So you don’t want to use video for your marketing?
Well okay, let’s outline the justifications for not using video:
1. People will criticize how I look
2. People will criticize what I say
3. I hate the camera!
4. No one will watch my videos
5. It’s too expensive
Do any of those points look familiar to you?
I gotta tell you straight up – all of those points played a part in my hesitation to create video. In fact, prior to the release of my first video series, I actually did a blog post about the camera shy guide to video marketing warning people about how uncomfortable I was in front of the camera.
Let’s examine these obstacles point by point.
The first point is that people will criticize how you look. You think they’ll notice the bags under your eyes, or that you don’t have that perfect smile, or that you’re having a bad hair day. Reality check: no one on this planet is perfect or without their flaws. Those icons of perfection that are paraded in front of us on TV and in print have the help of professional hairstylists and makeup artists, to say nothing of the airbrushing techniques that are used to remove imperfections. If people watching your videos are more concerned with how you look rather than what it is you are saying, then it is unlikely that those people are your audience anyway.
Which takes us to point two; people will criticize what you say. Yes, there’s always the chance that some of the people tuning into your videos will criticize what you have to say. But does that really matter? If you are imparting your knowledge, in your own unique way, you will attract the people who are your target audience. There are always people with more knowledge, or different experiences, or different ways of delivering the same information. But don’t lose sight that you, too, have a level of experience and expertise that can help others. And those are the people you will reach!
Let’s talk about point number three. To be perfectly honest, I haven’t come across that many people in my life who are completely comfortable in front of the camera. But as I learned, you will get more comfortable with it, the more you do it. I know when I first started doing video (as you can see for yourself by watching my first series), I was terribly uncomfortable presenting to the camera. I wasn’t sure where to look, I read from my notes, and I just generally came off as completely stilted. However, I persevered and am now able to focus on the information that I am imparting, rather than how people might perceive me. I am now able to look at that Webcam and not see it as a camera, but rather, I see the people who I am trying to speak to.
Item number four is the belief that no one will watch your videos. My first response is – so what? Now, I don’t mean to be quite so glib. Of course you are producing these videos to provide information and to reach a specific audience. But it is a very, very rare instance (to say nothing of the expense involved) that someone will do one video and it will become viral. You have to exercise patience and persistence. Continue to make your videos, to post them, and to share them via your social media channels, emails, blogs, or whatever other mediums you might employ. You will gain an audience, you will share your expertise, and you will significantly boost your rankings in search engines.
The final point is that it is too expensive to create video. I would agree that in certain circumstances and for certain businesses, it makes sense to hire a professional videographer or a studio to produce a video. But to share nuggets of your wisdom, your experiences, and to help others you don’t need a fancy studio. An inexpensive Webcam – even your smart phone camera – is really all you need to shoot a video. If you want, you can create an inexpensive green screen yourself and edit your background using a video editing software program which, again, does not have to be expensive. Or, create more casual videos in your office and post them on YouTube. The most important thing is to make sure that you have good lighting, good sound and a good message.
As you can see, there really is no reason not to use video for your marketing. It is the most engaging form of social sharing and for imparting knowledge, and, believe it or not, it can even be fun!
Until next time…
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