Small Business Internet Marketing
Big changes have taken place over the years in the way we do business. We now live in both and offline and online world and business can play a major part in both. For a small business the benefits have never been so strong. There is a lot of scope for small business internet marketing.
All businesses, whether they are large or small, should be aware that in the new media revolution, online video marketing plays a massive role. You should certainly aim for a small business internet marketing presence to increase sales.
Here are some interesting statistics for the new media revolution:
- YouTube has become the 2nd most popular search engine
- Online video has exploded
- More than 60% of all internet traffic is accounted for by online video
- In the United States alone, 26 billion online videos were viewed each month
In recent years the mobile revolution has taken off and online video has become a part of this also. Portable devices such as Blackberry, iPads, iPhones, tablets and Android devices are everywhere, world over. You may actually be the owner of one of these devices yourself and realize you are able to watch video on them.
Something to be aware of when doing small business internet marketing is that there are 4 times as many mobile device users as there are internet users. Not only that, but 33% of phones utilise high speed data services.
This of course represents a major change in the way we do business. Whether you have a national, global or local business, you want to be where your customers are likely to hang out, no matter what time of day. You need your product or service slap bang in front of them. The best way for you to do small business internet marketing is of course you guessed it, web video content.
To get your message across the old fashioned way meant using a television commercial, a yellow pages advert or even a radio spot. Thankfully there are now better ways that small business internet local marketing can make an impact. Yes the video revolution has arrived and if you are not part of it then ask yourself why.
Perhaps you are wondering if people are actually searching for your product or service online. The truth is they are, not necessarily on Google alone. They are searching on the thousands of other social media sites out there such as Facebook, YouTube, MySpace etc. As part of small business internet marketing, some even use Twitter to promote their products or services.
Why web video will benefit your local business
1) Attract more customers
By using online video you are reaching out to a wider audience. Ask yourself, would you rather read a long rambling piece of text on a webpage for 20 minutes or watch a 5 minute video? It really is a no brainer and most people will opt for the video.
2) Watch any place at anytime
People who have an iPad, smartphone, tablet, pc etc, can access video content anywhere at any time. Ask yourself, are all these mobile device users finding your product or service?
3) Engage your prospects
Using text is an ok method of getting your message across. Adding a photo or two as part of your small business internet marketing strategy will enhance it even more. However none of this can compare to a video because people love visual things. They are used to watching TV so naturally it follows that video will instantly appeal also.
4) Stay ahead of the competition
Video will help to make you stand out from your competitors. If you are an electrician who has been searched for on Google and you have a website full of text and there is another electrician site with online video, who do you imagine is likely to get more business? Probably the site with the online web video. This would be the site that has the small business internet marketing focus also.
5) High search engine rankings
Video shows now in the Google search results. There is every chance your video could land on the first page of Google. Think what that would do for your website traffic.
6) Go viral with your videos
One of the benefits of modern media is that people can share content they like. Imagine someone likes your video on YouTube and with the click of a button they share it with their thousands of Twitter or Facebook friends. Imagine the avalanche of traffic you will get. That traffic can well turn into sales. This is how you should be doing small business internet marketing as it will give tremendous exposure for your business.
If you are using old traditional ways of marketing you are leaving sales on the table and lagging behind your competition. Surely it’s time to move ahead and grab the opportunities in front of you.
What kind of videos can be created?
- How to videos
- Tips
- Frequently asked questions
- About your company
- Product reviews
- Sales page text reproduced in video format
Let’s look at that last point. How would a video sales page impact your business? Quite a lot in actual fact. People are visual in nature, due in part to having grown up with television and movies. We are far more receptive to seeing and hearing things.
When faced with a long piece of text to read, in the form of a sales page, we tend to not read all the way through. We like to digest just the best bits and the most important element of all will be the price.
On the other hand, a video of someone talking about a product or service is going to strike a chord with us. If you load your video onto YouTube there is a chance it could become quite popular if people like the content. If this happens you could expect more people to come and visit your website.
Conclusion
Online video as part of small business internet marketing, will revolutionise your business, get you clients and boost your sales. You owe it to yourself and your business to use web video as part of your marketing strategy.
