Small business owners are in charge of a million decisions. If one of them is to decide whether to use video marketing or not, then here are 10 reasons to convince you to include videos in your marketing strategy. 

Video Marketing Helps Build Trust

A relationship built on trust is a win-win for both parties. Yes, we’re talking about business, where trust can lead to a lifelong relationship between the brand and a customer. While increasing sales might be the ultimate goal of any marketing effort, it is best achieved by means of building trust. 

Video marketing is the quickest and easiest way to build trust. Especially when you leverage the power of testimonial videos for example.

By providing the customers with valuable and useful information through the medium they like best, small businesses can convince them to trust their products and services. 

Videos Make the Buying Process Easier

Sometimes it isn’t enough for a small business to only showcase its product or service. It must make buying easier for the customers. Do you think this is impossible? 

Several budding e-commerce stores have introduced interactive videos that would take the shopping experience to the next level. Customers viewing the product video on any social media platform can add the item to their shopping cart by just clicking the link embedded into the video.  

Video Marketing Drives Traffic to the Website

Websites are now what business cards were a couple of decades ago. For a small business, having an online presence is quintessential to make a favorable first impression with the customers. Plus, all your marketing efforts directly or indirectly aim at attracting more visitors to the website. 

The software company Attivo found that its website received 2-3x more unique visitors and 100% longer stays after adding more videos to the site. There was a huge difference in site traffic 18 months before and after adding videos to the website. After the company began posting videos regularly the search engine traffic increased by 157% and page views improved by 63%.

Video Marketing Increases Sales

A big part of sales is how small businesses showcase their new product or service. For brands that sell a product, the task is harder because the customers don’t get to touch, feel, and examine the product before buying. Videos reduce the skepticism and give the customers the satisfaction of seeing the product, the features, and functions. 

The Ice Rings, an online jewelry store, saw a 400% increase in conversion after viewing a video. Stacks and Stacks sell home products. The e-commerce website included videos on some of the product pages. After a while, they found that those who watched the product videos were 144% more likely to buy. 

Video Marketing Improves Search Engine Ranking

Adding videos can improve the SEO of the website and increase the page rank on Google, when you use the right keywords in the description of your video. Videos not only attract visitors to the website, but they also make them spend more time on a page. This is called dwell time, which is one of the many ranking factors of the Google search algorithm. A study by Wistia found that on average people who watched a video spent a little over 7 minutes on a page. On the other hand, visitors spent less than 3 minutes on pages without a video. 

For those who are not still convinced of the power of video marketing, here are two important findings. On the Google search engine, 75% of all searchers do not go past the first page. Plus, having a video on a web page increases the chances of appearing on the first page of Google.

Videos Simplify Complicated Topics

Text, photos, and infographics are enough to explain simple and straightforward concepts. But, when it comes to complicated topics, their reach is limited. 

Here is an example: Suppose a small business that manufactures ink cartridges wants to explain how to change ink on a printer. It would take at least a few thousand words to write a ‘how-to’ article on the subject. The whole process can be explained in less than a minute or two in a video. 

In the video, customers can actually see how to correctly insert the cartridge. Furthermore, the video could also show how to test the printer after changing the ink. The customer gets more information in less time. Plus, explanation videos are easy to understand. 

Videos Have Universal Appeal

A video is a marketing tool that transcends the language barrier. Videos outscore and outperform static content in terms of reach and impact. Video marketing is an ideal strategy for the growth of small businesses. Videos expand the reach of small businesses. Plus, even a non-English-speaking population can connect, engage, and understand videos. 

With videos, small businesses can market their product or service on a shoestring budget. Suppose you’re a small exporter, selling your product in several countries many of which do not have a large English speaking population. It’s much cheaper and easier to create a bunch of videos and dub or add subtitles in multiple languages than preparing articles and blog posts in different languages. Nowadays the video creation and video editing charges have considerably reduced. 

Watching a Video Is Fun Whereas Reading Is Tiring

I’m one of those who feel sleepy after reading long texts. I’m sure many of you would have experienced the same. Experts say this might be due to lack of focus, tired eyes, or too much mental exertion. You can say this might be the reason why more people prefer watching a video than reading. 

Compared to text content, videos require zero mental effort to view, engage, and understand something. According to a survey, compared to text content 36% more users will comment and 39% more users will share a video. 

Video Marketing Increases ROI

Small businesses with a limited budget rely on ROI (return on investment) to determine where to spend and save money. For many small businesses, a higher ROI is essential for their survival. 

We’ll let the numbers talk. Businesses that use videos see a 49% jump in revenue than companies that don’t use videos. According to research, 64% of people are more likely to purchase on an e-retail website after watching a video. In addition, there is a chance of a 40% increase in sales on mobile devices after a consumer views a product video.

Videos Add a Human Touch in Small Business

What’s a human touch in business? This means a business going the extra mile to increase the customer experience and to help the customer in any way and every way possible. 

Video has multiple avatars. Not just as a product video, it can help small businesses reach out and engage with customers through Live Steaming on social media platforms and Video Chat to answer and address customer concerns.

Final Thoughts

The article not only lists the benefits of video marketing, but it also offers a few suggestions on how to use videos in the business. Do not overlook video marketing; it can fast track your small business to success. 

Cristian Stanciu is a freelance video editor, owner and post-production coordinator of Veedyou Media – a company offering video editing services to videographers, marketing agencies, video production studios or brands all over the globe.