As we all know, video has become a very important format for marketing for all types of businesses and all types of marketing platforms. From YouTube to Facebook, to Instagram, video has become the most important format of content in today’s marketing world.
How can you take advantage of video at your business? There are nine videos that every small business should use that are simple to create, but have a big impact.
Here they are.
The Origin Story Video
First is an origin story video. This is a video about how your business came about, explaining to your customers the history of the business, the story behind why the founders created it in the first place, what motivated them, and what personal hurdles they had to overcome in the creation of the business.
The Purpose Story Video
The second is your purpose story. Today’s consumer, particularly millennials, love to buy from companies that have a reason for existence beyond just profit and loss. So creating a video that tells the story of the purpose behind your business – the reason why you operate your business that’s beyond just money – can give you a real competitive advantage in the marketplace and create more loyalty from customers.
The Positioning Story Video
Next is the positioning story. The positioning story is the story that you use to make it clear how you and your products and services compare to other products and services in the marketplace. You obviously want to make sure that your customers know why they should buy from you versus your competition, and the positioning story is your opportunity to make that clear.
The Transformation Story Video
Next is the transformation story. One of the most powerful videos that you can make is a video showing how your products or services transform something so that consumers can actually see that transformation.
A very common example of this is before and after pictures used by fitness and nutrition pros showing the dramatic weight loss and body image improvements in their clients. But it certainly doesn’t need to be limited to fitness transformations.
Every business has some sort of transformation story that they can capture. If you’re a painting company, maybe you show a before and after of a home that you’re painting whose paint originally was in very bad shape and now you’re bringing life back to that home. It could be that you’re a restaurant and you show a family sitting down and enjoying a night together at your restaurant. That is a transformation of connection, and love, and joy in that family.
So don’t take this too literally. Look for opportunities to show your products and services impact other people’s lives.
The Testimonial Video
Next is a testimonial video. A testimonial video is getting your customers to share their experiences with your products or services so that other potential customers can get that sense of security and social proof from knowing that somebody else has had success with your products. It’s good to have as many of these as possible!
The Founder Profile Video
Next is a founder profile video. Again, consumers love to know about the why behind a business. They also love to know the people behind a business. The founder’s story of achievement and struggle that they went through to create your business are all very, very impactful pieces of marketing. So get the founder in front of the camera and have them tell all.
The Team Video
Next is a team video. Showing the people and personalities on your team and why they’ve decided to work for your company, and the pride and joy that they get from creating products or services and taking care of customers, is a very powerful way to create a human connection to your business.
This is particularly valuable if you have a business where the team may not normally be so visible and customers don’t often get that much interaction with the human side of your business – such as companies that manufacture a product that’s ordered online and shipped across the country. Capturing and sharing the personalities and team behind your business on video can be a very powerful marketing experience that creates an entirely different and more meaningful connection to your products.
The Behind the Scenes Video
Next is a behind the scenes video. It’s a lot of fun for prospects and customers to see behind the scenes at your business and see how your products and services are created, or the hustle that you bring to making sure that you’re providing the best possible service. So capture a video that shows behind the scenes, whether that’s in the kitchen, in the manufacturing plant, or inside of the office. Just show people a little authentic glimpse into your world.
The Product Demonstration Video
Finally is a product demonstration video. Product demonstration videos are some of the most popular videos on YouTube, so why not create them yourself rather than leaving it to other people? You can demonstrate your products, using the video as an opportunity to demonstrate your most powerful features and benefits compared to the competition, and have a good time doing it. This is your opportunity to make sure that your products get showcased in the best possible light!
Get Started!
There you go, that’s nine ways that every small business should use videos in their marketing. They’re all very easy to create and don’t need to be professionally done or expensive to be impactful. Get out your camera on your phone and start creating these nine videos today.
