For the past two weeks, we’ve covered a lot of info about how and why to use video marketing to grow your business in 2018. Most likely you’re excited to capitalize on this hot trend. But you’re likely also feeling a bit overwhelmed and wondering where to start, and if you even have the time and money to jump on the video bandwagon. This week, we’ll cover tools and tricks to get you saying “Action!”
Trick: Engaging Content
Whatever your video strategy, make sure the content you’re creating has a purpose and a point. Make sure your video content approach makes sense for your company/industry. Tutorials and explainer videos might make sense for a construction company or an art supply store. Maybe a restaurant would do video reviews from customers or a landscaper might do a 360-degree tour of a backyard they just landscaped. The bottom line is to create content that feels natural and organic. That content will be shared and engaged with much more than stuffy, staged, unnatural videos.
Tool: Smartphone
The best news in your quest to be a video marketing master? These days, it doesn’t take a degree in video production and thousands of dollars in equipment to connect with customers on this medium. You’re most likely carrying all you need in your back pocket. Video recording and even editing tools come standard on virtually every smartphone these days. Just point, shoot, and post. Platforms such as Facebook make it easy to post and share video content quickly—and it’s even easier when you’re posting from your phone!
Trick: Live Video
This could be a tool or a trick, but let’s call it a trick. Leverage live video! We mentioned last week that customers will spend 3X longer watching live video than pre-recorded videos. That’s great news for your business. Live videos are cheaper and easier to produce and distribute than recorded video and require less time and money while still boasting great engagement! Simply hop on a social platform like Facebook and you’re in business.
Tool: Use a 3rd Party
In actuality, this is both a tool and a trick. There are lots of marketing solutions out there that include tools or services for creating video for your business. The trick is to find one that produces quality, custom videos for a budget that’s attainable within your budget. They are out there. Look for a company that is focused on serving local businesses such as yours. Their tools, packages and pricing will be tailored for your budget and serving your audience—a win-win for you. Plus, companies with solutions like these will be able to save you time by providing their expertise—which saves you money in the long run.
So, what’s the bottom line of this three-part series? An evolution of personal digital technology and an increasing demand from consumers for quality, custom but natural content has combined to make video a powerful marketing tool that’s not only attainable but affordable for businesses of all types.
