It seems that the world has become both bigger and smaller with the dawn of the Internet marketplace. We can reach out to the farthest corners of the earth through the web, and we can do it in an instant, with a simple click. But even though opportunities for buyers and sellers have exploded in recent dot-com decades, some things will never change. Brick and mortar stores introduce experiences for all of the senses together, letting us touch and feel, and offering a true experience of instant gratification—unlike the vast e-commerce marketplace that asks us to reach out into space and then wait. Small businesses run by people who are very connected to their products and services offer the consumer an opportunity to relate and trust in people.
Even if you do a lot of your marketing online—and we’re guessing you do—you can lean on these pillars of sensory and emotional connections and consumers’ preference for readily available advice and information. We found all of these advantages through video marketing. As a Santa Cruz family-owned and operated summer camp, we want to get the word out about our important opportunities to as many families as possible but not at the expense of our grounded community values. In fact, video marketing allows us to highlight the heart and tradition that has sustained our small business for 70 years—to transcend the impersonal nature of common marketing strategies today.
With our attention spans waning, you don’t have a lot of time to get your message across, especially online, where there are plenty of related and unrelated stimuli competing for precious little attention. Video can deliver the point, and more (think: emotional appeal), in a short amount of time.
Consumers tend to expect that clicking on a video will give them just what they need to know in a digestible package—and a way to bypass time spent reading text. Meet that expectation, and deliver what they want in a way that is memorable. Studies have shown that emotional connection at the time a memory is created can help us store and retrieve that memory later on. By presenting something particularly interesting and personal, like a heartfelt story, you are helping the viewer to more easily remember you.
In the same way, viewers will likely connect on a more personal level with your product or service than with that of a company marketing the product or service alone. Remember, you’re not just making a sale; you’re building relationships with customers that will be more enduring and profitable than that single moment of sale. Video puts a face and a personality on the other side of the transaction, and people can sense when the story you tell is authentic or contrived. So, be willing to share the parts of you and your small business that bring it down to earth, to a level that visitors can relate to. When customers can see the family that makes up your small business, a real and lasting relationship is born as they become invested in growing with you.
Video gives you the power to make marketing personal and to appeal to the eyes, ears, and emotions at the same time. It also gives you the power to distribute your message efficiently and effectively because it’s not just consumers who value an available video; Google also values quality mixed media content. After all, Google wants to deliver the resources that consumers really want and need. The better your reputation with consumers, the better your reputation with Google, and vice versa. You need ways to get your content into the hands of visitors (Google and other search engines are the ways), and your content needs to be honest and cutting edge for that to happen. Here’s how to embrace the chicken and the egg!
With compelling video, you can meet some of your bigger competitors that spend a lot of money on marketing campaigns, and you can give consumers ways to personally relate and reasons to trust in you—and your product through you. You don’t even need to invest much in order to produce compelling video. The most important thing is the content you deliver, so trust in your team’s individual talents and expertise, and let them shine. Free and low-cost video editing applications put advanced tools in your hands, and it isn’t critical that your marketing video be perfect. In fact, you can embrace the homemade vibe and stay true to it, so your viewers believe it is intentional and even more representative of your small local business that is still very much plugged into the grounded community.
Short and simple is actually better, considering our limited attention spans. On that note, it’s important to give people quick and easy ways to actively respond to your video message. Unlike with TV commercials, when you are streaming videos on the computer or phone you are already in a prime position to follow the breadcrumbs to more information and resources.
Your video serves as the important hook for visitors’ interest and their reason for wanting more. Include links to your homepage and other relevant landing pages on your site. Give them a clear call to action that reiterates the great service you offer and how easy it is to get in touch and find out more. Integrate Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter buttons for a quick way to bookmark and, especially, to share with others. These days, one of your very best tools for advancing your brand is having links from other reputable websites and businesses. If your content is a truly helpful resource, people will view it as worth sharing; they may not even realize that they are enthusiastically advocating for you and what you offer the market.
It is equally important that small local businesses stay true to the grounded family spirit that adds value to our communities and that they hop on board with those effective marketing trends that don’t compromise that same spirit and integrity. Videos are one powerful way to achieve both. In fact, producing these videos can invite team-building and a chance to revisit the homegrown qualities that make your small business special and successful in its own right. The ROI takes into account the customer conversions possible through video marketing, as well as the strengthening of your business family and wider community in the process.
At Kennolyn, we’re passionate about our camp programs that are rooted in tradition and multi-generational community. So, we’re constantly finding a balance with modern technology’s advantages and disadvantages. To find out more about how we do this, just get in touch.
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