A picture is worth a thousand words, and a video may be worth a thousand pictures. If you have a product that requires some assembly, or you can provide added insights and tips for its use, offering some helpful how-to videos will give your brand the power of multimedia and bring a new level of service to your customers.
We probably don’t need to mention the fact that online video sites and news reporting venues use video clips to create interest, inform, and entertain. You can do it too. Where you may want a professionally prepared video for a product show or other promotion, there are lots of ways videos — even those made on the fly — can help your small business.
Advantages of Using Videos in Your Small Business
Promotional – Promotional videos grab and hold the consumer’s attention. They can promote your brand in a slick advertising campaign or as an online teaser.
Instructional – The description “Some Assembly Required”, together with an exploded parts view and a list of terse instructions may make assembling your products seem like more of a hassle than they’re worth. Unfortunately, even a well written instruction sheet can have the average consumer scratching his head in frustration. Offering an instructional how-to video for any potentially complicated procedure can mean the difference between a satisfied customer and one who turns out to be a customer service nightmare. If you have a website, you can post instructional videos easily and make them available to all comers. They don’t have to be cinematic masterpieces. Clear, short, and to the point works every time. Just be sure to title your videos intuitively.
Internal – Envision a new employee’s first day at your business. What’s he more likely to grasp quickly, a procedure booklet or a video of specific tasks? Even if you think having a current employee show the new guy the ropes is a good idea, consider the potential loss of productivity. Have that seasoned employee make a video outlining the tasks for a particular job, and a high-turnover position won’t be as much of a drain on your already stretched resources.
Tips for Creating Videos
Content is king. Although you may be able to get away with a few rambling paragraphs on your website or in your promotional brochure (maybe), creating a video without a specific plan is a bad idea. Know what you want to say, and make the material arresting by providing specific examples.
Creating a video on demand may not work. Asking Joe in shipping to explain his job one morning is likely to yield less than stellar results. Even seasoned pros have trouble getting the job done in one take, and asking workers to perform ad hoc can be stressful. Planning for a turn in front of the camera with a little advance notice is a good idea.
Produce a script. Having your video look scripted may not be the ideal option, but having it look unscripted is probably worse. Creating general guidelines and having the participants rehearse their parts a number of times is an effective strategy.
Don’t assume foreknowledge. One of the biggest how-to blunders is assuming that the viewer will know more than he does. One nice way to avoid this gaffe is to have a newcomer perform your how-to via the written script. That way you’ll see if slipping tab B into slot A is really the most intuitive way to proceed, or if identifying the location of slot A is the next (or first) logical step.
Provide detail - In a visual medium, elements like good lighting and visual contrast are important. If you’re trying to show how to install a battery or replace a filter, being able to see the parts you’re talking about is central to the purpose of the video. Be sure to include detailed, distinct close-ups of anything vital.
Make a text version. Providing a written script of your video is a great way to tag it for the online search engines. An accompanying script is also a good choice if the video contains a lot of verbal instruction that the viewer may want to review later without having to watch the video all over again. Captioning is also an effective touch for in-store videos and videos designed for display in noisy convention halls.
Videos bring the power and flexibility of multimedia to your business. Whether they’re primarily promotional, informative, or procedural, videos can help your small business operate more successfully.
About Scott Stirling
