Video is the most powerful tool you can use to generate sales from your online marketing efforts.
When it comes to getting results from online marketing, my favorite tools are the ones that consistently show strong performance metrics in more than one area and video certainly does!
The top five reasons to start using video to market your business online.
- People tend to know, like and trust you faster if you are using videos instead of just text to communicate. The reason for this is that 99% of our communication is nonverbal. Viewers will get a pretty good idea of who you are and if they will like and trust you based solely on body language.
- Videos make you more memorable. Viewers are much more likely to remember you if they’ve seen you on video, than read a bunch of text. That in itself is a victory when there is so much online competing for your customers attention!
- Statistically, videos will keep your website visitors on your website for longer than if you don’t have videos on your website. The more time visitors spend on your website, the better your odds of convincing them to contact you or buy from you
- People are more likely to think that you are an expert if they’ve seen you on video. Video not only boosts trust, but credibility as well.
- Viewers are more likely to share videos then they would just text.
Even though the reasons to start using video are powerful and plentiful, many DIY marketers still aren’t using it.
Besides the obvious not wanting to look terrible on camera, there are also several logistical bstacles to getting started on video.
The most common question I hear is, what kind of equipment do I need?
I went on Facebook live last week to address the equipment question by taking you through my two setups, for a startup and intermediate budget.
I’ve been filming an average of a 4 videos a month for the last 6 years and I shared my DIY Video Hacks for Small Businesses. Click the video to watch, or read the summary below:
One of the comments I got live on Facebook, was that maybe lighting or equipment wasn’t really required at all.
And that can be true too. It just depends on what level of quality you’re comfortable with. Check out three options, with samples below:
On The Cheap / Startup / No Budget
I’ve filmed many videos on an iphone in my car.
Even one actually driving, where I share even more video marketing tips: I don’t do this anymore, promise.
Budget DIY Video Marketing Set Up
I have two pieces of equipment in my low budget DIY Video Marketing setup:
- A light (a Day Light)
- My smartphone (currently an iphone 5)
I also film against a white wall.
The total cost, excluding my time, is about $200 for the light.
A sample video with this equipment is here:
Semi Pro DIY Video Marketing Set Up
I wanted a more polished look and feel so I invested in the following pieces of equipment:
- Canon Rebel EOS (approx $1200)
- Tripod for said Canon Rebel (approx $100)
- Complete Lighting Set (approx $200)
- Add on Mic (approx $150)
A sample video with this equipment is here:
Professional Video
I am really happy with my semi-pro setup. The level of control and quality it gives me is perfect for my needs.
That being said, pro videos aren’t something you should rule out if you’re looking to skip the techie stuff and get on with your day.
Here are two examples of professional videos I did a few years ago:
In summary, there are definitely options for every budget.
I’d love your feedback – are you using video ? If you aren’t yet, do you think you will? And if you’re not, are there any tips you’d like to add?
Let me know in the comments below!