Style Magazine - Lights, Camera, Action

This article was first published in Style Magazine in July 2024:

Depending on who you ask, people are consuming more video than anything else on the Internet. Recent reports from YouTube states that on average per month people watch 28 hours and five minutes compared to nearly 20 hours on Facebook.

These figures may seem alarming to you but to me that’s probably about right. I get so much of my learnings and information from watching video on all the major platforms. I get hooked watching people doing extraordinary things and is the major source for my bad dad jokes.

Video has played an important part in promoting our brand over the years. Some of my most cringeworthy work is the series I did called “Take out the rubbish”. If you want to have a laugh, go have a look at those on YouTube. What they did enable me to do however, was to learn the craft and increase my confidence when it comes to performing live videos on Facebook.

Why use videos in your marketing strategy you may ask? Here are my top five reasons:

1. Video can engage with your audience and future clients.
2. Your clients get to know who you are and what you believe in.
3. You get to showcase your brand's personality.
4. Explain complex ideas or demonstrate products and their benefits.
5. Kickstart conversations and boost your Social Media pages

This is not an exhaustive list of reasons, I could write on this subject for hours. Video can be used across multiple platforms such as Social Media, your website, your YouTube channel. They can also be used for presentations. 

Are you struggling for content ideas?

Some engaging video ideas could include: Why Choose Us, Customer Testimonials,Get to Know Our Team, Myth-Busting, FAQs and Behind the Scenes to mention a few.

There’s often one big obstacle - ‘I don’t like being in from the camera’ you might say.  And I must admit when the camera is in front of me my mind goes blank at times. To help overcome this situation, we find it helpful to map out the purpose of the video and the main points that you want to speak against. Another technique is to record a sentence or two at a time. This way you don’t have to remember everything all at once. Depending on where it’s going to land, your video may not need to be perfect. If it’s a Facebook live, most people understand that a few um’s and ah’s here and there is to be expected. If it’s a corporate video, then this may need to be more polished and rehearsed.

Authentic live videos on all social media platforms tend to do quite well when it comes to getting viewership and engagement. Of course like anything, this takes practice.

Finally...

The more you’re in front of the camera the better you get. A great way to gain confidence is you could set up a test page on Facebook. This is a great way to practise going “live” while testing your audio and lighting. You also get to hone your skills in front of the camera without anybody else seeing your content. Once you feel comfortable, you can hit that go live button!

Who knows? Your brand could be the next social media sensation!

Need help with social media content for your business? Book a free 45-minute consultation with the best business coach in Toowoomba.

First published in Style magazine, July 2024:

https://issuu.com/armcustompublishing/docs/style_july_2024_issuu_complete_v2/36