With broadband Internet access now widely available, streaming video can be an important marketing tool for any business.

You may have the resources available to make compelling marketing videos, but unless you properly use those resources to drive business, the final product won't be connected to your customer base.

With that in mind, here are some tips to help you produce and distribute impactful marketing videos.

Remember that your marketing video is an investment

If you don't have the resources to produce a professional-quality product in house, don't try to go it alone. Hire experienced video producers who have access to high-end video equipment, graphics programs and storytelling concepts to get your message across. Once your video is out there, it is out there for good, so make sure you're doing work that positively represents your brand.

Do your research

Go online — YouTube is good place to start — and see what is in the marketplace in terms of promotional and marketing videos. You can also use that as starting place to find a professional video production company. Identify videos that catch your eye, then research the person or company that produced them.

Don't wing it

You're putting together a mini-movie, so prep for it like it's a cinematic production. Write at least a basic script, and have people practice their lines and blocking so that dialogue and movement in front of the camera look natural. And when you speak on camera, speak in a calm, natural voice and remember to breathe as you talk.

Use graphics only to augment the video

Don't bombard your audience with lights, noise and other sensory clutter to the point that the video becomes difficult to watch.

Don't imitate other videos

You might find inspiration from the videos you research, but don't directly copy ideas, slogans, dialogue or visual concepts. If you do so, you could potentially run into copyright infringement and unintended negative publicity.

Get it out there

Once your video is complete, don't just post it on your company's website and forget about it. Share it via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and any other social media platforms available to you. If you have a professional blog, link it from there. Chances are, your would-be customers are on Facebook and Twitter a lot more often than they visit your site, so be visible there.

Listen to feedback

If you have the courage to put your video on social media platforms, also have the courage to listen to what people are saying about it. You hope the feedback is mostly positive, but if you get negative feedback — and it's more detailed than “this video is stupid” — take note. It will come in handy the next time you produce a video.