Here are some statistics that you may or may not know about small business videos –

  • 85% of businesses in the US use videos as part of their online marketing.
  • 89% of marketers say that video generates one of the highest ROI in their digital marketing campaigns.
  • 44% of audiences are more likely to purchase a product/service after watching a video about it.
  • Videos offer a 60% customer return rate – which is pretty high.

These numbers are impressive and you may even be thinking of ways to use online video for business marketing. But you also might be wondering, why it is that business videos outperform other text-based marketing tactics. For example, 80% of people would rather consume content in video format, while only 20% are willing to read content.

The reason lies in the simple fact that business videos have the ability to make a direct and personal appeal to prospects in a way that other forms of marketing content can’t. In this article, we’ll explore how you can become a powerful business video maker and how you can use online videos to nurture a personal connection with your target audience.

Why are videos excellent for creating a personal connection with the audience?

Online-video-marketing-agency-2Humans are visual creatures. Many of us tend to learn and respond to the world around us, through our five senses, the primary one of which is sight. In 1998, Lang et. al, found out that the visual cortices of their study participants activated more often and stronger when they viewed images that were emotional. In 2003, Schupp et. Al provided further insight in a related study, by proving that emotional responses start from our vision. What participants saw on the screen during the study, was quickly interpreted by their brains as pleasant, neutral, or unpleasant, generating related emotional responses.

These emotional responses tended to be stronger and more responsive, during the context or intent was present. A 2014 study by Brieber et al showed that people viewing artwork in museums had more positive emotional responses, compared to participants who viewed the same artworks in a laboratory setting.

This proves that not only are humans hardwired evolutionarily to respond to visuals. But, when these visuals are shown to us at the right time and the right place, they can create memorable and enjoyable experiences that elicit strong (and often positive) responses from us. Such emotions-inducing visuals – especially when pleasant – can allow people to feel a deep resonance and connectedness to the person/brand showcasing the visuals.

In terms of business videos, creating an online video for business marketing and optimizing it to reach the target audience at the right time, can ensure that the audience will transform from a passive viewer to an active lead or even a conversion. It does so by playing on the audience’s need for a specific product/service and their intent to look for a solution to their need.

Tips to create a powerful, effective, and compelling online video for business marketing

Business-video-makerWorking with an online video marketing agency to create soulful and evocative videos can be a great way to build a deep and loyal connection with your audience. Here are a few ways you can make your small business videos more emotionally engaging –

1. Show them your personal trials and victories when building the brand

People love seeing the rags to riches story. Even if yours isn’t that, you would still have experienced challenges and problems, while trying to set up your brand. There must have been a personal motivation for doing business in this particular industry or for targeting this specific customer segment.

Making a business video that chronicles your journey from idea to business, can be a great way to show your audience how passionate you are about helping them. When they see you working this hard to give them ways to lead more empowered lives, they’ll feel a greater degree of connection to your brand.

2. Get your employees to talk about their experience of working for you

Another way to make a direct and personal connection with your audience is to have your employees talk about their experiences with you.

Everyone loves to purchase from a brand that is humanistic and which treats its employees well. But when employees vouch that their lives did receive a positive impact after working at the company – well, the positive response that audiences feel towards such a brand, is very high.

Here it’s important to choose employees who genuinely feel that being employed with you makes a difference in their lives. If this genuineness doesn’t come through, your video won’t be as powerful. But if done right, you’ll see that many in the audience will want to be associated with a brand that makes so many people’s lives easier.

3. Feature loyal patrons in your testimonial videos

Having your existing customers – especially repeat customers – feature in your videos, can be a powerful endorsement of your brand. Such videos showcase how different people – who were/are just like the viewer – use your brand and how they benefit from it.

Such videos can increase the audience’s faith in your brand and make them feel kindlier towards you because you featured someone just like them in your videos. Your audience will begin to think and feel that if your products/services could help that person in the video, maybe it can help them too. Your non-converted audience may consider trying out your products and become customers.

4. Create visual stories that mimic the audience’s real life

A small business video that features a storyline that is similar to the experiences, joys, and sorrows that the audience face, in reality, can be very intimate and compelling. Such a video makes the audience feel that they’re seeing their own life play out on screen. When they see how your brand can make things better for the protagonist, reduce their problems, increase their mental peace and make them joyful, they’ll believe that you will be able to help them too.

A sense of trust starts to form between the audience and your brand. Here, you’re connecting with the audience on the most intimate level possible, by letting them know that you truly understand them and can offer them what they need.

Such a video will be even more powerful if you offer advice about experiences or situations that your audience struggles with. Your video then not only becomes an emotional appeal, but it connects with your prospects on an intellectual level too. They’ll see that you really want to help them and they’ll appreciate you for it.

5. Use your videos to create an aspirational world the audience wants to be part of

Aspirational marketing is a very powerful tool. In fact, aspirational videos that showcase a world that is exclusive, often inspire people to take the necessary steps that will enable them to join this exotic and one-of-a-kind world. In this case, your business video will offer a sense of escape from the normal toils and troubles of the world. Here, audiences will be in a space that is safe and serene, and, which perhaps offers privilege, status and elite connections. Aspirational videos can be great to garner the respect and appreciation of a niche clientele.

6. Have comedians feature in your videos to create a humorous appeal

Creating funny videos can offer a vibrant atmosphere where your audiences will have a laugh and destress. Having humor as one of the tricks of your visual trade is a great way to help your viewers associate your brand with good times. Since laughter releases endorphins, not only will your audience feel more emotionally bonded to your brand, but they’ll feel happy every time they come across your brand. That’s such a great way to develop a direct and deep connection.

7. Invite audiences to share their experiences with you

Customer / user-generated content works very well for customer engagement videos. When an audience watches such videos, it makes them feel that your brand values, sees and hears what the customer has to say. When you invite your audience to share their experiences with your brand, you create for yourself an opportunity to actively engage with your audience. You can even incentivize these engagements by offering free samples of new products or giveaways or gifts, to further cement the audience’s connection to you.

Wrapping up

Now that you know how to create a powerful and evocative online video for business marketing, seek the help of an online video marketing agency and implement the tips we’ve given above. Let us know how your audience grows with the help of these tips.