If you’re still thinking about creating some video content to promote your small business, join the club. While video is one of the fastest-growing marketing tactics out there, a lot of small business owners still
think video is beyond their reach.
But this is not the video of even a few years ago. With high-quality, easy-to-use digital tools available to virtually everyone, it’s a whole new video ballgame.
First, though, why consider video at all?
Video is engaging. It provides a direct connection with customers, drawing them in, often at an emotional level. Video is a great way to humanize your brand and make it real for customers.
Video is adaptable. It can be funny or serious or instructional, depending on your brand and your message. And video delivers in a quick-hit, easy-to-digest format that consumers find appealing.
But video can still be intimidating. Isn’t it expensive? Technically demanding? Time consuming? Video can be all these things—but it doesn’t have to be. There are challenges, sure, but Matthew Peneycad, writing on socialmediatoday.com, offers 10 steps for small business to help you jumpstart your production of “killer video content.”
- Dive in. Just do it. It’s the only way!
- What value will your video add for customers? Entertainment? Instruction, as in how-to? Some food for thought?
- Write your script. Be as detailed as possible. Try a simple, two-column format, with dialogue or audio in the left-hand column and video instructions in the right column.
- Equipment check. You probably already have what you need – a smartphone that shoots HD video or the webcam on your laptop. Experiment with using a tri-pod or at least a stabilizing surface like a table or desktop.
- Location. You may not need to go “on location” to shoot your video. But wherever you shoot, make sure you have a space with a plain background and no ambient noise.
- Set up. Put everything in place. Take some time to do some experimenting.
- Test, review, optimize. Shoot some video. Review it. Make some tweaks or adjustments. Pay attention to how things are framed and to the light and sound. Repeat as needed.
- Record. When your visuals are sharp and your audio is crisp and clear, you’re ready to shoot for real. Just. Do. It.
- Edit. Especially if you’re starting out, you’ll have unusable footage. Don’t be afraid to cut. What appears in the final version should be only your best and should tell a very tight short story.
- Publish. If you’re engaged with customers, you’ve already got some social media channels that are working for you. Share your video on one or more of these networks, including YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, Facebook or Google+, to name a few.
While this is a great list, there are a few things that we would add to it:
- If you can do a dry run (or two or three) by all means do it. Do them for fun. The process gets easier as you get more comfortable.
- Don’t go it alone—at least your first few times. This is not to say that you need to hire an expensive video production company. That’s the beauty of the digital age—producing customer-worthy video is for everyone. But tapping into some experience as you learn is also helpful and could be a friend or even your kids!
Commit to the best. Make the commitment from the start that the video you publish will always be focused, sharp and clear—in intent, message and quality. And also that you’ll keep at it until you get it right.
Image courtesy of imagerymajestic / FreeDigitalPhotos.net