One thing I can always predict(and most probably others can too) about most small businesses is that they’re always short on marketing budget. It is a common thing I’ve seen: either they genuinely don’t have the funds for marketing or aren’t prioritizing it as they should. This is about to be a great read if you’re looking to create video content as a small business.
From all the tips we are going to discuss, defining your core audience and main goal is non-negotiable. Your marketing campaigns entirely depend on these basic foundations, so it is important that you do it right.
Define Your Audience
As discussed at the beginning of the article, defining your target audience should be a strong foundation.
Just take a pen and paper and note down what your ideal audience is looking for and their demographics. For example, if you have a software company, your target audience could be looking for a solution to a technical issue, and the audience demographic would be global.
Main Points to Note:
It is foolish to spend any money on content creation when you don’t even know your ideal target audience.
Using video content as a marketing tool is a great idea to capture leads and convert them into paying customers.
Decide Your Main Goal
No matter what industry you’re in or how small your company is, your end goal should be converting the leads into customers. I know that most of you who are generating leads right now are only doing so through word of mouth or email marketing. But there is one way to generate leads, build brand awareness, and market your product at the same time, which is through video content marketing. It is better to stick to one goal: lead generation if your company doesn’t yet have a customer base.
As a Small Business, Your Main Goals Should Be:
Lead generation: It’s great if you can create compelling videos that educate your audience about your product. They don’t have to be long, with a maximum limit of 3 to 4 minutes. There is one mistake I see most people make, which I highly recommend against: Running ads on product explainer videos. These are better posted on organic channels.
Creating brand awareness: Videos meant to create brand awareness are completely different from product explainers. These can be fun, engaging videos that are also informational. The main goal of posting these is to drive as much engagement as possible.
Leverage AI
If you’re one of those people who are treating AI like a fad, then I’m afraid that you’re missing out. Small companies were literally unable to produce content due to high production costs. AI video generation tools have made it easier to generate any video you can imagine. All you have to do is enter a detailed prompt explaining exactly what you want out of a video.
You don’t have to worry about hiring actors, purchasing cameras, and spending long hours making manual edits. There are a variety of tools that can generate a video within minutes, whether it’s cinematic videos or corporate videos.
Main Points to Note:
Prompt: Think about a prompt like something of a command. In the context of AI video generator tools, prompts can be provided through text, images, audio, or a combination of those.
You don’t need a dedicated marketing team to generate videos with AI. The only requirement is that you should be able to write a detailed prompt.
Don’t Waste AI Credits
Note: AI credits are a type of currency used by most generative AI tools to measure and charge customers for using AI features. Each subscription gives you access to a limited number of credits.
Like everything in life, nothing comes for free. Do NOT assume that all AI video tools are equal, as each tool is great at generating a specific type of video. Depending on your video creation needs, the tool you choose will significantly decide how your final video looks.
The AI video tool consumes a certain amount of credits each time you generate a video. This is why it’s best to ensure you don’t waste too many credits during the trial-and-error process.
Key Highlights:
I get that the trial-and-error process for creating AI videos can be fun, but be mindful of not using more AI credits than necessary for every generation.
You’re more likely to run out of credits on entry-level plans, as they offer fewer credits. So, either you consume your credits carefully on your entry-level plan or check coupons for premium subscriptions. This will give you access to more credits at affordable prices.
Start with a Strong Hook
The first few seconds matter more than the rest of your video. A great way to hook your audience is to start the video with a compelling question or a visual. Please note: This hook should be relevant to the title and match the viewer’s intent. If you’re using an AI video generator, make sure you write the prompt for the video intro in detail. It is even better if you dedicate a separate prompt for generating the hook alone.
Key Highlights:
Talk about the viewer’s pain point at the start of the video. This will increase the chances of the viewer paying attention throughout the video.
A video that starts with a great hook has higher average watch time.
People won’t watch your video for long if you don’t have a good hook, no matter how good your content is.
Always Add a CTA(Call to Action)
For those of you who don’t know, a call to action is like a prompt that encourages the viewer to take a certain action after watching the video. The CTA for your video must be chosen carefully depending on the type of video and the content in it.
And in case you’re wondering whether it’s necessary to add the CTA at the end of the video, the answer is no. There is no rule that a CTA must be added at the end of the video. You can place it anywhere in the video where it’s relevant and fits naturally.
Key Points to Note:
It is important to keep the CTA conversational.
Ways to add a CTA at the end of the video: Add a text overlay or have the voice actor say stuff like “check out our latest products” or “don’t forget to subscribe”.
Suggestion: Get Real Voice Actors
I know that this is what you’re thinking right now: “Why would I hire real voice actors, as I already have AI video and audio generator tools”? Using AI video generation tools is great for generating any video you can imagine, but there is one thing they are still not good at: voice-overs. Although these tools often come with an AI voice-over feature, using them might make your video not authentic, as they still sound fake.
Key Highlights:
Using AI-generated videos with real human voice-overs will help your content stand out.
Exception: AI voices are better used in corporate training videos where the quality of the audio doesn’t matter.
Even though AI video generators have changed marketing, adding a human touch has its own value.
Last Words
Creating videos without going over budget should be the main goal of small businesses like yours. This is where AI video generators can be of great use, as you don’t have to hire actors or need expensive recording equipment. All you need is a good AI tool with a sufficient number of AI credits to generate multiple video variations.
