Thousands of videos are uploaded on websites every day, so how do a few get seen and shared by millions of people? One could argue that money could be the key to success. According to research group Visible Measures, the top 10 viral marketing videos of 2013 were all from major brands. So does this mean that small businesses are just out of luck?
"Big budget campaigns by big brands achieve big results, certainly – but that's not achievable for every business," said Kate Cooper, managing director at British social media agency Bloom Worldwide, in an interview with The Guardian.
Cooper noted that the goal of a local store or small business should be to tell many small but powerful stories. They do not cost much to make and can be produced in greater quantities. She also added that such "microcontent" usually comes in the following forms:
- Planned videos that center around a specific event like a holiday or major sports game
- Real-time content that is developed in response to a recent event – this type of video will need be produced as quickly as possible
- User-generated content such as photos from fans that can be easily modified into a compelling campaign.
Small business owners should not feel like they can't engage with their customers online just because they don't have a huge marketing budget. As long as they're relevant and focused on a specific audience, there is much much value to be gained from pursuing such an approach.
Online video marketing is not something that small business owners have to do on their own. Partnering with an internet marketing service like KeyMedia Solutions may help you with your business goals.