8/16/2019 0 Comments Lights, Camera, Magic? - getting started with video marketing for your small businessVideo is everywhere!, so much so we can sometimes forget how much of it we actually consume via social media and other platforms but the statistics don’t lie, mobile video consumption increases by 100% every year, 55% of us view online videos every day and 72% of us would rather learn about a product or service via video, so it’s unsurprising that over 81% of businesses use video as a marketing tool.
But what about small businesses and video marketing? My experience has been that the appetite is there but it’s often overwhelmed by uncertainty on how to get started, which tools to use and whether the finished product is going to look any good, as a result it can often be something that simply doesn’t happen as part of marketing but successful video marketing is easily achievable, here I share a few tips on getting started and the steps to take to make your video marketing a success. Understand what you can use video for Before you get started with using video as part of your marketing strategy it’s important to consider what you’ll use video for, video marketing can take a number of forms from explainer videos, tutorials, client case studies, product demonstrations, interviews, opinion pieces to camera and more so it’s worth thinking about what form your videos will take. Depending on how confident you feel you may also want to plan out your videos before you film anything so you have an idea of what you’ll say. Tone and Timing There are no rules as such when it comes to video length but if you’re looking to keep viewers engaged then it’s recommended that around a minute is an ideal length for an explainer video particularly if it’s just an individual talking straight to camera, if there’s more content in your video then up to two minutes will hold the viewers’ attention but it’s likely to drop off after that although interest does pick back up between 6 and 12 minutes. It’s worth thinking about your tone too with 83% of those consuming video content preferring a chatty approach to video voiceovers and presenters. Get some kit You’ll see lots of videos shot on a smartphone from people sitting in the car doing a quick explainer to sharing opinions on the latest news whilst walking the dog so the good news is, if you have a smartphone or tablet then you’ve got the main part of your kit, BUT if you do want a bit more professional slick for your videos it’s easy to achieve, two pieces of kit which are really affordable and make a massive difference are a microphone, particularly a lapel one which will reduce background noise and increase audio quality on your videos and a tripod or stand for your phone or tablet which will allow you to film without any wobbles and to set up your shot before getting started. Edit it, just a little bit Don’t worry! It’s not as terrifying as you think, there are lots of video editing programmes out there and the majority of them are pretty intuitive if you’re a mac user then iMovie is free to use for video editing, HotFilm, VideoPad or Movavi are also simple for beginners and include tutorials. But why edit at all? I’m recommending you try it because it takes your video marketing to the next level, you can cut out the bits you don’t like, insert graphics, add a music track, adjust colour and sound and add brand elements like your logo or URL into your video and really make your video how you want it - but start slow and don’t expect your first edit will be amazing - it probably won’t! But that’s ok. Know when to use a professional On that note, there is always a time when it pays to use a professional and I’m a firm believer that some videos do require an expert touch, those gorgeous corporate videos you’ve seen? They definitely weren’t filmed on an iPhone, producing amazing video is a skill like any other and whilst it’s simple to learn the basics and boost your marketing efforts through video marketing it’s also a wise decision to have a good video production company to call upon when you need to take your video to the next level. Want to include video in your marketing strategy and need some support? Get in touch for an informal chat [email protected]
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