3 Videos Your Small Business Should Make

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Video marketing can be tough for small businesses that are just getting off the ground, however, this content can be more important than you may think. Start with videos that positively influence your business. As you continue to develop ideas regarding the perfect videos for your business, let’s examine the first three you should consider making.

Let’s Get Started

In a world full of technological advancement and new digital marketing techniques, it can be challenging to find competitive material. Luckily, the steady rise of promotional videos in recent years has made it significantly easier to establish and maintain trust. In fact, 81% of businesses use video as a marketing tool — up from 63% over the last year. This statistic can be attributed to consumers and business professionals preferring to watch videos over reading text. These consumers actually retain 95% of information from videos and only 10% from reading. So if you haven’t invested in video marketing for your business, now is the time to start!

1. Product explainer video

First, start with a product explainer video. Your video should leave consumers with a positive first impression of your business. To do so, purposefully highlight your company’s product, service, or business idea in the most compelling and strategic way possible. You want to leave your audience wanting more.

Remember, content takes the front seat. Instead of stressing over how shiny and professional your video looks, focus on making the content clear and concise while still making a great first impression. If you’re on a budget, try making a little DIY video of your business before you turn to big production investments. If you’re unhappy with your small video, there is always room to upgrade. Don’t be afraid to test out your video with your target audience! Encourage your consumers to become involved, engaged, and upfront about your company’s marketing tactics. They may have some good pointers! What a great way to build brand loyalty and trust?

Now, let’s dive in.

So what makes a good product explainer video anyway? Well, you shouldn’t simply showcase the best features of your product, but rather paint a picture of the business as a whole. If there’s a problem that the product solves, clearly emphasize the issue and how the product will make the consumer’s life easier.

In order to find success with your video, be sure to appeal to the viewers’ emotions. Make it clear to your audience how their life can be improved with the implementation of your product.

Every good explainer video has five things in common.

1. High quality: Your video should showcase the utmost importance of your product and company goals. Effective communication regarding the brand’s values is also vital.
2. Solve a problem: The video should address a specific problem and show how using the promoted product will mitigate this issue.
3. Match the brand and audience: The style and tone of the video should be reflective of the brand, as well as the target audience they are trying to reach.
4. Short in length: Explainer videos should be short and sweet. Cut straight to the point and make the benefits clear.
5. Strong call to action (CTA): After watching the video, the audience should immediately know what to do next and be encouraged to do so.

There are various types of explainer videos, so just try to find the one that best fits your brand.

Animated Video: These videos are one of the most popular methods due to the simplicity behind outsourcing. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, this is a great way to share your company’s goals without having to organize an in-person video shoot.

Above is an example of an animated explainer video we produced during the pandemic for our friends at Plates, a health food app that connects local growers, farmers, bakers and chefs with diners.

Live-action video: Shooting your own video can showcase your business’ authenticity, as well as visual examples of the product’s benefits. Whether you have an in-house video producer or not, consider the following tips for an effective video:

• Start with a great script: The written word is the foundation for every great explainer video.
• Keep it short and sweet: 60 seconds or less is right on the money.
• Use simple language: Communication is key!
• Show and tell: Be sure to utilize shots of your product throughout your video.

Screencast: If your business falls into the SaaS space category, screencasting works particularly well, and it’s also budget-friendly!

Product explainer videos should quickly and clearly show the audience why they need the product and its benefits.

2. Customer testimonial video

Some businesses shy away from collecting testimonials as they can feel scary and intimidating. And hey, who can blame them? However, receiving one or two solid testimonials can make all the difference to an outside audience.

Begin by interviewing some of your loyal, long-term customers that have seen real benefits from your products. These people should be articulate, authentic, and have seen tangible results thanks to your product. Ultimately, they will help you to build trust for your business, which can be tricky for a startup company. With an effective testimonial video, viewers will trust these real people who have seen a difference in their life because of your product. Testimonial videos should be posted on a prominent page on your site!

But how will you choose to recruit these customers? First, think about your target audience. Make sure the customers you feature fit your brand image and that their values align with others in your target audience. Ideally, your prospects will be able to relate to the customers in the video and view themselves in the same position as those in the testimonial.

Ready to produce your video testimonials? Here are a few tips to help you get started:

1. Prior to the interview, provide your customer with an idea of the topics you plan to cover, but allow them to incorporate their natural responses as well. You don’t want your testimonial to sound rehearsed!
2. Shoot the video at the customer’s own workplace. Authenticity is key here!
3. Capture additional B-roll footage throughout the shoot, whether you think you’ll need the shots or not. Always better to have more than not enough.
4. Let the camera run and edit later. Ask the interviewee to repeat what they’ve said if it wasn’t articulate enough, but for the most part, keep the footage natural.
5. Keep it conversational so your subjects feel as comfortable as possible. Remember that people are more emotional and authentic when comfortable.

Ultimately, testimonials should help visitors feel more confidence behind their purchase. The video should help consumers understand the appeal of the product, the problems it may solve, and why it has left such a positive impact on someone else’s life.

3. Company brand video

For any business, it is important you tell a story. How did your business get started? What was the motivation behind your product or service? Customers strive to connect with a brand and prove its purpose in their life. Help them do so! After all, most people buy products and services based on emotion rather than logic.

A company video lets you show off what makes your business so special. When people can associate the business with familiar faces, they are much more likely to feel a strong connection to the brand and have a positive experience with your business.

Your brief company story video should give the consumers a solid understanding of what matters most to the business. There are different ways to achieve this goal through the use of your company story. Featuring your company’s culture and workers are just as important as the story behind what you do.

Here are a few different ways to make your company story:

• Crowdsource a simple video featuring current employees. Give your coworkers the power to tell their own stories by submitting video clips around their experience in the company.
• Interview your employees. These can be similar to customer testimonials, but instead just ask about their day-to-day life at work.
• Use B-roll footage from a company event or gathering and record a voiceover. This emphasizes your company culture and is low-budget!

Every small business should be comfortable telling their story. Help people feel connected to your brand by relating to them on an emotional level. This is how you can easily build trust, establish loyalty, and show the world where you plan on taking your buzzworthy business.

Video Success

Is video really worth it? According to Wyzowl‘s 2020 marketing report, that’s a big yes. In fact:

• 89% of video marketers day video gives them a good ROI
• 83% say video helps them with lead generation
• 87% say video has helped increase traffic to their site
• 80% say it directly helps in increasing sales

Marketers know that new channels and tactics are different for every business. It’s important to understand which of these marketing channels and tactics are suitable for your business before you break the bank. At a small business where resources run thin, it’s vital to spend your time and money wisely. That’s why, as a creative firm, we recommend you start your business off with these three types of videos.

Contact Akullian Creative today to inquire how we can help you create great videos to help your company thrive.