Score with Videos for 2021

Video, because it’s visual, connects deeper emotionally, increases sales, and builds trust in your brand. It adds a dimension beyond what an image can generate. It can be the “face” of your business. People don’t connect with brands as deeply as they do faces...people. 

Blind men and the elephant

There’s an old parable about a group of blind men who heard a strange new creature had been brought to the town. They had never heard of one before and decide to go check it out using their only tool...touch. Here’s the story from Wikipedia

Out of curiosity, they said: "We must inspect and know it by touch, of which we are capable".

So, they sought it out, and when they found it they groped about it. 

The first person, whose hand landed on the trunk, said, "This being is like a thick snake". 

For another one whose hand reached its ear, “this thing seems like a kind of fan.”

A third person, whose hand was upon its leg, said, “the elephant is a pillar-like a tree-trunk”.

The blind man who placed his hand upon its side said, “The elephant, is a wall". 

Another who felt its tail, “no, this animal is like a rope.”

The last felt its tusk, This elephant is hard, smooth, and like a spear.”

The men didn't trust what the others told them...

There are many versions of what happens next. In several, the men disagree and think the others are lying. Depending on the version of the story, they come to blows of varying severity.

In another, a sighted man comes by. One of the group asks him, “Sir, how do you describe this creature?”

The sighted man walks slowly around the elephant and describes the various aspects of the huge beast. I can imagine him saying, “The creature is huge, taller than a boy standing on his father’s shoulders. He is five long strides from his front to his back.

“His nose is long, flexible and he uses it to pick up food and feed himself. It is thick like a giant snake. On each side of his nose, is a long tapered tusk that is hard, smooth, and of a beautiful cream color. And at the top of his head are two huge triangular ears, one on each side that resemble a fan.

“His four legs are each the thickness of a giant tree trunk to support his huge dense body. At his rear is a tail, longer than a man’s arm and as thick as a rope.”

The blind men learned that each was partly right and each partly wrong. 

Sometimes seeing things gives you a more complete picture.

Video intimidation

Like many people, I did well on the radio, phone, or in person, but found cameras intimidating. Yet when I overcame this, I found it much easier to build relationships and connect more strongly with customers and clients.  

We are hard-wired to respond to faces. So when we connect in person, or virtually with the camera on, we connect at a different depth than we do only in text or by phone. 

Visual connections help build a more authentic relationship.

In today’s world where we are social distancing and many aspects of life have gone virtual, the video component becomes more important.

One thing to remember

It’s not about you. Get out of your own way. The person you’re trying to connect with is there to meet you and hear what you have to share. We tend to be focused on our own perceived weaknesses. Things others barely notice, if at all.

I have a colleague who was starting a video podcast channel with the first episode in a month. A live show where he would be conducting interviews.  

Then he got the news from his dentist, he needed braces. He seriously thought about delaying the launch for the six months the dentist said he would need to get him adjusted.

He decided it wasn’t about him and moved ahead with the launch. No one ever noticed the tooth-toned braces. 

Embrace that videos tend to be more business casual. You don’t need the equivalent of a suit and tie. Be yourself, be approachable, be conversational.

3 techniques to maximize videos

Use recorded video content in multiple ways.

You can create a Youtube brand channel and share your videos there to engage with clients and bring them to your website.

While longer videos get more engagement, people also love short, fast value. 

Not all demographics engage with video the same way. Television and movies taught us to watch and be entertained.

That said, for information, many people don’t have the patience to commit to a long video. They’d rather skim the text or listen to what you have to say. They may not be in a location conducive to video watching. 

Once your video is recorded you can upload it. Consider extracting the audio and make that available separately. To tap into your “readers”, include a transcript posted below the video.

Share videos on multiple channels

YouTube and Facebook are currently the two top channels. Since Facebook bought Instagram, more video capabilities have been added there. There are apps out there that you can use to get your video on all available channels quickly.  

Consider how your viewer will encounter them. On Facebook the newsfeed moves quickly so a video posted may not show up when your desired viewer is there. For webinar type presentations, the Facebook attendance rate is very low.

On YouTube, people can search for content. This results in more views and higher engagement. Viewers are getting the information they want. Keywords are critical to making this happen.

Optimize

Consider taking the video and extracting short value nuggets. You can use each value nugget as a paid ad. It comes across as value...not an ad. Follow your ad with a retargeting message.

“Thanks for watching. Here’s a free XYZ I thought you might like.” In it share a lot of value and include your CTA. Perhaps to visit your website or for specific information on a product or service.

Keep in mind, it’s hard to over-deliver. 

Follow-up by tracking analytics so you learn what works best. What lengths, what topics, what resonates with your viewers. Then you tweak and do it again.

How I work with clients

For my clients just getting started with video, I recommend creating a series of short positive messages. I find these posts are the most clicked on because they are brief...some under a minute. Others might be up to three minutes. We use these to create familiarity and grow from there as fits their brand.

First published on jculpcreativecopy.com