As we move forward with high hopes of things returning to normal and business going on “as usual”, there are going to be new hurdles and trends entrepreneurs will have to have to adapt to. One of the biggest marketing trends currently taking over the internet: creating and sharing short-form video content. Platforms like Tik Tok and Instagram Reels are taking over social media and are giving small businesses a larger platform to promote their products and show a bit of personality behind their brand.

By incorporating short-form video content and giving your brand a stronger personality, consumers get a better sense of who you are. People want to see the behind-the-scenes, even if it isn’t as “pretty” or as “professional” as you think it has to be. Online, business owners are sharing what’s behind the business and being transparent about how being an entrepreneur can be difficult but also very rewarding. This helps your consumers relate to you, and want to support you both as an entrepreneur and as an individual.

As a business owner, you are balancing several roles and probably don’t think you have the time to add “content creator” to the list. The good news is, video content doesn’t have to be scary or intimidating! This blog is going to share 3 easy ways to incorporate video content into your marketing plan for 2021.

1. Behind-the-Scenes Content

One way to incorporate video content into your marketing is by simply showing what happens throughout your day as a business owner. People want to know more about you! If you are hesitant about showing your face in a video – we have all been scared of being on camera at some point – there are still ways to incorporate videos here.

A few easy ways that you can share this type of content is by:

  • Showing what you make, where you make it, and what you do with it. Show off your products or services and how they can be used, and why YOU made them!
  • If you have a physical product that you sell, show how you pack it up for orders going out. Simple, yet interesting to a potential customer. And these have the potential to go viral! Here’s a good example.
  • Being relatable by showing your followers what goes on “at the office”. One example of this is KB & Co and their “KB Shenanigans” Instagram story. This gives customers a glimpse at who their team is and what a “day in the life” looks like.
Viral Video Content

2. Meet the Team

This is a simple content idea that can help generate multiple types of posts for you to use for your business – regardless of the industry. You can be as professional or as creative as you would like. My suggestion is to keep it quick, but personable. An example of this would be to record each member of your team answering 2-5 random fun facts (What is your favorite color? What do you like to do in your spare time?) This video content can then be recycled later on for photo content that you can include in your marketing plan in other ways. You can also use them to create video compilations to showcase the overall team personality!

You can also do something fun with Tik Tok. The “Full House” trend really took off in 2020. Check out an example below.

3. Show Off Your Products

When you’re feeling stuck on content ideas or ways to share your brand with others, remember that you have all that you need. Whether you own a café or are a personal fitness trainer, there is content ready to be created.

As a café owner, you can show off making a latte; something that you do many times in a day, so it doesn’t really take away from your everyday tasks. If you are a personal fitness trainer you are likely spending the majority of the day either preparing custom plans for people or are working towards your personal fitness plan, so throw the camera on time-lapse and there you go! You have content to share. Simple things like showing off the products or services you sell will be intriguing to potential and current customers. People want to see what you are up to and what goes on “off” the screen!

Overall, short-form video content is fairly new for all business owners, especially in the context of 2020-21. It is important to remain competitive by keeping up with others and grow your following, but video content creation does not have to consume all of your energy. By incorporating the 3 ideas above, you can create quite a bit of content just from some of the business activities you already do regularly!

About the author: Darien Monck

Darien Monck previously worked with us at Business Link as our communications specialist last summer. In the past few years, she has received her finance diploma, her BBA with a focus in Marketing, along with three years of experience working with small businesses in Edmonton to build their social media following. She now works as the social media manager at Alberta Counsel based out of Edmonton, AB. Darien is passionate about creating relationships, engaging with the community, and showing an authentic side to your business.

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