Tag Archives: video marketing

DIY Video Hacks for Small Businesses: LIVE Behind The Scenes, How To

Posted on by

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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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!
  3. 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
  4. 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.
  5. 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:

  1. A light (a Day Light)
  2. 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:

  1. Canon Rebel EOS (approx $1200)
  2. Tripod for said Canon Rebel (approx $100)
  3. Complete Lighting Set (approx $200)
  4. 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!

The #1 Marketing Tool For Business You Need To Start Using Right Now

Posted on by

Today I want to share with you the Number one most effective and free digital marketing tool that you can use as a small business owner or do it yourself marketer.

You may not be surprised to learn it is Video marketing! Just like this video here:

It is an incredibly powerful tool that is free to use, I actually filmed this on my smart phone!

3 Reasons Video Marketing is so effective.

Number 1 – Video is the next best thing to meeting someone in person.

A lot of our communication is non-verbal so watching a video of someone is a really great way to get to know them and get a sense of who they are, its very similar to meeting someone in person.

Secondly, people are much more prone to watch video or look at photos than they are to read text or a long bio about you. It is a very easy way to communicate information and have people consume it in this day in age when people have increasingly short attention spans.

Thirdly, videos are much more likely to be shared and have a much higher conversion rate in terms of people who watch the video are much more likely to act and take the next step in the buying cycle.

Lastly, not many people know this, but Youtube is owned by Google and is the second biggest search engine in the world!

So by posting videos to Youtube, you increase your exposure across the search engines and generate more traffic back to your website!

Those are all the reasons I recommend you start video marketing right now.

Never Miss A Tip- Subscribe to My Channel!

 

Comprehensive Guide To Using Google Hangouts On Air for Your Video Marketing

Posted on by

Video marketing is the most powerful & effective tool for marketing your business.

If you want to improve your visibility, credibility and sales lead generation than you need to start video marketing.

This article will show you, step by step, how to start video marketing without buying a ton of expensive equipment or taking courses on videography.

How to use Google Hangouts on Air as an easy solution to video marketing for business.

What is Google Hangouts on Air?

Part of the functionality offered with a Google + or YouTube account, a Hangout on Air is basically an online video meeting / chat tool.

The difference from other tools, for example Skype, are many. The biggest difference is that you can add up to 8 participants for free, the “events” are broadcast live and can be promoted in advance, and there are all sorts of cool graphics that can be added to user’s profiles to enhance the experience.

In short, Hangouts on Air enable you to start your own media platform from which you can create your own messaging.

What are the benefits to using Hangouts on Air for your Video Marketing?

Hangouts on Air automatically upload and are saved to your YouTube account.

Benefits:

1. Exposure: Provides you with content on the second biggest search engine in the world.
2. Search Marketing: Shows activity on your Google plus account- which factors in heavily to your search engine ranking, or where your business shows up on search results on Google Itself.
3. Content Creation: Gives you neat multimedia content to post to your website or social media.
4. Connect with your audience: You reap the benefits of video marketing by creating a deeper connection with your future customers; video is the next best thing to meeting in person
5. Go Viral: You’re providing easy to digest, shareable content that your future customers are more prone to engage with and share with their networks.

Great, I am sold! How do I get started?

Prepare for your first Google Hangout on Air: Get Your Account Set Up

1. Get a google account if you don’t have one already.

2. Go to YouTube.com and click on your picture, and then Creator Studio

3. Click on Videos on the left hand side, and then Live events.

4. Click on Start a live event- and verify your account if it isn’t already.

5. Click on Broadcast Live and download the Google Hangout Plugin if you haven’t already

6. Invite your interviewee or hangout partner

7. Have fun! Play with the Hangouts Tool Box and other functions on the left side of the dashboard.

Being Interviewed on Video? Here’s what you need to know.

Web Cam: Be sure to be in front of a device with video streaming capability. Laptops, Tablets and Phones typically have built-in webcams. Ideally you would use your Laptop.

Get the Plugin: Download the Google Hangout Plugin here: Get the Google Hangout Plugin – run and instal it on your computer.

Sign up for a gmail address: if you don’t have one already, get one and send this to the person interviewing you.

Lighting & Sound: find a quiet spot that is well lit- but be sure any windows are facing you so we can see your face.

Internet Connection: If possible, connect to the internet with a wired connection and close any running programs besides Google Hangouts

Microphone: Test your built in microphone before your interview. You may need to use a headset (most headphones come with a built in microphone.)

Eye Contact: It feels weird initially, but make sure you’re looking directly into the camera. If you have any notes prepared post them as close to your camera as you can.

Camera positioning: Make sure your entire head is visible and the camera angle is straight on. Lower your chair if need be to avoid the “looking up your nose” angle.

Relax! The audience wants to see the real you. You don’t need to be nervous. Foibles and speech habits are endearing to your viewers, and help them to feel like they know, like and trust you.

Did you find this guide on Video marketing helpful?

Let me know how you did in the comments below, and don’t forget to share this with your network 🙂

 

3 steps to simple video marketing for small business

Posted on by

How to start video marketing

1. Actually, your biggest fear is your biggest asset.

Most people are concerned with how they look on camera and many people out there are too nervous to be in front of a camera.

What you don’t know is the fact that you’re not a model or actor is actually working to your advantage.

The success of reality shows is testament to the fact that people no longer like things that are fake. The public wants authenticity. The fact you’re a real person with flaws and a unique personality makes you far more trustworthy & credible then an actor or model could every be.

Besides, you’re probably more talented, intelligent and better looking than most reality stars anyway.

Also, practice makes perfect!  I’ve been creating video blogs for probably four years now and at the bottom I’ve included a link to my actual very first video. You can see the difference practice makes.

Don’t let being inexperienced stop you from video marketing!

2, What should you do a video about?

Simply re purposing your blog posts and summarizing them is the most effective way to start video marketing. See a sample here:

As long as you are you’re using topics that provide value to your audience it doesn’t really matter what you talk about. Here are some ideas:

  1. Answer frequently asked questions
  2. Do interviews with your customers, suppliers or people in related industries.
  3. Offer tips
  4. Talk about relevant news, company events
  5. Introduce your staff, yourself & your business.

3. What Equipment Do I Need to Start Video Marketing?

No matter what your budget, you can find equipment to get the job done.

I used to use a flipcam, now I use an iPhone. Apparently there’s a Canon camera you can buy for about $1000 that will provide decent quality video and audio.

You can also get your videos professionally filmed, which I sometimes do as well.

On the other side of that is also Instagram and the Vine app- both of these are smart phone apps that provide 25 seconds and 7 seconds respectively a video time.

Again you don’t need professional equipment or editing to start video blogging. Just start and see what happens!

Are you video blogging yet? Did I miss any tips? Share your comments below!

and, as promised, here is a link to my very first video! **cringe!**