Amateur's Guide to Great Business Videos

For start-ups, there's an efficient way to get a lot of attention for your limited time and money. Here's how to make great videos without killing yourself.

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Video may be the latest social marketing frontier, but few of us have professional equipment--much less real studios in our offices. So we asked 14 successful founders from the Young Entrepreneur Council to share their tips for making your next business video. Their best answers are below.

1. Video is important, but don't forget the sound quality.

People want to watch your videos because they want to hear you speak--so make sure you have a camera that has a good microphone in order for your potential clients to clearly hear you without distracting noise. --Angela Pan, Angela B. Pan Photography

2. Be quick on the draw when something great happens.

I work with professional speakers, and they always ask me about video marketing. The easiest way to get started is to use your iPhone to record quick videos sharing your expertise. I've also found it useful for collecting video testimonials from customers who love your product. --Lawrence Watkins, Great Black Speakers

3. No talent or equipment? There's still a tool for you.

Video marketing is becoming accessible to everyone, and PowToon is an example of a tool that makes it easy to make video marketing for your business. Using templates and built in voice elements you can have a product demo, feature walk-through, or marketing pitch done without any equipment or talent at all. --Derek Shanahan, Playerize

4. Consider how you communicate the non-verbal (and how people will find your videos).

 

When uploading to YouTube, include a transcription of the audio and any vital visual cues that appear in the video. This, in addition to your tags, can be searched and help more people find your content. --Emily Eldridge Holdman, The Remarkables

5. Above all, be yourself.

Relatability and likability are two incredibly powerful forces, and so, regardless of budget, I think it's important to include a real representative from your company, speaking in plain English. If you're a start-up founder, channel your inner Dave Thomas (of Wendy's fame) and leverage the power of online video to speak to your audience and customers yourself. --Lauren Friese, TalentEgg

6. Leverage local resources.

Look to your local arts schools and colleges. There is so much young talent that would kill to work on a stipend or internship on an actual corporate project. Every start-up should offer creative internships for content creation. It is a win-win. --Azita Ardakani, Love Social

7. Do your keyword research

Video marketing is a powerful way to get into search results. Since YouTube is owned by Google, Google includes YouTube videos on the front page for many different searches. If you use the AdWords Keyword Tool to identify low-competition terms for your video (and possibly localize your title), you have the chance to get in front of customers with a video that took you a few minutes to make. --Brett Farmiloe, Markitors

8. Show, don't tell.

Jing is a free, easy way to get quality screen captures (both stills and video), which are a critical element of business videos and tutorials. --Robert J. Moore, RJMetrics

9. Maintain an editorial calendar.

When you're looking to incorporate video into your marketing efforts, don't dive in without a plan first. Before you launch your inaugural video, make sure you have an editorial calendar so you're prepared to create content consistently over time. Maintaining an editorial calendar for your video marketing will ensure your prospective customers get great content regularly. --Doreen Bloch, Poshly

10. Embrace what you have.

If you can't afford to have Quentin Tarantino direct your video, don't worry. There is a charm in having a basic, low-budget video. Use it to your advantage by keeping your video very uncomplicated, in both production cost and purpose. Make sure the video answers a question or shows your business as the solution to a problem. That's it. --Adam Stillman, Ditto Holdings

11. Mix it up with creative tools.

is a great online tool, which is super simple (and fun) to use. It enables you to mix (and remix) pro-looking videos using your own images, slides and video clips, along with their library of music clips. There's a free version, but even the premium options are an extremely good value and affordable. --Lea Woodward, Startup Training School 

12. The one investment you really need to make...

No matter what camera you choose to use, buying an affordable lighting kit will make a huge difference in the quality of your videos. When I started "She Takes on the World TV," it was just me and a digital camera somewhere in my house. Investing just $200 in a lighting kit completely changed how my episodes looked, and as a result, they led to deeper engagement with my audience. --Natalie MacNeil, She Takes on the World

13. Add a personal touch.

Many direct-response video Internet marketers are using videos with handwritten drawings that tell a story. Those can easily cost five figures, but VideoScribe software allows you to create those same videos using vector images--for less than $50 per month. --Peter Nguyen, Literati Institute

14. Don't let technology restrict your creativity.

The first time I tried to shoot myself on video was not pretty, but it was profitable. I used a precursor to the Flip Camera, put it on a bar stool with some books stacked up to make a tripod and nailed some whiteboards into my wall. The result was a four-video product that still sells to this day. The point is not to let technology stop you, but rather create a story worth listening to. --Greg Rollett, The ProductPros

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Long Island SEO Firm, Upside Business Consultants, Expands Its Video Marketing and Social Media Marketing Services for ...

Hauppauge, NY (PRWEB)

Upside Business Consultants, a leading marketing and Long Island SEO Firm with offices in Suffolk County and Nassau County, has expanded its online marketing services in the areas of video marketing and social media marketing consulting.

The firm now offers a full service video marketing service tailored to small business owners looking to improve their branding, visibility and SEO. Services include everything from short commercials ready for social media to short branding films.

The marketing firm has also expanded its social media marketing services for Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest, YouTube and other social platforms. According to President Doug Betensky, “We can cover a client from end to end with services ranging from developing a social media plan to content creation and monthly management. We have expanded our services in response to increasing demands in the market and requests from our clients.”

Mr. Betensky says, “Video marketing and social media marketing go hand in hand and they both are bridged by the need for Search Engine Optimization. All videos can be optimized as well as all social media accounts. Our firm believes in optimizing a company’s entire web presence, not just its website. Video and social media can play key roles in achieving that goal while also building a stronger brand online.”

For more information, visit upsidebusiness.com or call 516-610-0922.

About Upside Business Consultants:
Based in Hauppauge, New York marketing firm Upside provides marketing consulting, social media consulting, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), internet marketing, video marketing and marketing coaching/training. We provide a unique combination of strategic marketing consulting and agency services that clients need to grow, whether they are launching a new business or looking for strategies to grow an established business or organization. Upside’s New York marketing consultants are recognized for well thought out strategies, personalized service, and deep knowledge of marketing strategy across all marketing channels.

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3 Signs You Should Improve Your Internet Video Marketing - Business 2 Community

Online Marketing

By Ben Bernstein, Published February 19, 2013

Sometimes marketing needs a little facelift in order to continue to do the best work for your business. There’s no shame in changing and tweaking things to do better business, especially when it comes to your marketing because it is a constantly changing landscape that does well with change. One thing that most businesses happen to neglect the most is their Internet video marketing, but fortunately online video marketing is very easy to fix if you happen to have a crisis on your hands.

But, before you know you have a crisis about to blow up in your marketing campaign, it’s probably good to know the warning signs so you can avert the crisis and still be a video marketing rock star. Check out the three signs below to gauge the health of your Internet video marketing right now.

1. Bad Numbers

It’s all in the numbers when it comes to marketing, and this is even true for video marketing. If you’re watching the numbers of viewers, click-through rates and everything else, then you should already have a good understanding of where you stand with your weekly and monthly goals.

If you’re noticing a steady decline (or worse, a sharp one), then it’s probably time to give your video marketing an audit and see where you can improve immediately. Because videos should be going up and up with their exposure and visibility, not gradually going down after being initially published.

2. No Customization

That’s right, you might start feeling the sting of neglect from viewers because your presentation isn’t customized enough. It’s a harsh truth, but a necessary one to face. That means you need to be able to customize not only your videos with highly branded content, but also the stuff around your video.

This includes your video player, which needs to be highly customized for the best results. That means being able to include calls to action, sign ups for newsletters, social sharing and much more tied into your social media and other content marketing. Even if it means working with an outside company to make sure your content is highly branded, then do it. Be able to make the budget and be able to really shine with your video marketing.

3. Little To No Incentive

While we’re on the topic of customization among your Internet video marketing campaigns, there needs to be a discussion about being able to provide even more value to your viewers through incentives that are built into the video player. This includes white papers, infographics, being able to sign up for an email newsletter and other incentives that makes the viewer even more interested in your business. Give more to get more, right?

Of course, there are other signs to watch out for. As an example, when your videos start to feel more like an extended commercial than something that is original and crafty to draw in customers. If you’re leaning closer to infomercial every time you create a new video campaign, don’t hesitate to take a step back and reassess what kind of content you want to release out to the public and continue to make successful sales.

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Lessons for Video Marketers from 3 U.S. Presidents - Business 2 Community

Marketing

By Sabrina Cote, Published February 26, 2013

Each February we celebrate the great leaders of our country. While Presidents Day was originally established in honor of George Washington’s birthday, other famous presidents like Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan were also born in the month of February.

There’s no doubt that many lessons can be gleaned from the tenure of these three esteemed leaders on the topics of foreign policy, economics, reform, and civil rights, but the list does not stop there.  Leaders from all industries have turned to history as their greatest source of wisdom to inform decisions for the future.

You don’t have to be a political scientist, historian, or even a History Channel regular to apply the lessons from the annals of history to the business world of today.  Let’s take a step back in time to examine three lessons for video marketing from U.S. Presidents past.

1.  Be Revolutionary

George Washington led the way in establishing a framework for the new republic at a time when its citizens were seeking anything but a return to the status quo.  The United States Constitution was the answer they were looking for, as it proposed a separation of powers that revolutionized governing in the modern world.

While not every piece of content can be as revolutionary as the Constitution, there’s an important lesson here for video marketers:  original content that breaks the norm truly resonates with audiences.

With an ever-growing abundance of digital media just a mouse-click away, it has become even more important to stretch the creative boundaries and try something new. Consider using humor to create a light-hearted piece of content that conveys your message in a unique and memorable way.  Remember, just because your content is funny doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice substance; you can effectively use humor to both entertain and inform, as Bettina Hein describes in this Q&A.

2. Make Every Word Count

Abraham Lincoln delivered what would become one of the most iconic and powerful speeches in American history on November 19, 1863.  There’s no doubt that the Gettysburg Address is one of the best-known speeches in history because of its monumental significance to the Civil War, but it also stands out because it is one of the shortest speeches of all time.  The entire address was only two minutes long, but every carefully crafted phrase was succeeded by another of equal substance, with not a wasted word to be found.

For video marketers, making every word count is vital to the success of the message, especially with so much content competing for viewers’ attention.  While video length can vary based on subject matter, most marketing experts recommend, keeping video content under the 90-second to two-minute mark.

With a limited window to engage viewers, it’s crucial that video marketers efficiently deliver the key points of their message in a clear and concise manner. With that in mind, when creating the outline for a new piece of content, write a detailed script to use when recording your video.  This will not only make the finished product flow smoothly, but will also serve as a helpful exercise to review your message and trim any unnecessary phrasing.

3. Know Your Audience

Ronald Reagan’s second term in office was marked by the culmination of the Cold War.  As has been well documented in American and world history, the circumstances surrounding the Cold War were incredibly delicate, and a wide range of approaches were considered over a 44-year period to deescalate the crisis.

Crucial to the Reagan administration’s ability to negotiate, and ultimately bring the war to a close, was a careful understanding of where Soviet leaders stood.  By recognizing a change in tone of the Soviet leadership, the Reagan administration was able to shift its approach from military build-up to diplomacy, and end the war.

Knowing your audience is essential for video marketers as well, since certain messages will resonate better with one audience than another.  Understanding where your audience is coming from goes beyond just optimizing your messaging. It should also include consideration for what marketing channels you are most likely to reach them through, and from what device they will be accessing your content.

Consider the statistics in this infographic about the power of video when designing your content. Based on your target audience you may want to consider optimizing content for mobile viewing by reducing text in favor of images, and increasing font size where text is necessary.  You may also need to tweak your messaging and create multiple versions of your content to best suit each channel.

Designing unique, effective content that resonates with the target audience is the challenge every video marketer faces, and the formula for success is constantly evolving as video continues to grow in popularity.  Just remember, when creating content for the future, it can’t hurt to keep an eye on the past.

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