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Any business can use almost any camera and get started with online video. Photo by Becky McCray.
Any small business could use simple online videos for promotion. Video builds relationships and can be very persuasive. You can make simple videos with just your digital camera and some free software. Need some inspiration for how to use it?
You don’t have to start a daily or even weekly show. You can create individual videos that stand alone to post on your site.
Here are some different ways you can build your business with videos.
- Have a tourism business? Shoot some video of your area attractions.
- Do you create a product? Film the production process. Emphasize your quality, safety, uniqueness.
- Selling products? Demonstrate them on film. I just watched a short video of a carry on bag at ebags! It was really persuasive, and I wanted to see more of them for other products. So film your products; it sells!
- Providing services? Introduce your people!
Any business could:
- Profile your customers.
- Show how you solve problems for customers.
- Tell your founding story.
- Talk about future plans.
- Share your vision and passion!
Let’s get more specific. Here are some ideas for real businesses.
- Hotel: Show rooms, common areas, and the attractions nearby. Introduce your people.
- Accountant: Profile some customers, and let them tell how you’ve solved problems with them.
- RV Campsite: Show your beautiful setting, the fun activities, the peace and quiet.
- Bakery: Take us behind the scenes in the kitchen, or to your suppliers. Could you go all the way to the wheat fields?
- Dune buggy maker: Let’s hit the dunes! And, let us see how much safety and strength goes into each one.
- Dry cleaner: Teach us about different fabrics, treating spots, or even fashion trends.
- Lawn mowing: Show us your most ambitious project, your best lawn, or your trusted workers.
- Artist: nah, that’s too easy. Besides showing your art, why not feature a glimpse of the creative process?
Now, here’s the challenge. You name a business, and I’ll come up with some ways to use video!
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- About the Author
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Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.
Great post, I’ll link back to it!
hi
Can you guide me how to get visitors using video.I want visitors from Pakistan because my site will help locals.
thanks.
Thanks, Chuck! Glad you enjoyed it and found some value.
iqbal, you have a unique opportunity to speak to locals in Pakistan. Use native languages as well as English. Film Pakistanis telling how your site has helped them. Show us the stories behind your site and business. The best way to connect to locals is to feature locals!
Our Friend Chris Penn responded via Twitter:
I try to get people hired with my videos. http://youtube.com/watch?v=SZJW2Cb6aJs
What he’s doing is seeking job applicants and giving them a feeling for the environment at his company. It’s another idea any small biz could use!
And I just found this beautiful story at Duct Tape Marketing:
“Super hot retailer IKEA just launched a web site for business folks – IKEA Business – a better life at work. To generate interest in the property and have a little fun they are holding a Main Street makeover contest that asks small businesses to send in a video nominating their business for a make over. The nice twist in this case is that the entries are to include reasons why your business AND your community deserve to win – if you win, a team of designers will descend upon your town with great ideas and furnishings for up to 10 businesses in your community.”
The link to the contest is: business.ikea.com/mainstreet
Plus, John Jantsch has a digital camera to give away as a tie in. You’ll find that at:
http://www.ducttapemarketing.com
LOVE this post, Becky. In fact, I was inspired to continue the conversation over on my blog. Hope you don’t mind!
:)
Chris, thanks for letting me know about your addition to the conversation. I want to list off the topics in your post, so people know that they WANT to go read it, too.
Folks, Chris’s post explains how any business can do all of these things with video:
# Present
# Introduce
# Promote
# Announce
# Invite
# Recruit
# Demonstrate
Stop by Chris’s post for more on each of these topics.
And, continue to share your ideas. How can small businesses use video?
While you are thinking about video, stop by Chris Brogan’s site and add your thoughts on mojo for video.
Becky:
I love this post and your ideas. I’m glad to see an Okie in the blogosphere. Seems like everyone is from anywhere but here in Oklahoma. You have given me some great ideas. I actually posted a first video about a tradeshow I attended in Las Vegas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGoiToGV6q4
Let me know what you think…
Thanks for the compliments, Scott.
Loved your editing on your video. That opening airport scene made me think, “oh, no! it’s going to be really boring!” But you pulled together a neat piece. Thanks for sharing!
You’ll find about 400 more Okie blogs at http://www.blogoklahoma.com/
Ok I have a challenge I have a sex toy party business and want to use video to drive customers to my site to book at home parties My thought was to hit the streets with my video camera and ask couples and single people questions on the street to post on my site.IE HBO Real Sex type street interviews How can I promote their videos as a way to get the most use out of them.
Cherish, what we’ve discussed so far is how to use video to promote your business, not how to promote *those videos* to drive traffic. Using video to drive traffic is a whole new question. I found an excellent link at Chris Punke’s site, of 7 Ways to Promote Your Web Videos by the Web Video Doctor that addresses that exact topic. Give those techniques a try.