A Guide to Small Business Video Marketing on a Tight Budget!

Sep 4, 2024 7:32:46 AM

Is your small business struggling to make its mark in the market?

Why not give marketing videos a shot?

If you’re holding back because you think video marketing is too complicated, time-consuming, or pricey, you’re not alone. 

A lot of small business owners feel the same way.

But here’s the truth–small business video isn’t as tricky or expensive as you might think.

Often, it’s just a lack of clear information and not knowing where to start that’s holding you back.

That’s why we’ve put together this article for you.

In it, we’ll break down everything you need to know about small business videos—from what they are and why they’re game-changers to how to create them and where to find the best video references.

  1. What is Small Business Video Marketing?
  2. Why Use Video For Small Business Marketing?
    1. Boosts Visibility
    2. Enhances Social Media Marketing
    3. Showcases Your Brand’s Personality and Builds Trust
    4. Increases Engagement
  3. Types of Videos For Small Business Marketing
    1. Brand Story Videos
    2. Educational Videos
    3. Product Videos
    4. Testimonial Videos
    5. Traditional Commercial Videos
    6. FAQ Videos
    7. Behind-the-Scenes Videos
    8. Interview Videos
  4. How to Get Started With Small Business Video Marketing
    1. Step 1: Define Your Goals
    2. Step 2: Research Your Target Market
    3. Step 3: Make Your Animated Video
    4. Step 4: Promote Your Video
    5. Step 5: Measure your ROI
  5. Best Small Business Video Marketing Examples
    1. ManageEngine
    2. Adam’s Pest Control
    3. LogicGate
    4. MEDHOST Incorporated
    5. Bringg
    6. Bunce
    7. Cin7
    8. Benchling
    9. ChowNow
    10. LegalShield

What is Small Business Video Marketing?

It is a powerful strategy used by small businesses to efficiently showcase their brand, products, or services—on a budget.

Their primary aim?

To use targeted videos to reach new audiences and speed up their expansion efforts.

But that’s not all.

There are tons of other things they use this video marketing for.

They use it to gain followers on social media, increase brand awareness, educate customers, and promote loyalty—and the list goes on.

If these reasons aren’t enough to make you consider video marketing, the next section surely will.

There, we will discuss all the major points that make this strategy a must for your small business.

Why Use Video For Small Business Marketing?

The first and biggest reason? 

Video marketing isn’t just for big businesses!

It can be just as effective for your small business.

In fact, it can help your small brand achieve the same viral success as larger brands—and all on a budget.

Pretty eye-opening, right?

But that’s just the start. The next points will give you even more reasons to say yes to using videos for your small business.

So, let’s dive in!

1. Boosts Visibility

Source: Freepik

When you add videos to your marketing strategy, you tap into the power of YouTube, the second-biggest search engine out there.

All you need to do is make the right type of video and publish it using relevant video SEO practices.

This will give your small business a visibility boost on both YouTube and Google.

Google often shows video results at the top whenever we search for something.

You need to capitalize on this by making videos related to your business niche.

So, whenever a potential client searches for terms related to your niche, your videos will appear at the top.

This will increase your chances of being discovered organically.

2. Enhances Social Media Marketing

Source: Freepik

Every other brand is using static images and texts in their social media marketing strategy.

You can’t be like everyone else, you need to stand out.

And as a small brand, standing out becomes much more important.

Videos can help with that!

They are attention magnets—people might skip images but videos do grab and retain their attention.

They are more effective for conversions too.

In fact, a statistic revealed that social marketing campaigns that include videos have a 34% higher conversion rate.

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3. Showcases Your Brand’s Personality and Builds Trust

Source: Freepik

Customers love brands that add a personal touch to their marketing.

And videos are perfect to do this.

They bring out your brand’s personality, putting a face, name, and emotion to it. 

They let people hear and see you.

They create a deeper connection than any other type of content.

This connection is the base that makes them trust your small business.

This is what turns potential customers into actual customers.

4. Increases Engagement

Source: Freepik

Videos can really boost your engagement.

When people see your products in action, they’re more likely to stick around compared to reading a bunch of text.

And videos make it super easy for viewers to interact. They can leave comments, ask questions, and share your content.

This builds a strong community vibe and keeps your customers coming back for more.

There are a lot more benefits of video marketing, we have covered them in detail in our other blog. Check it out!

Types of Videos For Small Business Marketing

Now that you know how adding videos can boost your small business marketing, you might be wondering what types of videos to use.

Don’t worry! 

We’ve got you covered. 

Check out the list below for the most popular types of videos for small business marketing. 

You’re sure to find some that fit your needs perfectly.

1. Brand Story Videos

Brand videos give people a glimpse of your mission and history.

They highlight what makes your brand distinct from your competitors.

Customers love brands with missions just beyond their products and services.

In fact, 64% of consumers find brands with a clear mission more appealing, and 52% are more likely to buy from brands that share their values.

So, by sharing your story and values through video, you can create a more meaningful connection with your audience.

2. Educational Videos

Educational videos establish you as a go-to expert or authority in your niche.

They are all about educating your viewers on topics related to your niche.

For instance, if you run a digital marketing agency, you could create a video teaching your viewers tips on mastering SEO basics.

Apart from tips and tricks, these videos can also be in the form of Q&As, guides, or tutorials.

One distinct fact about educational videos is that they aren’t pushy with sales, their sole focus is teaching something valuable to the viewers.

3. Product Videos

These videos introduce potential buyers to your products or services, highlighting their benefits and explaining how they work.

Nearly 91% of people have watched such explainer videos to learn more about a product or service.

So, including them in your marketing strategy can be quite beneficial for your small business too.

4. Testimonial Videos

Your customers can do more for your marketing than you think.

Take testimonial videos for example!

These videos show your happy customers sitting in front of the camera and talking about their experiences with your products or services.

If your clients aren't too keen on being on camera, you can still bring their stories on screen using animated testimonial videos. 

When potential customers see people talking about their positive experiences with your brand, it builds trust and makes them more likely to choose your business.

5. Traditional Commercial Videos

And how can we forget classic commercial videos?

These short videos—usually 15 to 30 seconds—are perfect for showing off your brand’s value and making a deeper emotional connection with your audience.

They’re super versatile too.

You can share them on Instagram, Facebook, TV, YouTube, or any other social media platform. 

The best part about them is how their quick, engaging style really helps grab attention and keep it!

6. FAQ Videos

Companies can use FAQ videos to answer common questions people may have about their products or services.

This way, the company can address objections before they arise, and do so in an engaging way.

7. Behind-the-Scenes Videos

These videos showcase the human side of your business.

They tell personal stories and introduce your team to the audience.

They also share snippets of your daily operations, like how your products are made or how you interact with customers.

These videos add a much-needed personal touch to your marketing.

8. Interview Videos

In such videos, usually, industry leaders or experts are interviewed by a host and they share their insights with the audience. 

However, there are tons of ways you can go about interview videos.

You can skip the whole professional interview and choose to have a casual chat with an employee.

The conversations can be aimed to give people a peek into what it’s really like to work with your company or use your product.

This ends the list of types and leads us on to a very important question…

How to Get Started With Small Business Video Marketing

Step 1: Define Your Goals

Source: Freepik

Ask yourself why you are creating this video and what you want to achieve. 

For example, do you want to create a product demo for a new product?

Do you want a brand video for your social media?

Or is it something else?

Being clear about your goal is really important—it will help you be more focused while creating the actual video. 

Step 2: Research Your Target Market

Once you have a set goal, start researching your target market.

The more deeply you understand your target group, the more effective you’ll be in keeping them engaged.

If you already have a large customer base, you’re set!

You can gather insights by sending out a survey to your email list or creating a poll on social media, like Twitter or Instagram.

However, if you’re looking to expand your reach or don’t have direct access to your target audience, consider using a survey tool.

The tool will let you create customized surveys and target specific demographics, such as location, age, and income.

This way, you’ll be able to ask the right questions to the right people.

All this will help you create videos that truly resonate with your target audience.

Step 3: Make Your Animated Video

Source: Freepik

Now the thinking and researching part is done—it’s time to create!

Depending on the complexity of the animation your project needs, you can either create this in-house or collaborate with a professional animation studio.

If your budget allows, working with an animation agency is the way to go. 

However, if you plan to make a 3D animation video in-house, go through this linked guide to get a more detailed walkthrough of the steps.

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Step 4: Promote Your Video

Once your video is ready, it’s time to get the word out!

Share it with your email list, write a blog post about it, create an SEO-optimized landing page, invest in paid ads, and don’t forget to post it across all your social media channels.

No matter how amazing your video is, promotion is the real game-changer in video marketing, especially for small businesses. 

Getting your video in front of as many eyes as possible is crucial to its success.

Step 5: Measure your ROI

Source: Freepik

The final step of small business video marketing is to measure the ROI of your campaign.

What you track will depend on your video’s goals and type.

For a demo video aimed at existing clients, check watch time and customer loyalty.

If you have shared short videos on social media, focus on things like follower growth, brand awareness, and landing page visits.

This sums up an overview of the steps required to make a small business video.

But before getting started with these steps and actually creating a video, explore the list below to get some good references to follow.

Best Small Business Video Marketing Examples

Here are some of the best small business video marketing examples–

1. ManageEngine

 

ManageEngine is an IT management company that empowers other companies to take control of their IT.

Using this 2D animation video, ManageEngine shows how the world is deeply driven by data and why we shouldn’t be too comfortable yet.

It warns us that disaster is just one data loss away.

By showing a hot air balloon being struck by thunder out of nowhere, the video illustrates how data loss can happen unexpectedly.

It then delves in and shows us how backups can prevent your personal, business, or client data from falling into the wrong hands.

It finally concludes with a CTA to be smart this ‘World Backup Day’ and cleverly displays ManageEngine’s brand name right after.

With fast transitions, a calming voice over, engaging background music, and vibrant colors, the video is both visually appealing and effective.

2. Adam’s Pest Control

 

Adam’s Pest Control is a local, family-owned business dedicated to pest control and prevention across Minnesota and nearby areas.

In this commercial video we made for them, we subtly introduced their brand while preserving the connection they had with their existing customers.

The video is short but impactful, showcasing how Adam’s Pest Control tackles common issues—like a mouse in the kitchen cabinet.

With a comic book hero style, the pest control agent swoops in to save the day for a family dealing with pests. 

The animation of this video also carries the vibe of 1970s comic books.

This special type of animation makes this video quite memorable.

3. LogicGate

 

LogicGate is a tech company focused on simplifying GRC for everyone.

In this animated video, LogicGate highlights a key challenge.

It discusses that as businesses add new software to enhance risk management, these tools often bring their own set of challenges. 

The video then shows how LogicGate Cloud can solve these challenges.

It uses a mix of shapes, 3D animation elements, and some live motion to keep viewers interested.

Using a clear voiceover, ties everything together, making even the complex terms easy to understand.

4. MEDHOST Incorporated

 

MEDHOST delivers reliable IT solutions for healthcare facilities.

In this 3D video, MEDHOST gives a demo of their EDIS, a complete clinical and operational system designed specifically for emergency departments.

The video uses screencast animation to walk you through the features of this tool and how to use it.

An informative voiceover guides you through each step, making it easy to follow along and understand.

5. Bringg

 

Bringg is a company that simplifies delivery operations for global brands.

In this super engaging 3D animation video, they show just how crucial the last mile is in e-commerce. 

They highlight that when you manage separately, things can easily go wrong—and if you don't deliver, your competitors will.

That's where Bringg comes in. 

They bring all the pieces together into one smooth delivery management platform, turning your last mile into your best mile.

This video beautifully used transitions, infographics, and pops of bright color against a white background to keep you hooked from start to finish.

6. Bunce

 

Bunce is a platform that helps marketing, product, and growth teams personalize customer communication with data-driven tools.

In this 2D animation, Bunce breaks down how customer lifecycle marketing can feel like a tangled web of moving parts.

But with Bunce, it all gets a lot simpler.

The platform empowers your team to create hyper-personalized experiences across Email, SMS, WhatsApp, and Push notifications.

The video dives into the features Bunce offers, using screencast animations to give you a clear, step-by-step look at each one, making everything easy to grasp.

7. Cin7

 

Cin7 is an all-in-one cloud solution for inventory management, combining inventory, POS, B2B, EDI, and 3PL in one place.

With this 2D animation, Cin7 highlights the headaches of manual inventory management and shows how it can simplify operations, cut costs, and boost efficiency across the supply chain.

One of the coolest parts of this video for me was when tangled lines transformed into a clear hexagon. 

This symbolizes how this software can turn chaos into streamlined, efficient processes.

8. Benchling

 

Benchling is a cloud-based platform built for biotech R&D.

In this 2D animation video, the brand demonstrates how rapidly biotech R&D is advancing but how a mess of spreadsheets and different software can slow you down.

This is where Benchling’s R&D Cloud is proposed as a solution.

It is introduced as a tool that can accelerate your research and development.

The video illustrates its effectiveness in the very scene it is introduced.

Initially, the scene shows scattered data sheets, but when Benchling is mentioned, the mess transforms into a neatly organized circle. 

It’s quite a visual standout moment in the video!

9. ChowNow

 

This video showcases ChowNow's Order Better Network, a game-changing service that helps restaurants thrive by making online ordering and delivery a breeze.

It blends live-action footage with vibrant motion graphics to highlight how the service boosts customer reach, streamlines operations, andamps up revenue.

The real highlight? 

The video’s incredibly enthusiastic voiceover keeps us hooked from start to finish.

10. LegalShield

 

LegalShield offers legal services with subscription plans for individuals and tailored options for small businesses.

In this 2D animation video, LegalShield takes us through its long history of making legal help accessible and affordable. 

It declares that it has now put all that power into an app!

The video explains that while everyone might need legal advice, not everyone can afford it. With LegalShield’s app, it’s like having a lawyer in your pocket whenever you need one.

Using engaging graphics and explanatory voiceover, the video shows how you can use its services for everything from drafting a will to buying a home. 

Conclusion

So, there you have it—everything you need to know about creating small business videos!

Think of these videos as your budget-friendly marketing superheroes. 

They’re just like other marketing videos but designed to fit a smaller budget.

They’re perfect for small businesses because they give your brand a face and voice, helping you connect with customers on a deeper level.

Making these videos isn’t rocket science.

All you need is a solid reference, pick the type of video you want to create and dive in!

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