3 Tips to Start Using Video to Market Your Small Business

August 29, 2023

Video is one of the most impactful mediums to connect with people and show off your business’s services and products. By creating and sharing compelling video content, you can help boost brand visibility, convert viewers into loyal customers, and establish yourself as an authoritative and credible business in your community. 

When thinking about video marketing, your mind might immediately go to high-end commercials that feel out of budget for businesses of your size. Luckily, with innovations in technology and the booming popularity of social media, you can take charge of your own marketing strategy and create inspiring video content that won’t break the bank. 

Use these top tips to infuse video into your business marketing plan: 

• Set clear goals
• Tell a compelling story
• Share content widely

Whether you’re a dance studio owner hoping to attract new students or a local bakery owner that wants to grow your social media following, video can help you unlock your marketing potential. Let’s begin. 

1.Set clear goals

Videos can be made for a variety of purposes and take many different forms, so before creating your first video, you need to understand exactly what you want your video to accomplish. 

For example, let’s say you’re the owner of a small ballet studio. You might use video as part of your marketing strategy to:

• Encourage parents of young students to enroll their children in your new class for beginners. 
• Direct traffic to your online store to sell your dance products, such as costumes and ballet shoes. 
• Grow your social media following and establish yourself as a welcoming yet authoritative brand.
• Promote your upcoming dance recital to the community and encourage them to purchase tickets on your website. 

Once you’ve pinned down your video’s purpose, it’s time to turn your goal into a plan of action. Plan out the logistics of your video, including:

• The video’s length
  Video is a highly engaging medium to grab your supporter’s attention, but you don’t want your video to be too long. This can cause viewers to click off before they even hit play. Based on your goal, determine how much time would be appropriate to articulate your marketing message. Keep in mind that the best videos are typically two minutes long or less.
  
• The content itself.
  Will you need to write a script and record a voiceover? Are you planning to feature current clientele or show your business’s staff in action? Decide what you’ll be filming and who needs to be involved on and off-camera to make it happen. Make sure to get permission from everyone included in the video to use their likenesses in your marketing materials.
  
• Timeline for creating your video.
  Video projects can take anywhere from days to weeks to complete depending on your content. Set a timeline for key tasks like when you’ll begin filming and the deadline for editing the video. If you’re using video to promote a specific event associated with your business, map out your video creation timeline carefully so you can share the finalized project at least a few weeks before the event to create buzz.
  
• Budget
  Determine how much funding you’re able to allocate toward your video. While you could rent or invest in a high-quality video camera and audio equipment, you could also generate a great video with just your handy smartphone. You might also consider hiring a professional video production company to take care of the entire video creation process. Determine what makes the most sense for your business. 

If you’re not sure which direction to take your video, consider looking online to find inspiration from other businesses. From TV commercials to Instagram reels, there are plenty of examples that can help your business brainstorm ideas and form a strong video strategy. 

2.Tell a compelling story

Think about the last video you watched that caught your eye and maybe even prompted an emotional connection to the person, business, or organization featured. Chances are that the video told a strong story that made it memorable. To leave a lasting impression on the viewer and inspire audiences to check out your business, you need to similarly leverage storytelling. 

Tectonic Video’s guide to video storytelling recommends including the following features in your video: 

• Main characters
  Decide who you’ll center your video’s storytelling around. For example, you might choose to film your business’s owner telling the story of why they started the company. Or, you could create a testimonial video of happy customers explaining why they chose your business’s products or services and how it improved their lives.To encourage customers to sit down for an interview, you could offer them perks like discounts or free items. But most people are just flattered to be invited to share their story.
  
• Complete arc
  Your video doesn’t have to showcase a dramatic story that takes the viewer through a life-changing journey, but it does need to grab their attention and have a clear beginning, middle, and end. For instance, you might highlight a problem that was felt in the community before your business was founded, such as a lack of accessible dance classes. Then, explain how your business solves this problem. Continuing with our dance example, a dance studio could explain how they solve this issue by providing courses that people of all abilities can take part in.
  
• Call-to-action
  Your video should end in a clear call-to-action based on its purpose. For example, if you’re hoping to increase your business’s web traffic, you might include the website link at the end of the video and encourage people to go check out your digital resources. This helps direct the audience to their next step immediately after feeling inspired by your video’s story. 

Remember that effective videos are all about showing, not telling. Be sure to include high-quality visuals that bring your story to life and make audiences eager to keep watching. 

3. Share content widely

Once you’ve filmed, edited, and finalized your video project, it’s time to get it in front of as many people as possible. To expand the reach of your video, use a multichannel marketing strategy. Multichannel marketing helps you increase touchpoints with prospective and current customers and keep your business at the forefront of their minds. 

Promote your video content on the following platforms:

• Social media
  Sharing your video on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn can all be effective ways to expand your customer base and increase visibility. Make sure to adjust your video formatting, size, and dimensions based on the platform you’re using for the best viewing experience. For example, if you’re using Instagram Reels, your video will need to have an aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 9:16.
  
• Website
  If you filmed a video that explains who your business is, it’s a good idea to feature this prominently on your homepage. This way, site visitors don’t have to read through dense blocks of text to understand your brand. You can also add videos to your blog posts, landing pages, and other website resources to make the content more engaging.
  
• Text messaging or chatting
  Link to or attach your video file in SMS messages to your audience with the help of dedicated apps or software. For example, let’s say you’re a dance studio that wants to share a video with your dance families explaining your new course offerings in hip-hop. DanceStudio-Pro’s guide to apps for dance studios recommends leveraging an app that allows you to create dedicated chats and communicate with your customers at any time. Do your research to find an application suited to your business that empowers you to send multimedia messages to customers regularly. 

As you share your video content, track relevant metrics to see how it’s performing. For example, you might look at impressions, likes, and reposts on social media. This will help you understand the type of video content that most resonates with your audience and inspires them to act. 

Video is one of the most powerful tools your business can use to amplify your brand and bring attention to your products and services. As you plan out your videos, carefully consider your audience’s interests and what will most encourage them to take action. This will help you solidify a strong video marketing strategy that will grow your customer base and reach over time.