Small Business and Video Marketing: What You Need to Know

With streaming media on TVs, phones, and billboards, video has never been a more powerful tool to enhance your business’ online presence. Consider small businesses — video marketing provides an opportunity to compete with larger companies and reach a wider audience. 

Read on to learn about the benefits of video marketing for business and practical steps to get you started on the path of video marketing.

The Power of Small Business Video Marketing

Video marketing is a dynamic approach, incorporating engaging video content into your marketing campaigns. Small business video marketing is an effective strategy for the following reasons:

• Rapid information processing: People process visual information 60,000 times faster than text, helping videos efficiently relay your message. 
• Emotional connection: Videos can create an emotional connection with your audience. They allow you to tell your brand’s story and evoke emotions that can influence buying decisions.
• Increased conversion rates: Using videos on landing pages can increase conversion rates, and many consumers purchase after watching branded social videos.
• Improved SEO: Google loves videos, and it’s become the fastest growing way to consume content. Websites with video content have a higher chance of appearing on the first page of Google search results.

Effective Small Business Video Marketing Strategies 

To harness the power of video marketing and commercial video, it’s crucial to implement effective strategies. Here are some strategies and modalities to consider practicing in your small business:

Understand Your Audience

Before you start creating videos, you need to understand who your target audience is. Demographics and research are especially important for small business video marketing, as it may be a niche market. Further, this also includes the preferences, pain points, and where your ideal client spends their time online.

Set Clear Goals

Your small business video marketing efforts should align with your business goals. Whether it’s to increase brand awareness, drive sales, or educate customers, having clear goals will guide your video creation and distribution process. Determine what a good “number” looks like — is it 1000 views in 10 videos or 10,000 views in 20 videos, then aim for that target.  You may want to check out an article we wrote looking at the next wave of video marketing.

Create Compelling Content

Content is king in video marketing. Whether it’s a product demo, video commercial, customer testimonial, or a behind-the-scenes look at your business, ensure your content is engaging and provides value to your audience. An authentic brand voice is the icing on the cake for compelling content.

Below is an example of Awakened Films’ small business video marketing for New Jersey companies:

Optimize for SEO

To increase your video’s visibility, it’s important to optimize it for search engines. When posting a video, aspects such as the meta description, transcript, and even video title are all important.  Additionally, Google is now requiring that video is “the main content of the page” in order to be indexed and shown in search results.  That means, the video content should be above the fold, fully within the viewport of the page and the landing page should be built around the video’s theme. 

Don’t forget, YouTube is a back door to Google’s first page. So, even if your website gets very little attention from Google, having robust content on YouTube, Vimeo, and other video-sharing platforms will increase the odds of your brand organically appearing on the first page results.

Promote Your Videos

Promoting your videos will help you reach a wider audience. You can share your videos on your website, social media platforms, email newsletters, and even paid advertising. Cut longer-length videos into bite-size snips or create teaser videos for social media posts that can lead the viewer back to your site or the full video. 

In the olden days, video content was only seen on TV, in closed-circuit applications, or through the distribution of a physical tape/disc. Nowadays, we have access to hundreds of opportunities (most of which are free) to share video content through out the internet. Take advantage of this. Customers are lurking everywhere, from TikTok to LinkedIn to industry-specific web publications.  Publish and promote your video content EVERYWHERE!

Types of Small Business Marketing Videos

There are various videos you can create for your small business. Here are some ideas:

• Explainer videos. Explainer videos are great for demonstrating how your product or service works. They can simplify complex concepts and show your audience the benefits of your offerings.
• Testimonial videos. Testimonial videos showcase your happy customers and their positive experiences with your business. They build trust and credibility, influencing potential customers to choose your business.
• Tutorial videos. Tutorial videos or how-to videos provide value to your audience by teaching them something new. They position your business as an expert in your field, enhancing your credibility.
• Behind-the-scenes videos. Behind-the-scenes videos provide a glimpse into your business operations. They humanize your brand and build a deeper connection with your audience.

Making the Most of Small Business Video Marketing

With the right strategies, video marketing can be a game-changer for your small business. Once again, start by understanding your audience and setting clear goals. Next, create compelling content that provides value to your audience. Then, optimize your videos for SEO and promote them where your audience spends their time online.

Remember, video marketing for small businesses doesn’t have to be daunting or expensive. It is an effective strategy for small businesses to increase their online presence, connect with their audience, and drive sales. While it may seem complicated at first, with the right approach, any small business can harness the power of video marketing.

Your audience is waiting for that next scroll-stopping moment, and together, we can create it. Shoot Awakened Films a message, and let’s make some digital waves together.