(Getty Images)
Today’s consumer wants to see engaging content from their favorite brands. This content comes in many forms, from blog posts to infographics to social media posts. Video, however, is becoming a fan favorite. According to Hubspot, 54% of consumers reported that they want to see video content from the businesses they support, a higher percentage than any other type of content. This rise in popularity makes sense — video is engaging and captures the audience's attention.
A few years ago, video was only an option for giant corporations that could afford to hire production companies. But now, all of that has changed. A local business owner can produce a high-quality piece of video content on their smartphone and edit it through an app in just a few minutes.
Now that it is easier to produce video content, it's time to figure out how best to use video in your marketing efforts. Read on for a few ideas that will help your local business incorporate video as a way to attract customers.
Add some excitement to your email nurture
It's becoming increasingly difficult to get people to open emails. In 2020, the average email open rate across all industries was only 20.94%, according to Hubspot. You can try to come up with a clever email subject line and great content, but still, less than a quarter of recipients are opening the email.
To increase your open rates, try adding some videos to spice things up. Including a video thumbnail in an email increases clicks by 40%. In addition, simply using the word "video" in the email subject line boosts open rates by up to 6%. Your customers are likely seeing many business emails a week, so help yourself stand out by including videos in your email nurture campaigns.
Introduce new products or services with video
Video is probably one of the most effective ways to introduce a new product or service. According to Wyzowl, 94% of marketers say that video has increased user understanding of their product or service and 84% of consumers say that a brand’s video has convinced them to buy a product or service.
Think about your own experiences. Reading about a juicy burger might pique your interest, but seeing a visual of a burger with crisp lettuce, melted cheese, and a side of hot fries can motivate you to go out and order a burger that very night. Video is a powerful way to motivate customers. Visually show customers what you're selling, helping them see what they're missing out on if they don't make a purchase.
Brighten up your social channels
The rise of TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram Stories, and YouTube shows just how important video is on social platforms. Social media platforms are all about sharing information quickly and efficiently. By frequently posting videos on social media, you stay top of mind for your customers and get another opportunity to engage with them.
It’s important to note that people don't always expect videos on social media to be perfectly polished and edited. Sure, the videos permanently posted on your Instagram page should be carefully crafted. But, for Instagram Stories, you can post unscripted videos daily. These "unplanned and unpolished" posts will help you feel more authentic to your audience, allowing customers to feel more connected with your brand image.
Show customer appreciation with video
Customer retention is essential for local businesses. One way you can engage and show appreciation for your current customer base is by repurposing their content.
If customers post videos with your business products on social media, reshare their content. Alternatively, you can create an annual collage of videos and pictures of your happy customers. Repurposing video content gives you free marketing material and helps your customers feel appreciated.
Video helps your existing marketing efforts
Your video efforts can help your other marketing initiatives and improve overall results. In fact, according to Biteable, 68% of marketers say that video has a better ROI than Google Ads.
Videos may have an impact on Search Engine Optimization (SEO). By placing a video on your landing page, you're increasing the chances that people will spend more time on the page. Many SEO professionals believe that how long people spend on your page (known as dwell time) could be one of Google’s many factors when considering your organic result placement, though this theory has not been confirmed by Google. When people spend an extended amount of time on your page, it could be telling Google that the visitor likes the content, and if so, your site could potentially rank higher (other SEO professionals believe it is more complicated). Overall, though, having quality video content is the key to satisfying users, thus increasing the likelihood of return visitors and increased traffic.
There's no excuse to avoid video
Video is vital for local businesses. In today's increasingly digital world, consumers are at the point where they expect video content from the brands they support.
There is so much potential with videos for your local strategy — you can film your brand story, local guides, customer stories, product launches, or tutorial videos. Put your smartphone to work today and start filming videos to add something new to your marketing campaigns.
Visit BBB.org/get-accredited to learn more about BBB Accreditation and how it can help your business. See more business tips in our business news feed.
BBB of Southern Piedmont and Western N.C. contributed to this article.