Video can be a *powerful* tool for your business. From creating a personal connection with your community, to building your list with free tutorials on YouTube or Google+ hangouts, or delivering paid programs and workshops, there are so many different ways you can use videos.
But it can be challenging to get started… so today I’m excited to share this guest post with you from Lynn Ruby of Ruby Marketing Systems. In it you’ll learn a simple formula to help you quickly create effective videos for your business without getting overwhelmed or wasting your time.
F.O.C.U.S. – The 5 Step Formula to Creating Business Video Without the Overwhelm and Without Wasting Time
By Lynn Ruby, CEO & Founder, Ruby Marketing Systems
Ever thought about using video to market your business? Have you done anything about it?
- A minute of video is worth 1.8 million words of text. (Forrester Research)
- Video increases traffic to your website by as much as 300%. (MarketingSherpa)
- Video in emails increases open rates by 5.6% and click-through-rates by 96%. (Implix)
Incredible Numbers Right?
So, if you aren’t using video, I have a hunch it’s due to one of these three reasons:
1) You’re overwhelmed by the technology of it all. (Equipment, filming, editing, uploading, SEO, etc)
2) You believe it takes an incredible amount of time to create video.
and/or
3) You really don’t like the way you look and sound on camera.
I get it.
There is no doubt that the technical part of creating a video can be confusing, overwhelming and frustrating! PLUS, you’ve also got to focus on the marketing aspect of your video. It has to hold the viewer’s interest, and cause them to take action.
And the whole thing about how you look and sound on camera can be terrifying for many of us.
Inexpensive video cameras and YouTube have made it possible for anyone to be a video producer.
That doesn’t mean you can just set up your camera, film away, post it and watch the money flow in!
When you are creating video to market your business, you not only have to entertain and engage, you also have to establish credibility, an emotional connection and move the viewer to take action.
Otherwise, creating video WILL be a tremendous of your time and efforts.
The good news is that there is a formula to it. Follow this formula for every video you create, and you’ll be yards ahead of your competition.
F.O.C.U.S. – The 5 Steps of the Video Marketing Process
F – Final Act First
(First decide your call to action. What exactly do you want your viewers to do at the end of the video? Decide which type of video (quick tip, FAQ, demonstration etc) you want to create.
O – Outline Your Script
(Write a script and then outline it for actual filming. Don‘t read it verbatim, you‘ll appear stiff. Be natural and the real you!)
C – Camera Time
(Film the actual video.)
U – Upgrade Your Footage
(Edit the footage and add captions, titles, intros, outgos, transitions and music.)
S – Show the World
(Upload to video hosting sites, your website, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc. Optimize it for the search engines.)
If you’re a beginner, take it easy on yourself. Create a quick 2 minute video and follow these 5 steps to reduce the frustration and overwhelm. Next time, you can dive deeper into the specifics of each of these steps.
The point is to just get cracking! Very few small businesses are using video in a way that gets results. I want you to be ahead of the curve. Don’t you?
To get more video marketing tips, grab a copy of “The Beginner’s Guide to Video Marketing” and get a free subscription to my weekly e-zine chock full of video marketing advice at http://www.TeachMeVideoMarketing.com/FREE.
Your Turn! Are you on YouTube yet? Share a link to your channel and what types of videos you share in a comment below. If you aren’t sharing video yet, what’s stopping you?
Hi Michelle and Lynn,
I love the idea of starting with the end, or call to action, in mind. This type of clarity helps you create a direct and impactful call to act before you even create the video, and I know that holding this intent will grow your list or boost your sales much more quickly.
Thanks for sharing!
Ryan
Exactly! Knowing the purpose and goal makes a huge difference in whether we get results — from videos, from blogging, from anything we do. :)
Thanks for reading and commenting, Ryan!
I’ve been on YouTube for a while, but I haven’t made business videos. I’ve decided to start using video in my marketing, so I have to get cracking soon. My channel is at http://youtube.com/user/svehex
Cool, will check out your channel, Linda. Thanks for sharing it. :)
It’s the U (as in UGH) that makes the S part so hard…
I’ll be honest… I kind of skip U on many of my videos. I’m of the “better done than perfect” mindset. Eventually I’ll probably outsource step U so it gets done right. :)
Great minds think alike. I just wrote something somewhat similar. Everything you are saying is right. For anyone that cannot afford to outsource a video production company, starting out with fast quick videos is fine and it definitely helps you SEO wise.
The most common mistake made by individuals and companies creating video is to view video as content akin to blog posts or interactive graphics – rather than as a form and media type.