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3 “Out-of-the-Box” Video Ideas for Small Business Owners

Guest post by: Jessica Swanson

Article Overview: Learn the importance of video marketing for your small business.

3 “Out-of-the-Box” Video Ideas for Small Business Owners

Online video is hot, hot, hot right now. Personally, I think it’s because so many folks are just so busy that they would rather watch a quick “to-the-point” video than read through a 500-word article.

That being said, most small business owners still don’t incorporate video into their marketing efforts. There are two main reasons for that.

First, small business owners feel that they don’t have the time to record, edit and produce a video. And second, they’re not sure what to record a video about. They have a bad case of “video-block.”

In terms of lack of time, small business owners can eliminate that problem immediately. Videos should be short. In fact, your prospects prefer videos that are 3-5 minutes tops. So, there’s absolutely no reason that you can’t record, edit and load your video to YouTube in under 30 minutes flat.

If you’re stuck with coming up with a topic, here are three “out-of-the-box” video ideas that should get your creative juices flowing:

1) Record an interview with an expert.

Find an expert in your industry and ask them if they would be willing to record a 5 minute answer to a question that you prepare for them.

The best part of this strategy is that you don’t even have to schedule an interview with them. (And, your super-busy expert will appreciate this as well!) You can simply have them record the answer and send it to you at their convenience.

2) Make a “how-to” screencast.

This is one of my favorite quick and painless video strategies.

Put together a simple PowerPoint presentation on a current “how-to” strategy in your particular industry. Then, record the PowerPoint using screen-capture software program such as Camtasia (or you can use the free alternative Camstudio). Once it’s recorded, load the video to YouTube for the world to see.

If you’re not sure what your customers/clients want to learn about, just ask them. You can send out a survey using SurveyMonkey’s free survey service.

3) Ask your customers or clients to send in videos.

The sky is the limit with this idea. Of course, you can always ask your customers or clients to send in traditional testimonials.

Or, you can get really creative and ask them to create fun videos where they are actually using your product. Green Mountain Coffee does a fun job with this idea on their Facebook Business Page.

Obviously, there are dozens of other ways to create quick videos that promote your small business brand. Just let your imagination be your guide.

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Article Tags: shoestring marketing, small business marketing, video marketing



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