We get it – the digital space today can sometimes feel overwhelming. With so many different channels to direct your attention to, marketing your business using video may seem like more of a ‘nice to have’ rather than an essential component. However there are some important reasons to not overlook this medium.

Let’s just take a glance at some figures from this article,“Why Video Marketing is the New Darling of the Marketing World”:

  • Video will account for 74% of internet traffic in 2017
  • Putting “Video” in the subject line of email blasts you send out can:
    • Increase open rate by 19%
    • Increase click-through-rate by 65%
    • Reduce unsubscribes by 26%
  • Twitter posts with videos or photos get the most re-tweets

So there’s some real upside to exploring ways to use video, and many ways to do it effectively.

Some Best Practices to Consider

Keep things short and sweet – people have increasingly short attention spans, and the most engaging videos are 30 seconds or less.

Publish on multiple platforms – In addition to your own website, think: Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat.

Have a goal in mind – what do you want people to gain or do after watching? You could simply want to build brand or business recognition, but you may also want to highlight an offer or promotion that will drive people to your business.

Be Genuine and Casual – People want to develop a relationship with your brand, so keep it friendly and conversational.

SEO Your Video – If you’re posting on YouTube, you’ll want to ensure you’ve optimized your video to what people are searching for. Read our helpful post: “Video SEO or How to Get Your Business Found on YouTube”

Ways to Promote Your Business

Like with any form of marketing, you’ll have to think about your business, the industry that you’re in, and make a decision on what feels best for you. Here are a few ideas to consider:

Introduce Your Business and Provide Regular Updates

Videos can be as simple as a quick walk around of your store, showcasing your location and what you do. You can also post followup videos about new products or services, local events your business is a part of, or updates specific to a particular season (e.g. “Our top fall floral arrangements”).

Highlight Customer Testimonials

As we have explored in other posts, ratings and reviews go a long way to sway potential customers in your direction. Capturing and posting some video testimonials of happy customers is one of the easiest ways to build a library of positive video content about your business.

Be An Authority In Your Field or Industry

You can create videos that provide value and knowledge. For example, if you’re a mechanic, you could create helpful DIY videos on YouTube about how to change a tire, or a battery, etc. Your ROI may not be immediate, but by showing your expertise people can start to see you as an authority in that field.

Be Authentic and Engaging on Social, and Get on Snapchat

People love feeling that they have a relationship with the businesses they visit. Just like you might want to share a staff photo on Facebook, consider taking a video instead. Develop a following (and follow others) on platforms like Snapchat and Instagram. In fact, we’ve developed a great guide to give you a full overview on Snapchat and how you can use it:

  • “Snapchat, the Next Facebook” – “Hey, old people, you over age 25, there’s this mobile app called Snapchat that pulls 100 million users daily (according to the company), 60% of them under age 24, and it’s starting to look like a serious marketing opportunity for local businesses.”

Looking for a partner to help produce some great videos?

Dex Media offers video production as part of our Thryv solution, and we’d love to help you get started. Click here to learn more.