The Importance of Video Marketing

Few of us are naturals

Blogging comes naturally to a lot of people because we’re used to writing papers, essays, and journal entries. We spent 18+ years writing in school and as a result, we’re not only comfortable writing, but we’ve developed that skill set over a long period of time. Compare your writing skills to your public speaking skills and there probably is no comparison to be made. Unless you were born to act, you probably don’t spend any time in front of a camera on a regular basis.

So when I ask people why they don’t use video in their marketing, they usually tell me that they don’t like the sound of their voice or the way they look. I believe this to be a lack of confidence more than anything, usually due to the reasons above. However, like anything else, if you practice being in front of a camera, you will eventually become good at it. You might not become Gary Vaynerchuk good, but you’ll improve from where you are today.

Video is Personal

So this brings me to the point of the story, which is that if you are not developing your skill of video marketing, then you are missing out on a huge opportunity to connect with your audience. Whether you sell janitorial supplies to schools or eBooks to bloggers, if you aren’t using video to reach people then you are throwing money away.

The reasons I say this are:

1. Video reaches a different audience. The viewers on YouTube often don’t spend a lot of time on blogs or on Facebook. You need to reach out to them if you want to expand your customer base.
2. Video allows you to attract the type of client that prefers to see you in person rather than read your blog posts. Many people simply can’t connect with the author when reading a blog post and creating video content allows you to be in their office or living room. Heck, you can even be on their mobile device where they can listen on the go.
3. Video content is more personable, which means you can use more than just your words to connect. You can frame the video with a context that draws the viewer in while charming them with your attire, good looks, and the way you act on the screen. You can make eye contact and draw them in with your passion, which is much harder to do with text.
4. If you are in an old school or a brick and mortar business, you’ll have clients that want to see your face before doing business. If you can’t set up an in person meeting, then video is the next best thing. You can even set up a uStream session and use it as a conference/video call. There are thousands of options in that arena, and we’ll get into them later in the month.
5. Video doesn’t require time to be read. People can press play and do something else. You’ll still have their ear even if they are browsing, which is something you can’t do with text.

I shouldn’t have to tell you that new media is opening up new ways to communication, I mean that’s why you’re here isn’t it? However, if you aren’t open to getting in front of a camera and shooting some YouTube video, then you are going to have a tough time beating those that will go for it.

As for using the video, we’ll talk about that soon, but I highly recommend that you use it anywhere you can. Embed it on your blog, on your about me page, and even in your PDF’s and White Papers. Last but not least, if you’ve got a decent looking design on your YouTube profile, don’t be afraid to put the URL on your business card. Show your clients that you are evolving, they’ll love you for it.

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