Imagine this scenario: You’ve recently moved to a new city, and you need to hire someone to do some work on your new house. You know virtually no one in the community, so you do a Google search on home repairs in your new town, wondering how you’re going to find someone you can trust in your home. Several names pop up, and one looks familiar. You click on the link, and discover this contractor is someone you met at the park last weekend when you were there with your kids. You chatted for a few minutes, your kids played together. He welcomed you to town and handed you his business card. Are you inclined to call him, or a random name from your Google list?
Chances are, you’ll call the guy you’ve spoken with. The person you saw face-to-face, whose personality and character you’ve already had a chance to evaluate, would look far more appealing than a random stranger.
And so it goes with marketing. These days, your prospective customers are bombarded with sales pitches. While you can’t meet every prospect at the park or in a coffee shop, video gives you a chance to let customers get to know you on much the same level. They see you, they hear you, they engage.
The above explains how you can use video in your marketing strategy. Building trust is just one of many reasons why you should. And it’s not as difficult as you think.
Here are five big reasons video must be part of your marketing strategy:
- You have a message.If you have a business, you have a message. You have a story to share, a reason to tell customers why your products or services can meet their needs. You’re making the statement, I can (your product or service), and I’m the best person in the world to do it for you. Video is a very effective way to get your message to your prospects, because it’s easy for them to access. You can cover a lot of ground in a couple of minutes. Viewers can see your face, hear your voice. They make an emotional connection. And with today’s technology, video can be less expensive long-term than more traditional – and less effective – methods of advertising.
- Video gives you a chance to add value.Your video doesn’t have to be a sales pitch. In fact, it’s best if it isn’t. Take the case of the home repair guy. He could have videos on his Web site that walk viewers through basic repairs. This would both build trust and create a tribe of potential customers who will remember him when they have a repair they can’t handle. How does that translate to your business? Can you offer some free tips or walk viewers through a process that can help them with a challenge they face? If you ask for an email address in exchange for access to your videos, you now have an effective system for building your prospects.
- Remember that Google search?If our home repair guy has video on his site, he’s much more likely to land near the top of it. According to the American Marketing Association, Web sites with fresh, original content – including video – fare much better in search engine results. And
according to MediaMind, which provides digital advertising solutions, viewers are 27 times more likely to click on a video than they are a traditional Web site banner ad. That kind of engagement encourages buy-in on the part of your audience. They get to know you, and they will remember you. - You can tailor your video marketing strategy to your budget.You can hire a video production staff to script, shoot and edit professional videos that tell your story. Or for about $200, you can purchase a Webcam and microphone and produce your own videos. You can also use the cameras found on your smartphone or tablet. The quality of your videos won’t be as polished, but it can still be an effective way to broaden your market reach.
- You can incorporate video in your automated marketing.Does your organization have a blog? Do you have a newsletter you email to your audience? Are you on social media? Video is one way to make your online presence pop and keep your audience regularly looking for more.
Have you tried video in your marketing efforts? Let us know how it went. Email us at hi@sweetwaterglobal.com. If you’re thinking of adding video to your marketing strategy, we can help. Call us at (256) 617-2092.