Attracting customers and growing sales is a constant challenge small business owners face. In addition, deciding on an advertising budget and determining how to spend it imposes another difficult task. Fortunately, advertising options have expanded over the last few years. The newer online platform has made advertising more affordable for promoting a small business than traditional media. If you are looking to create a vibrant advertising campaign that gives your business the attention it deserves, then look to video marketing. In fact, 71% of marketers agree that video consistently outperforms any other marketing content. Video marketing benefits even the smallest business, and it can give you the conversion you need.
Related: 5 Reasons Why Small Businesses Need a Solid Visual Brand Identity
Video Production Can Be Affordable
Video may seem like a costly expense that is out of reach for many small businesses, however it can be an inexpensive and effective marketing tool. You may enlist the help of a professional video production company if your marketing budget allows it. However, if your budget is tight, then take matters into your own hands. With smartphones now featuring HD quality cameras, you can film a video yourself. There are also many simple online and offline video editing software you can utilize to create an effective video for less than $50. Keep in mind that quality and aesthetics play a key role is shaping impressions. A study showed that 62% of consumers are likely to form negative perceptions of a business if the video is poorly made. Think about what makes your business unique and highlight those qualities. A successful video can become your best customer acquisition and marketing tool. Here are the advantages of video marketing for your small business:
1. Tells Your Story
Video gives you the opportunity to interact with your customers by telling them your story. This allows them to become familiar with your business and the unique value it offers. This is particularly important for small businesses because video has the potential to increase awareness and communicate the differentiating factors that set your brand apart from competitors. A study showed that 40% of customers admitted that video influences their buying decisions. So tell your story through video, showcase what makes your business stand out, and you will get people excited about it. Studies show that stories are 22x more memorable than facts alone. Videos can also create positive emotions, which heavily affect your customers' buying decisions.
2. Encourages Engagement
People are more likely to watch a video than read plain text. In fact, videos received 3x more clicks than articles without video. Customers are also 10x more likely to engage video content (embedding, sharing, or commenting) than text-only blogs or social media posts. When adding a video component to email marketing, click-through rates were shown to double or triple. How can video encourage engagement so much? As you may have heard before, humans are visual creatures. Of all the information processed by the human brain, 90% is visual. Visuals are also processed 60,000x faster than text. This may explain why customers engage a video more than any other content.
3. Promotes Website Traffic
Your website features a wealth of information about your business and products or services. Therefore, it is imperative to bring people to it. Video has the power to boost your website traffic. Websites featuring video experienced a 157% increase in organic traffic from search engines. In addition, video is 53x more likely to appear on the first page of a search engine results page than plain text. So expect video marketing to push traffic to your site and improve visibility on a search results page.
4. Advocates Conversion
Video has an undeniable power to increase conversion on your website. A study found that when video is placed on a landing page, it can increase conversion by 80% or more. The same study found that 4x as many consumers would prefer to watch a video about a product than read about it. It’s no surprise why video is so effective at increasing conversion. In fact, websites with video observed a higher conversion rate (4.8%) versus those without (2.9%). Moreover, businesses who utilized video grew revenue 49% faster year over year than organizations not using video. These facts are clear evidence of video marketing’s effectiveness at increasing conversion.
5. Boosts Credibility
Video marketing is an excellent method to boost your business’s credibility in three ways:
First, it can educate your customers about your business, products or services, and what sets it apart from others. Educational content demonstrates your commitment to your brand and advocates integrity. Create a video that highlights your unique value and you will generate genuine interest. A total of 74% of millennials report finding video helpful when comparison shopping.
Second, video marketing can help position your business as an expert. Publish videos that instead of focusing on education for your business, feature ideas or services that complement it. For example, if you are a bakery, then you can create a video highlighting baking tips or show how to do something. Consequently, “how to” videos are up 70% year over year. This type of content will position your business as an expert in the mind of your viewers.
Third, use video to show customer reviews. People trust consumer reviews over any other form of marketing or advertising. Genuine customer interviews or testimonials provide an interesting and convincing perspective into your business. This will influence the buying decisions of potential customers and instill credibility.
Final Thoughts
Adding video to your marketing strategy is an excellent way to boost awareness and increase conversion. Keep in mind that the goal is not necessarily to go viral. Whether you have a professionally produced video or a simple video you made yourself, it has the power to spark interest in your business. Create video that educates customers, builds trust in your brand, and promotes conversion. If you currently do not use video content to generate traffic and new customers, then it is time you consider adding it to your marketing strategy.
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