You may have heard about blogging, and most SMBs are aware that there is a need to create organic content and have turned to blog. Yet, you may not have heard of Vlogging. And while the word may seem a bit strange, utilizing vlogging can help your marketing as an SMB.
How vlogging varies from blogging
Blogging is generally associated with being the main way to connect with your clients organically. It is a way to give information regularly and in a conversational tone as opposed to emails and newsletters. And while the information of a blog is useful in building up a conversation or helping the target audience engage with the SMB, there is only so far that text and images can bring a business.
Vlogging is the combination of the traditional blog with the addition of video. Because video, especially in social media, has seen a spike in recent years, many businesses will find that incorporating Vlogging into their marketing campaign is effective.
The face of your SMB
Perhaps the greatest advantage of Vlogging is that it gives a face to your SMB. While having information is tremendous in marketing your product or service, it is equally, if not more, crucial that clients see your business as something run and maintained by a like-minded individual. That being stated, SMBs should choose an individual or a small group to maintain the Vlog. Consistency with how you wish to portray your SMB is important, and using multiple people diverts the viewers from having that association. The individual chosen for the job should match your target audience. If your target audience is 20- to 25-year-old women’s fitness, you should have a woman 20 to 25 in shape. Products aimed at a diversified audience should focus their attention on an individual who fits within the various demographics for your product.
What information should be in a Vlog?
Consider a Vlog to reside in the same blog avenue, just with video content instead of written content. Like a blog does not consist of the same message and phrases in every post, neither should the vlog. Vlogs are not info-commercials. This cannot be stressed enough. Vlogs are non-uniform in nature, meaning that although your product and services remain at the focus of the content, you are using different means to deliver the message. Vlogs also are empowerment-based, showing the user how to do something or how to solve a problem. They are intended to make the user feel like you care about them being self-sufficient and offering your product or service to that empowerment.
Do not reverberate what is in your blogs within your Vlog. Two issues could happen if you do so. Firstly, if using the same content as your blogs, you limit your marketing audience. No one will want to watch a video if they have already read the content in a blog and vice versa. Secondly, if your blog contains the same phrases, it could show lower ratings in the SERPs. Keep the two means of marketing similar but not identical.
To maximize the marketing potential of your Vlog, script out the text. Practice what is to be said and how the information will be presented. On the one hand, you do not want to have the video come across as a read script, while on the other hand, you do not want to have the video come across as a novice. Practice the script until the words and acting come natural and view as natural. Be patient, and your first vlog will take a few takes to get it exactly right.
Allow the human aspect to your vlog.
The marketing advantage of the Vlog is the human aspect. While focusing on the face of your SMB and scripting is important, showing something, which is non-related to the business can also be a helpful marketing tool. It is not disconnecting or disassociating your business but rather giving the audience the impression that they are important enough to share day-to-day activities. Be cautious that the content is not too informal. Still, at the same time, a bit of sporadic (or at least videos which appear to be sporadically posted) human interest content can help the marketing.
Do not stress over the numbers.
One of the biggest concerns with SMBs who decide to Vlog is that they do not see their analytic spike. Do not stress over your numbers. There are many ways in which the content may be being shared without it affecting your page’s analytics. Specifically, if the content is available on YouTube, Facebook, or for download, the content may not show. This does not mean it is not being shared on social media streams, shown to friends directly, or commented about.
Vlogging will show ROI with consistency. Much like a blog, a Vlog requires that you commit to submitting new content and that you keep up with the comments and feedback left from the Vlog. By building a video base of communications, you maximize the potential for share on visual platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube and thereby increase the number of visitors and potential clients to your SMB.
