When I’m helping small business owners with their online marketing I often get a cagey reaction when I recommend making a video to help boost traffic and SEO.
In this article I’ll look at five of the most common concerns about making a business video and posting it to YouTube.
- I don’t know what my video should be about
Making a video is similar to blogging in that many people can’t think of what to say. Your video could be about anything to do with your business from introducing yourself, talking about a new service/product, giving people tips related to your sector, reviewing a business book through to a humorous spoof of a popular film or TV show.
Your online video can literally be about anything you want it to be. Let your imagination run wild and don’t be afraid. If you’re really stuck for ideas, search YouTube to see what other people on your sector are doing. If all else fails, you can always talk about something topical that’s going on in your industry.
- Nobody will want to watch it
You may think nobody will want to watch your business video on YouTube but you’d be wrong. YouTube gets around 800 million unique visitors every single month who watch 4 billion hours of video content. *
There will be people interested in what you’ve got to say. Who knows what might come of uploading a business video on YouTube? I know of one company in Glasgow that got over 11 million hits for their video which totally transformed their business overnight. That’s an extreme case, but even just one viewer could lead to a lot of new work.
*source: http://www.youtube.com/t/press_statistics
- What if it puts potential customers off?
What if it doesn’t? What if it is very well received and helps you land a lot of new business? If you make a business video and are unsure how good (or otherwise it is), ask people you know to give you their honest opinions before uploading it.
- Making a video will cost too much money
Many PCs come with a webcam that allows you to record short videos. Most people I know own a digital camcorder. If you don’t have one, just ask friends and family if you can borrow theirs.
Have a look at some of the business videos on YouTube. I’ll admit that some are very slick and professionally done, but the vast majority are clearly low budget. It doesn’t matter; people aren’t expecting amazing production values from you, you’re not making a film with A-list actors in it.
Focus on the content of your video rather than making it look all shiny and amazing!
- I don’t have time to make an online video
Yes you do. That’s just an excuse. If you genuinely don’t have time to market your business via online video (which I very much doubt) then you can always outsource it.
It’s the same excuse I hear about blogging. Some people tell me they don’t have time to blog, only to waste about an hour a day checking their emails unnecessarily.
It’s 2013. People want to watch videos on all types of subjects. Take the plunge and see what it can do for your website in terms of traffic and SEO.
If you liked this article you should also read: Five ideas for short business videos
Image credit: piddy77 (image license)
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