You're doing it wrong!
Small businesses are notoriously known for using video wrong. That's not to say they are making bad videos, they just aren't using them correctly. Here are just a few ways that many local businesses are using video wrong. As well as a few ways, you can bypass those mistakes and use video right.
"Blind Post", this is what I refer to as a blind post. You make a video, post it onto Facebook and hope that it garners something in return. Day's pass and a couple hundred views later, nothing.
"Event Coverage", you have a big event coming up so you make a coverage video. But what purpose does it serve? Unless you have a long-term plan to use that coverage video, this may not be the wisest investment.
"Mobile ads", many business want to re-purpose their old videos for social media, often times that means just re-posting an old video and throwing money at the ad. Which in-turn doesn't yield any significant ROI.
"Good video, wrong use", it's not uncommon to see a business with a already outstanding video. However, with the wrong game plan that good video could go down a bad path. For example, using a product tutorial in place of a brand video, or using a social media video in place of a training video. Be aware of the content in your video and it's context within your marketing plan.
Now those were just a few ways that businesses are using video wrong. Want to avoid those mistakes? Here are just a few tips for you:
"Know your market", know who you are selling too. Know where they live and also know what kinda of media they respond too best. For example if your market is "25 year old males who play video games"; a social media ad that goes on at a specific time with content that is gamer focused will offer the highest return.
"Know your platform", since were already talking about gamers let's continue using them as an example. It's important to know which platform your customers operate on. For example, if most of them are active on YouTube, why waste money on a Facebook ad. This will need some research but it'll make life easier for you in the long run.
"Make the right video", it's important to make the right video. That doesn't mean you need the best video, you just need the right one. One which will deliver your message and which will aid you in your current motive. Want to keep your retention rate high? Use a testimonial video to instill good faith in your customers. Looking to attract new customers? Offer a brand video to show them a glimpse into your craft.
"Use the right people", hiring the right people who can aid you through the whole video process is crucial. Hire someone who will aid you through the pre-production, create a distribution plan together and see the video all the way through from start to finish.