10 Video Marketers to Learn from to Grow Your Retail Business' Followers on TikTok, YouTube & Facebook

The business of retail is highly competitive, and the Internet has only helped increase that over time. Thanks to new avenues like video marketing, brands are struggling to find the best ways to keep up, often overlooking or balking at the idea of integrating yet another new technology with their marketing stack. However, without it, you’re not going to get very far. 

Case in point? A study by Cisco shows that by 2022, as much as 82% of all global Internet traffic will be generated from streaming or downloaded videos. In that same study, it’s estimated that traffic from live videos will also grow as much as 15 times by 2022. That means it’s time—not just time to get on board, but time to get comfortable with video marketing, including live video, if you want your retail business to succeed. 

Let’s start with a quick overview, then we’ll talk about where you can find the best influencers and marketing agencies to help you champion your own video marketing strategy. 

Video marketing 101 – your questions, answered 

• What is video marketing? Is it different from traditional TV advertising?

Video marketing is exactly that—marketing to your audience through video. It’s quite different than traditional advertising in that you can create so much more content, and more dynamic content, to engage your audience better than you ever could with a standard TV ad or commercial spot. 

• How can I use video marketing?

As a retail establishment, there are so many ways you can incorporate video into your marketing strategy. You can use videos as traditional advertisements, create how-to videos and tutorials, and even share the vision and mission of your brand to create a better connection with your audience. Maybe you want to sample your products on TikTok to engage your audience or even just get their attention in a unique way. The only limit is your imagination. 

• Should I pay for marketing assistance with this?

When it comes to spending on your marketing, that’s entirely up to you. We’re always for it when it makes sense because marketing is an investment in your brand, not another expense. You'll get your return multiple times over when you do it right. 

• Should I start with TikTok or YouTube first?

This is a trick question—you should start with both and any other marketing avenues that you want to use for video marketing. Create a strategy that engages all of the major channels you want to cover and offers a comprehensive approach to making video work for you. The “comprehensive” part is key—you can’t just start posting static videos randomly and hope for the best. You need a plan that covers it all. 

• Where can I find more advice and assistance?

We’re glad you asked! This slightly obvious segue leads us to our next topic: the 10 best video marketers for your retail business to learn and grow your own following on TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook. In the list below, we’ll cover 10 influencers and agencies that are kicking serious butt at video marketing and helping others do the same. 

Take notes, and take stock of your options, because these are the people that will help you build the success that you want with video marketing. 

10 video marketers that can help your retail business

1. Gary Vaynerchuk

Gary Vaynerchuk is the owner of the VarnerMedia empire, which currently has over 800 employees. He’s been a businessperson since the day he was born and he knows all about entrepreneurship and business. He created his own successful vlogs and videos showcasing his featured interviews on shows like Conan O’Brien and others. He knows all about how to create successful video marketing campaigns and the sheer fact that he’s such a big name in the business community offers the confidence that you’re making a solid decision. 

Gary is an entrepreneur and CEO, but he’s also an excellent teacher and his selfie-style fan videos prove that you don’t need to spend a small fortune on production to be successful with video marketing. 

2. Scott Stratten, UnMarketing.com

Scott Stratten and his wife are in charge over at UnMarketing.com, having already posted tons of videos with millions of views and downloads. They have mastered viral video and other video marketing tactics, and they’ve even published six books together. Scott offers plenty of advice via social media, both in video and written form, and they even speak at events for major brands like IBM, Microsoft, and others. His social media is great for following if nothing else, but you can also find videos, or even reach out to him directly for support and consulting services. 

We’re anxious to see if he sticks with it, but currently, Stratten has vowed that he will never stop the Un-Marketing mission. 

3. Laura Clery

Known as a Facebook sensation, Laura offers video marketing that hits the mark in several different ways. She’s built a brand with more than 14 million Facebook followers, largely in part to her wit, dedication, and way of presenting and marketing videos. She creates viral videos with the help of her alter ego and a great sense of humor, offering inspiration and insight along with a healthy laugh. She might not be selling products like your retail establishment, but she’s sold her own brand well enough that she’s more than capable of helping you become an influencer in your own right when you embrace videos for all that they can be. 

4. Supercar Blondie

Supercar Blondie is the YouTube personality of one Alex Hirschi, who was also awarded the 202 Breakout YouTuber of the Year award. She is a former TV journalist by profession and is now a video marketing guru that knows how to drive all kinds of engagement and traffic, no matter what business you’re in. Sure, she’s not in retail specifically, but considering she rakes in more than $1.4 million per year, you can rest assured that she knows a thing or two about video marketing. She’s a car enthusiast with more than 36 million followers, and almost all of her videos have millions of views. 

5. David Murdico

The face (and brains) of Supercool Creative Agency, David Murdico brings a big name to the arena when it comes to video marketing. Twitter will show you just how versed he is in this area, offering lots of videos, examples, and tips that not only build his brand but help you build your own marketing strategy. He's got a unique way of approaching business and he knows how to make videos that get noticed. Whether you’re looking to follow him, or you want to reach out for one-on-one advice, this is a guy worth considering. 

6. Neil Patel

Neil Patel is one of the leading SEO gurus on the market today. However, he’s also a respected digital marketing expert, having his work featured on Forbes and even being recognized as one of the top 100 entrepreneurs under age 30 by President Obama. He knows his stuff and after watching even just a few minutes of his videos, you’ll understand why. He's a mastermind not just with marketing, but with knowing how to reach people and make that personal connection, even through something like a video. 

Patel can give your retail brand the boost it needs, or you can simply use his videos as inspiration on how to improve your brand. He is passionate, real, and really good at keeping it short so that you can get the facts and get back to work. Plus, he's got an insane publication rate for video and written content alike, keeping his viewers coming back and sharing almost perpetually. 

7. Derral Eves

This is the guy you want to follow if you want to learn all about strategy and timing—he gets the best engagement possible by knowing when people are most likely to engage with videos on various platforms. He has a subscriber count of more than 580,000 viewers and has had more than 54.6 million views on his videos to date. Like others, he focuses on knowing which days are best for engagement, helping him maximize his audience by capitalizing on when people are online and looking to watch videos. 42.7 million of the views he’s had this year have been just on Sundays. 

Derral covers all kinds of social media, mobile, and video marketing topics and can even help you learn how to strategize your own marketing efforts the way that he does. He likes how-to's and tip videos and is a big fan of showing you how he’s done it so that you can do it, too. 

8. Joel Comm

This cryptocurrency expert is also a live video marketing genius, and he’s worth the follow for retail brands that are looking to increase loyalty and sales. His live video experience will help you learn how to use your videos to expand your retail audience, no matter what you’re selling. Joel Comm offers a lot of valuable insights and information in his own videos, on his website, and elsewhere. He can educate and target people in a complex field like cryptocurrency, so there’s a fair chance he’ll be able to help your retail brand maximize its sales efforts through inspired video marketing, too. 

9. Mark Robertson

This video marketing expert knows all about how to get results, no matter what business you’re in. His Twitter offers tons of general marketing advice, too, along with some good humor and videos that are pretty clever, if we do say so. You’ll find several different tips, insights, how-to's, and other types of videos available from this influencer, including those that can help you grow your own video marketing campaigns. 

Mark is the head of marketing at vidIQ, but he’s also the star of most of the videos he shares, covering everything from trends to algorithms and the evolution of the industry. 

10. Subaru

While they’re a car brand and not a marketing agency, their efforts deserve making this list merely because of their latest #MeetAnOwner campaign. This campaign used various influencer videos to showcase their Impreza in a way that would attract the millennial audience. Thanks in part to Devin Graham, who has more than 5 million subscribers on YouTube, they published a video of him and his friends riding a slip and slide (and parachuting) right off a cliff that’s an impressive 500 feet high. 

We like this campaign for retail brands because it makes a very important point: influencing users with viral video is about emotion, not facts and statistics. Sure, people know that Subaru has some of the best safety features, fuel economy, and longevity of brands on the market today. But how do they feel about the brand? That’s what fuels buying decisions, so that’s what fuels Subaru’s marketing campaigns. 

Fuel your growth while Smith.ai fields your calls, chats, and more

Building a business is a lot of work. When you’re starting out or building up, you’ve got to put all of your efforts toward those goals. But you still have customer calls, live chats, appointments and inquiries, and other administrative tasks to deal with. Fortunately, you don’t have to go it alone. With the dedicated receptionists at Smith.ai, you can focus on growth strategies and getting your video marketing off the ground while we take care of the rest. 

We'll be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to field any and all of your phone calls, live chats, SMS messages, and more. Our team knows what it takes to deliver top-quality service as the face of your brand, and we’ll even help you put together a plan to tackle it all so that your business never misses a beat, even if you’re not the one doing the work. 

You can learn more by scheduling a consultation to discuss our 24/7 live agents and their services, including after-hours phone answering, lead intake and scheduling, chat and messaging, and so much more. You'll also find us at hello@smith.ai or (650) 727-6484.