When you think about content marketing, photos, emails, graphics, and blogs may come to mind. However, you might be overlooking the most valuable tool of all—video. The demand for video content is increasing. According to HubSpot, 54 percent of consumers say they want to see more video content from their favorite businesses. 

If you feel stuck in a plateau of underwhelming results with your content marketing, you could reach the next level by implementing a video strategy. Video is a versatile and effective marketing tool that can reinforce your existing relationships, generate more qualified leads, and represent your business in a more approachable and compelling way.

Why do videos work?

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth at least one million, because a moving image shows multiple facets of your personality. With this relatable approach, more people are likely to pay attention to your page. A customer might not spend thirty seconds looking at your photo, but they will spend thirty seconds watching your Instagram Reel—and you can share so much in a video to attract customers.

For Jimmy Mackin, the CEO of real estate marketing company, businesses’ future survival will rely heavily on attracting rather than chasing clients and customers. To attract clients, he recommends providing high-quality video content that solves their problems and eliminates their frustrations. This direct-to-consumer approach allows you to create an audience of ideal clients without having to rely on the ever-increasing costs for a lead-generating third party, such as The Knot for wedding vendors, to advertise your services for you.

Overnight success

You might be thinking to yourself, “There’s no way I’ll become a viral video creator” or “I don’t have the budget for video,” but neither is true. Video can capture a wider audience than any other type of marketing. When done right, even using only your phone, creativity, and industry expertise, you could generate increased interest in your business.

Take the success of Dollar Shave Club, for example, which grew from a small company that published a viral video to a billion-dollar brand almost overnight. Smaller companies aren’t at a disadvantage with video production, and Dollar Shave Club exemplified this. It did two things well to stand on its own without a production company: offering a real solution to a customer’s pain point and creating an enjoyable customer experience.

Its debut marketing video took an otherwise dry topic, shaving, and transformed it into something entertaining and share-worthy. Dollar Shave Club showed that when you invest in its razors, you’re not only getting a great product but also partaking in an exclusive and enjoyable experience.

And you can do the same for your customers. Here’s how.

Cast and capture

Videos can grab someone’s attention faster and hold it longer than photos and blogs can. To do this successfully, you’ll need to cast a line and pull your viewers in enough to click on your profile and follow you, watch your other content, and view your website. Even if you don’t sell a potential client anything at that moment, you’re still now a part of their feed. They won’t forget about you if you can leverage their interest in the following ways:

Creativity
To create high-quality content, Mackin says, you need to identify and regularly consult several sources of inspiration. Draw inspiration from other creators, but don’t copy them. Showcase your voice. After you find something that interests you, figure out how to make it intriguing to your audience. To do that, he suggests that you consider your information and ask these three questions: “Can I . . .?” “Should I . . .?” and “How do I . . .?”

Generate a list of questions the typical consumer might have about your business, and start your content there. Using Qs and As is a safe and effective way to break into video content. Just make sure you do it in a way that fits your business’s values.

Consistency
Post once a day, once a week, or however often you can find time for—just be consistent. The more consistent you are, the more likely your followers will remember you. For example, you might also consider filming your Qs and As in the same place every time so that people recognize both you and the setting.

Engagement
Just as you post regularly, you should also be engaging with others’ content regularly. Comment, like, and follow creators whose content you appreciate. Higher engagement puts you in a better position in the platform’s algorithm to show up on their followers’ timelines. Plus, it makes the experience of video marketing enjoyable to find like-minded individuals in your area of expertise.

Lights, camera, action!

Once you’ve brainstormed and planned your topic, it’s time to hit record. It’s important to reemphasize that you don’t need a huge budget. Follow these guidelines to perfect your audio and visuals.

Audio 
Whether you’re narrating your content, speaking to the camera, or using someone else’s sounds, make sure you implement these tips to get crisp, clear audio that your audience can understand and enjoy.

• Pinpoint trending audios on Instagram and TikTok for the day. Scroll through other videos, and click on any audio in the Caption section with an arrow pointing up, which means it’s trending. Save the audio, and look through how others have used it.
• Use a microphone if you narrate over a video. You can also use low music in the background to set a particular mood.
• Film in a quiet area if you’re speaking directly to the camera to eliminate distracting background noises.

Visuals 
The visual quality of your video content is the first impression your viewers will have. Shaky and blurry footage with cut-off text won’t attract viewers. You don’t have much time on social media to capture viewers, so your visuals must be clean.

• If you don’t have a ring light, use natural lighting by standing in front of a window, facing toward the light.
• Include only short blurbs of text for Instagram Reels or TikToks, keeping it away from the edge of the video.
• Clean your camera before filming, and use the hands-free function on Instagram and TikTok if you’re filming within the app.

Take action:

Film a fifteen-second video on Instagram Reels that you can use to introduce yourself and your business, and respond to one of your most frequently asked questions. Be sure to start with a hook, and include more information in the caption so they spend more time on your profile and follow you. Use relevant hashtags below the description, and message this post directly to prospects.

Example script: Are you tired of searching for information on home loans? My name is John. and I own ABC mortgage. People are always asking how they can simplify preapproval on a home loan, and the answer is simple—create a checklist. I’ve provided a checklist you can copy in the description below. Follow for more tips!