6 Ways Video Content Can Help Your Business
- Posted by Rhiannon McHugh
- On June 11, 2019
These days video content is king. Everyday people consume inordinate amounts of video content, and not because it’s shiny and new, but because it’s engaging and effective.
Did you know that:
- 72% of people would rather use video to learn about a product or service, compared to text
- Viewers are 95% more likely to remember a call to action after watching a video, compared to 10 percent when reading it in text format
Video can help you connect, engage, entertain, and inform. It can help you save time, make more money, connect with your audience, and engage your clients. Over the last 10 years, video content has become more and more popular and accessible, but often times we find that people struggle to come up with ways that video could help their business.
Have no fear, Learn It – Do It is here…okay, sorry for the cheese. But honestly, we are totally here to help you come up with ways to use video in order to help you and your business succeed. Below we’ve outlined 6 ways that video can help your business that we know you’ll love.
1. Provide Training for Your Team
Using videos for training can be incredibly effective and convenient. Video is GREAT for training because it showcases a clear visual, as well as a verbal explanation that makes learning easier and faster. If you have a training process that you’ve had to repeat more than once, think about ways you could make that a video and save yourself time, energy, and money!
Recently, we’ve even utilized videos for small training purposes. Have you ever tried to explain something to a subcontractor or employee and thought “It’d be quicker to do this myself than to explain it?” This is a common problem for small business owners, but missing the opportunity to make this training process replicable and passive is a HUGE mistake. When we find ourselves in this position, we pull out our cameras or screen-capture program and rather than just doing the work, we record ourselves doing it and explaining the process. By the time we’ve completed the task, we already have a “HOW TO” training video ready to go for the next time this task is needed.
Think of all the time you’d save yourself (not to mention the more money you’d make if you weren’t wasting your valuable time repeating yourself) if you leveraged video to train your team!
2. Promote Your Products/Service/Events
This one certainly seems obvious, but definitely should not be overlooked. When you consider that videos increase people’s understanding of your product/service by 74% and adding a video to your landing page can increase conversions by 80%, there is NO reason to not have video content about your products and services.
Think about the details of your products and services. Outline why your products/services are special and create a short video showcasing each of them. Remember to focus on the features and benefits your products/services offer to your clients. This will make your potential customers more comfortable with your offerings, improve their trust in your company, and give them enough information to make a more confident buying decision.
3. Educate Your Audience
In addition to giving your audience information about your products/services, you can provide them valuable education related to your industry to help build credibility and trust. For example, if you offer plumbing services, you might showcase an educational video on how to spot a problem with your toilet or a photographer might offer a video about how to choose the right outfits for your family photo session. This educational content will provide value to your potential clients and build trust with you and your company. Think of ways you can showcase yourself as an expert in your industry and create video content that features your knowledge in an accessible way.
4. Improve Client Process/Experience
This is one of my FAVORITE ways to utilize video. Your client experience and process are so important, and video can better prepare your clients and potential clients for a smooth and pleasurable transaction with you. As a business owner, it’s easy to think that everyone knows what to expect when they hire you, but the truth is, few people do.
If you can create a video on what your process is, your potential clients will be more comfortable with you and more likely to hire you. Think about your client process or the process you follow when completing your product/service and make a video to explain that to your client. Go through each step and show what you’re talking about, so your client knows what it’s like to work with you. This will create a better experience for your client and build more trust with your potential customers.
If you want more information on how to improve your client process, check out our previous blog post here:
In addition to showcasing your process, you could also use video to prepare your clients. As a photographer, you could make a video to walk your clients through the sales process or select their photos from the session. If you work in the trades, you could create a video to prepare your clients for the day of the service; showing them how to ready their home and what will happen throughout the day.
Think of the processes you employ in your company and create videos to share this information with your customers and potential clients.
5. Introduce Yourself! Connect with Your Audience on a Personal Level
You can’t be everywhere at once, but being on video camera is the next best thing to seeing someone in person. Create a video that introduces you and your company to your audience so they can get to know you, see your personality, hear your story, and learn more about why YOU are the right person and company for them.
People want to do business with real people. Not a logo. Not a voice recording on an answering machine. Not an automated robot response in a chat window. A real person. Create a video that showcases who you are and why you are passionate about what you do for your customers. This is an incredibly powerful way to connect with your audience and stand out above your competitors. After all, no one can be you better than YOU!
6. Client Testimonials
Lastly, but certainly not the least important: video client testimonials. Capturing a happy customer on camera is going to say SO MUCH MORE than any bit of text you could say about your product/service/company. We like to send out digital questionnaires to our clients to get their feedback and then select the best ones to reach out to and ask if we can grab a video testimonial from them. Most people, especially a happy customer who loves you and what you did for them, are more than happy to share their story and help you by recording a testimonial. You can either ask your client to film a testimonial and send it to you, or you can ask them to come to you (or you could go to them) and film the testimonial for them. This always works best if you make it super convenient for the client, and take the heavy lifting off their shoulders. Sending a questionnaire beforehand helps them plan what they are going to say/what you are hoping they can help you convey.
Bonus Application: If you plan on making this a part of your marketing strategy, you could always make a “HOW TO” video for your clients on how to make their own Testimonial videos for you! Oh yeah! Already applying two of these ideas <high fives>!!!!
So there you have it! There are many more ways you can use video to improve your business, make more money and save time, but these are a few to get you started. If you start implementing video content into your business we’re sure you’ll see a difference in your audience engagement, client experience, and bottom-line.
Now that you have some ideas on how video can help your business, it’s time to TAKE ACTION! Video doesn’t have to be expensive or daunting. In fact, you probably already have everything you need to make great video content for your business, you just don’t know where to begin. If you’re looking for a step-by-step guide to making your own video content, check out our comprehensive, self-paced online course “How to Write, Shoot, Edit & Share Video Content for your Marketing” and take your business to the next level!
What are other ways you’ve considered using video for your business? Stuck on ways videos could help your specific business? Drop us a comment below and let’s see what we can come up with together!