How mobile videos can help promote small businesses

The past few years have seen an explosion in the popularity of mobile videos. In fact, the use of online video is expected to grow about 55 percent and become the leading format for content marketing. Since videos have a click-through rate of around 41 percent, it's easy to see why small businesses are turning to them for their marketing needs. Indeed, there are multiple ways a small business can take advantage of mobile videos.

Create a YouTube channel

Image via Flickr by Rego - d4u.hu

YouTube is easily the most well-known sharing platform for mobile videos. Not only is it free to set up an account, but it's also easy to use, making it a must-have for any small business. Additionally, since Google owns YouTube, these videos tend to rank higher in search results.

If you're interested in getting the most out of YouTube, fill out the title, description, tags, and category fields with as much detail as possible. Also, link back to your website at the end of every video and create a link to your website in the description box. This is by far the best way to get traffic to your site and increase interaction and sales.

Use short-form mobile videos

Another popular mobile video platform is Vine. Unlike YouTube, where video lengths can vary in time, Vine videos are six seconds long. While it may seem like six seconds isn't long enough to share anything useful, this is actually another useful tool for small businesses to use. Plus, since Vine videos are easy to share across social media channels, you can reach an even bigger audience.

Design or construction businesses can use Vine to show before and after videos, real estate agencies can give a tour of a particular room in the house they're listing, and retailers can showcase a product. Additionally, you can use Vine to give a sneak peek of a new product coming out, have customers give a quick referral, or ask for comments from your customers on decisions like product color or packaging.

Share what you know

Some of the most popular mobile videos answer a question or solve a problem. If you have solid knowledge in your area of business, don't be afraid to share it with your customers. While not a small business owner, John Kohler has a popular YouTube channel, which has around 170,000 subscribers, devoted entirely to organic gardening. His videos offer helpful tips for viewers interested in starting their own gardens, and it's something that a nursery or landscaping company could easily do as well.

Show how your products work

If you're trying to sell a product, you know you have an easier time when people can actually see it in person. Selling that same product online is more challenging since product descriptions and pictures can only do so much. However, using mobile video is a great way to show a product in action when your customers can't see it in person.

Tom Dickson, the CEO of blender company Blendtec, uses YouTube to show his products in use. While a simple approach would be showing his product blend everyday items such as fruit and vegetables, Tom takes it one step further. In his videos, he blends everything from electronics to golf balls. While unconventional, it's the perfect way to showcase the power of the blenders and get people talking. In fact, Blendtec has over 777,000 subscribers and their videos have millions of views.

Offer face-to-face customer service

Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of mobile video is the opportunity to use it for face-to-face customer service. Rather than just having a static FAQ page and no interaction with the customer, you can put your business right on your customers' mobile screens to answer questions. By doing so, you can offer better customer service and promote a long-lasting relationship.

As the popularity of mobile videos continues to grow, business owners should prepare to use them to help share their products or services and connect with customers around the world.

About the Author:

JT Ripton, a business consultant and freelance writer. He can be reached out on Twitter @JTRipton.