Top Tips for Video Marketing

Video marketing is going beyond just a fad that some people do and is quickly becoming an essential aspect of digital marketing strategies. Since more businesses are using video, the expectation of quality, and the need to create a piece that will capture the attention of viewers, for the right reasons, is more important than ever before. The competition for your attention is fierce - marketers know that they have only seconds to get you and keep you on their video, with most reports indicating that the average is 10 seconds.Tips for Video Marketing.

That's it. 10 seconds is all you get for a viewer to decide whether they want to spend more time on your video or keep scrolling. Not a lot of time is it?

We've pulled together some of our top tips to help you get started with video marketing:
1. Start with a script - now we don't mean a script that your read off making your delivery stiff and uncomfortable, we mean have an idea of what you want to talk about and how its going to flow. If you're showing products, make sure they're within reach. Check your lighting and eliminate background noise (I even put a note on my door that alerts everyone that I'm recording).

2. Observe your own viewing habits, what captures your attention? Do a peer review of videos in line with your business - what did you like about the videos, what did they do well? How often do they post? How long are the videos? What could they have done better?

3. The first introduction to your video that your prospect will see is your thumbnail, so make it visually appealing and include text.

4. Even before your thumbnail is how they found you in the first place, so optimize your description and title for SEO and tag your video with relevant keywords.

5. Your video, although short, should have structure, start with create a story as a part of your video to keep your prospects engaged. Think of your video like a funnel, drawing your prospect further in.

6. A pitch is inevitable, but don't make that the intent of the video, give your prospects a tip that they can use right away.

7. Always include a call to action - this can be subtle in your video, but also in your description.

8. Don't make it your goal to go viral, make it your goal to provide informational content.

9. Keep it fun, but not too edgy (unless that's your market), if you are going to go viral, you don't want to go viral for the wrong reasons.

10. Don't be afraid to include subtitles for those who watch without sound. Many people who are at work, or scrolling through their feed without headphones, will typically watch but not listen to videos.

Secrets Of Highly Lucrative Video Marketing

I started to compile a bunch of stats to show you how popular video marketing is becoming.

And then I realized - the last thing you need are more stats about how video is taking over the internet.

The fact is, if you're not using video yet, you're losing customers, clients and revenue.

Consumers love video. They watch the video. They ENJOY video.

They even enjoy video when the video is selling something, as long as the video still entertains and informs.

So how can you use more video in your business?

And how can you make those videos perform as well as possible in getting your viewers to take action?

Here are ten tips to get you started in the right direction:

1: Make your video is about the story, not about the sale.

Anyone can slap up a sales video and put it on YouTube. "Buy my product!" But will it get views? Not likely.

Instead, tell stories and deliver value. Let's say you're selling a course on how to do marketing for chiropractic offices.

It's tempting to tell the viewer why your course rocks, why it's exactly what they need, and how it's only available for a limited time.

But what if you make a series of short videos, with each video providing one powerful marketing tip just for chiropractors?

I guarantee those videos will be watched and shared among the chiropractic community.

You'll establish massive credibility. And of course you can politely refer them to your website at the end of each video.

These videos won't sell your course for you.

But what they will do is make it far easier to get the sale.

Think of it as romancing the client...

First, you take them out on a date or two or three...

And THEN you close the sale.

Your success rate will be much higher than if you try to close the sale while the two of you are still strangers.

2: Make the first 10 seconds the BEST 10 seconds ever

One stat says that 20% of viewers will click away from a video within the first 10 seconds.

Now you've got to ask yourself - why would they do that?

They came to watch something, yet they leave almost immediately.

There could be a few reasons:

· Your video doesn't appear to be what they expected. If they are coming from a link that says, "Free iPad!" and your video is about growing organic veggies, you're going to lose them. Continuity is key here.

· You have a long, boring, "Look at me!" intro. You've seen those intros where it's 30 seconds of how great the company, video creator, brand or whatever is. The problem is, no one cares, but the person who made the video. Lose the long intro.

· You dilly dally around. Taking the first minute of the video to finish setting up your recording equipment is a major no-no.

· You don't start out with a bang. You want to get right to the meat of the subject by quickly introducing what's happening and then making it happen.

Think about movies back in the 50's, 60's and even 70's - they all had long, boring intros filled with lots of credits and no action.

Now think about today's movies - from the first moment there is action; something that captures your attention and makes you want to stay tuned to find out what's happening, why it's happening and what's going to happen next.

When it comes to writing fiction, teachers often tell their students to lop off the first page or two, because they're usually full of long, boring intro stuff to set up the first scene. But when you lop that off and start with the action, BOOM - the reader is captivated.

Videos are the same way. Start with the good stuff and let it just get better from there.

3: Don't be so serious.

Your video might be to inform and instruct, but that doesn't mean you have to sound like a boring, stuffy college professor.

Find ways to inject fun and humor into your presentations. This doesn't mean to inject knock-knock jokes that have nothing to do with the topic at hand. Instead, find the humor in what you're teaching or talking about. It's always there, you just have to look for it.

Now I know that when you get in front of a camera, if you're like most people you get nervous. And when you get nervous, you might not be able to find the humor in anything, except perhaps your own nervousness.

Three things I can tell you - if you practice beforehand in front of a friend, you'll be surprised at the funny things that come to mind. Go ahead and try your humor on your friend and listen to their feedback. They'll tell you which ones parts and which to leave out.

Second, when you're filming, continue to think of the camera as your friend. You're just having a friendly conversation, regardless of whether it's you on camera or you're using slides.

Third, have fun. If you're having fun then the viewer will likely have fun as well.

4: It's good to be human

No one really likes someone who is perfect, or even someone who comes across as perfect. That's why it's okay to make mistakes on camera.

If you are nervous or if you do something wrong, just acknowledge it and move on. For example, you drop something you were showing the viewer. Laugh, pick it up, make a joke about your nerves or your butterfingers or whatever, and move on.

It's a funny thing when we admit to the audience that we're human and we can laugh at our own foibles - the audience begins to like us more, and they root for us, too.

I even know people who purposely make a mistake or do something clumsy, just so they can get the audience on their side.

It's a truly effective technique when done right.

Marketing Your Book Using Videos

Once you have written a book, no matter which genre you have written in, you will need to publish that book and you will need to promote that book. Of course, there are several different ways in which you can accomplish this; however, you may want to think outside of the box a little and choose an approach that is not so traditional (or conventional).

Using visual stimuli to promote your book
One really effective approach to promoting your book is by creating a book trailer (just like you see trailers for new movies that have either just been released or that are about to be released). Considering that what you are trying to promote is the written word, a trailer can be a profound, stunning contrast to the book and it will capture the hearts and the interest of so many people, including people who respond so well to visual stimuli.

When it comes to promoting your book with a trailer, if you don't have the expertise or experience to do it yourself, you will want to make sure that whoever you ask to work on it is the right fit for you and for the book that you want to promote. You will want to connect (or hire) with someone who has a significant amount of relevant, good-quality experience. After all, you certainly do not want to be a Guinea pig in that sort of situation. If at all possible, you will want to choose someone who has experience with shooting, producing (and directing, if possible), editing, and, finally, optimizing the content so that you get the biggest bang for your buck.

The reasons why creating a trailer is so smart
At this point, you may be wondering why video is such a good idea when it comes to promoting your book.

Well, there are several reasons why it is a really good idea to create a trailer for your book.

Exposure: Because videos are so popular, effective, and relevant nowadays, it will enable you to gain exposure to a great extent and numerous other people will be able to hear and see what you have to say and tell their friends and relatives about your book as well.
Sharability: You definitely want to create a buzz about your book whenever possible. It is entirely possible (and most likely probable) that you will be able to do just that with a video trailer because it is a type of content that can be shared easily. If your trailer goes viral, you will be golden. The more people see the trailer, the more they will have a desire to read the book.
Connectivity: Your trailer can help you to establish meaningful connections, which also means that you can build trust, credibility, and the perception that you are the subject matter expert to whom they should turn. In fact, with some effort and a little luck, you will be the first (and hopefully, only) person they will need.
Good for the wallet: Trailers (and videos in general) are really cost-effective. Also, they are not on any sort of a delivery schedule. They are being delivered to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Do trailers really have a positive effect?
If you have made a video that positively promotes and matches your book, there is a great likelihood that other people will want to read the book. Your trailer can really promote your book and your brand as well. However, it isn't enough to simply post your trailer on one or two sites. You need to be strategic in the way that you go about promoting your book. You need to determine exactly where the people who will potentially buy your book are hanging out and you need to make it as easy as possible for them to become aware of what you are offering. Once you have done that, hopefully, the rest will happen. The chances are that the interest is already there. Now, all you need to do is to make them aware of how great your book is and how they will benefit from reading it.
Good versus bad
There are trailers and then there are trailers. First of all, if you want to create a good-quality trailer, you will need a good-quality script. Also, it must be visually appealing and it must demonstrate a clever, creative connection between the book and the trailer. That connection is critical to your book's success. Of course, the music selection is just as critical to the trailer's success. The more professional your trailer appears, the better off you will be. Finally, the trailer must be well edited so that the finished product flows and is confluent. When it comes to the script, make sure that you write it specifically for the trailer. It probably won't work well if you have a script that was intended for something else and then you adapt it for your trailer. Make sure that your music choice is as perfect as possible (and appropriate, at the very least). The music and the story should have a solid synergy.