12 Tips for Businesses Just Starting Out in Video Marketing

— April 29, 2017

Q. What’s your best tip for businesses that are just beginning to produce video marketing content?


1. Don’t Focus on the Camera



You don’t need a high-end camera or video camera. A lot of great content is produced right from a phone. Focus on your content, and make sure it’s short and sweet. Record a lot also: It takes a while to be comfortable on video. If you’re a small business or freelancer, let your natural charisma ooze. People always want to do business with real people. – Krish Chopra, United Medical Rotations



2. Develop Good Storytelling Skills



Before taking on complicated production challenges and expensive special effects, focus on perfecting your storytelling skills. Formulating a clear message for each project and finding the best way to convey that message is more important than anything else, as this is what ultimately resonates with the viewer. – Patrick Barnhill, Specialist ID, Inc.



3. Watch a Lot of Videos



Watch what other people are making and doing, check out how many views they get and the response they received, then make notes of best practices that yield the most positive responses. Benchmarking helps reduce the likelihood of mistakes that you don’t want people to remember you for. – Peter Daisyme, Due



4. Ensure Good Sound Quality


There is nothing worse than watching a video with bad, scratchy sound. Invest in bringing someone in who knows how to capture sound, or learn yourself. But that is one aspect of a video you can never let slide. Viewers will stop watching immediately. – Renato Libric, Bouxtie Inc



5. Start Small and Experiment



One mistake brands make when they start something new is they over-invest in early production. The fact is, you don’t yet know what the winning formulas for audience engagement are, so to optimize your resources, you should invest in producing lower-budget videos and then see how your customers respond. Experiment with different formats and styles to quickly identify what types of videos work. – Firas Kittaneh, Amerisleep



6. Look at Lighting


Lighting will either be your best friend or your worst enemy. Take the time to educate yourself on the best lighting to produce video content, or bring in professionals to help. Poor lighting can ruin a video and cost you viewers. – Leila Lewis, Be Inspired PR



7. Perfect Isn’t Required



My best advice is to keep the video production simple. Don’t waste time and money trying to get the videos to look perfect. If the content is genuine and provides real value to your audience, that will have a way bigger impact in terms of reach and growing your audience. – Diana Goodwin, AquaMobile



8. Produce With Facebook In Mind


Every video should be produced with Facebook in mind. Why? Because the ads are cost effective and each video has the potential to be shared with personal networks. Before producing the video, dive into Facebook Insights to see who currently likes your brand. What do the demographics say? Let this data guide the story of the video so that your content and ad campaign will hit your target market. – Brett Farmiloe, Markitors


9. Keep It Short and Eye-Catching



Video is shared more often than any other kind of content. In the fast-paced, low-attention-span society we live in today, we need to embrace content that resonates with our customers. In fact, people like to see videos that are a little rough around the edges. The key is to keep it under 30 seconds and make sure the first frame and first 2 seconds are extremely eye-catching. – Nick Friedman, College Hunks Hauling Junk



10. Prepare Before Shooting



As long as you prepare the video set, your video production will run more smoothly. Have a clear-cut process. Prepare with a well-written script, lighting, drawings, promotion specifications, and whatever else you think is necessary. You can have the most expensive video equipment in the world but if you don’t prepare then it’s pointless. – Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS



11. Show a Look Behind the Scenes



People love to see behind the scenes of things! Give a quick tour of your space, an intro to who you are, and show some real life footage of what your day to day looks like. This is one important way of keeping your content unique. – Rachel Beider, Massage Greenpoint, Massage Williamsburg



12. Don’t Become Discouraged



There is so much video content being produced today that it can take some time to really gain traction and attract a large audience. Just like with content marketing, video content marketing requires dedication and consistency before you begin to see it pay off. Don’t expect overnight success and be willing to commit to it long-term. Also, incorporate something unique that makes you stand out. – Jonathan Long, Sexy Smile Kit

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Author: Young Entrepreneur Council


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