by Patrick Frank, Patchbay Media
Greetings from Cambridge, Massachusetts!
I’m writing from Wistiafest – a video production and marketing conference organized by business video hosting platform, Wistia. I’m excited to be speaking at next week’s Small Business Roundtable where I’ll show you exactly what you need to do to produce your company’s first video. But first, let’s TOTALLY DESTROY 5 common myths I hear all the time about why companies haven’t tried using video in their marketing.
Myth #1 – Videos are Too Dang Expensive
Sure you could spend $10k on equipment or hire some incredible motion graphics artist who charges $1k per minute, but did you know you can create informative and compelling video using stuff you already have? Smartphones have made creating video incredibly accessible and next week (link) we’ll talk about leveraging phones and only about $100 of stuff from Amazon to make a great video you can put on your company homepage or Facebook page.
Myth #2 – But my video needs to GO VIRAL
Let’s all stop talking about making videos that are viral, and focus on making videos that are HELPFUL. By focusing on your audience’s needs and showing how your company can solve their problems, you’re creating content that is actionable and will be relevant for a really long. Your video is probably not going to go viral but you know what, that’s totally okay!
Myth #3 – Videos are friggin hard to make
It’s true that a lot goes into a video – coming up with an idea, scripting, filming, editing, revising, posting. But here’s one video format that makes simplifies the process – an Interview video. An interview video is a sit down with someone from your team where they talk about the company, their role, their personality, a case study or client story, etc.
This way, there’s no scripting at all! All you need to do is make sure you’re asking the right questions and you’re having an engaging conversation with your interviewee. I’ll be showing you exactly how to pull this off at the Small Business Roundtable.
Myth #4 – But I have nothing to talk about
Even the most boring business can make great videos. Don’t shy away from video just because you think your company is boring. You can answer some common client questions, showcase your team in an “about us” video, show off a new piece of software or equipment that is going to save your clients time and make their lives easier. There are plenty of ways to do a video that your current and potential clients will find useful and will enjoy watching!
Myth #5 – I don’t know how to get started!
Don’t overthink your first video. You main goal should be to just do SOMETHING! It doesn’t have to be perfect and it doesn’t have to appeal to every single person that visits your website. All it takes is a good idea or a series of good questions, an iPhone or two, free editing software like iMovie and some time. Once you get the first one under your belt, you’ll be amazed at how much personality you can add to your brand! We’re all striving to make our companies more human and video is one of the best things you can do to convey this personality in a scalable way.
Hope this gives you some ideas on getting started and I hope to meet you next week at the Small Business Roundtable!
Greetings from Cambridge, Massachusetts!
I’m writing from Wistiafest – a video production and marketing conference organized by business video hosting platform, Wistia. I’m excited to be speaking at next week’s Small Business Roundtable where I’ll show you exactly what you need to do to produce your company’s first video. But first, let’s TOTALLY DESTROY 5 common myths I hear all the time about why companies haven’t tried using video in their marketing.
Myth #1 – Videos are Too Dang Expensive
Sure you could spend $10k on equipment or hire some incredible motion graphics artist who charges $1k per minute, but did you know you can create informative and compelling video using stuff you already have? Smartphones have made creating video incredibly accessible and next week (link) we’ll talk about leveraging phones and only about $100 of stuff from Amazon to make a great video you can put on your company homepage or Facebook page.
Myth #2 – But my video needs to GO VIRAL
Let’s all stop talking about making videos that are viral, and focus on making videos that are HELPFUL. By focusing on your audience’s needs and showing how your company can solve their problems, you’re creating content that is actionable and will be relevant for a really long. Your video is probably not going to go viral but you know what, that’s totally okay!
Myth #3 – Videos are friggin hard to make
It’s true that a lot goes into a video – coming up with an idea, scripting, filming, editing, revising, posting. But here’s one video format that makes simplifies the process – an Interview video. An interview video is a sit down with someone from your team where they talk about the company, their role, their personality, a case study or client story, etc.
This way, there’s no scripting at all! All you need to do is make sure you’re asking the right questions and you’re having an engaging conversation with your interviewee. I’ll be showing you exactly how to pull this off at the Small Business Roundtable.
Myth #4 – But I have nothing to talk about
Even the most boring business can make great videos. Don’t shy away from video just because you think your company is boring. You can answer some common client questions, showcase your team in an “about us” video, show off a new piece of software or equipment that is going to save your clients time and make their lives easier. There are plenty of ways to do a video that your current and potential clients will find useful and will enjoy watching!
Myth #5 – I don’t know how to get started!
Don’t overthink your first video. You main goal should be to just do SOMETHING! It doesn’t have to be perfect and it doesn’t have to appeal to every single person that visits your website. All it takes is a good idea or a series of good questions, an iPhone or two, free editing software like iMovie and some time. Once you get the first one under your belt, you’ll be amazed at how much personality you can add to your brand! We’re all striving to make our companies more human and video is one of the best things you can do to convey this personality in a scalable way.
Hope this gives you some ideas on getting started and I hope to meet you next week at the Small Business Roundtable!
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