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How to Set Up a YouTube Channel for My Business

youtube logo

YouTube is the second largest social media outlet in the world. Other than Facebook, there is none larger. Getting your YouTube channel set up correctly is important for several reasons. First, it’s your brand. If you’re hosting your videos on YouTube, this is the primary way people will judge your ability to keep your brand intact. Second, it shows consistency. If you can demonstrate a high level of consistency within your brand, you’ve shown you have what it takes to stay organized. Do your clients want to know you’re organized? Our guess is they do.

What this post covers is what you’ll want to do past the initial set up. We know there are a lot of resources out there that will help you set up your channel initially, but once you have it set up, what should you do? This post will give you a checklist of sorts of what you should to do maximize your channel. Here we go!

Once you’ve followed the basics of setting up your channel, there are a few tips we’d like to share.

  • Channel Art. You’ll want to set up channel art to give your channel a branded look. The recommended size right now (2018) is 2560×1440 px, with a safe area of 2048×1152 px. YouTube recommends a file size of 4MB or smaller. This helps in the load time and cuts down on their storage needs. NOTE: make sure any text or logos you want to have displayed is in the safe area. If you create the recommended size, there is a safe area within that every device (or at least a vast majority) will allow the viewer to see.
  • Social Media Links. Once you’ve set up your account, you’ll want to link it to other assets, such as your website and your other social media pages. Currently, YouTube has a specific list of social media pages you can link to, including Google Plus or Google Pages, so you’ll want to make sure those are set up. Also, keep in mind these links, once set up, show up in the bottom right portion of the Channel Header Art, so keep that in mind when designing the header. If the social links cover important information in your art, like a phone number, it won’t be visible.
  • Icon. Add the icon in the top left. It’s not always visible on every platform, but it helps to have it there. Most people use their logo, others use their head shot, but in the end, its up to you.
  • Enhancing the Channel.
    • Optimize the Description. You’ll want to write a brief, high-level description of what your channel is all about. It should use keywords and incorporate specific statements as to what the channel is about. Google’s algorithms have gotten pretty smart when it comes to text, so this is important. Don’t include statements that are unrelated and always have a call to action. The call to action might be to visit your website, watch a certain playlist or video, or call a phone number.
    • Add Channel Trailer. A channel is less effective if it doesn’t have a trailer welcoming or describing the channel. You may not think you need one, but here’s why you do. When someone arrives at your channel, they may or may not know what your business is all about. They may not understand how your channel is organized or what is important for them to view to get a better understanding of who you are and what you do. The channel trailer will guide them or give them some reference as to who you are and why the channel is helpful to the viewer.
    • Add Links to Channel. These links (described above) help Google verify and solidify who this channel belongs to, who it’s associated with, and builds the web of links you want Google to know and understand to improve your website and channel optimization.
    • Playlists. Adding playlists is one of the ways you can tell your visitor you care about them. You’ve taken the time to organize your videos into bite-sized pieces to help them digest your message. Playlist are just that: a way of organizing similar videos and you should do it for a few reasons:
      • Organization. We’ve said it once already, but this helps the viewer know which videos relate to each other.
      • Get Discovered. When playlists are organized, YouTube (Google) knows that each of the videos in the playlists are related, therefore have a higher probability of getting discovered organically. When someone searches for a topic and you’ve titled a video with that search phrase, YouTube might bring up your entire playlist.
      • Related. Again, because they’re related, the viewer can dig in as deep as they like to learn more about the related topic.
      • Session Time. No, this is not the beer type of session, it’s the time they spend on your channel. If someone lands on your channel first (organically or directly) and then spend some time on your channel because they’re nosing around in similar videos, you get extra credit for keeping on your channel longer. Longer sessions usually mean credibility for Google/YouTube. Layer on top of that, YouTube will even reward you if you draw someone to your channel and then move off your channel to another channel. You get extra credit for bringing the viewer to YouTube (at one point, the entire session time they spent on YouTube was given to you, not all the other sites if they visited you first).

For a couple of examples, we’ve selected one channel that has some missing pieces (but otherwise might be ok) and another that does it very well. For starters, let’s look at the channel that is missing a few pieces. We’ve removed their logo and name to protect their identity.

Image of YouTube Channel page that's missing a few components

So here are a few points to consider on this channel. First, there is an inconsistent image for each video. You’ll see on the next example, how a consistent image can be created. Second, and this is something you can’t see in this image, they don’t have playlists created.  As a visitor, you might not know which video you need to watch, but if you knew that four of the list of videos were about a specific topic you came to learn about, you’d find it helpful. Third, the trailer did not have a call to action and did not incorporate a general message for the business. It was more of a moving PowerPoint presentation, which is fine, but less effective when it comes to getting the viewer to take action.

To see a good example of a YouTube Channel, we’re going to use our sister business My Video 101’s YouTube Channel.

Example of a good YouTube Channel layout

For this channel, we see some helpful things right from the start. First (green arrows), the header image is information about the channel and what to expect. For businesses, we recommend an image with a message that makes sense for your branding. On this example, we also see the social media buttons are set up. Second, this channel has playlists set up (see yellow circle). They use several: Vlogging Advice, Product Reviews, Technical Tips, and Behind the Scenes. Helpful if you only want to learn about one area of the channel, right? Third, this channel has consistent branding across all videos (see blue check marks). While each topic is different, each video looks similar, yet a little different. Consistency is pleasing to the eye and helps the viewer feel at ease when searching through the videos.

With just a few tweaks your YouTube Channel can improve your image and increase views. Take the time to set up your business channel the right way so you get the most out of your channel.

 

 

 

Sources:
DreamGrow (https://www.dreamgrow.com/top-15-most-popular-social-networking-sites/)
Gravity Search Marketing (https://www.yourseoplan.com/benefits-of-creating-youtube-playlists/)
YouTube Support (https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2972003?hl=en-GB)
Buffer (https://blog.bufferapp.com/create-a-youtube-channel)

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Where Should Video Be Placed On My Website?

image of laptop

You’ve decided to hire a crew to make your professional video. Your web development company has insisted you have it. They have some ideas of where and what they want, but you want to know, “Where should my video live on my website to get the greatest impact?”

When you create a professional video for your website, you want to think about where you are going to place it. Whether it will be hosted on YouTube, Vimeo, or your own site, knowing what to do with it is key. To answer the question of where to place it, we have a few questions we’d ask in return. First, what type of video are you creating? (If you’re not sure what type of video you should have, see the blog post titled What Type of Video Should My Business Have in 2018?) Next, why did you decide this is the video you wanted to create? You might have a little motivation as to why you’ve create this video, so help us understand that. Once we understand what video and why, we can help you better decide where to place it on your site. Here are a few options in terms of where to place your video(s) on your website:

  • Home Page (Above the Fold). This might be a good place for video that doesn’t have music or speaking parts. Here’s an example of a website that uses video in the background above the fold.  The Yacht Company does a great job showing off yachts before you travel through the rest of the site. This is a simple video you should ask for when shooting video. You never know when your site might lend itself to a snippet like this.
  • Home Page (Below the Fold). The types of videos that you use here are usually the About Us style videos. A recent client, HyDroneClean, created a short informational video about what they do and placed it on their home page (scroll down a little). When a potential client lands on a website, they tend to scroll a little bit anyway to see if they can learn more. Once they see a video, the play button beckons them to push it!
  • About Us Page. Again, this is where you might find the About Us video. It features a story about the business and allows the viewer to better understand how they might benefit from working with the business.
  • Testimonials Page. So many times businesses have written testimonials listed on their site, and that’s awesome. If you’re looking to kick up the value of the testimonials, a video testimonial is even better. Check out Credit Brain’s testimonials that we shot for them a while back. They have a dedicated web page on their site to feature these videos, telling us, a video is even more valuable than just the written words.
  • Blog. Does your site have a blog? Has it been helpful to create content for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) results? That’s the number one way you can create great SEO results is to constantly create content. If you want to “level up” your blogging game, add video. There are several ways to do it. One option is to create videos based on what you wrote or write the blog based on what you say in the video. Another option is to feature a written blog about one topic linked to a video blog you created on YouTube. A great example of this is our video blogging site MyVideo101.com. This site is based on the YouTube Channel created by our very own Jennifer Jager. She blogs about all aspects of video and the blog is created based on what she shares on her YouTube Channel. Check it out.

These are just a few uses of a video. Where you place them is based on it’s purpose and expected outcome. If you expect people to call you after viewing the video, the best types of video are the Testimonial and About Us videos. If you want people to better understand what you do in a short amount of time, an About Us video is your best bet. Finally, when you have a need for improved SEO, consider a video blog (with a written portion to ensure all the search engines find you).

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Why Do Production Companies Quote Different Rates for the Same Project?

Paper ripped to expose words pricing secrets

How Much Does a Corporate Video Cost?

Recently we had someone ask us to provide an idea of cost for their video project. During the conversation they shared with us that they had two other quotes and wanted to know why each quoted drastically different prices. They shared that one was nearly half our project price and the other was nearly double. What gives, right?

We completely understand and couldn’t agree more. Each production company can have wildly different pricing strategies, but they usually vary for different reasons. Here are several reasons why you might be getting different quotes for what seems like the same thing.

  • Experience. Yes, you probably knew this already. The more experience they have, the more projects they have, and the customers they already have can all illustrate the production company’s competence. If they’ve been doing it for 9 or 10 years (like us), they more than likely have encountered several issues that can come up on the shoot and they know how to prevent them. They probably don’t need to prove themselves because they have enough work to show they can do it already. We’ve said this before, but you can find a production company for ANY budget! You want a production company that can do the work for a few hundred bucks? No problem, there are several people out there who work from home who can do this type of work for that rate. They don’t mind building their portfolio by being highly aggressive in their pricing. If you want to hire a large, high budget crew, you can find them as well….and everything in between.
  • Equipment. Recently we lost a project because we didn’t charge enough. We were a couple thousand dollars less than who we were up against. We were surprised to hear this, but when the potential client shared with us that the other company was going to be renting their equipment, we were not longer surprised. When the company doesn’t own the equipment, they are forced to markup rental equipment to have a successful shoot. While this potential client couldn’t get over spending less for the quality work, don’t be fooled by higher prices…it doesn’t ALWAYS mean better quality. It might! But it also might not.
  • Approach. Each production company approaches their projects a little differently. We’ve heard one company say they want to allocate a full day for an interview (with B-roll shots) when it really only warrants a half day shoot. Their logic was that the person on camera would feel more relaxed and engaged. While we don’t think a full day is necessary to get someone to feel relaxed in front of the camera, others use this as an excuse to charge a little more (especially if the budget is large enough).
    • Approach (part 2). The more the shoot is planned, the smoother the shoot. Not all production companies approach their shoot the same. Planning the day should include time slots for each person on camera, shooting specific B-roll shots, allocating time for additional product shots (when appropriate), and much more. How important is a plan? It’s the most important part of the process. Without it, we won’t shoot because there’s nothing worse than shooting and trying to figure out how to put it together later. The client won’t be happy and we won’t be proud of our work.
  • Add-Ons. There are several features that can be added on in the shoot and in post production. Examples might include:
    • Drone & Drone Pilot
    • Additional Locations
    • Professional Talent
    • Make Up Artist
    • Stock Video (can sometimes be an extra)
    • Additional Equipment (due to specific needs of client)
    • Custom 3D Animation
    • Professional Narration
    • Location Costs & Permitting (sometimes free, sometimes not)
    • Additional Shoot Days
    • …and on and on.

Don’t be discouraged. Sometimes we feel like some companies treat the video world like the Wild West while others are respectable and forthcoming. Those that have been around for many years, typically have done the right thing for their clients. Do a little research, like this article about Questions to Ask a Video Production Crew Before You Hire Them or this follow up article that shares More Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Production Crew. Speak to their current clients, their past clients, people they’re connected to on LinkedIn. There are several ways to confirm the production company you are interviewing is right for you. If they don’t understand your project or concept, move on to the next company, there’s always one right for you.

Got a question? Want to know more or want to compare us to someone you’ve gotten a quote from, we’d be honored to help.

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How Many People Should Be In My Business (Testimonial) Video?

People in a Business

This is a common question we get all the time. How many people should be interviewed? Or how many testimonials should we have in the video? The answer is much more simple than you think. There are a few variables that affect the quantity of people that should be in your video or testimonial video.

As an example, if you are creating a 60-second video featuring testimonials, you have to think about how long each person has to say what they need to say. If while on camera, they are going to say, “XYZ Company was the most reliable company I have ever worked with because they provided me with answers that were relevant to my issue and solved my problem.” It would take between 8 to 12 seconds for them to say just that line. We have to also assume they’ll want to give a little backstory as to what they were looking for in a company and why they were looking for that. Let’s assume each of those statements could be made in the same amount of time. Three sentences, average of 10 seconds each, is approximately 30 seconds of content (provided they stated it perfectly).

I have to imagine, you’re starting to notice the problem. If you wanted three people on camera giving you a testimonial but each person said three or four sentences that took 30 seconds to say, you’re running out of time pretty quickly. Don’t forget, we’ll also need a little breathing room between each testimonial to set the stage for what their issue is and how the business solved it.

The above only addresses the time it takes to make a statement, but does not take into account that you may want to have a voice over stating how to contact you or to reinforce something that was said in one of the testimonials. All of this is why when we have clients creating a testimonial, we recommend a 90-second to 2-minute testimonial video to ensure you have enough time to get what you need plus the additional B-Roll shots required to create a polished, finished video.

When we take into account the above, we find that you can typically get between two and three people in a 2-minute testimonial video. Even more perfect than that is it typically takes about a half day to get testimonials from that many people along with the B-Roll shots.

We like to use this video as an example because it provides you with all the information you need to help you understand what problem is being solved and why that company was able to accomplish it.

This video allows time for the viewer to understand what the issue that Bill faced and how Credit Brain helped him overcome it. You can feel a bit of emotion in this story and, if you were in Bill’s situation, you might be inclined to make the call.

While video isn’t the only reason people call, it sure does help the viewer understand and feel the situation more clearly. If this is what you’re after and still have questions, feel free to reach out to us with your questions, or comment below.

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Our Secret Weapon To a Successful Trade Show Exhibit

image of trade show

So you have a trade show coming up and want to know some tips to getting the most of the show? There are several things you need to do to be prepared…but one that is often overlooked (and best kept secret) is the pre trade show video. What is this you ask? Clients have told us that they usually know who will be showing up or what type of people/companies will be showing up at the trade show. Knowing this is great. Having their emails is even better. If you are lucky enough to receive their emails prior to the show (and many shows offer this), what would happen if you emailed them an invitation to come to your booth? Would they come to see you? Do you have an inbound marketing strategy for the trade show that you’ll be exhibiting?

That’s exactly what one client did. They created an introduction video that said something like,

“Hi, I’m (insert name) from (insert company). You’ve registered for the upcoming trade show and you’re probably starting to identify which booths to visit to make the most of your time at the expo. We’d like to invite you to stop by and enter …  ”

You get the picture. They invited potential clients or buyers to see them and provided an incentive to do so.

So why do this? We think it’s the same reason many companies are creating video:

  • Relationship building. We’re pretty confident that you know business is done with people they know, like, and trust. Knowing this, wouldn’t it be nice to receive an introduction that’s warm and inviting? Wouldn’t you at least stop by to see who they are? Most likely because of the next point…
  • Humanizing. Depending on your industry, you might find it useful to show the human side of the business. Wouldn’t you know, humans like doing business with humans, despite what Amazon would want you to believe. Here’s why: When there’s a problem, another human is who we want to deal with, not a phone tree, not a web form, not an automated system. We want a person. Having this invitation video provides a personal touch to a potential interaction.
  • Doing what most won’t do. Some will reach out via email to invite potential visitors to their booth. Most will not. Even less will invite via video. If you’re being different, you’ll get noticed. Here’s a way to differentiate yourself. Even if more people eventually start inviting via a video invitation, being creative in your messaging can help you stand out even more.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are several more things you can do with video before, during and after the trade show that will help you stand out, such as, producing a video to play at the expo/event, creating a specialized video to say thank you for stopping by (using the cards you collected), or creating a contest at the show and announcing the winner via video (showing the drawing).

If you need help creating ideas, creating concepts, or just want to get started creating a video for your trade show event, give us a call. We’re happy to help.

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How to Disrupt Your Industry Using Video

Set of 5 doors all with gray door and one red

You’ve heard it before, whether from your web developer or from a marketer… “You need video for your website.” While it’s true, video helps, video isn’t always the only answer. BUT, if done correctly, video can be the difference maker in standing out in a crowd of competitors. Let’s dig into a few stats and reasons why this is so.

First, think about the last time you purchased something online. Did the product page have information about the product? Of course it did.  Did the product page have photos of the product? Most likely. If the page didn’t have photos, would you have purchased the item? Most people we ask say they would not purchase an item online that didn’t have a photo to see the product. Did the product page contain a video? If it did, do you remember the video? Do you remember what or how they educated you on the product? Did they show you how to set it up, highlight certain features, or show it being used? Most likely, if the product page had a video and you connected with the product and video, you purchased the product.

Therein lies the effectiveness in video.

The video was effective in helping you process and retain information about the product so you can make better decisions. In fact, it has been shown that people are somewhere between 65% and 85% more likely to purchase a product after viewing a video than having not viewed a video about a product or service.

According to Eyeview, a video marketing agency, by including a video on the landing page, conversion increases by 80%. Even Hubspot Blog Post states that “54% of consumers want to see videos from brands they support in comparison to email newsletters (46%) and social media images (41%).”

Common Types of Video (and we have done all of these):

  • Product Demo videos showing how to use the product, how to set up the product, or just why you should buy the product.
  • How-To videos
  • Testimonial videos … who better than your clients to tell potential customers why you’re awesome!
  • Explainer videos that show the viewer why they need your product or service and what you can do for them.
  • Expert Interviews
  • Event Videos
  • …the list can go on and on.

Now you know why it’s important, how does it help you become a disruptor? Great question. One of the things we hear is that after creating the video and posting it (or several), they become viewed as an expert in their field. Our clients know a lot about their subject and can demonstrate that with authority on a video. Viewers can feel and sense this experience when watching. When they do, the viewer will feel confident in calling or buying.

Being a disruptor means you have to do more than know your subject matter. Being a disruptor means you have been doing what you’re doing for so long (or with enough outside experiences) to see an opportunity in the marketplace. Imagine that you have been doing your job for 15 years, you know it inside and out, and realize there is a gap in services or processes that might be taken advantage of. Imagine the expert talking about how to use this opportunity to help the consumer. Bam! Disruption begins. The person on camera suddenly becomes a person to be reckoned with.

The next time you see an opportunity in the marketplace that you can solve or fix, this might be the time to create a video and highlight your strengths! Let us know if we can help in any way.

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What Type of Video Should My Business Have in 2018?

What video should you have on your business website? That is a great question. One that depends on what you want to do with it. Many of our clients tell us they want to create a video to tell their story. But, telling the story isn’t what they really want. What they really want is to increase the number of incoming calls or increase sales. That’s what they really want. We’ve worked with hundreds of clients and have found the best way to get what they really want is to ask a lot of questions.

One of the questions we like to ask is, “Why are you making this video?” It helps us understand the purpose and end goal of the video. If you are looking for more phone calls or purchases on a website, a direct call to action must be present. If you are looking for a feel good piece that shows the world some of the good you do, a call to action does not fit.
Another question we ask is, “How will you measure success once this video is complete?” This helps us understand some of why we are doing this and what will qualify as a success or failure. We want to work toward success and know what a failure looks like before we start.

So, what types of video should you have for your business in 2018? There are several types we’d recommend, but each business needs to identify which video needs to be created first and why. This list doesn’t mean you have to do all of them, rather, pick the ones that make the most sense for your business. That said, these are the business videos we are being asked to create for most businesses and the trends that match.

  1. Corporate About Us. Every business should have an About Us video. Here’s why. The first thing people do when searching for a business is research. That’s why Google will return information about a business or topic the first time you search. After that, Google assumes you want some more details and may return other sites that are more granular. During the research phase, your customers want to know who you are, can they trust you, and feel compelled to pick up the phone to call you. The About Us video answers the following questions:  (a) Who is this company, (b) Can I feel comfortable working with them, (c) Can I trust them, and, (d) What experience do they have? Here’s an example.
  2. Testimonials. No one can tell your potential customers that you do a great job better than your existing customers. If you tell them, the potential customer will most likely think, “Yes, that’s what you want me to believe” or “Yes, that’s nice, but you’re trying to sell me on your services.” But, if your existing customer is on your website telling a potential customer how good of a job your business did for them, they’re more likely to believe it. Whether you create one video with several different people giving testimonials or several videos with one testimonial in each, your existing customer should be telling this story. Here’s a different way to share your client testimonials. 
  3. Video Blogs. Also known as a vlog, a video blog is a way to show potential clients that you are professional, understand your business and how it helps your clients, and positions you as an expert. Pick topics that you know and title each video with a question or include terms that potential clients would search related to your business. For example, if one was looking to find a sales trainer, the potential client might search, “How do I improve my sales process?” If they search this and the title of your video is the same, you have a greater chance of showing up in the results than someone who posted the video titled, “Sales Information.”  Here’s an example.
  4. Promotional Pieces. Promotional pieces are just that…a video to promote your business. More than that, a promotional video will provide a visual as to what you do. For example, if you are a kitchen cabinet manufacturer, you might consider a video that highlights the showroom (see video below). The promotional piece is the standard video you see on television, websites, and ads that run on YouTube, etc. These are expected by consumers, but don’t always make the difference in making the sale.

This would be our recommendation for the top 4 videos you should have for your business in 2018. If you were to ask us what other videos you could create, we would have a much longer list. Event videos, tour videos, product videos, animations, …and the list goes on. These are the minimum 3 or 4 every business should have.

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Product Videos: How Much Can They Really Impact Marketing?

micro pop popcorn image

Product videos have become an essential aspect to any marketing strategy. Videos appear in 70% of the top 100 search results, and viewers are at least 50% more likely to buy a product after watching a video for it. The business community is learning the importance of this for their marketingÔǪand they are getting smarter and more creative to boot.┬á The best part, this leads to more interesting ads for consumers to watch. Not a bad thing!

Online video is so popular because people would much rather watch a video about a product than read about itand video manages to span every demographic. Even if someone cant read, they can still get the information a company wants to give them from a video.

Companies that normally only sell parts are posting how-to videos to their websites to attract customers, and to show them how to use the parts that they have bought. HereÔÇÖs the cool part, people who start watching these types of video tend to stay on the site a little longer (maybe to the end of the video). Goole likes that. This tell Google that people are interested in the stuff on this website and therefore gives that site a bit more ÔÇÿsearch engine juice.ÔÇÖ┬á Add to that, the ability to share the video to multiple social media sites further increases the reach, and the affect of a marketing video.

You should know, however, simply uploading a video to a companyÔÇÖs website or YouTube channel doesn’t always work. Increasingly, creative companies are making their videos interactive, so that customers can click on something in the video that takes them to a corresponding web page. This is usually done on YouTube to bring the viewer to their site.  Some companies are even using Facebook Live to capture potential clientÔÇÖs attention.  ItÔÇÖs critical that any of the services you use work on mobile devices as well, since many customers do most of their ad viewing on their cell phones or tablets.

One of the important things we do when making video is to incorporate the needs and wants of the client in the video. Novel idea, right? So many production companies try to bulldoze their way to create the video they want, but why cant we just create what the clients wants? Thats our philosophy. When the client gets to add their needs into the video, theyre more likely to share it and show it off! Thats good for usand good for them. Does it convert to product sales? Many times it does. When the video does a great job of highlighting why someone needs the product and clearly explains the result of using the product, more units will sell.

With product videos, placement is the key. Our clients currently place their videos on endcaps in retailers nationwide in order to catch prospective buyers in the moment of buying. When using video online, the best part is that one can now customize who sees the video based on their location, demographic, and recent purchases or items theyÔÇÖve viewed online. This increases sales because the type of individual who might need the product will see the video, making it a relevant item to them. To simplify, doing this makes their videos more relevant to the people who live in an area, fit a demographic and have already researched similar items. ThatÔÇÖs effective!

Key Takeaway: Remember when considering making a marketing video for a product: Hire a professional! They are there for a reason. Local video production companies are the best for this. They know the area well and how to maximize locations, spaces, and how to show off your product in just the right manner. They should show the product from several angles while highlighting the productÔÇÖs best features! You might even try to include people who know a lot about the product, such as current customers.

Video marketing is fast becoming an essential tool to a good marketing campaign. Take advantage of it now, before any competition does!

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Do We Have to be on Camera? Why People are the MOST Important Part!

womans face

Human brains are hardwired to recognize faces. When a video has a person talking in it, customers are more likely to connect with the video. When the audience can see the human behind the voice, they are more likely to trust what you are telling them. Speech is perceived by more than just auditory cues, we take in visual ones as well.

As a species, we are hardwired to be judgmental. Many people do not trust the information they read online. A study done in 2009 found that rather than trusting the people with the most expertise in a subject, people are more likely to trust those they believe have their best interests at heart. Psychologists at Princeton discovered that in only a tenth of a second, we form impressions of strangers from their faces alone, and our brain then responds based on how trustworthy we find their face to be.

In video, it is important to note that just having a trust worthy looking person is not going to make your audience listen to the message presented in your video. Remember, speech perception relies on both visual and auditory cues. The combination of both a great speech and a trustworthy face, among other things, is what will make your video the most compelling.

So, how can you get people to want to listen to your video? There are a few items that are critical to building the trust you deserve. First, you must be authentic. Be you. Dont try to be someone you are not. If you look, sound, or feel uncomfortable, it will show, and many viewers will see, hear, and feel it. Second, demonstrate your integrity by showing us how much you believe in what you are saying. Again, if you come across as fake or phony, it will show. A good analogy is a dogs behavior when certain people walk into the room. Some people are deathly afraid of dogs and the dog can sense it immediately. We humans have learned to do something similarto sniff out false and bogus people. Some are better at it than others are, but we all have this ability. Third, people dont care how much you know, they want to know how much you care. If you are genuine in caring about your viewer, they will sense it and feel a higher level of comfort in listening to you speak. Finally, speak the truth. Dont sugarcoat or exaggeratethese all come across counter to the previous three and will completely destroy your credibility.

This can be applied to all parts of speaking, but with video, you need to be aware of more than just your speech. Your background shouldnÔÇÖt distract from your message. You are what they should be paying attention to, not the bookshelf of whatÔÇÖs happening outside the window behind you. Add text to the screen to help reinforce what you are saying. It also focuses the viewer on what you are saying and subtly tells them, ÔÇ£This is important!ÔÇØ Have confidence and be positive while on camera and use transitions when speaking. It helps the viewer follow along when you say things like, ÔÇ£Now that IÔÇÖve covered XYZ, letÔÇÖs move on to ABC.ÔÇØ This transition tells the viewer where you are and what to expect next. Sound like English class all over again? Good! It should.

Having just a trustworthy face is not enough to make people want to listen to your video; however, neither is just having a good speech. If you take the time to focus on all aspects of your video, including whatÔÇÖs in the background, what youÔÇÖre wearing, and even the music that is playing, your video will have a much better chance of being listened to and acted upon. You want to connect to your audience, so give them what they need. Comfort, trust, integrity.

As always, we coach clients how to perform better on camera during our shoots. When we have someone who is struggling on camera, we do our best to help him or her relax and speak clearly. After all, you know the subject matter, just talk as if youÔÇÖre talking to a friend. WeÔÇÖll do the rest! Let us know when youÔÇÖre ready to get started.

 

Source: Wistia Blog. (2017). Why Videos Featuring Humans are Easier to Trust. Retrieved from: https://wistia.com/blog/make-trustworthy-videos-with-humans on September 28, 2017. 

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Don’t Think You Need to Invest In Video? Time and Again We Help Businesses Avoid These Mistakes!

kid frustrated by mistake

How is it that in 2017 video is absolutely crushing the other forms of mediaand some still refuse to use it? I know, I knowCrazy right? Im sure youre not doing thinking these thingsbut just in case, lets go through a few reasons why its time to invest in that website video.

  • Missing Out on Loyalty. First off, your customers love you, right? Right. We know this because of studies like this that tell us the probability of selling to an existing customer is somewhere between 60% to 70% (HelpScout)which is so much higher than the 5% to 10% chance of selling to a brand new customer. Since your existing customers love you, why wouldnÔÇÖt you give them a reason to tell others? Some clients like to create videos that are educational and entertainingmaking them shareable. By posting a video, you allow your existing customers the ability to share your greatness just remember, you donÔÇÖt want to sell in this video, youÔÇÖre showing your greatness a different way: giving information thatÔÇÖs useful.
  • Forgetting to Remove Confusion! What if you sell a product or service that is a bit more complicated? What if your product or service could easily be explained with a short video versus text? Most people are too lazy to read any more. So much so, IÔÇÖm a bit surprised youÔÇÖre reading this! Most people would prefer to click the video than read text. Give them something to watch! Here are couple of examples:

MicroPop

Tone-Y-Bands

 

  • Losing the SEO Game. If people are searching for you online, will they find you on Google? Google OWNS YouTube and loves video. YouÔÇÖve probably already started to notice the video search results that sometimes pop up when you search for how to do something. For example, if you were to search ÔÇ£How do I unclog a dishwasher?ÔÇØ YouÔÇÖll notice that the top non paid search result is a video. Hmmm. Makes you think a little, doesnÔÇÖt it? What questions need answers that your potential (or existing) customers might be searching for? While video isnÔÇÖt the only answer to SEO, itÔÇÖs certainly a powerful one!
  • Conversion is Too Low. WhatÔÇÖs your conversion rate? If you sell products, a video helps the viewer decide whether to buy the product. In fact, StacksandStacks.com, “an e-retailer of home storage and organizational products said that when a consumer views a product video, that consumer is 144% more likely to add that product to her cart than a consumer who watches no videoÔÇØ┬á ThatÔÇÖs astounding!  Even our own clients have told us that their products sell out faster and need to be replenished more often when the product is displayed with a video running next to it in stores. And, if we go back to our previous point, if consumers are on a website viewing a video, theyÔÇÖre on the site longer…leading to better SEO. Google seems to love it when people stay on a website longer. We think itÔÇÖs because Google algorithms say, ÔÇ£Hey, people arrive here and stay here.this site must be good!ÔÇØ
  • Inconsistent Training. Have you hired a new employee? When you do, do you spend hours teaching them all that boring stuff you have to go through? HereÔÇÖs an opportunity to have your new employee watch something that is more engaging and useful. An on-boarding or training video will help a new employee learn about the culture of the business and review all important points in a consistent wayand you can be sure that every new employee hears and sees the same information presented in the same way. Consistency! One of the keys to Human Resources!

If any of these items helped you make the next step toward creating a video for your business, great! If youre not sure what your next step is, thats okjust fill out the form to the right. We can answer any questions you have and point you in the right direction. Even if you dont use us, we hope this helped.

 

 

Source:
Photo Source: Pixabay.com
2017, April 19. Convince and Convert website.  http://www.convinceandconvert.com/content-marketing/you-need-to-invest-in-video/