Depending on how long you’ve been in business, chances are you’ve thought about video production as a marketing tactic. I’ve talked to hundreds of business owners over the last few years on this topic and one of the main questions that comes up over and over again is where to even start?

With so many options for filming including DIY, professional and even FB Live, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

Combine that with perhaps a little bit of fear (gulp) of getting in front of the camera and this is a recipe for analysis paralysis. To help you through this common entrepreneurial dilemma, let’s go through the following:

Why

Don’t use video just because everyone and their magical steed is doing it. First understand why you should even consider it in the first place.

When

Whether you’ve been in business for a month or 5 years, there’s a time and place for video depending on where you are at.

What

What types of videos should you do? Case Studies? DIY? Cat videos?

How

Now that you know what you need, how do you go about doing it?

Why the heck video?

When it comes to marketing choices for your business, we live in an age where the options are endless. So why video compared to other forms of marketing? The short and sweet answer is surprisingly simple: emotion.

Video has the power to move people to feel a certain way in a shorter period of time compared to most mediums, and since the majority of people buy on emotion and justify with logic later, video is the fastest, most effective way to influence a buyer’s decision-making process.

Moreover, one of the most powerful emotions that video can evoke for a business owner is trust, and if done correctly a video that evokes this can turn a cold call into a warm lead, a networking follow-up into a faster sale and a post on Facebook into a flood of inquiries because you have connected with your ideal clients on this emotional level.

Ok, so I get the emotion part, but when do I know if video is right for me??

Have you ever walked into a store with messaging that screamed “deals found here” only to find furniture that costs a year’s worth of rent? Nothing makes me cringe more than seeing a video put out by a business that fails to capture the essence of the brand, who they serve and how they help people. Why? Because it’s confusing - and if your ideal client is confused, they will not buy. Equally as bad, you will have people come to you that you do not want to be working with, who will become a huge time and energy suck.

Get on that video train only when it’s clear who should be on board, the experience they are getting, and how they will be transformed once they hop off at the other end.

I should start with a viral cat video, right?

Contrary to popular belief, cat videos are not the only type of content that people consume on a daily basis. Instead of taking a random stab in the dark, this is where understanding your buyer’s journey can turn a well-made video into one that brings you sales. From the minute a potential buyer comes into your world to their moment of purchase, what steps do they walk through and where are they likely to fall off?

For example, a lot of clients I work with get customers through networking events. However, one of their challenges is standing out from the 100s of competing financial planners, realtors, and consultants that their potential buyers are talking to. How can they build on that connection from the event and increase the trust before the next conversation?

This is where a profile video is key - in under 3 minutes their potential clients not only gets to hear how they help people but they get to see them in action and understand what makes them different. The result? Increased trust and a much more effective follow-up call. The “what” when it comes to videos will be influenced by constantly asking, “how do I increase this trust and credibility at each stage of the buyer’s journey?”

I can just shoot these on my iPhone, yes?

How you go about doing video marketing for your business will impact your results. And no, a self-shot iPhone video done in one take will typically not evoke the same emotion as a professional video with the right music, editing and visuals. However there is a time and a place for both.

When it comes to DIY videos, context is key. Is this the first thing potential buyers see when they land on your professional, well-polished website? Or are they finding this on Facebook and you are on-location doing an impromptu, in-the-moment check-in that can only be caught on your handy smartphone device?

DIY videos, regardless of the actual content of the videos themselves, communicate a message to viewers depending on how and where they are used. A DIY video on a professional website indicates a lack of follow-through and quality, whereas capturing an impromptu business lesson learned while trekking through the rainforest indicates a sense of adventure and continuous self-development.

That’s a wrap

Don’t be the world’s best-kept secret. If you are great at what you do, are clear on your messaging and who you serve, then it’s time to add video to your marketing mix.

Jamie Munro

Jamie, the founder of Whisper Media, is a consummate storyteller, capturing companies and business leaders through video. She helps her clients feel comfortable and effectively tell their story, capturing their essence and their message in authentic film that not only engages but creates trust, and long-term, tangible results.