Top 3 Reasons to Use Online Video

With record-breaking statistics on the number of ads being viewed each month, online video has become a very powerful tool for small business owners.

Web based video productions are usually short and informative. They’re a marketing strategy that lets you connect with potential clients in a personalized, professional way to build rapport.

With video being used more often than ever before, the opportunities to engage potential clients in a more meaningful, entertaining way are endless. They’re easy to host and can be used to:

• build your brand
• introduce yourself and tell your story
• drive traffic to your website and welcome visitors once they arrive on the home page
• showcase your products and services
• drive traffic to your website
• teach customers how to use your products
• advertise specials and discounts in ways that text and pictures alone can’t

Top 3 benefits of online video

#1 – connecting with your audience

[pullquote2 align=”right” variation=”wheat”]More than 3 out of 5 consumers will spend at least 2 minutes watching a video that educates them about a product they plan to purchase. (MarketingCharts.com, 2012)[/pullquote2]

Remember the old saying, “take a picture, it lasts longer”?  That’s what video marketing is all about.

When you combine music, text, pictures, visual effects and voice-overs to stimulate all the senses, it’s more likely to stir up an emotional response in the viewer – which creates a lasting memory. Your viewer gets a better ‘feel’ for your brand and personality and we all know that people buy from those they “know, like and trust”. With videos that offer tips, strategies, product or service information, you’ll soon be seen as an expert in your field.

In fact, statistics show that a in a 2-5 minute video, the viewer will remember your message 58% more than if they read text alone.

#2 – more bang for your buck

Small business owners have the challenge of advertising on a limited budget to get the word out about their products and services. Newspaper ads, radio spots, billboards, yellow page ads and tv commercials all offer ways to promote your business but… they can be very costly.

With more people turning to YouTube videos to do their online searches, it’s become the 2nd most popular search engine (behind Google).

The total number of advertisers using YouTube has increased 10-fold in the last year. It’s free, easy to use and has a wide audience, making it the perfect video marketing channel for small businesses and unlike traditional advertising, there are no time limits.

You also have the added benefits of:

• free ‘word-of-mouth’ marketing when viewers share your video
• increased website traffic without the need to advertise
• a pretty level playing field where big companies don’t have any great head start or advantage over smaller ones.

With a branded Youtube channel hosting your video, you can easily share it to your blog and social networking sites such as: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Tweets & Facebook status updates only last a short amount of time in someone’s newsfeed before they disappear into oblivion BUT videos on Youtube last forever.

They work for you 24/7, month after month, year after year. Your video is produced once, uploaded once and people all over the world can view it for years to come, providing you with a timeless Return On Investment that no other advertising medium provides.

#3 – search engines love video

Have you ever noticed when doing a Google search there are often Youtube videos listed in your search results?

That’s because of Google’s recent acquisition of YouTube and the changes in the way search engines look for web pages.  Google, MSN, Yahoo, AOL and countless other Search Engines give priority to websites containing video.

What does that mean? Your chances of appearing in a Google search are dramatically higher if you have video content on a YouTube channel, embedded on your website and on your social media sites.

A good investment

It’s evident that the use of video as a means of marketing, advertising, promoting, informing and teaching is a good investment. Online video, combined with social media, offers small business owners new, cost-effective ways to advertise and foster client/customer relationships.

Have you used video in your online marketing?  If not, have you considered it?  Is there something holding you back?  Share your experience or feel free to ask a question below.

[fancy_box]I’m proud to be celebrating the 5^th anniversary of the Golden Horseshoe Virtual Assistants Group this month, along with my local colleagues. This post is one stop in a blog tour through which we’re sharing information about becoming a virtual assistant, working with a virtual assistant, and our individual areas of expertise. Check out the other posts at http://ghva.ca, and if you happen to be in the area, why not join us for brunch on Saturday?[/fancy_box]