Why You Need Video Now

Video can be a powerful marketing tool for small and very small businesses. Chances are you’re not doing it yet  — most of our clients aren’t either. But it’s time to give it some serious thought.

Interpersonal Value of Video

Video allows your customers to get to know you and your business, and feel comfortable with you. This can make the critical difference for small local businesses, especially those that involve face to face interaction. In your video, you will seem friendly and approachable (assuming you really are those things) and if your competitor doesn’t convey those impressions, you have a significant advantage right off the bat.

Your video can give the impression of honesty and friendliness  — just the kind of person your customer thinks they would enjoy dealing with. If they’re on your website chances are they’re looking for what you do. That’s the situation before they get to your website, when they’re searching for your products or services. But then your website has to convince them that you’re the one they want to spend their money with. Your website has to close the sale, and a video can be a powerful conversion tool.

A video sets you apart from competitors who don’t use video. It also lets you explain what differentiates you from your competition more easily than normal text content. Your videos present a face customers can recognize and trust. That’s the kind of relationship you want with your customers, but more importantly that’s the kind of relationship your customers want with you.

Visibility Value of Video

Forrester Research Group says “video is 53 times more likely than text pages to appear on the first page of a search engine.” Google and Bing in particular seem to be working hard to integrate multiple kinds of content in their results and video gives you another avenue to show up there.

Your video isn’t restricted to your website either. You can post it on YouTube, Vimeo and other places, all of which adds to your exposure and can drive people to your website.

Explore Your Options

We all know that TV commercials are impossibly expensive for many small and very small businesses. But online videos aren’t like that. Prices may range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, and you may save money by scripting three or four videos and shooting them all at the same time.

Some online video marketing companies provide professional scripting, scenery, makeup and direction while others rely on you to write the script and provide the background, and they just come and shoot. The extent of final editing can vary, too. And we’ve seen some effective videos that people recorded themselves with their webcam.

Explore your options, and see what best fits your style and your budget. But do consider using video. It can add a whole new dimension to your marketing.