Posts Tagged ‘Videos’
Tips for Using Video to Help Your Small Business
Wednesday, November 25th, 2009It really surprises me that small businesses do not more often use videos and online clips to help them with promoting their business. Before YouTube, online videos were relatively few and far between. But with YouTube’s popularity and the explosion of video clip sites, online videos are everywhere. Not only are they everywhere, today these video clips are even easier to upload and circulate. If you have not seen the wedding video from this summer that went seriously viral, this is one example of how easy it is to get a video uploaded and circulated (this video has had over 32 Million views. Yes, I said million).
So what how can your business start using videos.
1. Introduction Video – Start by have an introductory video on your website. The introductory video can help you introduce your company to shoppers. An introductory video can also personalize the experience that a website visitor has as they can virtually “meet” the management of your small business. An introductory video allows potential customers to see who they are about to do business with and can give you a boost of credibility.
2. Product Video – Sometimes it is difficult for website visitors to get a grasp of a product and its key features from a list on a website. Try a short product video that describes your company’s product. Use a video where a company representative or owner can narrate a description of a product and also personalize the product experience. Sometimes a product can be a lot more appealing if the customer hears a passionate voice that is describing the product in detail while that company spokesperson highlights the key product benefits. Check out KikScore’s product video at the bottom of this previous post.
3. Customer Testimonials – You can also use online videos for short customer testimonials about a product or an experience with your company. You can then post these testimonial videos in the “Testimonial” section of your company’s website. When do you get to shoot these customer videos? Use a customer meeting or your next industry conference to shoot a quick video of the customer. Also it never hurts to ask a customer too. If you will not be seeing a customer that you know is happy with your product, just ask them if they can record a short video with their video phone and have them send it to you. The quality may vary, but online video can now be cleaned up very quickly.
4. Educational Videos – These types of videos are underrated but can really be helpful for potential customers. Take the time to shoot short videos that can contain educational tips for your customers. You can even use this as an opportunity to have employees or product managers film these tips so they can get some “face time” with your customer community. Using employees is also a good way to convey your brand to the world by allowing the community to put an employee name to the face of your company.
5. Thought Leadership Videos – There has been a real rise in posting of videos that have been taken from conference speeches or panel sessions. Next time you are speaking at a conference or an event, make sure the video of your speech gets uploaded to YouTube (provided there are no copyright issues) and then gets posted on your website. As potential and actual customers start to see you as a thought leader in the industry, your business and management will get even more credibility.
So start using videos today to spread the word about your business. Tell us in the comments how your company plans to use video in the future.