What Should Your Small Business Marketing Video Include?

Before you begin writing a script or planning your shots to produce a primary video that introduces your business to clients, review the following marketing research findings. This is a compilation of all individual industries. (Collected 2/8/18 to 4/26/18).

Maximum Video Length Average: 89.9 seconds (varies by industry)

Industry Overview:

84% of customers across all industries said they would use the internet to find a small business. 32% of people said they would not watch a video before choosing a small business. On the flip side, 68% of consumers say they would watch a video if curious and unfamiliar.

Things that Improve Customer Interest:

1. A compelling price/sale/deal 213
2. Appears clean and well-organized 110
3. Testimonials/reviews 101 (varies by industry)
4. Friendly, professional staff 94
5. Real footage, true representation, authentic 81
6. Expertise, quality service 80
7. Message is concise, clear, short and to the point 69
8. Narration by owner leaves postive impression 62 (varies by industry)
9. Full footage and information provided, nothing is left out 61
10. Located in a nice neighborhood 34
11. Good customer service 25
12. Positive, friendly atmosphere 23
13. Appealing clientele 22 (varies by industry)
14. Location is close 20
15. Appealing decor 19
16. Good video production 17
17. Professionalism overall 16
18. Well-run operation, efficient, fast turnaround 15
19. Nice building 15
20. Calm, relaxed 14
21. Safe 13
22. Extra services, added value propositions 10
23. Easy parking 8
24. Not crowded 6
25. Busy with customers 5
26. Environmentally friendly 5
27. Family friendly 3
28. Accessibility, special needs 3
29. Diversity 2

Things that Scare Customers Away:

1. Signs the business is unclean or unorganized 180
2. Not using authentic footage of business, overproduced, flashy, cheesy 126
3. Pushy sales message, exaggeration 117
4. Overpriced 112
5. Poor narrative from owner (commonly ego, poor communication skills) 76
6. Staff less than professional 67
7. Leaving out key footage or information including price 64
8. Message is not concise, clear, or is too long 64
9. Located in a bad neighborhood 58
10. Poor video production 42
11. Poor decor, space issues 38
12. Unappealing clientele 31
13. Crowded/Noisy 30
14. Shabby building 21
15. Bad reviews/lack of real positive reviews 18
16. Lack of experience 15
17. Poor or loud background music 13
18. Proximity/Distance 11
19. No parking 11
20. Tries to entertain rather than be direct 8
21. Lack of diversity, not all-inclusive 7
22. Too much about themselves, not enough about what they can do for the client 7
23. Unwelcoming atmosphere 5
24. Signs of poor customer service 5
25. Empty, no customers 4
26. Lack of expertise 4
27. Badmouthing competition 2

General Advice

32% of consumers said they would not watch a small business video online. The 4 most popular reasons they gave were that videos are…

• Biased, exaggerated, overproduced, flashy, only showing the business in the best light, not a true representation
• Cheesy, dated, gimmicky and annoying
• Too long, too slow, failing to get to the point, not concise, clear, rambling
• Fail to provide the needed information, waste of time, adds no value, only necessary for visual products/services

On the flip side, 68% of consumers surveyed say they would watch a video before choosing a small business. Some of the top things consumers are hoping to see in a video are…

• Real footage, true representation, authentic, honest, not overproduced
• Message is concise, clear, short and to the point
• Full footage and information provided, nothing is left out
• Message is calm and sincere, not pushy or aggressive
• Does not try to entertain

Many consumers said they would rather watch a video review from an unbiased third party than to watch a video from the business itself. Small business owners tend to want to show only the best aspects of the business in the best light. It may feel counter-intuitive, but including the business's shortcomings demonstrates honesty and earns customers.

Review over 2,000 small business marketing video examples by 25 categories here: Small Business Marketing Video Examples.

Approaches:

1. Produce It Yourself
2. Shoot Your Own Footage, Hire a Video Editor.
3. Hire a Pro (See what pros charge in your area)

Related article: 10 Ways You Can Help Your Videographer Produce a More Compelling Video for Your Business.

Begin Your Production

Step 1: Narration: Small Business Script versus Interview Questions
Step 2: Storyboard
Step 3: Equipment
Step 4: How to Shoot Your Business Video
Step 5: How to Edit Your Business Video
Step 6: Where to Place Your Business Video

Copyright 2018. Permission to repost with crediting link to Biveo.com.