The popularity of learning online is skyrocketing. In fact, the World Economic Forum reported that the global market for online education would reach $255 billion last year alone. Online learning even led to the creation of a new industry comprised of companies, like Skillshare and Udemy, offering courses to help professionals learn new skills at their own pace, whenever and wherever they please.
This widespread adoption of learning online has also created an opportunity for small businesses to connect with their customers in an authentic way. By utilizing video to package up your expertise, product tips, best practices and more into an online miniseries, you can offer a valuable resource to your current customers and attract new ones.
One example is Patch, a plant and garden delivery business. As an added benefit to its current customers and to get discovered by new ones, the team at Patch developed a free online course on plant care tips. By signing up for the course, Patch’s customers receive daily emails on a new lesson in the form of a helpful video. Each video is less than two minutes in length and housed on the company’s website. Many small businesses, like Patch, are experts in their industries, products or services. And they’re using this expertise to help grow their customer base and bolster their brand reputation.
As a small business owner juggling a variety of responsibilities, the idea of creating sleek videos may feel out of reach. In reality, modern video creation tools are turnkey with a low cost of entry. These solutions, like Camtasia, allow even the most novice of users to easily create engaging and eye-catching videos with things you already have, including webinar recordings, video clips, images, and PowerPoint presentations.
Creating professional quality videos is easier and more affordable than ever. Here are five ways you can use video to help boost your sales and enhance your marketing activities.
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Get in front of the right audience.
By registering for your online mini-course or video series, your customers are opting into receiving more content from you. This allows you to continue targeting them with relevant marketing materials, offers, and more as they move through the sales funnel.
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Learn more about your customers.
By analyzing the top performing videos and using this youtube video editor, you’ll gain powerful insights into what resonates with your customers and what they may want to see more of in the future. For example, if a video received significantly more views, comments or shares, consider creating additional pieces of content, such as social posts, blogs, or paid ads, with the same theme.
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Increase repeat visits to your website.
Housing your videos on a specific landing page or centralized location gives registrants a reason to continue returning to your website. Use a website traffic tool, like Google Analytics, to track where they go and spot trends.
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Reuse and recycle.
Consider the videos you create for your online course as evergreen content. Use them elsewhere in your sales materials or marketing campaigns. Videos are also favored on newsfeeds and therefore can be helpful in breaking through the clutter on social media as well.
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Give them a reason to come back.
Most importantly, you’re offering a valuable resource to benefit your customers. By helping them learn more about your product, sharing your expertise, or providing best practices, you’re giving them a reason to return.
Sleek and engaging videos are no longer reserved for large enterprises with equally large budgets. Thanks to modern solutions, businesses of all sizes can easily create engaging video content. If you’re looking to grow your customer base and increase purchases, consider creating an online video series.
Want more information about how visuals are changing the way we learn and work? Check out our recent study.
By: Matt Pierce, Learning & Video Ambassador, TechSmith
