How To Leverage Video Content To Humanize And Grow Your Business

Forbes

29-07-2025

Joseph Edgar is the CEO of Loca, which helps local businesses find, keep and reward customers.
From TikTok to YouTube, video is everywhere online—and its dominance in social media marketing is undeniable.
But in my view, many business leaders aren't leveraging the full potential of video content beyond mainstream platforms like TikTok and YouTube. As the saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Videos have the potential to tell immersive stories, and business leaders should make video content a priority.
Beyond Social Media: Where Video Can Shine
While organically posting on social media is a no-brainer for connecting with customers at little to no cost, it's just the tip of the iceberg. Consider research that indicated that by the end of 2024, online videos would account for "more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic."
If you're a business leader, that finding points to a significant opportunity to use video in other crucial ways.
The first area? Your website. You can elevate your website from static text and images to an engaging experience for your prospective and existing customers. For instance, if you run a Mexican restaurant, you can showcase a video of sizzling fajitas. If you run a bike shop, you can demonstrate the latest bike that you're selling in action.
By adding videos across different parts of your website, such as product pages and purchase pages, you have the chance to increase customer engagement and conversions. Why? At the core, I believe it comes down to videos enabling people to visualize themselves enjoying your products or services.
This brings me to the other area you can enhance with video content—product demonstrations.
Sometimes, words and photos aren't enough, especially if your product requires an explanation or presents better in motion. A simple video demonstration can transform confusion about a product into understanding and enjoyment. It can bridge the gap between a prospective customer simply seeing your product and understanding the value and application of your product.
In my view, for brick-and-mortar businesses, the ambiance and experience are often as important as the products themselves. A brunch restaurant isn't just selling omelettes; it's selling the side salads and hash browns, the uplifting music and warm lighting that make people feel refreshed.
Videos can capture and convey milieu in a way that text and static images simply cannot, allowing customers to experience your unique atmosphere before they even step foot inside your business.
Humanizing Your Local Business With Video
Video offers local businesses a unique opportunity to humanize their brands and connect with their prospective and existing customers on a deeper level.
Used strategically, video can become your competitive advantage. I think this is especially the case if you run a smaller, local business. For example, say you run a family-owned Italian restaurant, where you serve customers pasta and pizza made from recipes that have been in your family for generations. By showcasing your family's unity and revealing the authentic recipes behind the dishes you serve, you can grab people's attention. Local businesses are often the backbone of communities, and videos can help people see where their money is going. For instance, if a local hardware store owner posts videos showcasing the team buying and donating school supplies to students in need, it can give customers a sense that they are contributing to the community fabric; that the hardware store is not just in the neighborhood, but truly part of it.
Videos enable business leaders, particularly local business leaders, to tell compelling stories that help build trust in their communities.
Using Video As A Powerful Marketing Tool
Video can be a powerful marketing tool. In my view, one of the most exciting aspects of that is the affordability of video, which enables smaller businesses to compete more effectively with larger ones. Gone are the days when you need to hire an expensive production team to create a video. Your smartphone likely has an amazing camera. Low-cost or free editing software that's easily accessible can help you make high-quality videos.
Having videos on your website, social media channels and Google Business Profile can also increase the amount of time prospective and existing customers spend interacting with your content, which can increase conversions.
Furthermore, you can easily repurpose your video content for email marketing and text message campaigns, providing direct links that encourage engagement and drive customers back to your offerings.
Many video platforms provide valuable analytics, giving you insights into what resonates with your audience. By understanding which videos are watched and liked the most, you can identify patterns that help you refine your creative approach and develop engaging content that consistently attracts new customers.
In a digital landscape dominated by visual storytelling, video stands out as a powerful tool for engaging your audience. It can transform a static website into an immersive experience, clarify product usage with a simple demonstration, and humanize businesses. Building connections, showing the heart behind your brand and bringing to light your brand's impact on your community can resonate deeply with consumers.
The good news? Harnessing this power is easier and more affordable than ever. With just a smartphone and accessible editing tools, you can create compelling content that enhances your online presence, increases customer engagement and genuinely sets you apart. If video isn't already a core part of your marketing strategy, now is the time to embrace it. Your customers are watching—make sure they're watching you.
Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?