Kevin Hunt Video

If you run a small business, or work for one, my question in the title of this post is for you.

Having a website is one thing. Being found on Google is nice. But having a site that gives your potential customers something that provides them with a reason to trust you, buy from you and talk to you is something else.

Look for ways to work video content into your site.

A simple and short, professionaly produced “Hi, my name is…” video clip can go a long way. Be genuine, not scripted. Look directly at the camera, or do it as a TV news-style interview.

Just do something! Let customers know there’s a person behind the product or service. That there’s a passion to your business.

What’s on your website? Words?

I read quite a bit online and listen to several podcasts, looking for new ideas in digital marketing and social media – specifically the use of online video by business owners or all types.

Mitch Joel has some great ideas for you at the end of a recent episode of his podcast, Six Pixels of Separation (Episode #150).

He closed out the podcast with his “Six Points of Separation”, on how small and medium-sized business can benefit from social media:

1. Start the movement

A lot of times, Joel says, businesses wonder how could they possibly add anything useful to what’s out on the Web.

The idea is to find ways to connect to the people who would be interested in you ”out there,” and start your own movement. Hop on in!

2. Impenetrable niche

The inspiration for the title of this post, Joel says the power in connecting with people is not to find as many people as possible. It is finding the people who are interested in what you have to offer, your shared values and how and why you connect to your small segment.

You’re unique – there are opportuinities to create a niche among people who will spread your name around.

3. Connect in ways big business can’t

I think this is key. You can do so much more, faster, than a big company can. And, you don’t need as many people working on your digital and social media pursuits as a big corporation does.

You control what you do. You approve what you do. You eliminate layers and layers of logjams that corporations have to deal with, in order to get one blog post out, to get one podcast out, to respond to a blog comment, etc…

4. Create content in the form of text, audio, video and/or images

I preach about this quite a bit. It could not be any easier to do this than it is right now.

Get your content out there. Blogs, podcasts, YouTube videos, etc…

Joel talks about how you can start out doing it for free or with minimal cost (Some video cameras, especially geared for the Web are just $150).

But… I believe, and Joel points this out too, that even though the tools are often cheap, you do need to present your content in a high quality way.

Don’t upload a video with crappy audio or poor lighting. Don’t litter your blog posts with spelling mistakes.

Create content. But do it right. Yes, it’s free or low-cost to get on the Web. But you need to polish it a bit.

I think nothing will sink you faster on the Web than a poorly-produced first impression, or a series of poorly-produced content that you think is great but in reality, it’s killing you.

5. Respond in a cheap and effective manner

If someone’s complaining about you and your business online, you can and should be there to respond. Take the complaint or issue offline if you have to.

But engage the people who deserve to be engaged. I think you should make that decision, based on who is complaining and the validity of the complaint or comment.

6. Have that content live on – share tribal knowledge

Every comment or clarification you make to a complaint, on a blog, etc… is out there for other customers to see. You’re sharing the information to many, rather than having to respond the same way over and over to individuals.

Don’t take my word for it about the power of digital media… listen to marketing guru Seth Godin, in his blog post Monday, titled “Sixty to zero”:

Prediction: 90% of your sales will come from word of mouth or digital promotion by 2011. How do you change what you’re doing today to be ready for that?

Digital promotion. You know, audio, video, text… anything on your Web site or perhaps something you send out as a link to your customers that has to do with you, what you do, what people are saying about you, etc…

But remember, promotion is not always about promoting your products.

Digital promotion promotes you… but it’s really about how you are best equipped to help your customers solve their problems. Through your expertise, your experience, even your personality.

Digitally… with multimedia. Professional and affordable.

What are you waiting for?

How do you change what you’re doing today to be ready…?