Using video is a great way to demonstrate your products and services. Having your content on popular sites like YouTube let’s you use social media to get site visits, and to spread your message. (YouTube is so popular that videos hosted there make up a lot of the top search results on many search terms.) At the Australian Businesswomen’s Network we’ve started to play with video (both to-camera and also using alternative methods) at our own channel herBusiness. It’s early days but we’ll build a library of business how-to videos to share business tips with our women in business community. If you’re comfortable in front of a camera then by all means go ahead and shoot clips (keep them short) with you looking straight to camera. Alternatively there are some clever ways to use video without the need to get out of your pyjamas! ABN Member Kate Tribe is one example of a business owner using video – without having to stress about being ‘on film’.
USE SCREEN SHOTS WITH VOICEOVER
Kate Tribe of Tribe Research launched her new research tool “Tribal Tool Kit” using screen shots and voiceover. ” When I did my first public speaking appearances I was stressed by having to present in public. When I decided to use video, friends said I should really get in front of a camera — but thinking about doing a shoot to camera caused me a lot of stress. I wanted, however, to demonstrate my new product using visuals, not just words. So, I created a video using screen shots and then recorded a voiceover. It took a few takes of the voice recording but in the end I got what I needed. I’ve set up a channel on YouTube to host the videos. It’s free and it’s easy to embed the code from YouTube right into my website. I then use my social networks to promote links to the Videos. Customers have told us that they find the videos really useful.” While Kate used imovie on her Mac and a separate voice recorder, she could also have used:
- Keynote – Mac – (allows you to record voice over the slides)
- Powerpoint (allows you to record voice over the slides)
- Quicktime Player
- SnapzPro
FOR THE BRAVE AND THE EXTROVERTS
Recording videos with you as the spokesperson is also fun and can work well to build your brand. It does, however, take a little more skill and (ideally) requires that you WANT to get good at presenting. (Remember you are representing your business so get honest feedback as to whether you videos help or hinder your branding. Some of us are better at visual mediums than others.) I have found that having a basic script or bullet points and then working off the cuff is what works for me. Tools like Video Cue allow you to cheat and use a Video Cue (that is cleverly positioned just below your eye level) so that you can read your presentation (it even allows you to speed up or slow down the recording) while filming. If you want to avoid having to also become an editor (or hiring one) then you’ll need to practice getting a shot right in one recording, or live with less than perfect footage. (YouTube has made shaky-cam very acceptable if your content is good so I wouldn’t be too fussed if you are not a one-take wonder.) Resources: Kate Tribe – Tribal Research and the Tribal Took Kit Tribal Tool-Kit is a platform to help you get to know your tribe with quick temperature checks that are easily to understand. Contact Kate Tribe at:
Get yourself a MinoHD. Still hard to find in Australia this mobile-phone size camera produces excellent quality video and suits the most novice of users. A great resource for how to make the most of You Tube for your business is the YouTube for Dummies book. (I know… I’m a fan of the Dummies range of books!) TODAY’S TASK
- Get onto YouTube and reserve your company channel. Whether you decide today or later that you want to use it, it’s worth reserving the name.
- If you’re ready to start using video then share the links with us here!
Until tomorrow, Suzi P.S. If you’re using video let us know. Post a comment with a link to your videos and we’ll take a look! Using video is a big subject and much too big to cover off in one blog post. It is however worth considering as an extension of your social media activity. YouTube is not your only hosting option (by far) but is the most well known. I recommend you start studying the use of video. The Australian Businesswomen’s Network will also run a webinar soon on its use to get women in business started using this powerful too.
