In today’s social media centered world, video is beginning to appear more and more frequently, often in the place of written content. Therefore, your local business may be exploring creating YouTube videos, but may be unsure how to engage and draw in your audience. If you keep the following three steps in mind, it actually can be quite easy to engage your current and potential audience and begin to drive them to take action with your local business.

The first step in creating a local business YouTube video is to develop engaging content which will capture your audience’s attention and cause them to continue to watch your entire video. Consider beginning your video with a compelling question or an interesting story. Save information about you and the business which can often be a bit drier until you’ve drawn in your audience. They need to understand first why they should care about your business before you get into more of its background.

The next step is to create the case for your local business product or service. Why should the viewer of the video be interested in what your business can provide? Explain the typical problem or issue which leads a potential customer to your business. However, in order to keep the explanation interesting, consider using the story of a real customer who was saved significant time or money because of your product or service. If possible, also consider demonstrating the use of your local business products so a viewer can more fully understand why he or she may truly need the product you’re discussing in the video.

The third step is to drive action in the viewers of your video. Similar to driving action in a social media campaign, often the easiest way in which to get viewers of your video to take some action with your local business, is to present them with an offer. By offering a discount or trial of your product or service, your business is more likely to compel immediate action of the part of the video viewer. Also, creating a reasonable deadline with the offer creates a sense of urgency.

In closing, be mindful of the length of your video. Strive to make the video no longer than five minutes, if you have really great content to share, and typically around three minutes in length. Remember as with social media campaigns, make sure your local business is equipped and prepared to deal with the questions and increased customer traffic which often results with new awareness about your local business product or service.

Are you seeking more information on how to create an enticing video or presentation about your local business? Consider checking out this local business content.

Chris Marentis, considered an expert in the field of local business online marketing, is the founder and CEO of Surefire Social.