Let’s be honest. Video marketing, at first glance, it seems hard and expensive and it looks like a lot of extra work for small business owners.
You’ve likely considered it, and maybe even convinced yourself that it’s something the big hot shots brands do with their multi-person production teams and endless pockets.
Thing is, you’d be mistaken for thinking that.
Video is not some indulgence any longer. It’s essentially the language that your customers want to speak in. And if you’re not in on this one? You are falling behind to other competitors who have figured this out already.
The Reality Check Nobody Talks About
At the moment, more than a billion hours of video are watched on YouTube each day. That’s not a typo. A billion hours. Daily.
But here’s what is most important for your business: studies establish that video-based content leads to much better retention of information and learning outcomes than text-based content. That’s a big lift when you’re trying to get someone interested in what you’re selling.
However, here’s why video marketing for small businesses in particular gets my adrenaline pumping: You don’t need Hollywood production values.
You really don’t. What you want is authenticity, a good-enough smartphone and a strategy that actually makes sense for your resources.
Starting Where You Are (Not Where You Think You Should Be)
The majority of small business owners are human after all. They see what the monstrous corporations are doing with video, panic and throw in the towel. That’s worse than starting small.
Your first video doesn’t have to be perfect. It needs to be real.
Consider your customers for a moment. What kinds of questions to they keep asking you? What is it that worries them to the point where they can’t sleep at night? Start there. Film yourself answering those questions. That’s content gold, and it’ll only cost you the price of fifteen minutes.
I have actually witnessed Perth local business owners grow their customer base dramatically by simply posting weekly Q&A videos on their social media pages. No scripts. No fancy editing. Just some straight talk about what they do best.
The Types of Videos That Actually Work
Allow me to break down what types of videos are successful for small business:
It’s brilliant because behind-the-scenes works so well, people are nosy. They want to see the process, how you make things, meet your team. That’s the fastest trust-builder there is, far stronger than any sales pitch.
Customer quotes are your secret weapon. There is no better story than a happy customer telling other people how you solved their problem. Film them on your phone. Keep it raw and real.
How-to videos make you the authority in your niche. If you’re a landscaper, tell people how they can choose plants that are going to survive Perth’s climate. If you own a dental clinic, educate them about proper brushing technique. Disseminate information for free and see authority grow.
Product demos are the solution to what people aren’t asking them face-to-face.” Show how it works. Show what makes yours different. Display what they’ll get in return.
Building Your YouTube Marketing Strategy (Without Losing Your Mind)
YouTube is more than just a video platform. It is the second-largest search engine in the world. Just think for a moment about what that means.
If someone were to search for “how to fix a leaky tap in Perth” or “best bridal stores near me” on YouTube, would you be keen on your company appearing? Of course you do.
Here’s the YouTube game plan that makes sense without becoming a time suck:
- Post one video per week: Choose a day and commit. Consistency beats perfection every time.
- Write titles that serve as answers: “How Much Does Professional SEO Cost in Perth?” performs better than “Our Services.”
- Fully describe yourself: You should have at least 200 words with links to your website and contact information. This is just SEO 101 which is friendly for YouTube as well as Google rankings.
- Make attention-grabbing thumbnails: It is what people see first. Free tools are good enough — fancy designers, you know, optional.
If video SEO feels like a bit of an overload, let Slinky take that load for you through their digital marketing services.
We step-brother efficient video content and keyword research that actually counts, all while devising plans to getting your videos found by the right people in Perth.
Social Media: Where Your Videos Need to Live
And this is where small businesses screw up. They make a video, and they put one copy of that video up everywhere in the exact same way. That’s lazy and it will not work.
Here are the rules and audiences for each:
- Facebook: 3-5 minute videos: Favor behind-the-scenes content. Upload directly for better reach.
- Instagram: 30-60 seconds max: Stories for fast, little updates. Reels are majorly pushed by the algorithm.
- LinkedIn: Career guides and industry insights for the professional. Keep it informative, not boring.
The influx of social media platforms can be intimidating when considering where to put in the effort to market one’s brand online.
The thing about social media marketing is, you see, different people spend time at different places. A LinkedIn-optimised video might be a dud on Instagram. Test, learn, adjust.
Slinky About We plan and create highly targeted platform specific content calendar Our social media marketing helps you reach more people than ever.
Making Videos People Actually Want to Watch
The only difference between a video people watch and one that they scroll past is the first three seconds. That’s all you’ve got to snatch them in.
Lead with a question, or with a bold statement or present the end result. “Want to put $500 back into your picket?” outperforms “Hi, I’m with XYZ Solar Company” every time.
Keep your videos focused. One subject, one message, one call to action. Try shoehorning everything in and people tune out.
Well, the audio quality matters much more than video quality. Strange but true. “People will put up with average video, but if the audio’s awful they’ll click away within seconds. An adequate microphone is around fifty bucks.
No need for expensive lighting. Shoot near a window during the day. Natural light is free and beautiful. Have your face toward the window, not with the window behind you.
The Technical Stuff (Made Simple)
You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on ridiculous software in order to edit videos. Your phone likely included decent editing tools just by turning it on.
Free options for computer editing — like DaVinci Resolve or iMovie — are more than enough for most small businesses.
Video duration varies by platform and content:
- Teaser clips for social media: 15-30 seconds.
- Instagram feed videos: 30-60 seconds.
- Facebook videos: 2-5 minutes.
- YouTube videos: 5-15 minutes for how-tos.
- Longer content (more than 20 minutes) is fine if you’re teaching something complicated.
Don’t overthink the editing. Jump cuts are fine. For small business video content, authenticity wins over polished.
Getting Your Videos Found (The SEO Connection)
Video SEO is not very different from standard SEO. Keywords matter. Descriptions matter. Engagement matters even more.
Every time you upload a video to YouTube, you are essentially creating another webpage that Google can rank. That means more opportunities to appear when potential business customers are searching.
Here’s what helps:
- 4- Use the core keywords in video title.
- If you cater to local clients, share your location with people.
- If your videos are lengthy, provide timestamps in your description.
- Include a transcript ( you can have Youtube to do that automatically for you).
- Its very important to ask for likes, comments and subscribes (engagement signals).
And here’s the secret sauce – embed your videos on your website. This lowers your bounce rate (which Google’s a fan of).
A website design that integrates video, as a life giving element to the site naturally ranks higher in search engines renders greater visitor engagement and lead conversions.
Creating a Content Calendar You’ll Actually Stick To
Planning is what separates businesses who succeed with video from those that call it quits after 2 weeks.
Batch your filming. Spend a day every month making four videos. That’s your weekly content sorted. This method is so much easier than filming something new each week.
If you’re wondering how to get started in social media marketing properly, a content calendar is the first step.
Your content calendar could end up something like this:
- Week 1: Customer FAQ
- Week 2: Behind-the-scenes
- Week 3: Product/service showcase
- Week 4: Industry tip or news
Repeat that cycle. Keep it simple. Never make anything too complicated that you end up not doing it at all.
Where Slinky Can Help
Video marketing is not in a vacuum. It’s most effective when it is integrated into a larger strategy for doing business in the digital world.
This is where having associated with a true digital agency comes in. At Slinky, we have helped businesses throughout Perth implement genuine digital marketing strategies that produce results. And when we say measurable ROI, we don’t just mean warm fuzzies.
We can also rank your videos and pages to Google or YouTube. We understand how to optimise videos tags, descriptions and titles; generate content strategy based on what your customers are searching for; as well as securing links to increase online visibility.
Social media advertising is another part of the equation. Knowing where to post your videos, when to post them and how take systemize and amplify their reach with paid advertising — that’s where 20+ years of experience comes in handy.
Your website must also support your video strategy. Our web design builds sites that load videos fast, look awesome on mobile (where most video is watched), and turn viewers into customers.
The Bottom Line
Video marketing for small businesses is not just about taking on the big corporate boys. It’s not bringing in a sales person; it’s showing up as yourself, answering real questions and trust building with the people that could potentially be your customers.
Start small. Film on your phone. Post consistently. Learn what works. Adjust as you go.
The businesses getting it right with video today are not the ones with the most money to spend. (By the way, metapattern No. 2: These are the ones who began before they were ready and stayed more dedicated longer than their competition.)
You’ve got the tools. You have knowledge about your business that no one else has. The question is, will you put that on camera or let your competitors do it before you?
Need help creating a comprehensive video marketing strategy that complements your other digital endeavors? We have been assisting Perth businesses succeed online since 1998.
Call us on (08) 6102 8944 or see how our smart digital marketing has driven serious results for other small businesses.
The best time to start video marketing was yesterday. The second-best time? Right now.