Small Business, Big Impact: The Power of short-form Videos
As a small business owner, you’re always looking for ways to increase engagement with your customers and attract new ones. Short-form videos are one of the best ways to do this in the digital age. These types of videos are typically less than a minute long and can be easily shared on social media apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.
But why are these videos so important for small and local businesses? With the growing popularity of video content, short-form videos give an opportunity to showcase your brand personality in a fun and engaging way.
They allow you to connect with your audience on a deeper level, humanizing your business and making it more relatable. Short videos also provide an affordable marketing approach for small businesses that may not have large budgets for advertising.
Unlike traditional television commercials or print ads, short-form videos can be created quickly and inexpensively using just a smartphone camera or simple editing software. In addition to being cost-effective, short-form videos are also highly effective at capturing people’s attention.
Studies show that people’s attention spans are getting shorter by the year, with most people losing interest after just eight seconds. By keeping your content concise and visually engaging, you’re more likely to keep viewers engaged throughout the entire video.
Short-form video is essential for any local business looking to expand its reach and attract new customers in today’s digital age. In the following sections of this article, we’ll explore how you can create compelling short-form videos to help you easily achieve these goals!
The Benefits of Short-Form Videos for Small Businesses
Short-form videos can be a powerful tool for small and local businesses looking to connect with their audience in an engaging way. Here are some of the key benefits:
Increased Engagement with Customers
By creating short, visually compelling videos, local businesses have the opportunity to capture their audience’s attention and hold it for the duration of the video. Short-form videos often feature bold imagery, catchy music, and creative editing techniques that can help businesses stand out from their competition.
Perhaps more importantly, these short videos allow small and local businesses to tell a story in a way that resonates with their customers. Whether it’s showcasing a new product line or sharing tips on how to use an existing product, short-form videos humanize brands and make them relatable to consumers.
Cost-Effective Marketing Technique
Marketing can be expensive for small and local businesses, but short-form videos provide an affordable alternative to traditional marketing channels like print or television advertising. With a smartphone camera and some basic editing software, anyone can create high-quality short form videos showcasing their brand.
What’s more, social media sites like Instagram and TikTok provide free distribution channels for these videos. This means that small businesses can reach their target audience without having to invest heavily in advertising campaigns.
Easy to Create and Share on Social Platforms
One of the biggest advantages of short-form videos is their easy creation and sharing online. Anyone with a smartphone camera can shoot a video and upload it to social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook within minutes.
Social media algorithms tend to favor video content over still images or text-based posts, so by incorporating short videos into your social media strategy, you’ll be increasing your chances of reaching a wider audience. Additionally, viewers love sharing entertaining or informative content on social media platforms, so if you create a compelling short-form video, there’s a good chance it will be shared by your audience, further increasing your reach.
Benefits of Short-Form Videos for Small Businesses
Short-form videos are an affordable and effective marketing tool for local businesses. By creating visually stunning videos that tell a story and share valuable information with their audience, small businesses can increase engagement with customers, drive traffic to their websites or storefronts, and build brand awareness in an entertaining and engaging way.
Types of Short-Form Videos
Creating short-form videos can be a great way to promote your small or local business. But what kind of content should you include in these videos? Here are some ideas:
Product Demos
Product demos are short videos that showcase what you offer. These can include features and benefits, as well as a demonstration of how the product works. You could also highlight different use cases for the product.
When creating a product demo video, keeping it short and focused is important. Use visuals and animations to explain complex concepts, and don’t forget to include a call-to-action at the end of the video.
Behind-the-Scenes Footage
Another kind of short-form video that can be effective for small businesses is behind-the-scenes footage. This could include footage of your team working on a project, preparing for an event, or even showing off your workspace.
This kind of video aims to give viewers an inside look at your business and help them feel more connected to you as a brand. Use subtitles or voiceover narration to explain what’s happening in the footage, and try to make it engaging and entertaining.
Customer Testimonials
Customer testimonials are another powerful type of video content that small businesses can create. These videos feature satisfied customers sharing their experiences with your products or services. To create an effective customer testimonial video, reach out to happy customers and ask if they’d be willing to participate in a video testimonial.
When filming, ask open-ended questions that encourage them to share their thoughts in their own words. Be sure to get permission before using any customer testimonials in your marketing materials.
How-To Tutorials
How-to tutorials are another great type of short-form video. These videos provide step-by-step instructions for using your product or service or for completing a related task. When creating a how-to tutorial, make sure to break the instructions down into simple, easy-to-follow steps.
Use visuals and animations to illustrate each step, and don’t forget to include a call-to-action at the end of the video. If possible, try to keep the video under two minutes long so that viewers don’t lose interest.
Types of Short-Form Videos
Tips for Creating Effective Short-form Videos
Creating short videos can be a great way to engage with your audience and promote your brand. However, with the short amount of time, you have to capture your viewer’s attention, it’s important to make sure that every second counts. Here are some tips for creating impactful short-form videos:
Keep it Short and Sweet (Less Than Sixty Seconds)
The first and most important tip is to keep your video under sixty seconds. When it comes to short-form videos, less is definitely more.
You want to make sure that you get your message across quickly and effectively without losing your viewer’s attention. If you have a lot of content to cover, consider breaking it up into a series of shorter videos.
Use Captions or Subtitles for Accessibility
Another important tip is to use captions or subtitles in your videos. This not only makes your content more accessible for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing but also for those who may be watching without sound in public places or on their mobile devices. In addition, these subtitles can help reinforce key messages and make them more memorable.
Show Off Your Brand Personality
Short-form videos are a great opportunity to showcase the personality of your brand. Whether you’re funny, quirky, serious, or informative – let that shine through in your video! People connect with people, so don’t be afraid to inject some personality into your content.
Include a Call-to-Action
Make sure that every video has a clear call-to-action (CTA). This could be anything from “subscribe to our channel” or “visit our website” – whatever action you want the viewer to take after watching the video. Make sure the CTA is clearly visible and easy to follow.
If you’re looking to create short-form videos for your business, remember to keep it short and sweet, use subtitles for accessibility, show off your brand personality, and include a clear call to action. By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to creating an engaging and effective content that resonates with your audience.
| Tip | Description |
|---|---|
| Keep it Short and Sweet (Less Than Sixty Seconds) | Keep your video under sixty seconds to ensure quick and effective message delivery. |
| Use Captions or Subtitles for Accessibility | Include captions or subtitles to make your content accessible and reinforce key messages. |
| Show Off Your Brand Personality | Let your brand’s personality shine through in your videos to connect with your audience. |
| Include a Call-to-Action | Every video should have a clear call-to-action to guide viewers on the desired next steps. |
Tools and Resources for Creating Short-Form Videos
Creating short videos doesn’t have to be a daunting task.
With the right tools and resources at your disposal, you can easily create engaging content that will help your small business thrive.
Smartphone Cameras and Editing Apps
One of the most accessible tools for creating short-form videos is a smartphone camera. Most modern smartphones come equipped with high-quality cameras that can capture crisp, clear footage in high definition.
Using a smartphone camera is an excellent option for those on a budget or just starting out with video creation. In addition to the camera itself, many editing apps are available for smartphones, making it easy to edit your footage on the go.
Popular options include Adobe Premiere Rush, iMovie, and Clips. These apps offer features like trimming and cropping footage, adding text overlays, and adjusting color settings.
Online Video Creation Platforms like Animoto or Canva
If you’re looking for more advanced editing capabilities but don’t have experience with professional video editing software, online video creation sites like Animoto or Canva can be great resources.
These platforms offer user-friendly interfaces that allow you to drag and drop media into pre-designed templates to create polished videos in minutes. Animoto offers a range of templates specifically tailored to small businesses looking to create marketing videos quickly and efficiently.
They also provide access to an extensive library of licensed music tracks that can add polish and personality to your videos. Canva has recently added video editing tools on top of their already popular graphic design platform.
You can choose from pre-designed templates or start from scratch by uploading your own footage or using stock images in their library.
Hiring a Professional Videographer
If you have the budget for it, hiring a professional videographer can take your short-form videos to the next level. A pro will bring knowledge about lighting, framing shots, and sound quality— all important factors when creating high-quality content.
When hiring a professional, it’s important to do your research and find someone whose creative vision aligns with your brand. Look through their portfolio and references to ensure they have experience creating videos similar to what you’re looking for.
Creating short-form videos for small or local businesses doesn’t have to be daunting. Whether you’re starting with a smartphone or hiring a professional videographer, plenty of tools and resources are available to help you create engaging video content that will resonate with your audience.
Examples of Successful Short-form Video Campaigns by Small Businesses
Video content has become a powerful tool for local businesses to reach their target audience. In recent years, a growing number of small and local businesses have leveraged short-form videos to generate engagement, increase brand awareness, and drive sales. Here are two examples of successful short-form video campaigns:
Glossier’s “Get Ready With Me” series on Instagram Stories
Glossier is known for its minimalist, no-makeup makeup aesthetic. In 2018, the beauty brand launched a series of short-form videos on Instagram Stories that followed models and influencers as they got ready for the day using Glossier products.
Each video showcased the products in action and gave viewers a glimpse into the daily lives of people who embody the Glossier brand. The videos were shot approachable and relatable, with models talking directly to the camera while applying makeup.
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The “Get Ready With Me” series was wildly successful, garnering millions of views and thousands of comments from engaged followers. The campaign increased brand awareness and drove sales as viewers rushed to purchase the products featured in each video.
Dollar Shave Club’s viral YouTube ad campaign
In 2012, Dollar Shave Club disrupted the shaving industry with its subscription-based model that delivered high-quality razors right to customers’ doors at an affordable price point. But it wasn’t until the company launched a short-form video ad campaign that it truly took off.
The now-famous commercial featured Dollar Shave Club’s founder Michael Dubin delivering a hilarious monologue about why customers should join his service instead of buying expensive razors at their local drugstore. The ad was cleverly scripted, expertly shot, and had just enough irreverence to make it memorable.
The campaign went viral almost immediately after its release on YouTube, generating millions of views and widespread media coverage. The ad helped Dollar Shave Club establish itself as a major player in the shaving industry and set the standard for how small businesses could effectively use short-form videos to reach their audience.
Conclusion
Short-form videos are a valuable tool for small and local businesses to engage with their customers and attract new ones. With the rise of social media apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter, short-form videos have become essential to any marketing strategy. By showcasing your brand personality, demonstrating your products or services, and sharing behind the scenes moments with your audience, you can build a loyal following that will help grow your business.
Creating short-form videos doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. With the right tools and resources, anyone can create compelling content that resonates with their target audience.
Whether you use a smartphone camera and editing app or hire a professional videographer, the key is to keep it short (less than 60 seconds), show off your brand’s personality, and include a call-to-action that encourages viewers to take action. Successful businesses like Glossier and Dollar Shave Club have shown us just how effective short-form videos can be when done correctly.
By using humor, authenticity, and relatability in their campaigns, they were able to connect with their audiences on an emotional level. This emotional connection is what sets successful businesses apart from their competitors.
If you’re not already using short-form videos as part of your marketing strategy – now is the time to start! With the many benefits they offer, such as increased engagement with customers at a low cost – it’s worth experimenting to see what works best for you.
Get creative with your content ideas; showcase behind the scenes footage or share customer testimonials that highlight how much people love what you do! Just remember – keep it short (less than 60 seconds), and show off your brand personality and style while including a strong call-to-action at the end of each video!
FAQs
Q: What is the trend of short-form videos in video marketing?
A: Short-form videos have become a dominant trend in video marketing due to their ability to engage viewers quickly and convey information in a concise and entertaining way.
Q: What are the best short-form video platforms for small businesses?
A: There are a variety of platforms for short-form video content, including TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. These platforms offer businesses the opportunity to create and share content with potential customers.
Q: What are some best practices for creating short-form videos?
A: Some best practices for creating short-form videos include making use of user-generated content, creating educational videos, and showcasing behind-the-scenes content. It’s also important to keep in mind the short attention spans of viewers and use enticing visuals and concise messaging.
Q: How can short-form videos help promote my small business?
A: Short-form videos can be a powerful tool for small businesses to showcase their products or services to potential customers. By creating content that is engaging, entertaining, and informative, businesses can reach a wider audience and increase brand awareness.
Q: Do I need fancy equipment to create short-form videos?
A: No, businesses don’t need fancy equipment to create short-form videos. Most smartphones today have powerful cameras and video editing tools built-in, making it easy for businesses to produce high-quality content without spending a lot of money on equipment.
Q: What are some ways to leverage short-form videos as part of my marketing strategy?
A: Some ways to leverage short-form video as part of your marketing strategy include incorporating video into your social media content, creating educational content for your target audience, and using video to highlight unique aspects of your business.
Q: What are some short-form video tools that can help me create content?
A: There are a variety of short-form video tools available to businesses, including video editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro, as well as online tools like Animoto and Lumen5. These tools can help businesses create professional-looking videos without a lot of technical expertise.
Q: How can I use Instagram Reels and TikTok to promote my business?
A: Instagram Reels and TikTok offer businesses the opportunity to reach a younger, social media-savvy audience with short-form video content. By creating videos that showcase your products or services in a creative and engaging way, businesses can attract new customers and increase brand awareness.
Q: How can short-form video content fit into my overall content strategy?
A: Short-form video content can be a valuable addition to any content strategy, as it allows businesses to reach audiences in new and engaging ways. By incorporating video into your blog posts, social media content, and other marketing materials, you can increase engagement and improve your overall content performance.
Q: How can I use short-form videos to create educational content for my target audience?
A: Short-form video is a great way to create educational content for your target audience. By breaking down complex ideas into easy-to-understand formats, you can capture the attention of viewers and provide valuable information that can help them better understand your products or services.
