Using Video to Market Your Business
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Video marketing can seem like a daunting task to undertake. All of the expensive gear, camera angles, editing. It really is a lot to learn and we both know you’re already working yourself to death keeping your business running. Fortunately there are a few actionable steps you can take to set yourself apart with quality video.
So where should you start? The most important thing to understand is that you can make amazing video content with the phone you’re reading this on. Yes even that sh*tty bargain bin android potato from 8 years ago(been there). Now that’s out of the way, there are only three things you need to stand out.
Stabilization-
This is a big one. Go to Best Buy. Get on Amazon. Check goodwill. I don’t care where you get it but please get a simple tripod with a phone mount. A good stable shot of you speaking directly to the camera(we’ll get to speaking on camera later) is a simple upgrade that makes a world of difference to your video content.
A couple easy, cheap solutions include the <Joby Gorillapod kit> or, my personal favorite, the <Switchpod>. Follow those affiliate links to check them out on Amazon! The Switchpod has a <Tripod Head> sold separately which is worth the extra $35ish bucks to have the freedom of changing your camera angle while still being rock solid. The Gorillapod tends to be a bit precarious depending on where you have it but both are great options for around $100 bucks.
Lighting-
This topic can get pretty contentious as you don’t REALLY need it but let me give you a quick example of how a couple cheap LEDs can up your game instantly.
Crazy, right? I got (most of) these lights for approximately $150 on Amazon. The key to this lighting set up is a decent bright “key” light set up at a 45 degree angle, lighting you from a slightly elevated stand, as well as some slightly dimmer accent lights for the background. My best advice is to spend the bulk of your budget on the key light, as this needs to be the brightest and it helps if the light is controllable in some way e.g. the brightness or color temperature. Check these out from Neewer <Light Sticks>. I spent a bit more on my lighting but the concept remains the same. Preferably you’ll want your key light to be bi-color, meaning you can control how warm(orange) the light is. Something like these will work on a budget <Neewer Bi-color Panels>
For your accent lighting, check out your local big box store for some cheap RGB LED’s. I like to go with something in the cooler color range to contrast my key lighting. Blue perhaps? Maybe a nice purple if I’m feeling risky.
3. This last one is open to interpretation. Feeling, or at the very least SEEMING comfortable on camera will help you cut through the noise of social media more than almost anything else. Unfortunately this can oftentimes be the most difficult thing to achieve.
It all comes down to finding and holding onto the feeling you have when you’re telling your best friend or spouse about the new exciting thing happening with your company. You know beyond a doubt that they love and support you, and are going to be excited with you about your new venture. Carry this energy with you into your videos and speak to the camera as if its another person in the room who is just as fired up about your business as you are.
The truth is, you really are just speaking to one other person. No matter how many views your video gets, it all comes down to individual potential clients seeing your video. Someone’s scrolling through their feed trying to avoid emailing that annoying customer back and they see your ad. If they don’t immediately keep scrolling, they have similar interests to you. That’s all it takes to form a meaningful connection with someone in the real world and I’ve found it can be just as effective with video marketing.
Speak directly to your ideal customer and they might just reach out to continue the conversation.
Speaking of continuing the conversation… If you have questions about this topic or would like a free video marketing strategy, schedule your free consultation call below! We would love to hear from you and look forward to speaking with you about your video marketing needs.
