How to use videos for your small business

As a small business owner, you’re no doubt already wearing many hats - entrepreneur, accountant, marketer, the list goes on - so do you really need to add another element to your jam-packed to-do list?

The answer is, for many, yes, creating top-notch videos to promote your small business can bring tonnes of benefits, and help you boost your bottom lines, so finding the time to jump on the video-train is well worth the added effort. 

In this guide, we’ll take you through the benefits of using videos and our top seven tips for getting them right.

The benefits of videos

• Higher ranking in search results - the simple act of adding a video to your website has been shown to boost your chances of showing on the first page of search results 50-fold - and given three-quarters of web users never venture past page one, that’s a huge perk.
• Boost understanding - increase sales - creating videos explaining how your product or service works and how it’ll make consumers’ lives easier increases the likelihood they’ll purchase by 64-85%.
• Give consumers what they want - it’s predicted that by 2021, videos will account for 80% of all consumer-based internet traffic, plus four times as many consumers admit they’d rather watch a product video than read about it. 
• Increase email engagement - emails boast the highest return on investment of any marketing channel, outperforming the likes of social media time and again - add videos to your emails and you could boost click-through rates by a whopping 300% since the simple act of including the word ‘video’ in a subject line has been shown to increase click-through rates by 65%, and open rates by 19%.
• Build stronger brand recognition - videos stimulate watchers’ senses both auditorily and visually, meaning they’re more engaged and therefore boosting their affinity to your brand. Stronger affinity = more loyal = the holy grail for small businesses.
• Grab consumers’ attention - social feeds are choc-a-bloc with businesses vying for consumer attention and videos are a great way to get a head start. Video content is shown to be rising to the top of consumer newsfeeds, and users are much more likely to have their attention piqued by an eye-catching video. 

7 video ideas to get you started

We’re going to go out on a limb and assume the idea of more successful marketing, loyal customers, and increased sales has sold you on the idea of videos, so let’s take a look at how to start using them for your small business.

1. Say hello

It’s a great idea to create a simple video introducing yourself, your business, and what exactly it is you do, and popping it on the homepage of your website.

Top tip: to boost the chances consumers will watch it, keep the video under 90 seconds long.

As we touched on a little earlier, the combination of audio and visual stimulation increases viewer engagement, so this is a great way to explain how your business can solve consumer problems without getting their head in a spin.

2. Add detail

Once you’ve laid the groundwork with an introductory video and hooked consumers in, it’s time to layer on the details. 

Create more complex videos packed full of product demos or with a deeper explanation of the services you offer and scatter these throughout your website for visitors to discover. They’ll provide great value in educating consumers as they make their buying decision.

3. Show off

There’s no better way of showing prospective customers how credible your business is than through customer testimonials - happy customers are one of the most valuable tools in your toolbox, with studies showing 88% of consumers trust online reviews.

Video testimonials have been shown to be 90% more effective than their written counterparts, so it’s a great idea to ask your existing customers if they’re prepared to get behind the camera and explain why they love your business.

4. Highlight your expertise

Small businesses are always competing in a crowded marketplace, so you need to seize every opportunity you can to position yourself as an expert in your field - and videos are a great way to do so.

So, put yourself behind the camera and create valuable content that highlights how knowledgeable you are about your industry. Here are some examples:

• A tradesman might create a how-to video on simple home DIY tasks.
• A hairdresser might create tutorials for hairstyles including top product picks.
• A home boutique store owner could explain how to colour coordinate cushions and curtains.
• We could go on, and on, you get the gist.

Educate your audience and you’ll become a valuable and trusted source of information, exponentially increasing the likelihood consumers will be back for more.

5. Create ‘culture content’

‘Culture content’ has become a bit of a buzz word in the marketing world, but all it ultimately is, is content that highlights what makes your business unique.

One of the big trends within digital marketing in 2020 is getting personal with your customers and treating them like people rather than potential sales - and buyers want that personal touch from businesses too.

Coming across as human has been found to significantly influence consumer buying decisions, they want to feel a connection to who they’re buying from, particularly when it’s a small business.

So, you need to create video content which reflects the culture of your business - it could be shots of your Christmas party, clips of your workforce playing pranks on each other, or videos of your products being made - the options are endless but keeping it real is the key to success.

6. Get vlogging

Blogging has become big business for companies competing for consumer attention and search engine rankings, but since we’ve seen how consumers prefer watching videos to reading text, vlogging - video blogging - is the next logical step.

Vlogging is the act of making a short video of yourself talking on a particular subject and is a great way to educate consumers, highlight your expertise, and boost engagement

You can film live vlogs on your social channels, or record yourself talking and edit the content before posting it to your website. Here are our top tips on getting vlogging right:

• Ensure the sound and video quality are great
• Post consistently
• Spread the word when a new vlog is available using email and socials
• Be natural
• Provide value.

7. Use videos to boost loyalty

Happy customers turn into loyal customers, and loyal customers are the backbone of small businesses, so use your videos so keep your customers happy.

A great way to do just that is by telling them how much you appreciate their custom and support in a video - it doesn’t need to be anything fancy, just a sincere and heartfelt thank you will do the trick.

If you want to take things one step further, consider announcing a competition or discount for returning customers in your video as a means of showing how much you value them

Now that you know how to create video content to promote your business, make sure your payment solutions are up to scratch as business picks up. At takepayments, we believe in offering choice to our customers so you can choose what works for you. Our wide range of card machines are perfect for small business of any type, from handheld readers to our sleek multipay terminal.

For heaps more handy resources designed especially with small businesses in mind, head to our jam-packed blog.

Jodie Wilkinson

Head of Strategic Partnerships