And . . . action! Video 101 for entrepreneurs
Q: Steve – when I look at my website statistics, I can't believe how quickly people leave my site. They stay for a minute or two and then boom, they surf away. Beyond completely redoing my site (which I don't want to do), is there anything you might suggest that will keep them around longer? -- Bill
A: I have one word for you, my friend: Video.
Consider this amazing statistic I saw recently: Website visitors who view product videos are 85% more likely to buy than visitors who do not. Wow. And the good news is that you don't need to make a full-length commercial to get the kind of results that will draw people in; most online videos are inexpensive and easy to create.
Look, marketing is all about getting people to remember and trust your brand. Yet, in this ever-increasing e-world of ads seemingly everywhere you look, that is getting harder and harder to do. That is where video comes in. Video captures people's attention.
Not long ago, a client of mine hired me to create a series of videos for them. I found a videographer, we scouted locations, located several experts whom I could interview, and then recorded a half dozen interviews that we edited and posted online.
Why did my client want that and why did we go to so much trouble? Because video works. People like watching video online, and video is the type of content that is easy to share. Those interviews I did will be shown for years on my website, on the client's website, they will be linked to Facebook and Twitter, they are being shared by the interviewees as well as the companies they work with, and they also ended up on YouTube.
So, yes, that is a lot of play, and valuable in and of itself. And consider this too: How often do you get someone's undiluted attention online – for three full minutes? Answer: rarely. That's also the power of video.
So yes, there is just so much to be said for creating and posting videos on your site:
■ It personalizes you and your business by giving you an opportunity to put a friendly face to your brand.
■ You get to share information using a popular format.
■ It is SEO friendly – search engines love video content.
■ It is customizable: What do you want people to see about your business? You can share a product, interview staff, create customer testimonials, offer a tutorial . . .
■ You can post videos on Vine, Instagram, Facebook, etc. Indeed, on social media, video really is content gold.
Here then are a few tips to help you get started:
1. Remember, you don't have to be Spielberg. You're not making a feature movie, you are making a quick video. Keep yours short and say everything you need to say in, preferably, three minutes or less. That said, rules are made to be broken and maybe longer form interviews or product demonstrations will work for your business. In that case, still try to keep it at 15 minutes or less.
2. Do your research. You can make a video yourself or you can hire someone to make it for you. Either way, look for examples online of videos you like. Check out businesses similar to your own and see if they have videos.
3. Don't blow your dough. You can easily make a great video on a low budget. You can even use your phone. Just remember that sound quality, lighting, staging, and makeup do matter. Pay attention to these details and you can obtain a quality video
4. Use analytics: Don't guess. YouTube and other video hosting sites provide you with great analytics data. Find out what kind of consumer is watching your video.
So go ahead, smile for the camera!
Steve Strauss, @Steve Strauss on Twitter, is a lawyer specializing in small business and entrepreneurship and has been writing for USATODAY.com for 20 years. E-mail: sstrauss@mrallbiz.com. Website: TheSelfEmployed.