Valentine’s Day isn’t just for lovers. It’s a holiday that businesses can cash in on as well. According to Bloomberg, Americans spend an estimated total of $19.6 billion on the holiday. And that isn’t just limited to candy and flowers--businesses selling all kinds of products and services offer sweet deals that customers simply can’t refuse. But how do you get past all the Valentine’s Day noise to reach the heart of your audience?
One of the best ways to capture hearts--and attention spans--is to use video to promote your brand. Video is the best way to showcase your business, run a promotion or simply let customers know how much you appreciate them. More effective and engaging than direct mail and email, video marketing is essential to any business, no matter the industry or size.
Here are a few ways to use video to sweeten the deal for customers:
1. Testimonials
Know what customers really love? Reviews from other customers that prove a product or service is the real deal. You already know that building trust is crucial to any marketing strategy. What better way to build trust than with video testimonials from actual customers?
It’s probably easier than you think to make a video testimonial. Simply interview a happy customer and ask them about their experience with your product or service. Don’t script it--let your customers speak from an honest and authentic place. Can’t get them in front of a camera? Display video clips and images of your team at work and use written testimonials, or quotes, as a text overlay. Testimonials are simple, effective and bound to be loved be your customers.
WeVideo's team created this short customer testimonial to showcase what educators love about WeVideo in the classroom:
2. Community involvement
Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to spread positive vibes by showing how your business gives back to the community. Does your business have a community service program or a Volunteer Day set aside for employees? Or maybe your company donates a percentage of certain proceeds to a good cause. These are all great stories you can share with your customer audience.
Record video of your business giving back and highlight your employees, their passion and the great work they’re doing for the people, environment, etc. By doing so, you put faces and actions to your company’s name. Remember, the goal of your video is to focus on the community you serve--not your brand. Be authentic, and show your customers how much you love your community.
See how Window Works, a family-owned home repair company in the greater Chicago area, showcases their commitment to their community:
3. Customer appreciation
Customer retention is just as important as acquisition, especially for businesses that are relationship-driven. If you’re an entrepreneur or own any type of business, you can create a fun Valentine’s Day video showing customers how much you appreciate them--no sappy cards or candy hearts required.
One great way to show appreciation is to get the whole team involved. Create a video showing the faces of your employees saying thanks or showing their appreciation. By doing so, you accomplish two things: showing love for your customers and having fun with your colleagues. Score!
Charlotte Metro Credit Union creates simple, powerful videos showcasing their employees' commitment to their customers:
4. Behind the scenes
Show your customers how much “love” goes into the product or service you sell. You want to tell the deeper story behind your business. Create a behind-the-scenes video to give a tour of your company’s office, factory or studio. Provide an opportunity for your customers to peek inside and see how your products are made, or get to know the people who make them.
Going behind the scenes doesn’t have to be limited to a tour of your company’s office. Show off the creative or operational processes that fuel your business, or interview staff members to give insight into their expertise and personalities. If you have a company mission or a motto, a video is a great way to tell the inspirational story behind it. Who doesn’t love a story like that?
Tennessee-based Sullivan Dental Partners takes new customers behind the scenes to introduce their team and office:
5. Fan-sourced content
Plot twist: Let your customers show their love for you this Valentine’s Day. Run a contest or open up a call for submissions asking your fans to create video content for you. Fan-sourced content makes for really great, relatable videos (and testimonials, mentioned above) that are perfect for sharing on social media.
Come up with a unique hashtag so your customers understand what type of video you want them to make. Ask them to create videos on sites like Vine or Instagram with your unique hashtag. You can even combine their videos to create a fully user-generated content (UGC) experience. These types of videos are great for capturing the customer’s perspective and sharing your product or service at the same time. Bonus: You might get a few excellent brand ambassadors in the process.
Get inspired by the pros: check out GoPro's Content Challenges.
❤️ How are you using video to market your business this Valentine’s Day? Send us your marketing videos created in WeVideo, or show us some love by commenting below.
