The Case for Video Marketing and How to Show Up Like a Pro

If you’ve been hesitant to use video marketing for your business, you may not like what I’m about to say.  But, I promise that it’s out of love.  If you aren’t using video yet for your brand, you’re going to be left behind.  I promise that isn’t an exaggeration.  The major social networks are giving us the hint with each algorithm change, and by producing video content, we can ensure that our brands stay visible.  Keep reading to learn exactly why you cannot skip out on video, and four simple tips you can use to get started with video marketing (or how to improve your current video marketing strategy).

The case for video marketing

Video is absolutely crucial to incorporate into your content marketing strategy because there isn’t a more personal medium.  Sure, your audience can get to know you through your blog posts, your emails, and your social media posts.  But, when you use video (either live or recorded), you are allowing your audience to see the “real you.”  

They can see all of your mannerisms and quirks that don’t shine through in your written content.  To put it simply, video brings your brand to life, and it truly helps your audience relate to you even more.  Video is great to help you expedite the know, like, and trust process (which is especially important if you want your audience to buy from you).

Most of the popular social networks are showing favorability to video content, and for the purpose of this blog post, I’ll be focusing on Facebook and Instagram.  If you use Facebook for your business, then surely you know how difficult (and sometimes downright impossible) it can seem to get your content seen.  However, there’s an easy way to boost your impressions.  Whenever you opt to go live (or post a recorded video), Facebook will notify a larger segment of your followers than if you were simply posting a link/graphic/text, and that’s because Facebook’s algorithm is favorably disposed to video content.  

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Video marketing on Facebook, therefore, helps you stay at the top of your followers’ minds.  And if you aren’t utilizing video currently, then their attention is being directed towards other brands which are.  That’s especially detrimental if Facebook is one of your primary marketing platforms.

Instagram has also completely refigured its platform to encourage users to post video content.  Almost immediately after you sign in to IG, you’re met with the “stories” for the day of those that you follow.  Before you even get a chance to browse through traditional Instagram posts, Instagram shows preference to those short stories.  And while it should be noted that stories can be in either image or video form, video stories will once again allow your audience to get to know the “real you.”

Another awesome feature related to stories is that you can include hashtags and locations that make your stories “searchable.”  This is amazing because Instagram literally gives you endless possibilities when it comes to marketing.  By allowing your stories to be searchable by hashtag or location means that you have many opportunities to get your content in front of your target audience (even if they aren’t following you yet).

Instagram is also similar to Facebook as far as its tendency to notify followers that you’re live streaming (or posting a story if it’s been awhile since your last one).  That is awesome because Instagram does not notify your followers that you’ve posted a regular post unless they specifically have their notifications turned on for your account.  But, that rule doesn’t apply to live streaming.  Regardless of whether your followers have their notifications turned on for you or not, if you go live, Instagram is going to alert a segment of your followers.  So, the big deal is that when you’re utilizing video, Instagram (just like Facebook) allows your content to be seen by your followers who otherwise aren’t typically notified when you’re active on Instagram.  Again, this gives you the chance to stay at the top of their mind!

So, if I’ve convinced you to give video marketing a try (and I really hope that you will), I’ve got four tips to help you implement video marketing like a pro for your business.

Don’t wait until you’ve got the “perfect setup” to start filming.

I see this all the time.  Business owners are apprehensive to start filming because they don’t have additional lighting, a tripod, or an awesome backdrop.  If you’re waiting for the “perfect conditions” before your record your first video, you’re going to miss out on connecting with your audience.  That only makes it easier to further delay implementation and increase your anxiety about filming.

You don’t have to film for a long time.

Goodness, I wish that we realized this when we had our first blog.  We jumped right into video by hosting a full blown, live webinar.  And as you can probably imagine, because that was our first go at video, we were terribly nervous and overwhelmed (please, please don’t make this mistake).  That’s the great thing about using Instagram stories.  You can talk for 20 sec at a time, so it’s much less intimidating than traditional video measures.  But, this is important to keep in mind with live streaming, too.  You don’t have to stream for 30 minutes (and in fact, you shouldn’t, because shorter live streams are more effective, anyway).  Seriously, 10-15 minutes is gold for keeping your audience engaged.

Have a clear call to action within every video.

Think about your purpose for filming your video.  What is it that your audience should do immediately after watching?  Should they sign up for your email list?  Should they read a blog post?  Should they go purchase your product/service?  Whatever the case may be, make sure that you end your video with a clear call to action so that your audience will know exactly what to do next.

Save, save, save your videos.

You mustered up the courage to show up strong for your audience, you delivered incredible value, and you remembered to include a clear CTA, so you’ll definitely want to save your awesome work.  The videos that you post on social media can be repurposed as additional content.  Maybe they’ll be the lessons of your future course, or maybe you store all of your videos in a resource library that only your subscribers have access to (like we do!), or maybe you even embed them within your blog posts to add extra value.  Whatever you decide, just be sure to save ALL of your videos.

So, there you have it.  The case for implementing video marketing within your business, and four simple tips to keep in mind as you begin creating video content for your audience.  We want to hear from you.  Do you have a video marketing strategy for your brand?  Let us know in the comments below!

P.S.  Are you an entrepreneur in the health and wellness industry struggling to land clients? Then you’ll want to check out our free video series, 5 Days to Consistent Clients!