Looking for a way to use video to promote your small business? That’s great, because videos get information out to consumers and they entertain. In fact, YouTube boasts some impressive traffic stats that make the case for using video for your small business:
- Over 800 million unique users visit YouTube every month.
- Over 4 billion hours of video are watched each month on YouTube.
- 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute.
So what kinds of videos could be effective for you? Here are eight ideas for starters.
1. Product Tutorials
Show customers how to use your product, especially if instructions are detailed or complicated. Your customers who are visual learners will thank you. Break the process you’re showing into small steps and upload multiple, short (2 minutes or less) videos.
Create videos that help your customers without putting you out of a job. For example, an alterations shop might share tips for getting gum or grease out of clothing instead of teaching viewers how to hem their own pants.
3. Employee Introductions
Employee introductions help customers connect with your staff, particularly if you do the majority of your business online. It’s a fun morale booster for your employees too, giving them their moment in the spotlight and emphasizing the important role they play in the business’s success.
4. Customer Testimonials
Ask your satisfied customers if they’d be willing to vouch for your company in a video. Consumers know it’s easy to fake a written testimonial, but video testimonials offer more credibility. Ask customers to go on the record and share their story—no scripts.
5. Special Event Recaps
Whether you’re hosting the event, volunteering, or just participating in the festivities, event recap videos are one way you can highlight your small business’s involvement in the larger community.
6. Office Tours
Is your workplace extra special? Or do you have state-of-the-art equipment that will wow prospective clients? A short office tour that highlights how your company can do more for customers could work.
7. Greetings and Thank You Messages
Next year, instead of mailing out holiday greeting cards, try a video. This Bader Rutter holiday video from 2010 is darn fun. Show your clients and vendors your appreciation for another great year with a little extra flair next time.
8. Interviews
Interview your team members or other industry experts on hot topics or current events. They can be serious or lighthearted, depending on your company culture and general purpose.
A few final tips: When you upload videos to a site like YouTube, give them relevant, searchable titles and use tags. Make finding your content a cinch.
Also, don’t forget to embed your videos on your website, in your blog and in marketing emails. You can share them via social media accounts as a way to mix up your content and give fans more than the standard status updates.
How does your small business promote with videos?
Image credit: stocker
