Video marketing is the most effective and profitable way for contractors to get more leads and dominate their local market.
Here’s why.
It’s no secret that people enjoy watching videos for entertainment and information.
All the statistics prove that demand is only growing exponentially.
According to a survey by Optinmonster, marketers who use video receive 66% more qualified leads per year.
A study by Animoto found that 93% of businesses obtained new customers due to a video on social media and 72% of customers said they would rather learn about a product or service by way of video.
Companies that use video for marketing grow revenue 49% faster than companies that don’t use video.
Video helps simplify the process of making sales because it allows you to build trust with your ideal prospects so they warm up to the idea of doing business with your company.
You do this by providing valuable information in your videos that help people solve their problems while promoting your business at the same time.
Video can help increase conversion rate and sales
They provide easy-to-digest information about your service as you build trust.
For example, video on a landing page on your website can increase conversions by 80% and including video in an email leads to 200-300% increase in click-through rates.
Video is great for SEO.
Search engines like Google now include video as part of their search results and give preference to websites that include video content on their landing pages.
They help your potential clients find you by increasing organic traffic to your website and help them stay longer which increases engagement — a key ranking factor with Google — as well as conversion rates.
Search engines can’t read and interpret video content alone, so it’s important that you optimize your videos and their content for search engines by including relevant keywords within your titles, descriptions, tags and transcripts.
You can make target areas and cities that you want to work in by including the city in your title and description.
How to get started
First, decide on what type of video you want to make.
You may already have an idea in mind, but if not here are some suggestions:
Introduce your company
A short introduction about your company and what it does.
This could include short interviews with key people within your business and maybe even customers giving testimonials about your business.
Testimonials
Testimonial videos from current customers who are happy with your service are great for building trust.
These videos don’t have to be long; just 30 seconds is plenty if they say something positive about your business and why they like it.
A day in the life
Showing the work you do and how you do it is a great way to demonstrate how good your company is at what you do.
Follow your team through a typical day on the job, showing them at work and interacting with each other or customers and suppliers.
For example, if you’re a home remodeler, show videos of the before and after of the kitchens, bathrooms and homes you renovate.
Show the demolition crew tearing out the old stuff and your carpenters cutting wood, and putting cabinets together.
If you’re a plumber, show yourself working on repipes, toilets and sinks. If you’re a roofer, show videos of yourself repairing roofs and installing gutters.
Make guides or how to projects
Produce a step-by-step guide to some aspect of your business that will be useful to customers or potential customers.
YouTube and Social Media
These videos can be posted on YouTube or other video sharing sites and embedded on relevant pages of your website. They can also be shared on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter or sent via email.
Equipment Needed
No matter what kind of video you want to make, there are a few essentials every business will need.
Camera: smartphone, DSLR camera, or webcam
A camera that can shoot HD video is the obvious first choice for your video production kit. You don’t need a fancy camera or expensive software.
You might be surprised by how easy it is to make videos with your smartphone.
If you have an iPhone or Android device, you already have everything you need to create professional-looking videos right on your phone.
The iPhone is a popular choice for many videographers because of its great built-in camera, ease of editing and sharing options. But there are plenty of other smartphones that shoot high-quality HD video too.
There are also lots of inexpensive point-and-shoot cameras available now that can capture great HD video on the cheap.
If you want to step up your quality while staying within budget, consider buying an interchangeable lens camera or DSLR that shoots video.
You’ll be able to upgrade your equipment over time as you invest in better lenses and other accessories, but the initial investment won’t empty your wallet.”
Tripod: smartphone tripod or DSLR tripod
Camera shake makes for an unpleasant viewing experience, so it’s important to keep your camera rock steady. A tripod can help with that.
Stabilizers are helpful too, particularly if you’ll be shooting lots of “run and gun” footage where the camera is moving around constantly (like vlog posts).
Lighting: natural light, softbox light kit
Good lighting can make or break your video content.
Natural light from windows is great for capturing candid shots of people talking in an office setting (as long as your subject isn’t sitting with his back to a window).
For more polished videos that involve indoor shots, multiple people or require staging, consider investing in lighting equipment.
Microphone: external microphone (if using smartphone), lav mic, shotgun mic
A microphone is an essential part of any production because audio quality makes a huge difference. The audio on your videos will be just as important as the visuals.
A wireless or lavaliere microphone is great when filming will allow people to move around freely while still being able to capture their audio clearly.
Tips for a Great Video
There are a few things that you need to do in order to make sure that your videos are great:
1. Make sure that you have good lighting.
It’s better to shoot in natural light than artificial light.
If you’re indoors, take advantage of windows and skylights to let in natural light and illuminate your subject matter. If outdoors, look for open areas that are well lit by sunlight.
2. Get a tripod.
Holding the phone steady while recording video can be challenging — especially if you’re walking around while shooting — so consider using a tripod or other stabilizing device if available.
3. Don’t hold the camera too close to your face when recording the video.
This will cause distortion and make it hard for people to understand what you’re saying or seeing on screen. Instead, hold the phone at arm’s length from your body so that it is easier for viewers to see what is going on in front of them and understand what you’re talking about.
4. Don’t talk too fast or mumble when speaking in front of the camera because this can make it hard for viewers to understand what they’re saying or seeing on screen.
It also means that they won’t be able to hear as well either if they’re watching your video through earphones instead of speakers because their ears will be blocked by their own hands as well as any headphones that they may be wearing while watching their favorite shows online
Conclusion
It’s my firm belief that those contractors and home service businesses that use video has part of their overall marketing strategy will dominate thier local markets.
The companies that don’t, will be fighting over the left over scraps.