Scroll through your newsfeed, visit a company website or even browse product recommendations on Amazon, and you’ll be greeted by the commonly used content form of video.
Videos have become integral to successful marketing strategies with their ability to captivate, tell a story, and lead customers to make purchasing decisions. Videos can be designed with almost any goal in mind, from introducing a customer to your brand to helping them solve everyday problems.
Today, consumers use videos not just for entertainment but for making important decisions. For example, videos are utilized to research services and products, judge the validity of a business, and decide which company to do business with.
Recent data shows that consumers don’t just idly consume videos; they are acutely aware that their decisions are affected by the videos they watch. In a survey of those who had recently watched a product video, 85% of participants stated that they believed the video influenced their decision.
Additionally, beyond simply influencing a buyer’s purchasing decisions, videos help provide brands with an incredible boost in organic traffic. When used correctly, video can increase 157% in organic traffic from search engine results pages (SERPs).
It’s easy to see why videos have a strong influence over customers and why Google favors businesses that produce this content. Videos are engaging. They are easier to consume in our busy daily lives. And they do a better job of tapping into our emotional response to something.
For many small businesses, the idea of producing a marketing video has felt out of reach. These businesses have been hesitant to produce low-quality video, and rightly so. A low-quality video can do more harm than good. However, today, new tools, lowered agency costs, and a better understanding of what moves customers to action are all making it possible for small businesses to tap into the incredible power of video.
This guide will look at the step-by-step process for producing your own quality marketing videos.
Step 1: Choose the Right Type of Video for Your Small Business
There are numerous types of marketing videos that can benefit your small business. Each one serves a unique purpose, and which one is right for you will have a lot to do with your own goals. The following are common types of marketing videos and the benefits each provides for a small local business.
Commercials
Commercials are one of the oldest marketing video forms around. Previously, these videos were used for advertising a service or product via television. Today, commercials still play an essential role in increasing brand awareness. They can also be used to advertise promotions or to target customers during critical seasons. Distribution of a commercial can be done via paid digital ads, such as through YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram.
Testimonials
There is an immense amount of power for small businesses to be found in testimonials. These videos are used to showcase brand ambassadors, helping convert customers that are close to making a purchasing decision. Testimonials can be showcased on your website, promoted via paid digital ads, and used to strengthen your brand image across channels.
Explainer videos
Another popular choice for service-based businesses is explainer videos. These videos aim to present a service, explaining why it will solve a problem for a target audience. They are an excellent pick for brands looking to increase their reach in a local market, and they can be promoted via paid channels to highly targeted audience segments.
How-to videos
A great way to establish your brand as an industry authority and to bring immediate value to your customer base is via a how-to video. These videos allow you to answer a common customer question and can be used to boost organic traffic. Additionally, paid ads can help promote the viewership of these ads to increase customer loyalty.
When choosing between these common video types, it can be helpful to consider your ultimate goal. If you want to increase brand awareness, a commercial might do the trick. If you are hoping to boost your organic rankings, a how-to video that answers a commonly asked customer question might be ideal.
Additionally, if you have the budget, producing one of each type of video can be worthwhile. This can provide you with a robust range of content to reach customers throughout the buying journey.
Step 2: Decide Whether to Produce Your Video In-House or with the Help of an Agency
Once you settle on what video type you want to produce, you’ll need to either do the work in-house or outsource the project to an agency. There are pros and cons to each, and a lot of your decision will come down to budget.
If you opt to keep your project in-house, the benefit will be a lower upfront cost. Additionally, you can continually produce new content without any constraints when you do your own video production. In-house video production is a good pick for companies that have:
- A tech-savvy member of their team
- The money to invest in decent camera equipment (though today, many high-quality phones will do)
- The time for a team member to handle video editing
The downside to keeping your video production in-house is that you’ll risk creating a lower quality product, and you are constrained by the amount of knowledge your team has.
Choosing to outsource your video production will cost you more upfront, and you’ll be required to work around the timeline of the agency you pick. However, the end product will be higher quality, and you’ll be able to tap into the industry expertise of a professional team.
Whichever way you decide to go, make sure that you do not cut corners when it comes to your investment in the production of your video. A low-quality video can tarnish your brand image and detract from your marketing campaign’s success.
Step 3: Produce Your Marketing Video
Once you have decided on how to produce your video, it is time to get to work. In the case of both in-house and outsourced productions, you’ll follow a similar framework for the project steps.
First, you’ll need to gather information before shooting your video. Make sure that you have a clear understanding of the goal of your video. It can be helpful to create a list of metrics you plan to measure after the video is launched. These metrics should be a reflection of the video’s purpose. For example, if you are creating a commercial that advertises your summer special and the goal is to get customers to schedule services, you’ll want to measure video impressions, view time, click-thru rates, and conversions.
Next, you’ll begin the creative process of the video production. During this period, you’ll either work with your in-house team or an agency to brainstorm what the video should look like. Make sure to clearly outline any expectations you have during this process. It can be beneficial to create a list of videos that emulate what you would like to see for your own business. This will help your team or the agency you’re working with envision your video.
Once everyone is on the same page, you can draft a script for the video, and the production can begin. If you are working with outside talent, you’ll need to schedule the video shoot ahead of time. If you plan to handle everything in-house, make sure you block ample time off of everyone’s schedule to shoot the video.
Finally, after the video has been recorded, it will be time to edit and add any post-production effects. This is when you can add in your company logo, clean up any audio issues, and ensure that the entire video is polished.
Step 4: Use Your Video Strategically
Once you have your video in hand, it’s time to put all your hard work to good use. Distribute your video across all channels.
For low-hanging fruit, begin by uploading your newly created video to your company’s YouTube channel, social media pages, and website. The more places you can use to share your video, the better.
From here, look for ways you can pay to distribute the video to your target audience. Remember, the goal you outlined for your video should play a big role in where you spend your money.
For example, suppose you created a testimonial video to convert customers who are close to the purchasing stage of the buyer’s journey. You’ll want to target people who have already viewed your website, spent time researching your business, and meet key demographic requirements to be considered part of your target audience segment.
Additionally, make sure to encourage employees, family, and friends to share your video. If you’re lucky, your loyal customers will also reshare videos that they find particularly valuable. This is where how-to and explainer videos can really take off.
Step 5: Analyze, Adapt, and Repurpose Your Videos
Creating a quality marketing video takes a fair amount of time and money. For this reason, it is important to measure the results of your video to ensure that you are seeing a quality return on your investment.
The metrics you measure will have a lot to do with the type of video you created and the goal of the video, but be sure to pull reporting across channels that measure engagement with the video, including video shares. See how many click-throughs your calls to action received, and determine any sign-ups or scheduled services that resulted from your video. Other metrics to measure include the total length of time the video was watched and an uptick in brand awareness that you can attribute to the video.
After you have looked over the numbers, take note of where your video did well and where it saw poor engagement. In some cases, your audience might respond better to videos on certain channels and ignore them on others. This information should help inform your strategy going forward, allowing you to change how you spend your money promoting the video.
Finally, look for ways you can repurpose your video. In today’s world, consumers are constantly greeted with a steady stream of new content. This means that a video will grow stale quickly. Be creative in how you might reuse the content in new ways, giving new life to existing video.
Talk to J&L About Using Videos to Market Your Small Business
Video is a powerful tool when it is used strategically. It can help tell a compelling story about why your business is the best choice. It can build trust with your brand. And you can use it to promote new services, specials, and seasonal deals.
If you are interested in learning more about using video to market your small business, our team is here to help. We will be happy to work with you to build a strategy around video marketing for your company, looking for the best ways to make the most of this marketing tactic. Reach out today for a consultation with our team, and we’ll get to work making your small business stand out from the local competition.
