“Show, don’t tell” – using video to promote your services
Video is a great way to showcase your business’s personality and give your customers another opportunity to interact with you.
In this module, you’ll learn how to post and share videos, the type of content that your customers will love, and how to build trust and credibility to help increase your exposure.
Part 1: Why use video?
Video marketing has exploded in recent years as more businesses realise the potential of visual storytelling. Video captures your attention and appeals to your emotions making it a particularly powerful marketing tool.
Even better, Google and Facebook highly rate video so it’s great to create this type of online content.
How does it work?
Videos can be easily shared through video hosting sites, social media platforms, email and websites, either publicly or to a few select people.
YouTube
Other video sharing services include:
Vimeo: A website popular with designers and producers interested in a cleaner design and different interface.
Facebook Live, Snapchat, Periscope: Sites where you can live-stream video content. This means that in real-time you are recording and uploading to the internet. Great to showcase what is happening in the moment. Take your customers for a tour around your offices!
Part 2: Attracting buyers and generating leads
Produce videos that will pull in an audience and have them share it.
A short 30-60 second video that is compelling and entertaining is more likely to be shared; adding in a call to action by asking for comments, ratings, shares or subscriptions will help motivate potential customers to engage with you.
Tips on creating great video content:
- Keep it short and sweet – people will be more likely to watch to the end
- Have a personality as well as a brand- if your brand was a person, how would they talk, think, feel?
- Interact with your audience! Reply to comments, thank people for sharing content, engage with interested users!
Part 3: Providing Greater Value via Video
In a consumer market that feeds off excitement and entertainment, being genuine and standing out can attract new customers.
One of the most overlooked, yet most effective ways to go beyond simple video marketing is to give customers something of value. Consider providing a video or a series of videos on topics that are relevant and interest your customers.
For example, a company promoting graphic design services may want to make an educational video on colour theory and design elements. Not only will a customer be interested in the content, but they will also look to the business as being an expert in their field.
Part 4: Four ways to Build Credibility
Building credibility with customers is crucial to the success of a small business.
- Engage your customers’ interests
Be the authority on a subject that relates to your business and provide useful advice or information about a topic your customers are interested in.
- Demonstrate the effectiveness of your product or service
Physically showing customers how a product or service works is one of the best ways to build trust.
- Share footage from credible sites
Leverage successful events or consulting seminars you may have held, or attended, by showing footage of key highlights. Sharing also helps build your community.
- Keep it up
Building credibility takes time. Post videos on your website or through social media networks and gradually distribute more and more. The more you post, the more exposure you’ll gain for your product or service.
Further resources
If you’re interested in using video to promote and market and your business, these resources may help. All information was current at the time of writing. When you go to any of the links below, you will be leaving the DBK site.
Support.google.com/youtube – Learn how to upload, view, and share videos on YouTube.
Youtube.com/user/GoogleBusiness – YouTube tips for businesses.
Vimeo.com/help/basics – Vimeo basics
Distilled.net A step-by-step guide to online video marketing.
Live.fb.com and facebook.com/livemap – Facebook Live
Snapchat.com – try it out!
Garyvaynerchuk.com/tag/snapchat – “Garyvee” is a serial entrepreneur who has successfully used social media to grow his large business. He’s a great advocate of Snapchat and provides simple tips to grow your audience
Periscope.tv – Periscope
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