How to develop a video marketing strategy for SMBS

Small- and medium-sized businesses could benefit a lot from video marketing. They should take advantage of videos to promote their brand, products, and services. This year alone, 69% of the entire internet traffic comes from video content.

This serves as a call for all SMB marketers who, up to now, have bypassed video marketing. It’s not a fad. On the contrary, it is the most effective type of internet marketing. So, how does a marketer develop a video marketing strategy for SMBs? Read on.

 

Avoid losing the attention of the viewers

Online users have a short attention span. They quickly get bored or sidetracked by other things. As such, it’s essential to catch the attention of the audience within the first five to ten seconds of the video. In that short period, the viewers must already have an idea or inkling of what the video is about.

So, what happens after those few precious moments? That will depend on the goal of the video. The duration of the clip varies based on its content. Marketers need to hold the attention of the viewers long enough to get the message and the CTA across. At the same time, avoid saturating the video with content that drags on and on. The shorter, sharper and more succinct the video, the better.

Experiment with sounds and subtitles.

Lots of social media users watch videos without sounds. This is particularly true on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. It’s not hype or “a thing,” but an immediate reaction.

Imagine this: if a person doesn’t have his earphones with him, he’ll not likely look for it just to watch a 60-minute (or less) Facebook video. Most probably, he’ll press play, mute the clip, and watch the entire thing. If the visuals are great and a subtitle is available, then the audio is unnecessary for that moment.

That said, there are also videos that need sounds even if there is a subtitle or transcript available. As such, it’s essential for SMB marketers to try out video variations. Experiment with and without sounds, with and without a caption, and the mixture of two. Remove the audio from one video and see how viewers would react. Add a subtitle and check how they. Try out things out to come up with the best approach for the campaign.

 

Humanize the brand

These days, video production can be done in-house. They don’t have to be made from big production companies anymore. Marketers don’t need a fancy studio with fancy tools to create compelling videos. This reality is a godsend for startups, small and medium businesses that have limited marketing funds.

Recording a video in the business’s natural habitat is inspired. The workplace setting humanizes the brand. It gives the viewers an inside look at company culture. They see the people that make the products or services they’re considering getting.

The goal is to create a good-quality video that doesn’t scream professionally-made. This is an excellent opportunity for SMBs to stay on the same level as their target market. It’ll show that they are people too.

If there’s a need for it, ask the workers to be the actors in the video. Current customers are also a good choice. Viewers tend to trust a brand that caters to people in the same demographic.

 

Ensure each piece of content has a clear message.

When brainstorming content ideas, focus on the brand message. The message is usually the purpose of the video. What does it want the viewers to do, to feel, to think about after watching the video? What is that “one thing” that will stick in their mind? What is the message that will draw them in to trust the brand?

After watching the video, the audience should receive the message loud and clear. They should have a specific takeaway that can help them separate the brand from its rivals.

Creating an effective video marketing strategy for SMBs requires time, effort, and resources. But, by trying things out and establishing metrics, a company, regardless of its size, can reap benefits from video marketing.