3 ways small businesses can use video to become social media ninjas

Photo courtesy of wikimedia and Joey Gannon

Photo courtesy of wikimedia and Joey Gannon

Social media can be both the simplest and most challenging method of marketing for small business owners. With social media, you can easily reach customers who were formerly beyond your grasp. However, if not done correctly, using social media can make your company look boring and out of touch. That said, I thought I should put together a quick list of the 3 Ways Small Businesses Can Use Video to Become Social Media Ninjas.

  1. Put a face to your company – #BeCreative #BuildTrust
    We’ve all seen it; many of us are guilty of it…social media can be an impersonal way to communicate. Personalization is quickly becoming a need for consumers in all demographics. Not only do people want to know who’s communicating with them, they want to know that you appreciate them as individuals. Video is a great way to meet these needs.

    The catalyst for this blog post is an amazing example of putting a face with the business. A few minutes after following @ChefLizette1 on Twitter, I received the following video tweet from her…

    Chef Lizette took a few of seconds to view my Twitter profile and give me a compliment in her response to me. As I told her at the time, I thought the video reply was an innovative way to make her brand memorable and personalize the Twitter experience. Chef Lizette’s originality gave me an instant connection with her brand and delivered an interaction I will never forget.

    Using videos on your social media feed like this one will allow customers to see actual people involved in the business. In addition to the Chef Lizette example, another effective approach is to post videos of behind-the-scenes footage of your business, allowing followers to see you, what you do and how you do it.

    Oh, am I the only one wondering where she’s eating (her being a chef and all, lol)?

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  3. Allow others to speak for your business – #SocialProof
    Leaving customer acquisition solely to you and your employees is unnecessary. Social media allows customers to leave comments, suggestions, and concerns for any business. A great way to let others do the talking is to allow customers to send video endorsements about your company and post them to you social media page. You can ask for contributions by soliciting testimonials through your website, sending information via email, or advertising at your physical location.
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  5. Make it about more than just the brand – #Don’tAdvertise
    If you notice in Chef Lizette’s video response to me, she didn’t reference her brand, not even once. Her mission was to make a connection with me…personalization. From that communication, I was compelled to learn more about her. So, I promptly read some of her twitter posts and I visited her website.

    She didn’t have to acquaint me with her product; I did that work on my own.

    A logical extension on this would be to use video to be seen as an expert in your field. If you own a consignment boutique, you could post very short videos on, “14 Ways to Maximize Your Wardrobe” or “When Second-Hand Goes Wrong”. These videos can achieve the same result as Chef Lizette’s personalized video reply. People will watch your videos and, if done right, be compelled to learn more about you and your company.

    Consumers who are invested in online socializing are excited to engage in new and stimulating content. Your customers are already attracted to your brand. Now, it’s your job to keep them interested by wowing them at every opportunity. Don’t use videos to advertise your business but more so to keep customers wanting to come back to your business.

Videos are a smart way to personalize your social media page, and the three ways listed above will help you achieve this successfully.

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Guest bloggers for the TDS Business Blog.

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