In today’s digital age, having a strong marketing tool or marketing materials and online presence is essential for any business owners or business looking to thrive and succeed. And with Google being the go-to search engine optimizations for millions of potential customers, it’s crucial for businesses to have a strong presence on Google’s platforms.
One such platform is Google Business Profile, which allows businesses to showcase their products, types of service business, and contact information directly on Google’s search results. And with the recent introduction of business profile videos, businesses now have an even greater opportunity to engage with their audience and stand out from the competition.
However, creating a compelling and professional business profile video can seem intimidating for beginners.
That’s why in this article, we will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to master Google Business Profile videos.
From understanding the importance of video marketing to creating high-quality videos, we will cover everything you need to know to take your business growth or your business profile to the next level. So, if you’re ready to elevate your online presence and attract more customers, let’s dive into the world of Google Business Profile videos.
Must Incorporate Video
The prevailing notion these days is that in order to stay current, your local business must incorporate video into its marketing strategy. However, for those lacking a sophisticated mobile phone equipped with exceptional filming capabilities, or for those who find the technical aspects of video production daunting, the fear of falling behind may loom large.
Today, we aim to dispel this unease. Moreover, if you work in the field of local SEO, it is highly likely that you have clients who fall into this business category, and obtaining video content from them seems like an insurmountable task.
Fear not, for I have stumbled upon a solution, thanks to a tweet from esteemed colleague Darren Shaw. He mentioned that Canva, a free design program, can be utilized to create slideshows, which can then be saved as video MP4 files and uploaded to your Google Business Profile.
This discovery set me on a captivating journey. I have now successfully created numerous videos using this method. While these videos may not receive accolades in Hollywood, I am truly enchanted by the fact that anyone can effortlessly assemble a few slides and produce a video that can be shared across multiple platforms.
Your Google Business listing, social media profiles, and website are poised to greatly benefit from this innovation. And fear not, even if your business solely possesses photographs, you can still partake in this process.
Allow me to guide you through each step, providing meticulous instructions to ensure your successful creation of your inaugural Canva video.
Step-by-step tutorial on creating a Canva slideshow video
In this exercise, we shall embark on a journey of marketing a local service area enterprise that proudly serves delectable vegan meals across Marin County, California.
Our prime objective is to craft a concise video that imparts customers with all the crucial information about our business within a span of approximately one minute.
Please note that the business we are highlighting is purely fictional, and to maintain authenticity, we kindly request the use of your personally created visuals. Our aim is to ensure that your Google Business Profile not only stands out from the crowd but also exudes a distinctive essence, setting it apart from generic establishments.
Commence the process:
- Procure or compile six high-quality photographs that encapsulate essential elements of your business. Safeguard them in a designated folder on your computer. While doing so, ensure you also secure your business logo in the same location for convenient access and effortless uploading.
- Enroll for a Canva account, which can be accomplished with a complimentary subscription.
- – Upon successful authentication, locate the “Create a design” option positioned at the upper right corner of the Canva homepage and proceed by clicking on it.
- Please enter the phrase “slideshow video” into the designated search bar or search field and subsequently choose the corresponding option from the dropdown list.
This action will lead you directly to the esteemed Canva dashboard:
The workspace is situated on the right-hand side, providing you with ample room to execute your tasks. The inclusion of additional slides can be effortlessly achieved by utilizing the “+” button.
On the contrary, the cluster of essential tools are thoughtfully placed on the left-hand display, ensuring convenient access and optimal utilization.
5. Select the “uploads” option located within the left-hand menu.
Upon activation, a prominent button labeled “Initiate file upload” shall manifest.
6. Kindly select the designated button to initiate the uploading process of your six photographs. Once successfully uploaded, the images shall be displayed in the section below, exemplifying the following format:
7. Arrange the photographs in any desired sequence on the slides to effectively narrate the story of your local business. Utilize the dots located at each corner of the image to effortlessly modify the size of the photo, ensuring a seamless fit within the slide.
Have Made The Determination
In the event that you have made the determination that a photograph does not meet your preferences, simply execute a right-click action upon it. Subsequently, an icon resembling a waste receptacle shall manifest, allowing for its prompt disposal.
This, in turn, enables you to seamlessly introduce an alternative visual element onto the respective slide.
8. At this juncture, it is imperative to incorporate the logo that has been successfully uploaded. The subsequent course of action entails a seamless integration of the logo through an intuitive drag-and-drop process, thereby providing the freedom to position it in a desired location.
9. Incorporating my business’s Unique Selling Proposition (USP) onto the initial slide is imperative. To do so, kindly navigate to the menu and click on the “Text” button, subsequently dragging the term “body” to your desired physical location of your business location for insertion. A wide assortment of fonts is at your disposal, allowing you the freedom to customize the text size to your preference.
I have incorporated the Unique Selling Proposition (USP) at this juncture.
Ensuring Their Concise Nature
10. In order to proceed, kindly proceed with the development of the remaining slides, ensuring their concise nature. It is worth noting that the esteemed Darren Shaw has effectively addressed the prevalent uncertainty surrounding Google’s guidelines on video length in an invaluable video. These guidelines stipulate the following specifications that videos should adhere to:
- Duration: Within the range of 30 seconds or less
- File size: Restricted to a maximum of 75 MB
- Resolution: Maintaining a minimum of 720p or higher quality.
11. Implement transitional animations to enhance the visual experience during slide transitions.
Enhance The Transition
By utilizing the discreet arrow located beneath the plus sign, situated between slides, users can seamlessly enhance the transition of their relevant content through an assortment of captivating effects that will gracefully emerge from the left side. Among these options, the “dissolve” choice exudes a sense of refined sophistication.
Furthermore, the convenience of a “apply to all” button allows for the efficient application of desired effects across multiple slides, eliminating the need for manual insertion between each individual slide.
In addition, to augment the fluidity of my video presentations, I prefer to incorporate a subtle fade-in effect exclusively to the initial slide. Achieving this entails selecting the first slide and subsequently customer engagement the “animate” button prominently displayed atop the dashboard.
A Fond Appreciation
I have a fond appreciation for the animated feature known as “fade,” whereby I opt for the “on enter” setting to seamlessly introduce the image through a gradual fading effect upon its entrance.
12. Enhance your video with auditory elements.
At this juncture, the slideshow undergoes a transformation, akin to the metamorphosis of a delightful video. Through the inclusion of sound, the level of audience engagement is elevated to unprecedented heights.
Canva’s complimentary edition offers an assortment of audio files (although the premium version provides a plethora of options). To access these audio resources, navigate to the “Elements” tab in the left-hand menu and subsequently scroll downwards until the “Audio” category is visible.
I am incorporating the complementary track titled “Happy Whistling Ukulele” into this video, as it possesses a vibrant and uplifting essence that aligns perfectly with the positive message we aim to convey regarding this business. Simply move the track beneath the sequence of your slides.
Furthermore, the “Audio Effects” button located at the uppermost section of the interface can be utilized to gracefully fade in and out the track, thereby ensuring a seamless transition without any jarring disruptions.
Utilizing The Diminutive Speaker Symbol
The volume of your audio track can be easily customized by utilizing the diminutive speaker symbol located above.
Furthermore, it would be advantageous to incorporate a doorbell sound effect on a specific slide that portrays a delivery taking place, while also including the delightful exclamation of “hooray” from a person on another slide. To achieve this, one must diligently relevant search the high-value keywords or relevant keywords for the appropriate audio files, and effortlessly drag and position them beneath the corresponding slides.
One noteworthy feature that truly elevates Canva is its ability to seamlessly incorporate multiple audio tracks, which undoubtedly enhances the overall user experience.
I shall refrain from doing so in this instance; however, you have the option to incorporate your own voice-over into the video. I have personally conducted trials utilizing my laptop’s microphone, and the audio quality was less than satisfactory.
Should you possess a superior microphone and wish to include your voice, kindly navigate to the Uploads tab and select the “record yourself” button.
A Noteworthy User Experience Issue
Upon accessing the recording dashboard, it is important to acknowledge a noteworthy user experience issue encountered with Canva, for which I have not received any response. Despite multiple attempts, I have observed that the program invariably records audio as a video file.
Consequently, extracting the desired audio track necessitates the selection of video editing options and subsequent extraction of the accompanying soundtrack. This convoluted process proves needlessly complex, and I sincerely hope that Canva prioritizes rectifying this inconvenience in the future.
Exploring the potential integration of voiceovers within your business endeavors could prove advantageous.
12. Please assign a specific name to your file. This action can be carry out in the upper right corner, where the term “VEGAN” is exhibit in the provided screenshot.
Subsequently, securely preserve it within a designated directory located on the left-hand side of Canva’s interface, accessible through the prestigious “file” tab.
Please carefully review your slide show multiple times to ensure its accuracy and meet your satisfaction. Once you are confident in its quality, kindly proceed to click the download link provided above and save it as an MP4 format.
Congratulations! You have successfully generated and obtained your finalized video.
What did we just make, and what should we do with this local business video now?
It is endorse that you incorporate a downloads arrow icon in proximity to the URL bar on your computer’s interface. By clicking on your file, it will seamlessly initiate the playback of your newly generated video on the designated video player installed on your computer.
Presently, while you are logged into the account responsible for overseeing the designated Google Business Profile, proceed to conduct a search for your business name in combination with the city name on the Google platform in order to access the esteemed New Merchant Experience Dashboard.
Please select the “Add Photo” button located in the aforementioned interface and proceed to choose the “Photo” option from the subsequent popup.
At this juncture, users are provided with a noteworthy insight, affirming their ability to seamlessly incorporate videos in addition to high-quality photos.
Please select the “Upload MP4 file” option after clicking the designated link for photos or videos.
An automatic notification will be send off to apprise you of the ongoing processing of your upload.
Subsequently, you shall encounter an error notification emitted by Google, thus it is advisable to equip oneself for its occurrence.
Crucial To Note
The aforementioned bug within Google’s system has been officially reported since at least the year 2023. It is crucial to note that this bug does not indicate any rejection of your video content.
It is advisable to revisit your profile three days after publishing, as by then, your video should be readily available for viewing.
During the interim period while waiting for the bug to be resolved, it is recommended to consider uploading your MP4-based video onto Instagram. Additionally, if you are contemplating the establishment of a YouTube account for your local business, this video can serve as an ideal inaugural addition.
Once you have successfully uploaded a video onto YouTube, it is worthwhile to share it across other platforms such as X (Twitter) and Facebook, as well as embedding it on your own website. Furthermore, take advantage of the option to include videos within regular updates of Google Updates (formerly known as Google posts).
The ability to share a single video across multiple platforms on numerous occasions presents an exceptional opportunity to maximize the benefits derived from mere minutes of effort.
A few last tips about making videos and Canva
1. Canva’s support system may not be reliable in addressing any issues or queries you may encounter while using the program. Despite their claim of responding within the operating hours, business operations or the 24 business hours of operation, my personal experience suggests that you are unlikely to receive a response.
This is disappointing, considering the exceptional quality of the product. Even for paid accounts, their customer service falls short of expectations. In light of this, if you need assistance with Canva, I recommend two alternatives: firstly, explore YouTube for video demonstrations of specific processes, and secondly, take a proactive approach by experimenting within the dashboard until you find a solution on your own.
2. If you feel apprehensive about technology, it is important to remind yourself that Canva provides a secure environment where you can experiment without fear of making mistakes. Your work remains private until you are complacent and ready to make it public.
Embrace the Privacy
Take your time to proofread your text, modify your images, or select suitable audio. Embrace the privacy of your creative process until you are confident to share it with others.
3. If you are working with a local business client who is slow in providing fresh content, it is possible to create an initial video for them without their active participation. Utilize the photos and unique selling points available on their website to construct an initial slideshow.
Once they witness the impact of this video on their profile, they will likely be persuade to collaborate with you in creating subsequent videos with more strategic visual elements.
4. The potential for creating various types of videos for businesses is vast. Consider leveraging this medium to showcase your premises, staff, inventory, frequently asked customer questions, guarantees, special events, promotions, before-and-after projects, and explanations of your service area, among others.
It is highly likely that few of your local competitors have invested significantly in GBP videos. With a moderate amount of effort, you can establish your profile as the best in town.
In Conclusion
Creating a Google Business Profile video may seem intimidating at first, but following these simple steps can make the process much easier. By showcasing your business and its unique personality in a video, you can create a strong connection with potential customers and stand out from competitors.
So why wait? Take the first step towards mastering Google Business Profile videos and watch your business thrive.
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