If your small business isn’t using video yet, it’s time.
By Megan Totka
Video is the perfect way to connect with customers and prospects — 70 percent of marketers say they get the best results using video content.
Don’t let yourself feel overwhelmed by the task of creating video content – not generating video content is one of many mistakes small businesses make while trying to grow. There are a lot of ways to succeed in the world of video at every marketer’s budget and it doesn’t have to be difficult. Take a look at these three things you need to know as you dive headfirst into the world of video content.
Feature Real People
If you want to evoke an emotional response from your audience, show humans in your videos – this is one of many hacks to build strong customer relationships and boost retention. If you can capture your audience’s hearts and minds, it’s likely you’ll truly engage them and earn their business.
Emotionally connecting with your audience is how you drive them to act – whether that is encouraging them to try your service or buy your products.
Have a Story Line
Every video you create should have a story line – that means you need to do more than just tell your story. You need to show it, too, and focus on producing something that resonates.
A story line is what will capture your audience’s attention and keep them engaged. This is vital – if your video is on YouTube, it’s ranked based on the average watch time. Your story line needs to hold your viewers’ attention for as much time as possible.
Software expert turned sportsman Neil Blumenfield says he succeeds when he has a game plan first, then executes. Before you create your video, focus on its message. Plan what you want to do pre-production with your team. Figure out what dialogue and shots you need to make it how you want it. Take time to come up with ideas so you are ready before the cameras start rolling.
Utilize Social Media
Social media is another key contributor to the success of your video content. Start by promoting your film via your social networks. Consider sharing a picture from the production process to catch your audience’s attention and remind them to keep their eyes peeled for its release. Prior to sharing the video live, post a brief clip to social media to grasp attention.
After the content is out there for the world to see, go to social media and interact with your audience. Know your fans – communicate with them and always remember what your brand is all about. Remember to make sure your video plays well on mobile phones, too.
As brands worldwide realize the importance of using video for business, the shift has refocuses on how to truly engage customers with visual content. Don’t worry about how long the content is, but instead, about what you do during the time you have your customer’s attention.
How do you use video content to engage customers?
Megan Totka is the Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com. ChamberofCommerce.com helps small businesses grow their business on the web and facilitates connectivity between local businesses and more than 7,000 Chambers of Commerce worldwide. She specializes on the topic of small business tips and resources and business news. Megan has several years of experience on the topics of small business marketing, copywriting, SEO, online conversions and social media. Megan spends much of her time establishing new relationships for ChamberofCommerce.com, publishing weekly newsletters educating small business on the importance of web presence, and contributing to a number of publications on the web. Megan can be reached at megan@chamberofcommerce.com.
