hot new trend on social media.The popularity of live video stems from its authenticity. People are much more likely to trust something spontaneous and real than anything heavily edited. Tuning in to live broadcasts can also increase engagement with the brand.If you run an SME, consider what kind of content would work for you, either live or on-demand. While you chew it over, here are our tips for getting video marketing right for small businesses.
Small business video marketing tips
1. Stories work
Forget sell, sell, sell. Engage people with a story. It’s emotions that really sell. Try to weave your product into someone’s lifestyle and show how you solved a problem and saved the day.
2. Grab attention from the get-go
Around 20 percent of video viewers click away in the first ten seconds. That’s how long you have to grab your audience’s attention. Aim to make your video introduction entertaining, inspiring and different. Once your viewer is hooked, they’ll feel invested enough to continue watching.
3. Forget the product
Not entirely, obviously. But what the product does is far more important than what it is. Focus more on the mission than on the actual product or service. It’s the old drill-bits theory: DIYers don’t want quarter-inch drill bits; they want quarter-inch holes.
4. Find an SEO-friendly title
Your video’s title needs to do two things: show up on a Google search (so you need a keyword-friendly title) and appeal to your target audience. Consider what’s in it for your viewer. What problems can you solve for them?While we’re on the subject of SEO (search engine optimisation), get maximum value from your videos with a page description tagged with relevant keywords.
5. Be professional
Budgets can be tight, but one element you should never skimp on is the voiceover. Nothing comes across as amateur more than a script spoken by the MD. Get a professional speaker to read your script. If you really can’t run to that, at least find an employee who’s used to delivering training courses or making speeches.
6. Be interesting
Not much more to be said here. Be inspiring and interesting and people will watch your videos.
7. Don’t forget your URL
It’s vital you take every possible opportunity for shameless self-promotion. So display your URL on-screen in your SME marketing video to maximise exposure and increase traffic to your site.
8. Education, education, education
Wheedle your way into the minds (and wallets) of your audience by giving them useful content, rather than something purely sales-focused. A promotional item that offers useful advice, tips or information is often known as a lead magnet. It’s a great way of hooking in customers using the long game.
9. Consider mobiles
We’re long past the tipping point when mobile Internet access overtook computer access. That means your videos must be smartphone-friendly. Hire a video-production agency to make sure your film comes across well on the small screen.
10. Music is the food of, er, sales
Emotion sells and music evokes many emotions. That means it can be a powerful sales tool in your videos. Make sure you pick the right music for the message you want to convey.
11. Use Social proof
What’s social proof? It’s when your customers line up to tell the world how great your product is. It’s also one of only six proven sales methods recommended by psychology and marketing guru Robert Cialdini, author of Influence: the Psychology of Persuasion. Put your delighted customers in your videos.
