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How to Use Video to Promote Your Business

4/17/2019 | admin

Many businesses in the Raleigh area are turning to video promotion as a way of driving new business and increasing brand exposure.

It provides a considerable ROI and is one of the cheapest means of promoting products and services. Long gone are the days of having to hire an expensive camera crew to come out to your business to do a shoot. All that’s needed is a relatively new cell phone that can record in 1080p high definition. If you don’t have a newer smartphone, most modern laptops come with cameras that will record in at least 720p. Alternatively, you can purchase a 4k webcam for around $100 on any major online shopping site. We’ve come up with five great and inexpensive ways your business can use video to drive new traffic, customers, and increase your brand awareness:

Testimonials

Video testimonials from past or current clients are one of the most powerful persuasive elements out there. A 30 to 60-second video clip of a past or existing customer talking about their experience with your business can help instantly establish trust amongst new or potential customers. To get started, all you’ll need to do is reach out to five to ten clients and ask them if they would agree to film themselves on their laptop while giving you a testimonial. Be careful if you offer an incentive for a review. The FTC has a list of do's and don’ts to ensure that you remain in compliance with the law.

Thought Leadership

One of the best ways to differentiate your business from your competitors is to use thought leadership. As a business owner, you’re the foremost expert on whatever niche that you’re in. From plumbers to CPA’s, chances are you have more than enough experience to create a five-minute thought leadership video. Your job is to instill a sense of confidence in potential clients or customers by showing them that you have unique and exciting ideas on expert subject matter within your niche. Such companies as Moz perform something they call “WhiteBoard Friday.” They create 10 to 15-minute videos every Friday that give tips, tricks, and talks about SEO and marketing. It not only helps drive new business, but it positions them and their employees as marketing experts.

Company Culture

Nowadays people want brands that connect with them. They’re tired of the stuffy old corporate brands that feel like they’re made for someone wearing a three-piece suit. There’s no better way to make a heartfelt connection with your audience than creating a company culture video. You can have one of your employees follow you around for a few hours as you perform your duties as a business owner or manager. Or you can record an employee spotlight video where you showcase one of your best workers. This will allow your audience to make a real connection with your business and it will show that its run by real people. Check out the History Channel program Pawn Stars. It’s a reality t.v. show that features a grandfather, father, and son who run a pawn shop in Las Vegas. It provides an intimate look at how they run the business behind the scenes and that allows the audience to make an emotional connection with both the business and employees.

Tips and Hints

A video of you giving out tips and hints is another excellent way to increase audience engagement. For example, if you’re a plumber, you can give people advice on how to fix a simple sink or toilet clog. This is something that most people would perform themselves anyways, so you won’t lose any potential business from giving away simple tricks of the trade. Best of all, people will bookmark your website or YouTube channel on their computers and the next time they need a plumber to fix something major; you’ll be the first person that they will call. This is called the law of reciprocity, and it states that if you do something nice for someone, there’s an excellent chance they’ll call you when they require your services.

A Day-in-the-Life

Matthew Kwong A day-in-the-life video is another excellent way to make an honest connection with your audience. You can film yourself or one of your employees as they go about their day. A video of someone working on their computer isn’t exactly impressive, so try to find an interesting task or activity that someone in your organization performs on a regular or semi-regular basis. Filming one of these videos will require at least an hour or so of raw video footage. Both Mac and PCs come with free (simplified) video editing software that you can use to chop up that hour of footage into a 5-minute clip.

Marketing Help in Downtown Raleigh

If you have any questions regarding video marketing or would like help with another marketing project that you have in mind, give us a call. At AlphaGraphics of Downtown Raleigh, we have helped countless local businesses drive new business through our marketing expertise. To learn more about how AlphaGraphics of Downtown Raleigh can produce and design your next project, you may email us or request a quote or call us at (919) 832-2828.

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