5 Steps To Create A Video Marketing Strategy For Local Business

Based on the recent 2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report written by Michael Stelzner and sponsored by Social Media Examiner, video marketing holds the top spot for future plans of marketers. In fact, per the report, seventy-six percent of marketers plan on increasing their use of YouTube and video marketing, making it the top area marketers will invest in for 2012.

And it’s no wonder. More and more people are logging onto the Internet to download and stream videos for both personal and business purposes. To keep up with and stay ahead of the competition, it’s a great idea for local businesses to develop a video marketing strategy to promote and build their business.

Below are 5 steps to help you get started!

1. Set Goals: What do you hope to accomplish with video marketing? A boost in SEO, expert status, lead generation, or??? By setting goals, you can then determine the types of videos to capture to make your goals happen.

2. Develop a list of videos to capture: Based on your goals, what kind of videos should you develop? Some examples of videos a local business can capture include:

• Customer Testimonials
• Employee Testimonials
• How to videos
• Educational videos
• Interviews
• Employees on the job in the office
• Employees on the job in the field

3. Make it easy to produce videos: Producing videos is easier than you think. Simply buy a flip camera, a small digital cam-corder, or even a cell phone with built-in video capability, and then give your employees easy access. Take your list of videos you plan on making and assign someone to each and set then loose. Once the videos are recorded, check out the post, 5 Video Editing Tools for Marketing Local Business, to identify the right editing software for quick and easy editing and uploading.

4. Post videos with keywords in mind: When you post your videos on line, but sure to include keywords relevant to your business in the URL and video title when possible to boost search engine rankings and to help your videos get found.

5. Post and share videos: Once your videos are created, you want to post them on YouTube, Facebook and all of your social media sites that allow for video posting. If video posting isn’t possible, then share the link to your video on YouTube. You should also post your videos on your local business website and blog(s), and announce the videos as part of your email marketing campaign.

Related Posts:

• HOW TO: Build A Successful Email Marketing List
• 10 Email Marketing Software For Sending Bulk Emails

Creating videos is an easy and great way to generate more leads and brand loyalty for your local business. In addition to the benefits listed previously, videos can also boost employee participation and be a fun way to engage customers. So if you don’t already have a video marketing strategy in place, use these tips and tools to put one in place as soon as possible, and preferably this week!

This article is written by Chris. He writes from real world experience building businesses and closing sales. His company Surefire Social specializes in local business marketing. If you wish to write for HBB, kindly check this.