Ways to Use Video to Market Your Business While Stuck at Home
- Connect with your customers: Be open about your current situation. If you're in quarantine, show your daily life (even with kids in the background) and this will help you connect with the viewers. Shows you are going through this with all of us.
- Sales: Use video for sales. If you're looking for new leads this is a great way to introduce yourself to new prospects in a video.
- Promotional videos: These can be used with a combination of yourself on camera and then with still photos that become animated. We can also find stock videos to blend in with the other personalized content.
- Emails: Use video to increase your email open rates (need to put "video" in the subject line). Even better when you personalize the subject line, like "Kevin, I made this video message for you".
- Presentations: This one is going to be huge right now! Were you just about to launch a product and now you can't meet in person to present? Using a web conference (like Zoom) in combination with a video commercial will really leave a strong impression with your audience. Videos use music, which sets the tone and helps tell a story.
Performance Tips
- Don't worry about your performance. Approach it as "I don't have to be great on camera, l just need to be helpful". That will give you a different attitude towards it. Many times I just go into actor mode and play the part of an outgoing chipper person. It does help!
- Do not stop: Even if you mess up, keep on going.
- Posture: Either stand up straight or if you want to sit, use a stool with one foot on the ground and one foot on the stool. You'll sit up straighter and have a square posture. Lean in and engage the viewer.
- Use hand gestures: Using hands signals to go along with with your words. Numbers 1, 2, 3 with fingers, Give or Take with your fists. And a big one is showing your hands out to your audience. Like a double high five. It's showing you're open.
- Facial expressions: Do a real smile, which gives a twinkle in your eye.
- Set the mood: Use a tone that matches the content.
- Make an outline, NOT a script: That way it won't sound rehearsed and sound more conversational.
- Background: Make sure you have a professional setting in your background. You can stand anywhere in your house but if that doesn't work, go outside! If there is wind, make sure to use a lapel mic. Or stand closer to the camera.
Thank you to Zach Basner from Impact for helping with these tips.
Technical Video Tips
- Use the best camera/smartphone you have available.
- If you are using an iPhone, go to settings, then Camera, then Record Video. Pick the resolution of 1080 and 60 fps. If these are not available, the smartphone may not be new enough to shoot high quality video.
- I have a Logitech Web Cam that connects via USB to my computer.
- When shooting a video, you want to be as stable as possible in order to eliminate camera shake in the final video. There are smartphone tripods available online that will hold your smartphone steady. Here is a link to a smartphone tripod.
- Find a room with no people or disturbances.
- Make sure to hold or place your smartphone horizontally (in landscape view) so it fills the screen when the video is played.
- It's best to setup a tripod. You can find these online or even at Target or CVS.
- Find good lighting! Natural window light is great if it's on your face. Or get creative and find lights in your house that are directed at your face. I had to buy a light ring.
- If shooting an interview, make sure to take a few test shots to see what the camera is seeing. Move around a bit to make sure you are in the frame and the camera is picking up your voice.
- Depending on the importance of good audio, you may want to think about using a microphone. If you have a newer iPhone, there may not be a headphone jack to plug a microphone into, so you may need to get a dongle (adapter). Once you have what you need, plug your microphone into your smartphone and attach the other end to the upper area of your shirt. Take a test to make sure your phone is capturing your audio. There is also an app to download to your computer if you are speaking through a microphone on your computer. It's called Krisp, and drowns out background noise.Here is a link to a microphone for smartphones.Here is link to a dongle.Here is a very nice professional microphone.
- After you are done recording, transfer the videos you recorded to your computer. If you are using an iPhone and Apple computer, you can AirDrop your files easily. Then, send your files to us using dropbox, google drive, WeTransfer, etc. to our team!