As a small business, deciding where to spend your marketing budget can be tough. In recent years, there are countless strategies that have opened up in digital marketing. But where to put your time and money?

You’ve heard a lot about video advertising. But what’s so great about videos anyway? Video is one of the most powerful advertising tools out there. Here’s why you, as a small business owner, should consider video marketing.

1.       Free and Easy Advertising

When consumers are looking for a service, the first place they turn is to a search engine. Search engines boost content that is engaging, which means that a page with a video is given high priority. According to Marketing Week 2012, video results appeared in nearly 70% of the top 100 search results on Google. That gives your business a better chance of being searched and seen if you’re advertising with videos.

Videos are good advertising because they are easy to share. Your small business doesn’t have to use up the entire marketing budget to buy advertising space when video can take care of it all for you on social media. On Twitter alone, there are more than 700 videos shared per minute. Advertising with a video makes your content more shareable online. As consumers view videos they connect with, they’ll want to share them with friends. And that’s free and effective advertising for you! Don’t underestimate the power of word-of-mouth, even when it occurs online.

Fortunately, the costs of video production are affordable. So even if your business has a fairly small marketing budget, videos allow you to reach larger audiences while using up fewer dollars to do it. Not only is producing a video relatively cost-effective, it’s also long-lasting. While traditional advertising lasts for a limited time, online videos will be available for years to come. This gives your business more exposure every time a new online search is made.

Video can be simple, cheap, and still be effective. Your small business doesn’t need to throw away thousands of dollars and hours coming up with the next “Charlie Bit My Finger”. The video doesn’t need to go viral in order to do its job. If you’re not inexperienced in creating videos with your own equipment, hiring a video production company is a safe and budget-friendly way to go.

2.       Capitalize on Being a Small Business

One of your biggest advantages as a small business using video is that video is personal. Being able to put a face to your business is important in an online setting, especially for a small or local business. It will build trust, credibility, and show your audience that you’re in touch with their needs. It’s by far the best way to create a lasting and relatable first impression. Videos also give your audience an opportunity to interact with you, making your business seem even more personal.

When you create a video that is personal, you can capitalize on the fact that you’re a local business. A video gives you the chance to show off your employees, your story, your vision, etc. This levels the playing field between a small business and a big corporation. A video can show the audience that your small business has something that the others don’t have—that personal, local touch. It’s the best way for your audience to see that small means personable and personable is best.

Watching a video creates an emotional, interactive experience. Since videos combine several marketing elements such as body language, sounds, visuals, and of course, words, they are highly persuasive. All of these elements interact to give the viewer a clear idea of your message and provoke an emotional experience. People can be moved to laughter or tears, all the while being educated about your message.

For example, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge: hundreds of people shared videos of them dumping freezing water on their heads. Video’s power to elicit emotions and call to action is what spurred this campaign to success.

Using video marketing is a must for small businesses. Videos are blurring the lines between big corporations and local businesses. It’s a marketing strategy that’s available to essentially anyone. Creating a video is an experience that requires minimal effort and goes a long way for your audience.

It’s simple—you need video. No other strategy can create the relationship that your business needs to have with its audience.