15 years ago, making even a simple marketing video was a somewhat complicated endeavor. Then, two things happened that changed everything:
First, YouTube was created. Suddenly, a platform existed that made it incredibly easy to share a video with the world.
Second, the smartphone was invented. Within the span of just a few short years, almost everyone was carrying around a relatively high-quality video camera in their pocket. Now, anyone can create and share a video in a matter of minutes.
More than ever, people are consuming huge amounts of video. The explosion of video represents a huge opportunity for business owners. If you want to connect with more customers, expand your brand, and ultimately generate more revenue, you should be using video marketing.
But for many people, the thought of doing video marketing is intimidating. They don’t know where to start and what best practices to follow. And so, they never get started with video marketing. They don’t take advantage of the enormous opportunity that video presents them.
Video marketing doesn’t have to be complicated. You can literally just use your smartphone. All that you really need to succeed with video marketing is creativity and determination.
Tip #1: Pick Your Primary Platform
Which platform will you focus on? YouTube? LinkedIn? Instagram? Facebook? Granted, it’s fine to share videos on multiple platforms. In fact, you probably should for maximum exposure.
Video marketing is more than just publishing new videos. If you really want to succeed, you need to also engage with those who watch the videos.
If you create a compelling video, people will comment on it. In turn, you need to respond to those comments and create a conversation between you and your viewers. If you spread yourself too thin across multiple platforms, it will be difficult for you to engage with everyone.
So, how do you pick your platform? It’s really about knowing where your audience spends most of their time. If you’re in the B2B world and looking to connect with other professionals, you may want to focus on LinkedIn. If you’re selling to Millennials, Instagram and YouTube are probably good options.
If you don’t know which platform your audience prefers, just go with Facebook. It’s the largest social media platform in the world and you can be sure that your customers use it.
If you’re selling to Millennials, Instagram and YouTube are probably good options.
Tip #2: Start Simple
In starting simple, you can REALLY start simply by just animating some of your graphics. Even those get more reach and reaction than static graphics. But, in this blog, we are going to concentrate on live video - yes, like you on camera.
One of the biggest reasons people don’t get started with video marketing is that they make it way too complicated. They think they need to have a fancy script, professional lighting, and an ultra-high-quality camera. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The reality is that these days, people don’t expect videos to be incredibly polished or produced professionally. To get started in video marketing, start really simple. Just use your smartphone or computer. The key is to just start sharing videos.
If it helps, think of video marketing as more like having a conversation than giving a presentation. Sharing videos online is somewhat like having a conversation with a group of friends. It doesn’t have to be overly formal or nicely wrapped. Just talk to the camera like you would talk to another person.
If you really want to create a small video production setup, you can easily do that. You can get lights on Amazon for as little as $20 and there are plenty of simple film editing tools that make it easy to splice video clips. I just use the iMovie on my Mac, iPad, and iPhone and it seems to work great. Sometimes, I even just use Canva.
How long should your videos be? There’s no set rule. If you can communicate all your points in just a few minutes, then only make your video a few minutes long.
Tip #3: Deliver Authentic Value
The key to video marketing is delivering authentic value to your audience. Be authentic in your videos. Don’t try to put on a front or be someone you’re not. If you want to stand out in the crowd, be yourself. You have something unique to offer the world.
So, be yourself when you record your videos. If you love to laugh, include some jokes. If you’re passionate about the subject, let that come through. If something makes you upset, make that evident.
You also need to deliver a high amount of value in your videos. How can you be sure that you’re delivering value?
Answer commonly asked questions.
Address audience pain points.
Teach your audience how to do something.
Give expert advice or insight.
Provide “aha” moments.
Your goal is not primarily to make more sales. Your goal is to give something valuable to the person who watches your videos. To help them achieve their goals and fulfill their desires.
The goal of delivering authentic value will inform the topics of your videos. Ask yourself these questions:
What is my audience struggling with?
What do they need to know?
What important questions are they asking?
What problems are they trying to solve?
What one thing would make a difference in their lives?
If you’re still struggling with what topics to cover, consider past content you’ve created that has resonated well with your audience. Have you written any blog posts that have gotten a lot of traffic or posted something on social media that has gotten a ton of comments? Start by making videos about that.
Tip #4: Create A Simple Script
Before you start filming, it’s beneficial to create a simple script for yourself. This script doesn’t have to be word for word. A simpler alternative is to use bullet points that cover the main points of what you’ll say.
A script ensures that your video is clear, concise, to the point, and covers everything you want it to. A script keeps your video on point and keeps your video from being too long. It also ensures that the points you’re making are clear and follow a logical outline.
Try to keep your script conversational. Remember, you’re going to be talking into the camera, and you want to speak in ways that resonate with your viewers. What kinds of things would they like to see and hear? What do they think is funny or interesting? What do they want to learn?
If you’re like most people, you’re probably tempted to skip this step and just get right to filming. Don’t make that mistake. Creating a script is a crucial part of the process and will keep your video on track.
Tip #5: Draw the Viewer In
When creating your videos, try to draw the viewer in quickly, right at the beginning. Get to the point fast. Tell them what they’re going to learn from your video and why they should keep watching.
Consider opening your video with a:
Personal story
Surprising statistic
Powerful quote
Humorous quip
“What if?” scenario
Thought-provoking question
Controversial statement
Your goal is to get people engaging with your video right from the start. The more you can pull them in at the beginning, the more likely it is that they’ll watch the rest of your video. If your introduction is too long or boring, people will quickly tune you out. If you are looking for things to talk about, just do a Google search. There are lots of great tips out there for what to post about. I read this blog recently and thought it was great. Ivory Mix is also one of my favorite resources for graphics, etc. so check out her site while you are there and you can even sign up to get her FREE stock photos.*
Tip #6: Experiment with Different Types of Video
One of the great things about video marketing is that there are so many different formats to work with.
How-To Videos: In how-to videos, you show your audience how to do a particular task or solve a particular problem. How-to videos are a great way to demonstrate your expertise in a particular area and help your audience solve common problems that they encounter.
Expert Interviews: Expert interview videos involve you talking to someone who is an expert in their field. By talking to thought leaders and experts, you establish trust between you and your viewers.
Demo Videos: In demo videos, you show your audience how one of your products works. These types of videos are effective for overcoming objections people may have to purchasing from you and showing all the things your product can do.
Event Videos: If your business is hosting some sort of event, videos are a great way to promote it. These types of videos encourage your audience to attend your event and serve to promote your brand.
Explainer Videos: Explainer videos are a way to help your customers better understand their own problems as well as why you’re the perfect person to help them. By explaining things to your audience, you show them that you have both the knowledge and skill to solve their particular problem.
Testimonial / Case Study Videos: Testimonials and case studies are an excellent way to show your audience that you get real results for your customers and clients. An easy way to get testimonies and case studies is to simply interview your happy customers via Skype or Zoom.
Live Videos: In these videos, you interact with your audience in real-time, answering their questions, taking them behind the scenes, and showing them what a normal day looks like for you.
Personalized Videos: One unique way to do video marketing is to make personalized videos. This approach allows you to be more detailed and personal than you could via email.
When doing video marketing, try to create some (or even all) of the different types of videos listed above. The more you mix things up, the more interested your audience will be and the more likely it is that they’ll engage with your videos.
Tip #7: Repurpose Your Content
If you’re struggling to come up with topics, consider repurposing other content you’ve created. Let’s say you wrote a blog post that went over well with your audience. You can easily turn the content from your post into talking points in your video. Or you can make separate videos based on each individual point.
Are you worried about saying the same thing more than once? Don’t be. The reality is that different segments of your audience prefer to consume your content on different platforms.
Don’t have much content to repurpose? There’s a solution for that too. PLR - Private Label Rights. These are blogs, videos, and other content that you can adapt and use as your own. Simply download content from something like the PLR.me library, personalize it so that it matches your brand and personality, and then use that content to record a video. You can test it out with 10 FREE credits here* with my referral link if you like.
Tip #8: Use Attractive Video Thumbnails, Titles, and Captions
Thumbnails are the picture that people see before they click on your video and start watching it. If you use attractive, captivating thumbnails, people are much more likely to click on your videos and watch them.
What makes for a good thumbnail?
An interesting picture that stands out
Text overlaying the picture that will draw people in
The good news is that it’s really easy to make thumbnails with your smartphone. Canva* makes it incredibly simple to find a great photo and then put captivating text on that photo.
You also want to give your video a great title. The title is the text that usually sits at the bottom of the video when people see it in their newsfeed. Like the thumbnail, you want the title to cause people to snap to attention when they see it.
Finally, it’s a good idea to add captions to your videos. Why? Because many people watch videos without the sound turned on.
Some platforms, like YouTube, use AI to automatically create captions for your video. However, the transcript isn’t perfect, and you need to manually go through it and make corrections.
Another option is to use a transcription service, such as Rev or Otter.ai, to create transcriptions of your videos and then upload them to the platform. The cost of using these services depends on the length of your video.
Tip #9: Use Calls-To-Action in Your Videos
At some point in every video, you should include a call to action. You don’t want your audience to passively consume the videos you create. You do want them to do something during or after they watch your video, though. What do you want them to do? Like, comment, subscribe to your channel, follow a link?
To get your audience to take action, simply ask them to do it. Include in your video a request that asks your audience to do whatever it is that you want them to do when they finish watching the video.
Where should you put your call to action? The best option is to put your call-to-action at the middle or the end of the video. This way, people see how valuable your videos are and are more likely to want to engage with them.
Tip #10: Collaborate with Others
One of the best ways to grow your audience is to collaborate with others. Collaboration allows you to reach a new audience. When you collaborate with someone, you share audiences with them. You introduce that person to your audience, and they introduce you to their audience.
Collaboration allows you to establish yourself as a leader in your field. Those who watch the interview see that you’re connected to influential people.
When you collaborate, you also get access to the other person’s contacts. You can ask them to recommend others that you could collaborate with.
What types of videos should you make? There are many different options:
Joint webinar
Expert interview
Live in-person
Review each other’s products
As you can see, there are many ways to involve video in your marketing. Whether you are live or recording for later use, the main thing is to just get started.
How do you plan to use video in your marketing? I’d love to hear about it.
Rebecca Paciorek is an Online Business Manager specializing in assisting in the growth of your business through traditional and digital means.
*I often recommend products and services that I use or that have been recommended to me by people we trust. In many cases these recommendations are accompanied by an affiliate link, which provides me with a referral commission should you click through and make a purchase.