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Video is eating the web right now. By some estimates, 74% of all traffic on the web in 2017 will be video. That alone should be an inspiration to explore a video blogging (vlogging) strategy for your small business. If done right, vlogging can be a great way to raise awareness and grow sales. Here are just a few of the ideas that companies are already using with video blog content.
Idea #1: Video testimonials
This is perhaps the easiest way to use video blogging, because you don’t really need to come up with anything terribly creative. All you need to do is record some of your customers talking about how wonderful your products are and how they are using them in everyday life. This video testimonial is much more effective than a simple quote or other written testimonial. If you’re a health club, for example, you could show gym members talking about how they lost weight by working out with personal trainers at the club.
Idea #2: The How-To Video
This is another web classic. Customers have problems, and they’re looking for ways to solve them. If you can explain how to solve their problems with a short, two-minute YouTube video, then you’re golden. If you’re a home improvement store, for example, you might post a regular vlog series on typical home improvement projects that people can accomplish over a weekend.
Idea #3: Tips and insights from company experts
One way to leverage all the knowledge inside your company is by letting people on your team share their “expert” knowledge with the broader world. The advantage of this approach is that it establishes you as a real thought leader. If you’re a marketing agency, for example, you could post a regular vlog series on SEO, blogging or social media tips. That’s the type of content that everybody is looking for on the web.
Idea #4: Event videos
If you don’t feel comfortable posting “live” video feeds of events, you can still upload highly edited and professionally produced video clips of recent events. This is a great way to let people know what you do, and the types of problems you are working on right now. For example, if you really participated in a tradeshow where one of your executives gave a keynote speech, this is a great way to showcase some of the amazing talent at your company – and also help convert people who might be on the fence about buying your products.
Idea #5: Viral videos
Ok, this one is easier said than done. It takes a lot of talent to pull off a true viral video. But look at the examples of Dollar Shave Club or Blendtec – they have produced some of the most popular videos in the history of the internet. At the very least, fun and creative videos can be a way to spread awareness of your company and what it does. This helps to cast a much wider net for attracting new customers.
The best part about vlogging is that once a video has been uploaded to YouTube, you can then get the “embed code” for the video and embed the video anywhere you have a digital presence – like social media or a corporate blog. This is a great to amplify the reach of any video content that you are producing and gain even more customers for your product or service.
