How to Use Short Videos to Engage Customers of Your Field Service Business

Perhaps you’re one of the million viewers who saw the straightforward HVAC repair video below that’s under two minutes.

An easygoing, total professional in a white company shirt takes you step-by-step through all the things you should check before you call someone to do an expensive repair. He’s helpful, he’s friendly and he clearly knows how to get the job done. You just know that if you do all this troubleshooting and you’re still stuck, you can call his company and get the help you need. Videos like these can instantly turn prospects into customers.

You don’t necessarily need a million views to reach your local target market, though. A roof restoration company gets nearly 46,000 views on a simple video of pressure washing a concrete tile roof. A one-minute video of a home cleaning service hard at work (in fast-motion) gets over 30,000 views. As these examples show, there are plenty of ways to boost your business through video. As you’ll see below, an audience of one might just be all the viewers you need to start seeing ROI.

It’s easier than ever to get started. Today it’s even possible to create high-quality short-form videos using a smartphone and editing apps such as iMovie and WeVideo.

Here are some best-practice tips for creating unique and authentic video content.

Keep Your Videos to 2 Minutes or Less

Short, custom videos are a highly effective way to communicate directly to audiences and increase customer engagement.

According this study by Wistia, viewer engagement is fairly steady up to the two-minute mark, after which point it drops by 60 percent. Surprisingly, there wasn’t much change in the level of engagement at any point under two minutes.

How short can you go? Twenty seconds could be plenty, if you’re creating a video meant for a select audience of one, by invitation-only. This style of video is just starting to catch on by leading-edge service businesses. You can send short video updates on new products and services directly to your customer database via email. Adds an element of personalization that will encourage the call to action.

Show Authenticity by Linking to Videos in Email Messages

Instead of measuring the ROI from a video by the number of viewers, remember what you’re trying to achieve: customer engagement. A simple thank you message or polite yet playful and personalized reminder that your company is just waiting for a call back could win you a customer for life.

Let your customers see who you really are. Film behind-the-scenes clips from your head office and get staff members to participate in telling your company story and communicating your values.

For example, watch this two minute video from McCahill Painting Company. With a camera (or phone?) on a tripod, the owner speaks in voice-over, explaining the process. It’s strangely satisfying to watch the primer coat being applied, and meanwhile, you’re learning a lot about what you’ll be paying for if you hire Cahill. This one was easy to produce too: A single shot, with the built in microphone. Having the camera steady throughout was a nice touch too — this would also work as a fast motion time lapse.

Share Personalized Customer Appreciation Videos on Social Media

Sharing a personalized appreciation video through an online platform is a highly effective engagement strategy that speaks directly to customers while also exposing your business to new audiences.

Joybird Furniture replied personally to a customer on Twitter after he tweeted about their great customer service. Constant Contact thanked all their customers by name and posted it on YouTube. You can also send a quick personalized video on customers’ birthdays or on membership anniversaries.

Hook your Audience Within the First 8 Seconds

You may want to max out your video’s time at two minutes, but if you want them to watch all the way through, you’ve got to grab them pretty much instantly.

A recent study found that the average attention span of humans is now just 8 seconds – less than a goldfish.

Consider those first few seconds of your video to be the most valuable. If you don’t grab your audience’s attention straight off the bat, you risk losing them for good. Do this right and you’ve got an audience for the lifetime of your company.