An affliction has befallen the world of small business in the UK. It is the affliction known as ‘eyes firmly shut in the face of overwhelming evidence.’ It has even spread to accountants who by nature of their profession are not only rational but are also supposed to act as advisors to their small business clients. But instead of advising, the vast majority joined the ranks of their clients.
What is this evidence that they steadfastly refuse to see and embrace?
It is the single most powerful online promotion tool bar none. It is the most persuasive and multi-faceted medium that helps them grow their client base, stand out from the crowd and turn their prospects and clients into fans. And it has been shown conclusively to do this over and over again.
Well. What is it?
It is something I never tire talking about. It is, in two simple words: Online Video.
Yes, it’s powerful, it’s fun, and it works like nothing else.
Why, then, is there such unbelievable resistance to using it?
I have my views on this but I don’t want to prejudge the issue for you.
You judge it.
To make it easier for you, I compiled the most important arguments for and against using online video and listed them below.
So, no ifs, no buts, let’s get straight to it. Here are the arguments
For
Arguments 1 – 5 show you the impact video has on the viewer and the benefits local businesses can derive from this impact.
1. Video content engages website visitors more than any other medium or type of content. Correctly done videos stop visitors from clicking away. They are also the preferred medium for content consumption on mobile platforms.
2. Online video confers Authority on your business. You may be an expert by dint of your profession, but the status of Authority can only be conferred by your audience. When they see you in a video presenting your expertise, they will look upon you as an authority.
3. Video content converts better than any other medium. Not much needs to be said about this as this has been demonstrated in study after study. Would Zappos, one of the largest online retailers and now part of Amazon, have invested in over 200,000 videos if it didn’t work?
4. Online video enhances articles, especially if embedded together on a page or blog post. Videos and articles combined are the ideal combination for content marketing helping you create engagement, authority and trust.
5. Online video campaigns turn your prospects and clients into fans. However, one video alone won’t do it but a series of videos will sweep them off their feet.
Arguments 6 – 11 show you how video helps getting your website found, seen and clicked on in the search results.
6. Google loves video and owns Youtube. That’s the world’s two largest search engines under one roof.
7. Correctly done, online video helps rank your web pages faster than any other method.
8. Video helps beat paid search traffic for the simple reason that organic listings on a search results page receive 94% of clicks while paid listings only receive 6% of total clicks.
9. Online video attracts attention:
It makes any local business stand out from the competition. Why? Because the vast majority of local businesses don’t use video.
10. A video on a page in Google will attract 41% of clicks even if it is not among the top 3 positions.
11. Online video levels the playing field for local businesses and allows them to compete with the big players in the market.
Arguments 12 – 14 show you how video helps future proof your website.
12. When you upload your videos to Youtube, they will automatically be compatible with all viewing platforms including smartphones and tablets. On your website, your videos will show on mobile platforms even if your website is not mobile compatible yet.
13. 30% of internet content is currently viewed on mobile platforms, especially for local searches. This share just keeps growing.
14. If you don’t host your videos on Youtube, you can still achieve the same result as long as they are appropriately encoded to be mobile compatible.
Arguments 15 – 17 show you how you can use video on your website as an extremely versatile and persuasive online and offline networking tool.
15. Email your prospects and client when you have a new video on your website.
16. Use your printed communications (letters, business cards, newsletters, brochures) to send people to your videos.
17. In networking meetings, give people information by referring them to your videos. This is much more powerful than referring them to an article.
However magnificent all this may seem, there are also a number of arguments against the use of online video.
Fairness requires that they are given equal treatment. However hard I tried, though, I found only four arguments against.
Here they are:
Against
1. Creating video takes more time and effort than blogging.
Does it? – Yes, a bit but not all that much more than you think. After all, you also have to learn how to write a persuasive blog. The kind of writing that engages the reader does not come naturally to most people.
2. A video costs far more than an article.
Custom made videos, yes, but ROI is very much higher for video compared to anything else because of the raft of benefits associated with video that other media simply cannot offer.
3. Video needs to be hosted separately while articles are simply inserted in the blog.
Yes. But this does not have to break the bank. Youtube is free. If you don’t like Youtube, you can use Amazon’s Web Services. AWS is extremely cheap – pennies per month – given the total number of viewers local businesses typically attract.
4. I don’t like the way I look and sound on video.
This is a universal objection voiced by all beginners. There is a simple remedy – get over it! No one else shares this sentiment. If you really can’t bear the idea of looking into a video camera, get a few really good photos done, and use those instead.
Now you decide.
Where do the scales tip? For or Against?
In my view, there is no contest. The ‘Arguments For’ win hands down.
If you wish to find out how video can help your business or practice, call 020 8133 2352 or fill in the form below. We’ll arrange a time to talk at your convenience.
