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Your Customers Are Watching Videos

23 Jun 2022

You might not realize it, but your customers are watching videos. They’re watching them on Instagram, Tiktok, and other video platforms every day—eager to catch a behind-the-scenes glimpse from a favorite hair stylist, home contractor, or chef. Hubspot reports that people have nearly doubled their online video consumption in just four years. And this trend is only going to continue to grow.

To reach customers where they’re scrolling, small business owners must join in on the trend. If you want to stay on top of the game in the video-centric world of 2022, here are a few basic tips.

Fortunately for you, VIIRL has the tools to boost your business’s presence. We can help you design videos that are engaging, shareable, and interesting to your audience, giving you a better chance of building brand awareness and—ultimately—more clients.

 

GETTING STARTED

You don’t need to have expensive equipment to be successful on social media. Here are some tools we recommend helping you create video content:

  • A basic tripod that can wrap around objects—this will allow you to set up the camera in places where it might not otherwise be possible, like indoors or in small spaces.
  • A small lightbox to supplement when shooting in poor lighting—if there’s not enough natural light streaming through your windows, this will help even out the shadows and make your videos look more professional.
  • Video editing apps like InShot (free) and Mojo ($9.99/month) will help you add effects and transitions between shots, as well as trimming clips down for a better overall product.
  • A planning tool like Later or Plann will help organize your posting schedule so that you’re not posting all at once or missing days entirely.

 

CONSISTANCY > PERFECTION

 

If you’re trying to build a strong social media brand, it can be tempting to post whenever you want. After all, who has time or energy for content creation?

For marketing success, consistency is more important than quality.

Business Insider says the algorithm favors consistency over perfection. A bad video won’t hurt your engagement. Instead, treat each post like a quick snack for the consumer: give them enough information to satisfy their hunger and keep them coming back, but don’t make them work too hard or think too much about what they’re eating.

The average attention span for a piece of content on Facebook and Instagram is 1.7 seconds on a mobile device, according to Meta. Remind yourself that viewers aren’t judging your videos as you create your content strategy.

 

CREATE CONTENT AROUND DAY-TO-DAY LIFE

 

You may be surprised to learn that as a business owner, you have far more footage than you realize. Create content that is tailored to the needs of your target audience. Count the number of times your customers have asked about your company’s products and services! You can answer those questions in a video.

There are endless possibilities for social media content, including behind-the-scenes footage of a roofing installation, 15-second clips introducing new products, a before and after HVAC project, or kitchen remodeling.

 

DON’T OVERCOMPLICATE ENGAGEMENT

 

If you want your social media marketing to be a success, it’s important to engage with your followers.

It can be hard to know how to do this effectively, though. Instead of trying to find the perfect combination of hashtags or worrying about what kinds of posts will get more likes, just keep it simple: Respond to your followers in the comments or encourage viewers to tag a friend by offering discounts or freebies.

And most of all, make sure you’re prioritizing work-life balance. Checking notifications and responding to customers can be helpful—but it’s okay—and healthy—to check out at the end of the day.