As business owners, we’re always looking for ways to grow our business and increase brand visibility. Last year, I started a YouTube channel to house video content and tutorials for my audience. It was definitely a rocky, awkward start – but the ROI has been ten-fold. But, let’s talk about the 3 reasons you should start using video to help your business.
Know, like and trust
In this online world, it can be hard to know and trust other business owners. How do I know this person will provide quality service? How do I know this person won’t run off with my money? And to top it off, not many entrepreneurs have time (or energy) to go through an interview process!
Instead, we go to their website to look at examples of their work, and read client testimonials. These are great indicators of a person’s talent and work style, but it can’t tell the full story. Think about how employers have applications fill out an application, and then they’re brought in for an interview. Applications show good (and bad) information, but it’s hard to tell if that person fits the vibe or culture. While many of us don’t have time to conduct interviews, watching someone on video can help us connect with them on a more emotional level.
According to Kissmetrics, having a video on a sales page can help increase conversions by 144%. This statistic makes perfect sense, as video emotionally connects the viewer with the seller, and so many people buy out of emotion. Through video, we can get a sense of a person’s personality, as well as the level of their expertise.
Apply it: In your videos, don’t be afraid to be yourself! If you love neon colors, include them. If you love making pop culture references, do it.
[bctt tweet=”When creating video, be yourself!” username=”AbbyMHerman”]
Reach more people
You’ve probably heard coaches and marketers talk about how we should diversify our income as business owners. Well, I love to say that you should diversify your content! Everyone learns and consumes differently, so you can cater to more people if you have written blogs alongside video content.
One of my favorite things about YouTube is that you don’t need a huge following in order for your videos to rank. Bloggers love to obsess about their SEO (I would know, I’m one of them), and videos can rank just as easy, if not easier, than written blogs! With proper titling and tags, your YouTube videos can rank on YouTube and/or Google search. No need to pay for ads, or have thousands of followers, just producing content that is SEO friendly will help you get your content seen by a new audience.
Many viewer prefer to watch videos under five minutes, which means your content can be quick and actionable – which means less time that you have to stand in front of the camera. Creating really niche videos can help you rank videos even easier! For example, instead of creating a video that covers all the ins and outs of Freshbooks, you could create a video on how to setup an account, another video on connecting your bank account, etc.
Apply it: How can you repurpose some of your existing content? What topics can you dive into further on your YouTube channel?
[bctt tweet=”With proper titles and tags, your YouTube videos can rank–easily!” username=”AbbyMHerman”]
It’s simple to start
Don’t get me wrong – I know it’s not just easy-peasy to record and edit a video. My first YouTube video took me about three hours to record, and it was a minute long once edited. It takes time and practice to get used to being on camera!
But, you know how I started? With my iPhone on a selfie stick, that was attached to a tripod. No fancy lighting, no microphone. I sat with my back to my desk, looked at my camera and hit record. It was about three months of this setup until I finally started to feel comfortable. I always tell my clients and friends to give it time – you may need a few months to start enjoying the video creation process. (You can see my current studio setup here!)
When I’m making changes in my business, I always think about what is sustainable for the long-term. Before I began doing video, I decided to just start with my iPhone before buying any equipment. I wanted to see if I enjoyed it, and if I saw any ROI from having a YouTube channel. So, don’t feel like you have to invest hundreds to get started! You can use your smartphone, or the webcam on your computer.
But besides equipment, let’s talk about what else makes it hard to start – just starting! It can be really intimidating to jump in front of a camera, when we’re so used to hiding behind our screen and mostly using written content. Practice and time will make this less intimidating. So, for now, consider just jumping on Instagram stories. Record a video on your phone and don’t post it anywhere. Go live on Facebook to only a few friends. (In fact, to save yourself editing time, you could go live and just use those videos on your YouTube channel!)
While I’m a huge fan of using YouTube to grow your business, it’s not the only platform for video. Facebook and Instagram are favoring video content more and more! When I went live on my Facebook page for the first time, my reach was 10x the usual! If you hop over to the Discover tab on Instagram, you’ll see how many of those posts are videos. Video is everywhere – how are you going to start leveraging it for your business?
Jessica Freeman is an award-winning graphic and web designer, and video consultant, helping service-based entrepreneurs create a brand that shines through every level of their business. Outside of designing, she also loves producing for her YouTube channel. Jess lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband, Aaron. Follow her on YouTube and Instagram.
