In today’s marketing environment, every business should be taking advantage of video.

Over my career in marketing and advertising, every business that I worked with used video effectively. Although they were large companies, it did not matter.

In fact, it does not matter what business you are in or the size of your business. If you are in business, there is a way you can use video to market your business effectively.

My goal is to bring ideas to the table that will allow you to use video and hopefully spark some ideas on how your business can take advantage of video in your marketing mix.

We all know that traditional television viewing is only up slightly, however, that is not the market we need to focus on at this point in time. The real growth is taking place within the Internet and mobile platforms.

Video is on the increase, and it shows no signs of slowing down. The reason is simple: It is easy to create videos. If you have a video camera, which most cell phones have, you are half way there.

It is easy for people to create videos and to share them. Best of all, they are engaging. People also like the combination of sight and sound, and the access is easy on the Internet.

Here are 10 ideas to help you generate good video content.

1. Get your “elevator pitch” together — Everyone knows about the “elevator pitch.” The goal is to summarize a brief explanation of what your business does, or the unique value proposition it has toward customers. It is an effective way to describe what you, or your business, does. It is the answer you would give if someone were trying to learn about your business or asked you what you do. The goal is to get them engaged. Video is a great way to get them engaged. You can very briefly and consistently present your elevator pitch and do that on your website, Facebook page or YouTube channel. Giving your elevator pitch is one of the most important things you can do to attract the right audience. It is also much more engaging than when it is done in plain text.
2. Demonstrate your products — The power of demonstration can clearly establish your company, as well as the products you are marketing. The visual presentation is very engaging to people, and it helps people understand exactly what they would do with the product. Create that video and share it on your website or your social media pages.
3. Demonstrate “social proof” — “Social proof” refers to the occurrence of people wanting what other people have, or what other people have had success with in their lives, on both a personal and professional level. As an example, if you walk down the street looking for a place to eat, and you see a restaurant that is crowded, versus a restaurant with nobody in it, you would assume that the crowded restaurant must be better. That is an example of social proof. One of the best examples of social proof is to have happy customers or clients give video testimonials and talk about their experience with your business, products, or services. It is a great way to use of video, and it is an easy way to take advantage of the medium.
4. Sell your products or services — Video can help lift conversion on your website. Create sales videos to help you sell your products or services online. Videos are a great way to tell your products or services stories, and they can have a positive impact right on your website.
5. Share tips and advice — Share tips using video online. The tips can help make you an expert on the products and services you offer to the public. Think of it as an educational component to the offerings you have at your business. It is a wonderful way to demonstrate that you have the expertise and it is an even better way to positioning your business as a helpful resource.
6. FAQs about your products or services — Everyone has a question to ask when he or she are shopping. Make Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) videos. You can even have some fun with this execution. Remember, make it engaging! The answers you provide can also make it clearer to the customer and potential customer.
7. Use video to introduce your team — Introduce the people on their team via video. It is a great way to create a connection between your customers and potential customers with your team. It is also a great way to humanize your businesses, especially if you do not have face-to-face interaction with your clients or customers (online-only business). This is also a powerful way of connecting to the customer in a pre-sales situation. Create that connection early on. It might give you that extra edge.
8. Do a tour of your business — This is a great way to demonstrate that your business is real. You can share some of the unique things that make your business stand out from the rest.
9. Entertain — Think of the TV commercials that you watch and remember on TV. The ones you remember are usually the ones that provide an entertainment value. Who does not like to be entertained? Remember, everyone loves to laugh. If you can find a way to have some fun with the video, and entertain your customers, do it. However, remember, make sure to do it in good taste
10.  Report the news — Report the news about issues and topics revolving around your business and the industry. You are in an industry that is going through many changes, and your customers want to know what is going on. Tell them! Stay front and center with your audience and provide regularly scheduled reports. It will help keep you top of mind with your customers. Remember, it does not have to be a long, drawn out report. Try delivering it in a casual and quick manner. Keep it engaging and give them a little education. They will remember you for it.

I hope that the information helps you moving forward. The goal is to spark some ideas in your mind as to how you could use video for your business. If you spend a little time brainstorming some ideas, I am sure that you will find a way to use video for your business.

A couple of production comments:

• Don’t let perfection get in your way. In many cases, people engage more and will buy more from videos that are not real high-production quality. It could be that they do not feel like they are being sold, or it might seem like an informal presentation. A lower quality might lower the viewer’s guard and make them feel like they are dealing with some real human beings that care. Again don’t let perfection get in the way of progress.
• Also, make sure you have a decent camera. Many of the camera on the new smartphones are real good. If you do not have one, get a good-quality camera that can shoot in HD.
• In addition to a good picture, make sure the sound is good. This might be even more important than the video picture. For some reason, people are more tolerant when it comes to the image quality than they will be with the sound quality. If they have a hard time with the sound, they are faster to “X” out of the video and not watch it.
• Finally, create your videos on a frequent basis and post them on YouTube. Remember, search engines love frequently created content. Moreover, remember to embed them in your website! If done right, the videos will help drive traffic to your website.