Blog – The three types of video every business needs

Blog – The three types of video every business needs

Once the realm of big businesses who could afford camera crews, production teams and TV airtime, video has become an affordable and powerful communication medium for all businesses. Websites and Social platforms such as Youtube, Facebook, Vimeo and Instagram have become very video-friendly and businesses are learning to exploit these “free to air” channels. Are you?

When is comes to making videos for business use on the various platforms available many do not really know what to produce. However, in essence there are just three types of video that every company should use, and in many ways these have unlimited content potential and can be reworked with fresh information to create a powerful and growing marketing tool. 

The Business Overview

Most businesses have a “business overview” that has been written. This document is sometimes the “About Us” on a website or can be a document enclosed with a proposal or other communication sent out. These business overviews are great but a video showing your customers what you do, who you and why you are the best is even better. These videos are essentially an “explainer” that can be used just about anywhere. 

Business overview videos are highly effective tools to communicate more about your business. You can have a short version and longer version depending on how you wish to use it. A short video crammed with the right information is a real attention grabber and is great for use of social media. 

A business overview video needs to get your business across clearly and concisely and is the key to the success of using video in your business.

FAQs

As a business manager or owner there must be many questions you are asked time and again. People want to know what you do, how you or if you can address a problem they are facing or just want to know if a product can do this or that. The questions your prospects and clients ask you can become the starting point of this second type of video every business needs to have. 

Taking a single question and creatively filming an answer will grab the attention of your audience. People prefer to watch than to read. These videos give you the chance to demonstrate your skills, expertise and knowledge. FAQ videos are not necessarily selling anything but are adding value. Of course, there will be ample chance to create calls to action but really you are beginning to grow an online, video self-help solution for your clients, prospects and interested parties that makes you the go-to source and preferably supplier of your product or service.

The Happy Customer

Testimonials from happy customers have been the best way of promoting a business since business began. Referral business is often called the most valuable business and video can be used to take this to a new level. 

Case study and testimonial videos are great for demonstrating how you helped someone. The videos can showcase a product, your services and so much more. There is a bonus here too as your clients can also reap some extra exposure. The key to the success of getting a good case study video is to make it part of your contract with a client. Firstly, this encourages you to do a good job, you don’t want to film a bad job, and secondly it gets client buy-in from the beginning. These videos become excellent sales tools and can grow the credibility of your company. 

Customer testimonial or case study videos need a little thinking and planning but are straightforward, and indeed enjoyable, to make, and when planned for every happy customer content is easily available.

Get started with Video

Any business can make use of video as a marketing platform, have a look at what your competition is doing (or not doing) and you can see sales increase and credibility rise.

If you want to know more contact us and we can give your business the competitive edge when it comes to making video work for your business.

Blog- Does Video Marketing confuse the s**t out of you?

Blog- Does Video Marketing confuse the s**t out of you?

I’m making a video about how to stand out using video online. To be honest, it was a lot easier 5 years ago, two years ago, probably even a year ago.

Today, there is SO MUCH video content swilling around on social media, how the hell do you stand out?

My tactic (and the one I share with my customers) is to be genuine and give genuine value. If you stop to watch the vast amount of DIY videos (or even some professionally shot videos) online they often have one thing in common… they don’t really have a point to them, they deliver little or no value and aren’t very visually interesting to watch.

Give your viewers something they want to watch.

If you make your videos as interesting as possible (that means visually and content wise) they’ll seek you out, they’ll sit down with their cup of tea at the end of the day and sit and WATCH your videos.

The trick is, this takes a lot more time than just chatting away to the camera on your phone as you sit in your car at the end of your networking meeting. Put the effort in to THINKabout quality content. Use your loaf and spend a bit of time on the videos you’re making.

I’m writing this as I’m about to take on a 30 Day Video Challenge, which I’ll be forced to come up with fresh content every single day. So please please please have a go at me if you don’t think I’m putting the effort in to come up with good valuable content. 

You can find out more about my 30 Day Challenge here: https://www.videotoolkit.co.uk/30-day-challenge.html

Blog- Am I sending out the right messages?

Blog- Am I sending out the right messages?

Am I talking about the stuff that matters?

Last week I had a meeting with somebody, basically to find out how we can help eachother. But whilst explaining what we do here at Red Book Productions, I was surprised to hear:

‘Oh I didn’t know you do that, that’s not that clear from your website’

To be honest, I was quite taken aback by this, as I thought the whole process of ‘what we do’ was pretty clear. But it got me thinking, am I being that clear? Am I really telling people how we can help? And if I’m not, is that having a negative impact on my business?

It’s helped me stop to think over the past few days, so much so that I’ve set some time aside this week to spend some time working on how I can improve my messaging. Firstly through my videos (The Video Show) and at places like networking.

What is it that businesses want? Am I making it clear what I can help with? Am I making it really easy for them to find out and to get in contact when they’re ready?

I’d love to know if you have gone through a similar process in your business. Do you have your messaging spot on? Or are you finding it a bit tough for people to find out what you do.

Take a look at my websites and let me know what you think I do… I’d love to know how we’re being perceived from fresh eyes: http://www.redbookproductions.co.uk/ and https://www.videotoolkit.co.uk/

Thanks!

Episode 141 – Making Regular Videos and a Studio Update

Episode 141 – Making Regular Videos and a Studio Update

How often do you make videos? And how often would you LIKE to make videos?

Episode 141 of The Video Show is all about making regular videos.

It’s THE biggest problem I feel that people have with making videos. They WANT to make videos, they KNOW that they have to do it regularly, but they just can’t find the TIME to do it.

In this episode I try to deconstruct how you can find the time to do it, and why you should be doing it in the first place.

Also there’s a studio update!!!

The Beast from the East

The Beast from the East

As I walked to work this morning I felt like making a fun video about my trip to work. I usually walk to work, so it’s not a lot different from my usual journey, apart from it being VERY cold. Feel free to share the video, and let me know what your day in the snow was like!

Facebook Newsfeed Changes. What YOU need to know.

Facebook Newsfeed Changes. What YOU need to know.

I’ve noticed that recently on Facebook (say the last 6 months or so) 90% of my notifications are pretty much crap. I get notified by groups that I don’t post in, and keep getting notified on posts where I’ve been tagged. Quite frankly it’s a little bit annoying.

In this episode of The Video Show, I try to get to the bottom of it, to tell you what it all means, and how it will affect your videos.

To sum up without spoiling the video you can expect:

  • Longer videos being prioritised on Facebook.
  • Content that drives engagement and conversation being more prioritised.
  • Better quality content being pushed more.
  • Live Videos are very high on the agenda.

For the full lowdown watch the Episode. And if there’s anything you’ve think I’ve missed, put it in the comments below.

 

Mark Terrell Full Interview

Mark Terrell Full Interview

As I’ve said in previous Vlogs and Blogs, I’ve been working with Mark Terrell from 1st Class Coaching Solutions for the last year. And we’ve just had time to sit down for a chat to tell you how things have gone over the past 12 months.

I’ve had loads of fun working with Mark. I often tell a story about how he was when we first started working together, he was pretty scared about talking in front of the camera, but he quickly picked up some amazing presentation skills and was soon hosting a Facebook Live from a busy train station platform.  Success!

I’ve really enjoyed working with Mark, and he’s promised me that he will continue to create regular video content. Including Facebook Live videos. So make sure you check out Mark’s Facebook Page.

What to expect from Video in 2018

What to expect from Video in 2018

Video is widely considered to be one of the best ways of getting your message across. And of course, being a video producer I tend to agree.

But what are the sort of things you can expect from video marketing in 2018? Here’s a handy list:

  1. Get the most from your content – Don’t just share your videos. Squeeze every bit of tasty video juice out of them. This means creating ‘quote cards’ with little tips written on them (see video), infographics and my personal favourite ‘GIFs’ for a little touch of humour.
  2. Episodic Content – With the launch of YouTube Red Originals and Facebook’s Watch both of these video juggernauts will be serialising their own original content. So my tip for creators is to follow in that mold. Make your videos seem like episodes in a series, keep the same templates across each video and you’ll be rewarded.
  3. Focus on Quality – Don’t just concentrate on making your video look good (it will help people stay tuned for longer) but make sure your content is spot on too. Viewers will see through you if you’re recycling the same ideas week in week out. KEEP. IT. FRESH.
  4. Live Video – It was big in 2017, it will only get bigger and better in 2018. Make sure you’re already doing it and doing it well.
  5. Be Yourself – People will like you for being you. I see so many people putting on an act and viewers will soon see straight through it. Be genuine, be real and engage with your audience.
Behind the Scenes with Mark Terrell

Behind the Scenes with Mark Terrell

Every now and again I like to show behind the scenes videos of our latest shoots. This is great for showing the different types of videos I shoot and to give a shout out to the people that I work with.

Let me tell you a little more about Mark Terrell.

Mark is a Family Business Coach. Which means he works with family businesses helping them work well together. He particularly looks at each person’s motivations to make sure that they’re in the right role and helps them to move within the business if they’re not.

Take a look at Mark’s videos here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiHBydqcXDRAR7X2_NRN9Gg and don’t forget to subscribe!

 

Making an event of your event

Making an event of your event

Filming at events can be a bit of a minefield. I film at a lot of events. To be honest a lot of event organisers just expect a video covering the event as an overview. But there can be a lot more to it than that. There’s an opportunity to get more and more video footage to use for months on end, perhaps throughout the entire year.

Working out what you want to get from your event videos is the first problem. I’d suggest sitting down to work out the following:

  1. Who do I want to see my videos?
  2. What do they want to hear from my videos?
  3. Do you want people to book into your event next year? Do you just want to raise awareness of your business?
  4. What do I want them to do after watching?

By working this out you’ll have a small insight into why you’re getting your event filmed and what you want to happen to the footage afterwards, then you can start thinking about who you want to be involved in the filming (staff, franchisees, customers) and what you want them to say, so that it rings the appropriate bells with your viewers.