People love to feel appreciated. This is why taking the time to create a thank you video is the perfect way to let your customers and supporters know how much they mean to your business and build on a meaningful connection with them.

You don’t need fancy equipment to create a video that makes an impact. And with the help of email marketing and social media, it’s easy to get your thank you video in front of everyone who matters to your business.

No matter what type of business you own, or nonprofit organization you run, your thank you video will be a valuable reminder of your gratitude.

Here’s how you can get started creating your own thank you video:

Define your goals

Sending a simple, no-strings-attached video to say thank you is effective enough on its own. But it’s also okay to use your video as an opportunity to drop in an effective call to action.

Do you have a fundraising goal you’re eager to meet? What about a timely holiday sale at your boutique? Call this out at the end of the video!

Even if you decide to do an unscripted video, make sure you’ve defined your goals before recording anything.

Decide where to host your video

Where you host your video depends on how you want to reach your audience. If you’re planning on sending the video in an email or embeding it on your website, a business video host might be the way to go.

 

 

With video host, you’ll get detailed analytics and great insights into who watched your video. You’ll also keep viewers on your domain so they don’t wander off to content unrelated to your business.

If you have a massive following on Facebook, YouTube, or another social media platform, uploading it to one of those natively could allow you to reach a great audience.

If you’re posting the video in multiple locations, make sure to use the same link or embed code for the video. You want everyone watching the same video file.

Choose how to produce your video

You have two main options for producing your video:

1. Fast, cheap, and off the cuff.

There’s no shame in going selfie-style and making an honest, from the heart, testimonial type thank you video with your mobile phone. There are plenty of inexpensive tools out there from mini tripods to clip on lenses that turn a mobile phone into a pretty powerful video camera. If you’re hoping to have a professional looking video recorded with a phone, all it takes is a little more time and research on your part.

If you, someone you work with, or a friend have some video production skills or equipment to lend to your no-budget video, that can also help make your video look more professional. It’s really about how much time and effort you have to put into it, but keep in mind even the simplest video can be effective.

2. Call the pros.

Having a freelance video producer or production company make your thank you video gives you the freedom to think up ideas that you could never execute on your own. Another advantage of having a professionally produced video is that the look and feel of your video will be more polished with editing, music, titles, and graphics included.

Whether you’re creating the video on your own or hiring some help, people are going to love it.

Make your video today

Need some ideas to get you started? Here are a few to get your wheels turning:

• End of the Year

The end of the year is a great time to say thank you to your customers and supporters. Let them know how their business or contribution has impacted you. I can’t stress enough how much people like to be thanked.

• Happy Birthdays

Produce a thank you video that includes a general happy birthday message. You can collect birthday information from your subscribers, store them, and send timely emails just in time for their big day. This is a great way to drive a personal connection with your subscribers.

• Holidays

 

 

New Year’s isn’t the only holiday you can send out a thank you video. Any holiday works. You can send a Valentine’s Day themed thank you to let your customers and supporters know how much you love them. Or even a Halloween treat. Think of the costume possibilities!

• Autoresponder Thank You

Creating a thank you video triggered by a specific action is also really effective. You can create a custom thank you video to send after someone signs up for your email list, purchases your product or service, donates to your nonprofit, or any other action.

 

Creating a thank you video is a powerful way to show your subscribers how much they mean to you. The most important thing is to be authentic; think about what you would say if you were talking to your audience directly, and take a few moments to get it on camera. Your customers and supporters will feel appreciated and eager to continue their relationship with your business.