3 Reasons You Need To Be Using Video In Your Business Marketing
In today's post, I’m going to cover why video is so important to your business from an engagement and traffic standpoint and I'll give you some practical steps to pulling your on camera look together.
And, at the end of this post I have a very special opportunity for a select few of you chomping at the bit to start using video in your marketing program. In just 6 weeks you can show up on camera without looking or feeling awkward or like an amateur to to audience and peers.
In my more than 30 years as a producer and director, I’ve seen it time and again, people are mystified about what they need to do to get comfortable on camera. And I’m here to tell you, getting camera ready doesn’t have to be hard, especially when you know what to do before you it the record button so that you can look, feel and sound your best, every time.
And the best thing is, learning these tips will save you years of frustration and get you on the road to sharing your message with a wider audience and growing your business right away.
So let’s dive in.
First of all, why is using video in your marketing so important? I know we’ve all heard the statistics and I’ll share some more in a minute.
Video is the fastest way for you to create a connection with your audience - the sound of your voice and body language allows your audience to connect with you instantly.
Using video lets your audience get a better sense of who you are. When they can see you, it helps you to build trust with them, and when done intentionally, you reinforce your brand.
When you use video, your personality and voice are center stage, and that’s critical to building your know, like and trust relationship with your audience.
It’s also a great way to showcase your expertise and share what you know so that you can help people live better lives and build better businesses.
And in case you’re not convinced - let me share some pretty significant statics about using video in your marketing
According to Vidyard, including video on your landing pages increases conversion by more than 80%
The Aberdeen Group states that marketers who use video get 41 percent more web traffic from searches than folks who don’t and
And a Wyzowl survey shows 81% of businesses use video as a marketing tool
And lastly, according to Social Media Examiner it’s been predicted that by next year, 80% of all Internet traffic will be comprised of videos.
Those are pretty impressive numbers - and that means if you haven’t started using video yet in your marketing, you are missing out on an easy way to connect with your audience, reinforce your brand, share your expertise and get known by a lot more people. You are also in the 19 percent minority who aren’t using video. 😕
So my question to you is, if you’re not using video as part of your marketing strategy,
What’s Holding You Back?
When I work with clients, some of the most common reasons I hear are: "I don’t have the right equipment, or I freeze every time I hit record or I don’t know what to say for different types of video, like social media, product launches, webinars and on line courses."
And sadly, a lot of them tell me that they’re so busy running their business, they don’t have the bandwidth to even think about what they need to do to start using video.
And in other cases, they may know what to do, but haven’t put it all together, or because they are worried about looking good on camera and how others perceive them, it’s keeping them from moving forward in their business.
And let’s be honest, some of you are just plain scared and hate being on camera.
I’ve experienced all of these feelings and still do sometimes today. But I’m here to tell you, if you can take a selfie, you can figure out how to get started.
What I'd like to do right now, is walk you through some of the most important things you need to consider before you push the record button, and no, it’s not the equipment you use.
You can start with your phone and work your way up, the important thing is that you get started.
And It actually goes back to the basics - the 3 p’s purpose, plan and presence.
Being intentional will save you from the shoot and pray and shoot and spray mindset and make sure that you shoot and score with the audience you want to reach.
Purpose
The first thing you need to do for any video is to get clear about the purpose of being on camera.
If it’s just to say hi and to quickly share a thought and stay connected to your community, great, Facebook live and Instagram are a fabulous way to do that. Short, quick spontaneous videos.
Let’s use that as an example and talk about what you need to keep in mind before you hit record.
What are the key points you want to deliver? It could be just one thing or you may have 3 quick ideas to share - write them down ahead of time and talk them through out loud. Or, get a clear mental picture of what you want to say.
Let your audience know the purpose of your video right away. If it’s to say hi and stay connected, then say that.
For example, I’d say "Hi, I’m Val and I want to take a minute to check in and say hi and share a couple of things I’ve been up to this week that I think can help you grow your business."
That way you know where you are going with each point and how you will transition between thoughts.
This is the single most effective thing you can do to keep yourself from rambling when you are doing video for social media.
Have you ever seen someone who doesn’t know what they are going to say next or how to sign off and they just keep going and going because they can’t find a way to say goodby - so you check out while they ramble?
If you want to keep people engaged, take a minute to get clear about the purpose of your video. If you honor their time and they will appreciate you even more!
Plan
The next step is to do some quick planning:
Give some thought to your appearance and location and make sure you have decent light so we can see your face - make sure your background isn’t distracting and that it supports your brand to the extent possible.
Be sure there’s not too much outside noise so we can hear you, one of the fastest ways to lose viewers is to have poor audio. Here’s a quick tip, in a pinch, you can use the mic from your earbuds and you’ll get better audio. Just be sure to take a second to adjust them so they are not visually distracting.
If you aren’t very good at holding your camera steady and have a tripod, use it, if not, You can put your camera on a stack of books at eye level and that frees you up to use your hands. Looking down or up at a camera are not the most flattering angles.
If you follow these simple steps, you’re half way to making sure your on camera presence shines.
Presence
You don’t have to go all out on wardrobe for quick videos, just make sure what you are wearing isn’t a distraction from the message you want to deliver.
Take a minute to run through what you want to say and take a few deep breaths and play some of your favorite music to bring up your energy.
If you want to double check that you’re on target, you can download my guide on how to prepare for a photo or video shoot.
Then go ahead a hit record. If you’re not doing Facebook Live you have some flexibly if you want to do more than one take; if you are live and you make a mistake, don’t worry about it, be yourself and move forward, none of us is perfect.
And, if you think of it as a conversation with a friend, they certainly wouldn’t judge you if you needed to pause or restate something.
My challenge to you this week is to give this a try and then shoot me an email or send me a message and let me know how this goes for you.
Okay, let’s sum it up
Video is the best way to connect quickly with your audience - being able to hear your voice and experience your personality builds trust
Video increases your ability to get found in searches and increases your conversion rates on lead pages.
You don’t have to have a bunch of fancy bells and whistles to get started. Use the 3 P’s as a guide to get ready for a quick shoot and then go ahead and give it a try - just do it!
And after you do, shoot me an email or message me on Facebook and let me know how it went, or better yet, send me a link, I’d love to see it!
As I promised at the beginning of this post, here’s an opportunity for you that’s never been offered before.
For some of you, the steps I just outlined seem like they are more than you can handle on your own right now.
It may be because your attention is focused elsewhere in your business or that you truly hate being on camera.
And after working with thousands of people, I’ve seen over and over how your on camera presence can irresistibly draw people in, or convey the half-hearted less than engaging message.
That’s why for just 5 people who are really serious about using video to build their business, I’ll work with you 1:1 to help you get camera ready.
Whether you want to do social media videos, or videos for a webinar, product launch or on-line course you will learn what you need to do to show up looking and sounding authentically you.
In just 6 weeks you’ll know what to wear, what to say and where to look on camera - you’ll have the confidence to plan and deliver the videos you need for your business and know when you can shoot them yourself and when you should use a professional.
You’ll know the equipment you need and I will personally critique your videos, coach you and give you actionable steps to get you camera ready.
At the end of 6 short weeks, you will confident about being on camera and put your hesitation about using video behind you once and for all.
This offer is for you if:
You’re a high performer who is chomping at the bit to start using video to make 2019 your most profitable year in business,
Or you are getting ready to launch your product or do a webinar or on line course and you want to either crush your sales from the last launch or want to avoid the dreadful first failed video offer.
If that’s you, then you need to check this out.
Just fill out the application and we’ll set up a 15 minute call to talk about your goals.
BUT DON’T WAIT…. there are only 5 spots available because you’re getting my complete and full attention, and we’ll get started as soon as they fill up to be sure you are ready to rock your videos in the NEW year.
Between speaking professionals, entrepreneurs and business owners, people have been asking me to offer this for over a year.
So to be fair, because I can’t take on everyone, it’s on a first come first serve basis until the spots are filled.
It’s that easy, click on this link and fill out the application and we’ll set up a time to talk and get you rockin’ on camera.
Okay, that’s all for today. And as always, if you have a question about being on camera, just send me an email and I’m happy to answer it on a future post.
Until then, remember, using video is the fastest way to connect with your audience and build trust, your brand and your business, every time.
Val Brown is an Emmy Award winning television producer, story, visual and personal brand consultant, coach, and speaker. She consults and coaches high performing business professionals and entrepreneurs looking to up their game and increase their confidence and credibility on camera. Val teaches you how to use your story to support your brand in video and photos.
p.s. I’d love to connect on social media and hear your questions and concerns about being in front of the camera.
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Twitter: @valbrown08
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Email: Val@visualbridgecomm.com
