When it comes to promoting and growing a small business, one needs to get creative. It’s all one can do to stop from being drowned out on this information superhighway we’re on. Video is poised to take over the web with a projected 82% of all traffic by 2022 (Cisco). And, as it turns out, it’s already a powerful marketing tool disrupting content marketing as we know it.

While we’ll explain the most important reasons why you should be using video today, there is only one that matters:

People. Want. Video.

According to Animoto, an overwhelming 45% of users said the video was their favorite form of branded media. The rise of visual social media like Instagram as well as the video podcasting boom are all evidence of this.

So, let’s look at why you should be using video to grow your home business and a few simple ways you can start today.

Why use video content?

Build rapport with consumers

The simplest and most affordable video you can produce is one in which you appear. Introducing yourself and talking to consumers directly through video puts a face on your brand or business. This makes it easier for customers to bond with your brand, and see you more than just some money-hungry machine.

Look more professional

As effective as blogging and conventional content marketing are, anyone can do it. Video is seen as a step up when it comes to presenting yourself or your brand. Having quality video content will make you seem more modern/relevant, established, successful, and knowledgeable.

Savvy content marketers and businesses are becoming well aware of this. A Wyzowl report shows that 87% of content marketers already use video content. With such wide-scale adoption, video content is fast becoming a minimum requirement for looking professional.

Encourage social media sharing

An incredible 92% of mobile viewers share videos they watch, according to Precision Marketing Group. It’s clear that when people watch a video they find valuable or entertaining, that they want to share it with others. If you’re really lucky and you can come up with a worthy concept, you may just go viral.

It’s safe to assume that users will share your video with others they think it will be relevant for, meaning those are some high-quality leads. Surprisingly, Facebook has surpassed YouTube with the largest video audience, showing how prominent video is becoming on social media.

Improve your SEO

The numbers don’t lie, and there are several ways in which video content can boost your SEO efforts:

• Brightcove reports a 157% higher click-through rate for SERP results with video content.
• According to Wistia, users spent twice as much time on those of the 100 most-trafficked pages with video content than those without.
• As video content is still more exclusive, you can expect more backlinks to your content, especially if your video provides valuable technical information.

Expand your presence online

While video content can drive, and keep, more traffic on your site directly, it can also expose you to audiences on other platforms. With video content, you can start a YouTube, Vimeo, DailyMotion, or any other channel. One video production can go on multiple channels which will also allow you to backlink to your website.

Video content can also seamlessly slot into your guest posting strategy. As video content is so high in demand, it will increase your chances of getting published on these channels. Guest blogging in itself is a powerful marketing strategy, and a guest posting service, like Luckyposting, can help you make the most of it. 

Boost conversions

Video content on your landing pages can increase conversions by 80%, according to Eyeviewdigital. That’s not surprising considering the above reasons. The recipe is simple:

Trust + buyer confidence + more traffic + higher engagement = more sales. If you’re looking straight at the bottom-line for a reason to implement video content, then there seems to be a clear link between video and profits.

How to use video for your small business?

Now that you’re convinced about the merits of using video to promote your small business, you might want to know how you can use it. As a small home business, you most likely don’t have the resources to pull off a blockbuster production. However, you’d be surprised at the efficacy of even simple concepts like these:

• An introductory video of yourself, your colleagues, or family
• You can try short-video content
• A Q and A explaining your business, products, or services
• A day-in-the-life feature of your business or a vlog. For example, you can show how you package and ship orders, take care of customer queries, etc.
• Short, interview-like testimonials from happy customers
• Recordings of you attending industry events
• Podcast discussions with other industry experts

All of these require little more than basic camera skills, a halfway decent video camera, and some beginner editing skills. If you want to have some professional effects or editing, you can even record these videos and then hire a freelance video editor.

Boost your small business content marketing ASAP

The time of video content forming an integral part of your content strategy is already here. Creating video content has never been cheaper, easier, or more accessible than it is now.

With minimal investment, you can produce a simple, yet effective, a video that will boost your traffic, conversions, backlinks, and social media exposure.

Every day you’re putting off utilizing video as part of your marketing strategy, is another day of missing out.

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