7 Benefits of Using Video with Google My Business

About a month ago the Google My Business team announced that from now on businesses were allowed to upload videos to their GMB dashboard making them available for potential customers to view. What's more, customers themselves are also encouraged to upload videos to a business's GMB dashboard, which will then appear in a separate 'customer' tab.

This new feature doesn't entirely come by surprise, since there have been multiple reports of video listings in beta. Still, as we all know about the effectiveness of video content and video marketing in terms of user engagement and conversions as well as the rapidly growing demand for the medium, it's definitely an exciting opportunity and something I wanted to take a closer look at. Let's go!

The Nitty-Gritty Details

To make sure that everybody is on the same page, I've briefly summarized the nitty-gritty details of using videos with GMB below, so we get a better idea of what we are actually talking about:

  1. All uploaded videos have the chance to appear on Google Maps plus the 'Snack Pack' (local search listings).
  2. Videos with a maximum length of 30 seconds are supported.
  3. It takes up to 24 hours for videos to appear in the GMB overview tab.
  4. In their dashboard, businesses have the option to flag videos uploaded by customers which they consider inappropriate.

The Benefits of Using Video with Google My Business

What are the benefits of adding videos to your GMB dashboard?

1. Higher Conversions

There is a reason that 52% of all marketing professionals worldwide list video as the type of content with the best ROI - it simply converts. And it converts way better than plain text or images with text.

Why is that? The main reason is that first of all people enjoy watching a video much more than reading an article or post. Reading requires real effort from the user and it takes a lot more time to pass the same amount of information. Who in this day and age has the time to read a wall of text? Nobody.

Also, videos catch people's attention and they are less likely to get ignored. Plus there is music and you can easily evoke emotions to leave a lasting impression on the user.

2. More Engagement

Did you know that video generates 1,200% more shares on social media than text and images combined? I mean that is huge!

One of your videos can easily go viral with more and more users sharing it for free, which I'm sure we've all done in the past ourselves. Don't get me wrong though, creating a video that goes viral is not an easy thing to do, but it's absolutely worth attempting, if you have the resources.

Again, try to play with emotions - think funny or heart-warming - to really build a connection to the users and make them learn to love and remember your business.

3. Set Yourself Apart

Knowing what sets your company apart from your competition is crucial in marketing. This is also called creating a USP (Unique Selling Point). But to actually communicate why a customer should choose your product or service over all the other options that are available in your niche or industry is difficult.

In addition to customer reviews and testimonials you can use video to show your potential customers why you are better than the rest.

4. Build Trust

A number of A/B tests (see one here) have proven that stock images not only look fake, they also don't help to build trust with users. And a user who doesn't trust you is unlikely going to spend any money in your eCommerce store for example.

With video you can give your business a face that people can relate to.

5. Show What You Can't Say

A picture says more than a thousand words, and I believe that a video says even a hundred times more than that.

What I mean is that there are things that you can't express with words. But at the same time there are things that you can't show with pictures, so you better use video!

Here are a couple of examples:

  • You are an architect and you want to showcase a newly built house that you've designed. Sure, you could simply take a couple of photos and add them to your GMB dashboard, but imagine how cool it would be to create a video showing all of the rooms inside and also walk around the house.
  • You own a hotel with a large and beautiful wellness area that no image(s) can really capture.
  • You sell luxury leather dog collars. Instead of just showing images of your best selling dog collar shot from 2 different angles, you could create a video providing a full 360-degree view.

6. Educate Your Customers

Using videos is a great way to educate your customers. You have to understand that oftentimes it's hard for an outsider to grasp what the real benefits of your service is or how your product works. So why not show them?

And, of course, you can go beyond talking solely about what you are trying to sell. For example, you could answer some of the most common questions in your niche that frequently pop up online. This way you provide real value and don't come across as try hard, which also helps to increase trust.

7. Potential Ranking Boost

Although I couldn't find any case studies with evidence to confirm the following claim, in the world of SEO it's widely believed that a Google My Business listing ranks better in the local Snack Pack, if it contains a lot of useful information including images and posts.

This also makes a lot of sense, so it's only logical that adding videos to your GMB dashboard could also help with your rankings.

How to Add Videos to Your GMB Dashboard

Adding videos to your Google My Business dashboard is really simple. All you need to do is:

  1. Log into your GMB account.
  2. If you manage more than one location, click on the 'Manage Location' button for the listing you would like to add video(s) for.
  3. Click on 'Photos' in the left sidebar.
  4. Next click on the 'VIDEO' tab at the top and hit 'POST VIDEOS', or click on the blue plus sign in the top right corner of your screen.Google My Business Video
  5. Now either click on the blue button in the middle to select one or more videos to upload from your computer or use the drag & drop feature if you prefer.Google My Business Video
  6. The video is going to start uploading. Give it a minute or two to finish.Google My Business Video

As mentioned above, you have to wait for up to 24 hours for the video to process, and that's already it!

Quality Is King

Before we part and you go and shoot your first video, it's important to keep in mind that quality content and professional makeup will distinguish between a business that is perceived as trustworthy and those that are not. At least decent video equipment, the right software, and the necessary know-how are key here!

At the same time, keep in mind that you don't want to create the 'stock video effect', because it's just not authentic. You want to be real and tangible.