Did you know that over 4 billion hours of video are watched on YouTube every month? Did you know that there are over 800 million unique users visiting YouTube every month? According to YouTube statistics, 72 hours of video are uploaded to You Tube every minute. Now you are probably wondering how do you get you video to stand out from the crowd? 
Did you know that video also increases your ranking on Google?
Video is a powerful way to communicate your message. There are several things you can do position yourself in the marketplace without breaking the bank.
1. Authenticity – Be yourself, unless you are putting on a drama play or comedy skit – just be you! You are representing your brand. What do you want people to know about you and your business?
2. Discover the “why” before you achieve results. Develop a clear picture of what you would like your blog content or video to do. Is there a call to action? Do you want them to like or share the video or content?
3. Don’t aim for viral, aim for good compelling content that is educates, entertains, or inspires. The more you try and create something that you want to go viral, the more and more it may look like an American Funniest Video contest. Let the epidemic or viral campaign occur naturally.
4. All video does not have to be professionally done. Take heart my fellow small business owners. There are flip cams, iPads, and iPhones that can capture good quality video. Place on a tripod and voila! You can create your own studio right where you are at. I suggest that you may want to hire a professional to create your welcome video for your home page but for your blog you can use amateur video. I know many people who use the webcam on their computers.
5. Good lighting is a must. Try to video where you can capture as much natural light if possible but be aware of too much light or areas that may cast shadows on your face. Do some test drives to ensure your lighting is good as some may cast yellow or green skin pigmentation due to the lighting. You may even consider a green or blue screen with extra lighting (Worklights work great!)
6. Frame your scene. Are you looking for a close-up, 3/4 shot or showing some background? Ensure that you are capturing what you reference unless you are the main focal point. Position yourself just off centre so the eye is draw to you.
7. Eliminate background noise or distractions. Even though smartphones have a fairly decent microphone, you will still want to speak up unless you are quite close. Music and background noise can deter from your message. You may shift your attention to the distractions and break eye contact with the people you are speaking to. This action can lead to distrust unless your viewer knows what is distracting you.
8. Be prepared. Before you capture the video, you want to have a good idea of the message that you want to get across. Think of 3-5 bullet point type message you would like to convey. Tell a story and share a lesson learned. You may script your information but share it like a natural conversation otherwise people may think that you do not know what you are talking about.
9. Smile, Camera, Action! – of course, have fun! Let your personality shine. I cannot tell you how many times I have retaken videos until I am feeling relaxed and letting my personality come through. It is about taking inspired action and just going for it! It is much easier than you think.
You can upload directly to You Tube or edit it with photos, trailers, music, and text. Play around with the editing process – it can be a lot of fun. Your skillset will develop over time or you can always hire it out!
I would love to hear your video creation tips!!!
If you like this post, please share it! If you want to use this in your blog or newsletter, please contact me at Debra@themillionairewoman.com
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