In today’s world, video content is the leading marketing tool that is changing the future of many organizations. You probably have found yourself prioritizing video content over a blog post to understand a specific topic. No matter how detailed a blog post is, most people’s first preference is video content. This is what has made smart marketers shift towards video marketing. Small Business Video Marketing.
Thanks to social media platforms, you can now expect the unexpected and become the most creative version of yourself. So, if you are a small business owner who wants overall growth as soon as possible, video marketing is your best friend.
Video marketing may seem overwhelming to those still new to this concept. On the other hand, some people find video marketing too much and think it is too expensive, complicated, and doesn’t contribute to success in the business. Consider this article as your complete guide to getting started with video marketing, and wonder why you didn’t begin earlier.
Video Marketing: What is it? Why is it Important for Small Businesses?
Video marketing uses video content with a strategy for businesses to get better reach, engagement, and more customers. Since videos grab people’s attention faster, marketers use video content to spread awareness over social media. Video marketing is becoming more popular among marketers each passing day because they can create relatable and versatile videos to connect and educate the audience about their businesses on a deeper level.
As previously stated, one of the many reasons why small businesses hesitate to start is because they think video marketing is too expensive and they don’t have the budget for it. The truth is, video marketing shouldn’t cost you a fortune. If you have fresh content ideas, a smartphone with a good camera, and a decent amount of creativity, you already have more than enough things to begin making videos for your small business.
Even brands like Nike have gotten into video marketing to take things to the next level. You must be wondering why this bizarre comparison is taking place. The best thing about video marketing on social media is that nobody can determine the future of video content. A video from a small business has just as much potential as a video from a big name brand to go viral on the internet. That’s where the importance of video marketing for small businesses lies. If you want more people to be aware of your small business, you have to get out of your comfort zone before it’s too late.
Step By Step Guide to Getting Started with Small Business Video Marketing
Let’s get right into this step-by-step guide on how you can create a small business video within your budget.
Step 1: Set Your Goal
Before starting to record videos for your small business, the first thing you need to do is set clear and realistic goals. Some people often set goals that are nearly impossible for them to reach at that early stage, and such high expectations make them give up early.
To avoid such overwhelming situations, start by asking yourself two simple questions: What is the purpose of the video you’re about to make? What do you want to achieve from this video?
Keep your expectations low when you are just starting out, and keep your goals realistic. Focus on one or two aspects at a time to avoid getting overwhelmed.
For example, if your small business doesn’t have enough followers on its social media handles, your goal should be to increase brand awareness. Once you are satisfied with your reach, it’s time to focus on driving sales. By setting a clear goal, you will make smarter decisions about what kind of videos to create.
Step 2: Come up with Ideas
Now it’s time to start thinking about how you are going to make small business videos. As a novice in this field, it’s best to start taking inspiration from your competitors and bigger brands until you get an idea about what works best for your brand. Watch their videos carefully and take notes about their areas of strength as well as weaknesses.
Ensure that you know how to improve the areas where they lag. You can also put up stories and posts to ask for your audience’s suggestions. This will not only make your audience feel valued but will also help you deliver the kind of content they expect from your small business.
Step 3: Prepare a Script
As mentioned earlier, you don’t need tons of money to make your small business videos a success. The script of your video is much more important. One may have all the fancy equipment and lots of money to spend, but it will all go in vain if they don’t have a well-written script. So, prepare a script that engages the audience till the last second of the video.
Make sure to tell a story and be as relatable as possible while promoting your small business simultaneously. Making relatable video content will increase the rate of social shares and help audiences build a personal connection with your business.
Step 4: Collect Your Tools
To begin filming, you will need to gather all the tools required to produce your small business video. Perish the thought that you need fancy, expensive camera equipment to produce quality content because that’s the biggest myth that keeps many business owners from creating video content. If you have a proper plan and a well-written script, you can make great videos using just your smartphone. Further, you can invest in a tripod to avoid shaky footage.
Step 5: Select Your Location
The location plays a pretty big role in videos as it is one of the things that determine how the quality of the video will be. The best idea is to shoot in direct sunlight. If you are shooting indoors, try to get most of the work done by the afternoon. After that, you can always use photographic lighting to film the best quality footage.
Step 6: Start Recording
It’s unnecessary to have top-notch videography skills to make a small business video. However, you can always watch video-making tutorials on YouTube beforehand to live up to your expectations.
As a beginner in this field, your focus should be on bringing the authentic self of your small business. Having sky-high expectations and striving for perfection will only make things worse. With time and experience, you too will be able to make the video content of your dreams.
Conclusion
Gone are the days when small businesses suffered for not having enough capital to promote themselves. Thanks to the rise of social media, business owners no longer need to worry about money and productions to promote themselves through videos.
Smartphones have made filming videos easier, and online editing tools have made the editing process smoother than ever. You are just one decision away from an entirely changed future of your small business.