Marketing videos are appetizers…

…small bites that give you a great idea of how good everything else on the menu is.

They’re all about sharing who you are and what you’re like.

People want a “flavor” of you, they want to see your eyes, your smile, your expressions.  They can tell more in 3 seconds from a video than they can from reading your endless copy, tripping through stupid “funnels.”  They will skip all of your other content until they know from your video that they like you and want to do business with you.  Only after that will they look for details.

3 seconds doesn’t sound like much time, and it’s not.  But it is all that people are willing to give.  So you’ve got to grab their attention immediately and keep it.

Yes, your voice is almost as important. We can tell a lot from just a few words.  But captions are important, so use them when you can.

BE YOU

People care more about immediate connection than anything else.  Save your bloopers because you can turn them into comedy bites and throw them into the mix every now and then.

Types of Videos

• Zoom Call: what it’s like for a client to talk with you.  Horizontal.  Good on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube.  Be super personable.  15 seconds to 3 minutes.
• TikTok 7 seconds with text: the current fad you have to play with to get TT to share your video around.  Basic visual with text plastered over it. Vertical.  Save and use on Instagram, FB reels and stories, and YT shorts.
• Intro to you: keep it short, sweet, to the point
• Explainer: more details about what you offer and how everything works
• Tips: stuff your audience doesn’t even know they need to know.  Or, they’re googling for it.  Keyword research is a big help here.  For instance “5 Important Legal Steps When Starting Your Business,” “Got A Contract?  Make sure this is in it…”.  And, of course, tell how you can help them with this.  Briefly.

Location

Make it relevant when you’re doing hard-core marketing.  Background matters.  Sound matters.

• Your office
• Your pseudo office: this can be a corner that you stage to look appropriate for your business.
• A fun, cool, or posh cafe
• Hotel lobby
• Place your target market is comfortable with, that they’re from.  Fav example: the guy who sells video dance lessons to men with two left feet and/or zero experience.  One of his first ads starts with him talking with mountains in the background.  He’s wearing low-key dude clothes including plaid.  We all know that it’s the women who are buying these lessons, but he’s addressing men.  It’s brilliant.  He’s making a million a year.  For real.
• Walking down a well-known street, if you have a local business.  Vibe, familiar buildings, certain type of people.
• Convention center relevant to target market
• In public but with target-market hotspots in background

Your Looks

• simple
• well-groomed, if that’s your jam
• jewelry that tells the story in a glance, or none at all
• clothes you’re comfortable in.  I prefer knits that are somewhat form-fitting for myself so that they  move with me as I hold the camera, gesture, etc.  Test things out to make sure there isn’t bunching or gapping.
• plain dark top with a good neckline

What’s In The Shot

Your first this-is-me videos should have the following.  Later videos can be more “entertaining” and include other situations, objects, circumstances.

• your eyes are 1/3 of the way down from the top
• key objects that tell the story, or none
• background that tells the story or doesn’t interfere

Where To Put The Camera

• selfie stick
• propped on books, a shelf
• hold it yourself
• lense slightly above your eyes (more svelte neck, experiment to find what’s best for you)
• tripod: you can get cool little ones
• check for good lighting

Plot

KISS

Yup.  For starting out, Keep It Super Simple.  It’s only about you in so much as what you do for your viewer.  You don’t have to be perfect or thorough.  You just have to get it rolling and shoot and post a lot of content.  As you go along, be funny.  Bloopers are good.  But you do need a solid starter intro video.  Don’t get intimidated, but remember that this stuff will be out there forever.  Be cool.  If you can’t be cool, be yourself, because guaranteed: someone like you is looking for someone like you.

Editing

Less important than getting the content out and live.  You can edit from vertical to horizontal and vice versa, but it’s easier to start with your intended platform(s) in mind.  Most phones have editing capability.  Mix that with the simple editors on TikTok, IG, and FB, and you’ve got what you need to start with.