Content Marketing

Lights, Camera, Engagement: Boosting Your Small Business Reach with Video

How to Make Your Small Business Stand Out in a Crowded Market
Justin Knepper

The Power of Video: How to Make Your Small Business Stand Out in a Crowded Market

Are you feeling stumped on how to elevate your small business marketing strategy? Well, have no fear because video is here! Yes, we are currently living in the video marketing era, where endless reels, stories, and other video content are at our fingertips. It's not just the millennials and Gen Zs that are captivated by the power and potential of video, it's everyone! 

So, if you haven't already jumped on the video bandwagon, now is the time to do so. And, to help you out, we've got some killer video ideas for your business that you can start implementing right away!

Brand Storytelling: Showcasing the Uniqueness of Your Business

Let's start with an introduction to your business. Create a video that tells your brand's story and showcases what sets you apart from your competitors. This is your chance to humanize your brand and establish a connection with your customers. Share your passion and excitement for what you do, because let's be real, enthusiasm is contagious!

Customer Testimonial Videos: The Dynamic Way of Expressing Value

If you're looking to build trust in the marketplace, customer testimonial videos are the way to go. Instead of a simple text review, turn that testimonial into a video! Ask your clients to film a short video explaining why they love your product/service and how they use it. This dynamic way of expressing value in your offering allows potential users to imagine themselves using your product to solve their problems.

Educational Videos: Providing Value and Building Trust

Educating your customers is always a good idea. Create tutorials or how-to videos, show different ways to use your product, or provide unconventional tips to make the most out of your product. Remember, make sure your videos have appropriate audio/music to set the pace and tone of your video, and don't forget the subtitles for those who prefer to watch videos without sound.

Employee Spotlights: Introducing the Faces Behind the Brand

Shine that light behind the camera with employee spotlights! Give a face (or faces) to your brand and create personability by inviting your audience to meet your employees. Meet-the-team videos can show how your company works together to ensure great quality and an optimal client experience. And, if you want to get interactive, think about going live on social media for a Q&A segment!

Behind-the-Scenes Footage: Highlighting Your Business's Personality

Are you curious about what's behind the curtain of your brand? Then show your viewers behind-the-scenes footage. Share anecdotes while performing basic functions during your day. These day-to-day activities highlight your business as being down-to-earth and entrepreneurial, aspects that many viewers can relate to. Remember, always get permission first before filming any interactions with customers, and don't show any sensitive information.

Influencer Marketing: A Cost-Effective Way to Expand Your Reach

Don't underestimate the power of influencer marketing. Offering a free product to an influencer can be a cost-effective way to expand your reach and promote your brand name. Influencers provide social proof of your product and an affirmation to viewers to trust your brand as well.

Content Repurposing: From Listicles to Vlogs

Reuse, reduce, and recycle with content repurposing. Reuse user-generated content, reduce the amount of content creation you have to do by not having to reinvent the wheel, and recycle existing listicles, infographics, and blogs by converting them to video. Transforming your blog into a vlog is an easy way of revitalizing these assets. Keep your videos around two minutes long or shorter, which usually shows better engagement results. Consider breaking up your vlog into short highlights and create a series of mini-videos 15-30 seconds in length.

The Next Steps for Your Video Marketing Strategy

Now that you have all these video ideas, what are the next steps? Figure out your goals and draft out a few video ideas that will provide value for your followers and potential customers. Remember, your smartphone is a powerful recording device, so there's no need to invest in expensive video cameras. Instagram, for example, offers editing tools where you can upload, edit, post, and download your video creations. Share your videos online, including your website and landing page, and don't forget to share on social media. Video is an easy way to reach a larger audience with minimal effort, and we hope these tips will set you and your business on your way to marketing success!

So, don't be shy! Get creative and start making those videos. But, before you hit record, keep in mind that there's more to video marketing than just the production itself. You also need to consider distribution and engagement. 

To maximize the reach of your video, you need to promote it on the right channels and at the right time. A well-placed video can be a powerful tool for generating buzz and driving traffic to your website or social media pages.

For example, if you're targeting a younger demographic, platforms like YouTube and TikTok might be more effective than traditional media outlets such as TV or print.  If you're targeting a more mature audience, social media sites like Facebook and Instagram could be great channels for reaching potential customers.

When selecting the best time to post content, try to stick with when your target audience is most likely to be active. For example, if you're targeting people in the United States, consider posting during evening hours or on weekends when people are more likely to be online. Additionally, look for industry-specific peak times that may be different from the general population's browsing habits.

And, when it comes to engagement, there are a few things to keep in mind. 

  • Firstly, keep it short and sweet. Attention spans are shorter than ever, so aim to keep your videos around two minutes or less. 
  • Secondly, make sure your content is valuable and engaging. People are more likely to share and comment on videos that offer something of value, whether it's educational, entertaining, or inspiring. 
  • Finally, don't be afraid to experiment and try new things. Video marketing is a dynamic field, so keep testing and tweaking until you find what works best for you.

Incorporating video into your small business marketing strategy is a no-brainer. With the boom of video marketing, there's no better time to take advantage of the power and potential of video. From introductions to employee spotlights to behind-the-scenes footage, the possibilities for video content are limitless. So, get out there, get creative, and start making those videos!

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Justin Knepper