What’s the business value of a video? Seven reasons why you should showcase your business with a video.

February 29, 2012

Drive more sales leads with video: “view and contact”

By Maureen McCabe

This blog is written to answer the most frequently asked question of McCabe Marketing – “What’s the business value of a video?” There is “staying power” in a marketing video. It generates more leads, more sales and more profits for small business owners.

Are you old enough to remember when someone asked if you had a fax machine? Then you were asked for your fax number. The assumption was you had one. Today, people just ask for your website address and if you don’t have one – you feel you have to justify it.

People are now starting to ask if you have a video showcasing your business. When you do – you smile and say it’s on your homepage and on YouTube. And you smile because you’re ahead of most – if not all of your competitors and now they have to play catch up. And if you still don’t have a website – that’s okay because video is an alternative to showcase your business.

There are seven reasons why small business owners should showcase their business with a video:

1.  Build trust and credibility

A video can build trust and credibility with your prospective customers. What used to be “try and buy” – is now “view and buy” or “view and contact”. According to Forrester Research one minute of video equals 1.8 million words.

Video puts you miles ahead compared to text on your website or a pretty picture. A welcome video on your homepage introduces prospective customers to your business the way you want to be seen.

2.  Conversion tool = more leads

Video is a fantastic tool to make a prospective customer take action, to send an email note, request a quote or a free consultation with a marketing specialist, make a phone call, and buy your product online. These are all benefits of a business video.

3.  Video Marketing: Search Engine Optimization or SEO = get found by your customers online

Having a video is one of the best ways of showing up in the top results on Google. In fact, when your video is optimized (e.g. SEO) it increases the chance of a front-page Google result 53x according to Forrester Research. Your site may not appear on the first page of Google when a customer Google’s you – but your video can.

If you want to be found and seen – create a business video!

4.  Sticky eye balls on your website

There is staying power with video. Provide valuable content and your prospective customer will continue to watch. A visitor to your website will make a quick decision to stay on your site within 3-5 seconds, but they will watch a video for 20 seconds and with valuable content almost half of the viewers will watch the video for one minute or more.

The bottom line – video engages the prospect to spend more time on your site. More time means higher conversion rates. They’ll contact you for more information.

5.  YouTube + Video Sharing

Leverage video marketing. YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world and third most popular website in Canada.

By posting your promotional or educational video on YouTube and other video sharing sites such as Vimeo, Flickr and Myspace – your business can get more traffic or potential buyers to your website.

TIP:  Use Vimeo to embed your video on your site because it uses less bandwidth to view. Why? Faster response time means your prospects won’t evacuate your site while waiting for the video to load.

6.  The competition

When you have a video you are not just another business with a website. You can be a leader or follower it’s your choice. To be or not to be, there is no question a video is a competitive advantage.

7.  Testimonials

Let your customers be ambassadors for your business. Testimonials deliver confidence in your business and have a lot to do with the sharp increase in your website conversions – prospective customers contacting you. Testimonials are a great option if you’re camera shy!

There are five ways your video can be turned into rich media and search engine friendly content when you repurpose it. I will dedicate an entire blog about this topic.

The bottom-line about video marketing

Do you want to be “found” and “seen” online by prospective customers – and – journalists? Video has helped cinch two interviews for me on CTV (Canada’s top TV network) and Canada’s largest newspaper The Toronto Star.

Remember – there is a video option to suit any budget, connect with our team today.

Learn more about videos and media interviews

Practical tips for getting local media interviews to promote your small business
Nine tips for media interviews – How and why I was interviewed on CTV’s Pattie Lovett-Reid Show
Promotional marketing videos generated many media interviews. Twice with The Toronto Star.

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