It’s 2015, which means it’s time to revamp your marketing strategies for the new year. Trends show that 2015 is the year for video marketing and it’s time for your small business to take a leap into this world of captivating your audience through videos.

Why is video marketing important?  

Many studies have shown that consumers enjoy video and that Google prioritizes it in its searches. A study by Forrester Research showed that video is “53 more likely than text pages to appear on the first page of a search engine.” Furthermore, videos have a “41% higher click-through rate than plain text.”Although these studies are a few years old, the findings still resonate in today’s marketing trends.

In a recent change in the Google search algorithm, Google changed the parameters they rank pages by and now is more prone to “reward quality content.” In an effort to diversify the search results, Google also tries to display various media formats, which means that videos have a chance to appear on the first page. 

Furthermore, according to Cisco, video will account for 69% of all consumer internet traffic by 2017. By using video marketing, your small business can provide quality information to your consumers while extending your brand information at the same time. So get ready to make videos this year!

What kind of videos should I make?

There are two types of videos that you can create for your small business – informational and branding. 

In informational videos, you want to provide quality information to your audience, whether that be through a creative product demo or a lesson in digital marketing. When trying to decide what to film, think about these questions:

• What kind of questions are my customers asking?
• What would they like learn more about?
• What would be valuable information for my customers?

In branding videos, you want to show your company’s uniqueness and core brand message. This type of video is great for using as an intro on your company’s website homepage and to show off your company’s creativity. Think about these questions:

• What makes my business unique?
• What is a story you could tell that would push your brand message?
• What can make the audience excited and willing to share your brand’s message?

How do I make videos?

If your small business can afford a professional video marketing team, go for it. They are the pros and most likely know what they are doing. Unfortunately, for most small businesses, investing in a new marketing trend can seem daunting for the checkbook. But there’s good news – small businesses can easily create their own videos right from the office. Here are some tips for creating your own video: 

1. If you don’t have access to a professional camera, use your smartphone. Most smartphones today shoot quality video content, as long as you’re smart about it. Make sure you stabilize your phone when you’re shooting so you don’t end up with blurry or jarring footage. While the image quality on smartphones is good, think about buying an audio recorder to ensure quality sound for your video.
2. For video editing, Mac users can use iMovie, Windows users can use Movie Maker. Both of these video editing programs are free and easy-to-use.
3. For both shooting and editing, use the plethora of free tutorials found online! For example, a quick and easy video to create is a hand-drawn instructional video.
4. Publish your video for free on YouTube and use that link to keep the video on your website.
5. Keep the video short and sweet. Be smart about lighting and do many shoots. The beginning may seem tricky but it’s easy to create simple, effective videos once you are used to it!

If you really do not want to shoot a video but can’t afford a professional video company, there are still options left for you. Companies such as Moovly or Animoto allow you to put a video together online quickly with a small fee.

Make your video worth it.

Even if you created the best video ever, it won’t be effective unless you use the right video SEO techniques. Here are some steps you can take to make your video worth it:

1. Use keywords and a catchy title. Filling out the description and using tags on YouTube are also important steps to making sure your video reaches your audience.
2. Use call-to-actions on your videos that lead to your website or social media sites.
3. Share your video! Use all of your assets from social media sites to email marketing to spread your new video among your consumers.

Creating a video for your small business can help refresh your brand identity and provide quality information for your audience. Make video marketing your new strategy of the year!