Video Marketing: Are you ready for your close-up?

Video Marketing

You oughta be in pictures…videos, actually! They’re a highly effective medium for reaching your ideal customer and should be an integral part of any comprehensive marketing plan.

If you’re thinking you don’t have the budget or the time for video, think again! You can make a video yourself using tools you likely have already. All you need these days is a smart phone, digital camera, or even a webcam plus a little initiative. And there are lots of no- and low-cost online resources to help you with all aspects of the process-from conceptualizing to posting the final product on the internet and making it easy to find and view.

In a nutshell, here’s what’s involved:

Select Your Topic

For your first effort, start with something manageable like answering a customer FAQ.

Script It

Determine the points you want to make and organize them so they flow logically; writing them as bullet points can make them easier to remember. An ideal length is between 30 to 90 seconds (3 words take up about 1 second of video).

Rehearse

You want to sound natural, not like you’re reciting from a script.

Record
  • Seek a Well-Lit Location. You don’t need fancy equipment; daylight from an exterior window or even a bright lamp will do.
  • Pay Attention to Sound Quality. For the best results, use an external microphone hooked to your video device or to a portable digital audio recorder.
Edit Your Shots

These days, most computers come with basic video editing software; you can also find free software online, for example: iMovie for Mac, Movie Maker for Windows, and cloud-based WeVideo.

You can post your video to YouTube (start a “channel” for your business) and embed a link to it on your website. Other video hosting sites such as Wistia are geared more to business and professional presentations and may be a better fit depending on your product or service. (Their website offers a robust, easy-to-understand DIY video learning center, too.) Let people know it’s out there through email, Facebook and other outreach.

Check out the links below for more guidance.
 

Why Your Small Business Should Be Part of the Video Marketing Revolution, Business2Community.com
How to Make Your First Video, Wistia.com
How to Make Videos for Your Small Business, SmallBusinessComputing.com
How to Make Awesome YouTube Videos for Your Small Business, TheSalesLion.com

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