Utilizing video platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo, individuals and businesses have the ability to publish videos for a potentially unlimited worldwide audience to see. And while you, as a small business owner, may not be aiming to build an international fan base, there are several ways in which video marketing can benefit your business. Below are three of the biggest:

1) Video marketing increases credibility. For better or for worse, as humans we tend to grant a level of credibility to anyone we see or hear via mass media. Whether it is talking heads on cable news or a small business owner talking about their services on YouTube, simply appearing on a well-produced segment grants instant credibility. Take advantage!

2) Video marketing increases visibility! On a more technical level, Google and other search engines have been granting increasing weight to video content. In other words, if your business produces a number of video productions, you are more likely to be ranked highly on Google. And as you know, better rankings on Google translate to more traffic on your website and ultimately more money in your pocket!

3) Video marketing creates a trust factor that other media forms can’t provide. You are probably familiar with the idea that “people buy people.” In other words, when possible, most consumers choose to do business with those they know and trust. The best way to build trust is through a face-to-face relationship—but that’s not practical in many cases. A well-produced video allow your consumers to see your face and hear your voice—helping them to feel like they know you, even when they’ve never met you in “real life.”

So there you have it—three ways in which video marketing can revolutionize your marketing plan.

This is a challenging question, of course, because ideally you would like to choose both. Marketing “what you do” refers to advertising and promoting your services. In other words, if you’re a plumber, you’d advertise your ability to fix leaks, install water heaters or assist in remodeling.

Marketing “who you are” is about establishing your brand in the mind of your customers and your market. As a plumber, marketing who you are would mean establishing yourself as a reliable, high quality solution to plumbing challenges. It would mean emphasizing the qualities that set you apart from your competition, whatever those may be.

For instance, maybe you pride yourself on responding within six hours of a call, or maybe you guarantee that you can fix the problem in one visit. Establishing these qualities in the minds of your customers is part of marketing who you are. So which marketing approach should you choose or suggest?
Marketing what you do is the best way to convert leads into immediate jobs. When a customer has a flooded basement due to a broken pipe, they’re not looking for great story telling and brand identity—they are looking for somebody who can fix their problem immediately. Clearly, marketing what you do is the best short-term strategy for picking up new clients or customers.

Speak to problems and provide solutions.
Marketing who you are is how you build your brand. Now before you dismiss brand building as unimportant, think about your last shopping trip. If you’re like most people, you’re willing to pay a premium for top brands—whether you’re talking about Nike shoes, Sam Adams beer or Calvin Klein polo shirts.

For you or your client, as a small business owner, building a strong brand means that your customers will not only remain loyal—but they will also be willing to pay more for your services! The goal here is to make sure that when a customer or potential customer thinks of a plumbing company, landscaper or electrician (whatever it is that you do), they think of your company first. Successful brand building virtually guarantees that you will have a steady stream of work, because you are known as the best at what you do.

While it’s clear that building your brand is the best approach to take for the long term, it’s a slow process. Many small businesses simply don’t have the budget for an extended marketing campaign that might take months or even years to turn a profit. That’s why, for most businesses, the answer is a combination of the two. By marketing your services, you can be assured that you’ll get some new business. As your budget allows, you can gradually invest in brand building at the same time. As your progress, you can gradually shift your budget away from marketing your services and towards building your brand. The timeline and budget will obviously vary depending on your specific situation, but the bottom line applies to all small businesses: It’s important to market your services in order to bring in new business—but it’s equally important that you don’t neglect your long term strategy of building your brand.

If you are consulting local businesses you need to think about this variable not only for you clients but also for yourself.

This is the difference between becoming a commodity and a brand. I generally consult small businesses to go for the “what you do” marketing in order to build a pipeline of business.

Once you’ve got some cushion pay a little more attention to the “who you are” and you may find that price is not the main point of competition for your prospects.

As we saw last week, Google changed that whole model in an afternoon. Google Places just became a huge factor in Local SEO, perhabs the biggest. 

Some suggest that Google just dealt the death blow to online yellow page directories. I wouldn’t go that far since you can still buy your way to the top of the directories.

I would suggest the biggest blow comes to the Map spammers and keyword stuffers. Now with the quality review algorithm, next time the spammers and stuffers change a listing it will be queued to be reviewed and goodbye listing.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been playing the Google Map game for almost five years and have done every black hat, white hat and everything in between tactic to get quick and lasting placement.

I still believe the maps can be gamed for sure, I’m already seeing the patterns of what now carries heavier weight, but not sure it’s worth the trouble now that Google is actively “slapping” the gamers.

You can now play by big Gs rules and get your placement. So forget about keyword stuffing business names, etc.. It’s over.  In fact, Local Internet Marketers are now in a position more than ever to help small businesses get their listings optimized, the right way. Just don’t make it your sole value proposition. 

It is a great introduction to your services and one that should get y0ur foot in the door to show prospects exactly what you have to offer, but don’t let it be the cornerstone of your business, because you don’t want Google to control decide your future.

It may sound odd but some of my clients have little interest in being found on Google. It’s not on the top or even middle of the list of what they want from me. Yep, there is a lot more to “Local Internet Marketing” than SE placement.

As far as Google Places go, pay close attention over the next few weeks to see where the chips land as far as the map sitting over the adwords block on the right. You’ll see a lot of debate overt the importance of reviews, citations and keyword placement. But always have this thought in the back of your mind. “If it’s easy to game then it may not hold as much weight as it might appear”. 

Let’s see where the chips fall. It will be a fun few weeks.