The Creative Entrepreneur’s Guide to

VIDEO MARKETING

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1KEY TIPS

2CREATING CONNECTION THROUGH THE POWER OF VIDEO MARKETINGBy Mycah Burns

65 TIPS TO HELP YOU PLAN AND FILM FOR VIDEO MARKETINGBy Estrella Sansait

8CREATING ACCESSIBILITY IN YOUR VIDEO MARKETINGBy Erin Perkins

115 STEPS TO TAKE BEFORE STARTING A YOUTUBE CHANNEL TO IMPROVE YOUR VIDEO MARKETINGBy Trena Little

45 SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM VIDEO MARKETING QUICK TIPSBy Anesha Collins

134 WAYS THAT VIDEO MARKETING WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU DO BUSINESSBy Kylie Carlson

155 TIPS TO CREATE COMPELLING VIDEO MARKETING FOR YOUR BRANDBy Peter Aguilar

17DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND RECOMMENDED RISING TIDE BLOG ARTICLES

18WHO WE ARE

Table of Contents

TURN YOUR VIDEO VIEWERS INTO CLIENTS

Video marketing helps build your know-like-trust factor to increase qualified leads. Once a potential client inquires, it’s of utmost importance that your inquiry and onboarding experience reflects your customer’s expectations built during the marketing phase.

With HoneyBook, you can provide a seamless experience that builds connection, personalizes your automation, and more. As a Rising Tide member, you get 50% off your first year of HoneyBook! Sign on for a free trial today to get started with a new system that wows and gets you booked.

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KEY TIPS

MAKE YOUR VIDEOS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL: One final key tip in video marketing is to focus on making your videos accessible to all. On page 8, Erin Perkins shares amazing resources and tools to offer accessible content to ensure all members of your community can experience your expertise. You can start simply with one thing at a time: from captioning your Instagram Stories to captioning your videos and course content, and in the end, have the potential to provide inclusive content, reach more people, and even boost your SEO.

YOU NEED A PLAN… AND THEN TO JUST START: Whether you’re Type A or more go-with-the-flow, video marketing content creation can feel a bit out of the comfort zone for many. Wherever you land, a great place to begin is by mapping out your content and what you’d like to convey. It could be via an outline, a goals sheet, or even talking points… but the main thing you must do is just start. Don’t let having everything “perfect” hold you back from creating. And if you’re looking for some tangible tips on how to create your videos, check out Peter Aguilar’s article on page 15.

BUILD YOUR KNOW-LIKE-TRUST FACTOR: Video marketing doesn’t just add one more marketing tactic to your list, but rather gives you direct access (and even digital “eye-contact”) to your ideal customer. It stops people in their tracks, gets them to pay attention, and ultimately builds connections beyond many other marketing strategies. As a result, you have greater potential to increase your Know-Like-Trust factor. The more eyes on your content and connecting personally with your videos, the more likely your audience will feel comfortable purchasing from you.

1 | Video Marketing

They say “video is the future.” An opportunity to connect with your ideal client, build relationships, and make sales. You likely know you need to add it to your marketing strategy, but where to begin? If you’re reading this guide feeling the pressure to add one more thing to your ever-growing list of to do’s, we’re here to make sure you get quick tips on getting started, why video matters, and the importance of things like Instagram Stories vs. YouTube. Read along for insight from the video marketing experts.

GET FEATUREDWe believe in elevating the voices of our community, and we’d love to elevate yours! Submit content for an opportunity to be featured in next month’s Rising Tide Society TuesdaysTogether PDF guide. therisingtidesociety.submittable.com/submit.

2 | Video Marketing

The power of video is undeniable. The ability to connect and communicate a message, an experience, and an emotion is truly amazing. Think back to a recent video you watched, and why it caught your attention. One thing I always look for is connection. If you’re like me, you don’t want to be sold to or told what you need, you want connection.

Owning a small business takes a lot of work, and I know I can get sucked into the trap of making everything about business and numbers and figures... but what if we think about connection? Even as an extroverted videographer, I don’t like talking on camera. But, during this past winter, on a whim, I tried an experiment. I shared a series of Instagram Stories of myself talking about shoveling snow outside our home in Minneapolis, talking to my phone like I was talking to a friend. I’ll be honest… I felt kinda silly doing it (and secretly made sure my neighbors weren’t looking), posted, and moved on with my day. When I checked Instagram later, I had WAY more comments than I ever do when I post anything work related and had MULTIPLE inquiries… in response to a shoveling story?!

And let me clarify.... My husband and I are

videographers and photographers, we are NOT in the snow removal industry. What. The. Heck. What about all of my actually GOOD photos & wedding videos and thought-out posts?! Why don’t people care about those as much as watching me shovel? Because I was real. I was myself. And I created connection. People in cold states commented that they were doing the same, and appreciated my combo of sassy and positive comments. People in warmer climates were blown away at the close up reality of snow-filled life.

JUST START WITH VIDEO MARKETING

What if YOU could create a connection with your audience, grow your followers faster, AND stand out in a sea of a million voices? I think we would all say YES, but then hesitate when it comes to creating videos to use in marketing. Before you freeze up and tell me you can’t create videos, here’s my challenge to you: JUST START.

Think on these questions when getting started with video marketing for small business:

• Where is your audience?

• How can you meet them?

CREATING CONNECTION THROUGH THE POWER OF VIDEO MARKETINGMycah Burns

Photo by Rachael Gorjestani

Photo by Avel Chuklanov

3 | Video Marketing

InstaStories (or Facebook Live, IGTV, Snapchat, etc.) are all great ways for you to simply show up. You can practice in front of the mirror, or with friends, or film it ahead of time instead of going live, but just start. Share a glimpse of your world. Create conversation. Don’t just ask people if they are interested in your next business offering; create that connection.

CREATE CONNECTION

Creating connection through video marketing is more that just talking into your phone. You can be strategic with your videos and start to incorporate ads on Facebook and Instagram. But again, think about what makes you stop and actually watch... it’s that connection. Be real and be honest (no one likes a skeezy salesperson), and share why your offering is life-changing. Also consider adding the text to the bottom of your video to make your content more accessible.

Find more tips on making your video marketing content more accessible to all in Erin Perkins’ article on page 8.

BE EYE CATCHING

What would it look like to create stunning video content: to be eye catching and scroll stopping? You can either hire a videographer to create your content for you OR you can do it yourself! Depending on what your business is and what you sell, creating a few short videos to use on different platforms and in ads is an incredible way to take your business to the next level.

PAY ATTENTION

In the next couple days, pay attention to what types of videos catch YOUR eye and challenge yourself to get in front of the camera and film a short video to create that connection with your audience.

If you are interested in learning how to create videos yourself, Bobby and I created a FREE video for you all to get started! http://redmonddigitalmedia.com/education Plus, we’ve created a custom discount for the Rising Tide community for our online workshop www.learnhowtovideo.com to learn how to create your own video marketing materials, to better connect with your audience, and to learn how to create videos as an additional service. Use the code “RTS150” for $150 off.

MYCAH BURNSRedmond Digital MediaMinneapolis, MN@redmonddigitalmediaredmonddigitalmedia.com

4 | Video Marketing

With video marketing, there are a lot of things to consider. Most of the time business owners simply don’t know where to start. They give up before they try when it comes to video marketing because it seems too complex to even take on at a beginner level. I’m here to tell you that this isn’t true. I’m also here to tell you that, by 2021, video marketing will be the number one method of marketing and if you’re not incorporating video marketing into your brand and advertising strategy (in some form), you will be left behind.

WHAT IS VIDEO MARKETING?

If you’re wondering what video marketing actually is, it’s a developed plan using video to convert and connect with your target audience or ideal customer. For my business, this includes using video at multiple touch-points within my customer’s journey. For example, my blog (which serves as a resource), Facebook, Instagram, emails, and more. Having a guide to help you get started is the best way to introduce you to how easy it really it to use video in your business so you can remain top of mind and tip of the tongue.

Gone are the days where business owners (that’s you) can hide behind the camera and never or rarely show their face outside of other their corporate headshot on their website. People want to know WHO is behind the brand and they also want to make some kind of connection with you. Video is the easiest way to do this!

Start with these video marketing tips for social media. Pick at least two platforms that you know your audience is on and start nurturing those. After you’ve gained some momentum, come back to this list and work on three additional platforms. Ultimately you want to have a total of five; with the first two platforms you’ve chosen being the main platforms that your audience is on and engaging with you the most on.

Video visual-presence within your brand not only increases search engine optimization, but it helps you to stand out and remain top of mind; especially if others within your industry or niche aren’t using video to market their brand or business. As a business owner, this puts you in a greater position of leverage to not only be the number one solution to what your clients needs, but to also remain tip of tongue because you’re who they remember and go to first.

5 SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM VIDEO MARKETING QUICK TIPSAnesha Collins

Photo by Brooke Cagle

5 | Video Marketing

Whether you’re inexperienced with video marketing or feel like you need a little more hand-holding to excel at video marketing, LEARNWITHAC can help you! To find out where you should start using video-marketing in your business, take this free quiz. You’ll also receive a “Marketing To-Do” List with your quiz results!

ANESHA COLLINSUnashamed ImagingOrlando, Florida@unashamedimagingunashamedimaging.com

6 | Video Marketing

Want to use video content to grow your audience and become an authority figure in your niche? The most strategic way to do that is to create video tutorials aimed directly at your ideal clients or customers.

Why create video tutorials?

1. You’re showing off your expertise. By creating video tutorials, you literally show people how much you know, and help increase your audience’s trust in you, your skills, and your products or services.

2. You’re helping people who might not yet be ready to purchase your products or services. If you’re like me, you started your business to help others, but you know not everyone can afford your services. By creating video marketing content that is freely available to everyone, you can provide value and help to so many more people.

3. It’s easily discoverable by non-followers. YouTube is a search engine, and every day millions of people are looking for answers. By creating video tutorials, you’re making it more likely for your ideal clients to find you when they type their questions into the search box.

Now that you know why you should be filming video tutorials, let’s jump into how to effectively plan and film a video tutorial.

HOW TO EFFECTIVELY PLAN AND FILM YOUR VIDEO MARKETING

Tip 1: Create an Outline

It is key you have a video outline created before you hit the record button. This is important for three reasons:

• You’ll feel more prepared and confident when recording. By the time you’re in front of the camera, you’ll already be familiar with the points you want to make.

• It will help you plan your shot list so you can keep track of what footage you’ve already recorded.

• It will make the post-production phase a lot easier because you (or your video editor) can use it as a guide while editing your video.

Does this mean there’s no room for spontaneity during the filming phase? Of course not!

The outline you create isn’t set in stone. While recording, you can make any changes you’d like, just make sure to note them down on your outline so you don’t forget.

Tip 2: Make ‘Eye Contact’

It’s important that your viewers feel like you’re talking to them when your face is on camera. To create this effect, place your camera at eye-level and make sure that you’re looking at the camera lens while recording.

5 TIPS TO HELP YOU PLAN AND FILM FOR VIDEO MARKETINGEstrella Sansait

Photo by Alexander Dummer

7 | Video Marketing

Making eye contact (even through a screen) can help your audience feel like you’re talking directly to them, creating a stronger sense of connection.

Tip 3: Capture Quality Audio

With videos, visuals aren’t the only thing that matter, sound is just as important. Aim to record clear audio so that your audience doesn’t have to strain to hear what you’re saying.

When recording, make sure to speak clearly, and loud enough for your mic to pick up your voice. Minimize background noise by closing the doors in the room you’re recording in, and lay down some blankets on hard surfaces to reduce echoing.

If possible, have any pets, children, or spouses hang out in another room. This will help reduce excess noise and keep you from becoming distracted. When watching the playback of your test recording, make sure to check the quality of the audio as well.

Tip 4: Be you!

Don’t try to pretend to be what you think your audience wants you to be, just be you. Your personality is one of the key things that will make you stand out from other entrepreneurs in your niche, and will help build up the ‘know, like, and trust’ factor in your business.

Tip 5: Don’t Be Afraid to Mess Up

One of the advantages of producing video content is that you can always edit out the bloopers, so you don’t have to worry about recording a perfect shot from start to finish. That said, having to retake a shot because you said the wrong thing or lost your train of thought isn’t fun and can be disheartening.

Here’s what you can do to power through that feeling of frustration.

ResetIf you find yourself getting frustrated while filming your video, take a break to reset your focus and energy. Take a few deep breaths, put on your favourite song, or watch a few cat videos.

Start AgainOnce you’ve reset, the important part is that you try again. Maybe you need a day to reset, or maybe even a week, but don’t give up. For most people, filming videos doesn’t come naturally, and it will probably feel uncomfortable at first. But practice makes progress, and after you’ve done a few videos it will get easier.

If you’d like a worksheet to help you implement these tips while you plan and film your next video, grab the Video Prep Worksheet here.

ESTRELLA SANSAITVideo Editor for Creative Entrepreneurs @ La Chispa Studio Madrid, Spain@lachispastudiowww.lachispastudio.com

8 | Video Marketing

Before I started my business, I worked as a graphic designer for the same company for 11 years. Until one day, I got laid off. I was devastated. This job was literally all I ever knew.

I’ve been told that certain opportunities will never be available to me.

I’ve been told that there will always be an upper limit to what I can do professionally.

...all because I was born deaf.

When I applied for other jobs, I was either (1) immediately written off because of being deaf or (2) offered a much lower salary than my experience level.

I got tired of being told what I couldn’t do by everyone else.

So I dove in head first into the online world of business. I was amazed at HOW much content was out there, but there was a slight problem. All this content wasn’t accessible to someone like me. I may be able to speak, I may be able to hear some (I don’t read lips!), but I still have obstacles with being able to understand videos and podcasts.

There is so much GOOD stuff out there that I feel like I’m completely missing out! With all the technology that’s available out there, why isn’t it easier for me to access this content? Why aren’t things better than they were 10 years ago? I know some of us have gotten to the point where we just accept things for the way they are. But I really couldn’t accept things for the way they are because I truly wanted to make my business work, and I needed access to some of the most incredible content that is being put out there.

The challenge I faced was how could I approach someone to make this content accessible to me, and would they see value in it?

CREATING ACCESSIBILITY IN YOUR

VIDEO MARKETINGErin Perkins

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The answer I came up with was to JUST ASK. The worst they can do is say no… or not respond at all.

Guess what? Every time I asked someone about accessing their content, they were incredibly gracious, and would ask me what they could do to improve accessibility.

Here’s the problem, I really wasn’t sure. I’ve always had limitations, and just made do with what was available to me. But, the reality is, if I was going to make this business thing work and have it not be a complete fluke, I was going to need to figure it out.

I suggested transcripts, adding captions to videos, highlight notes, ANYTHING that they could do that wasn’t too much extra work for them. I didn’t want to demand anything because I knew most of these people were likely one-person operations, and they were just trying to make it work just as much as I was.

Here’s the thing, I don’t necessarily expect everyone to think about making their content immediately accessible to everyone because honestly, you’re designing your courses, your podcasts, your videos for who your dreamies are. I’m just here to give you a little glimpse of how beneficial it could be to make your content that much more accessible.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO MAKE YOUR VIDEO MARKETING CONTENT ACCESSIBLE

First and foremost, SEO capabilities! Once you’ve got your video transcribed or captioned, you’re going to be able to repurpose it in several blog posts. Take that material and make it into Pinterest posts.

When you do videos, think about how often people watch videos on their phones, and how often they likely have it on mute. I never have the sound on, so when I’m scrolling and I see captions, I’m that much more likely to watch.

Within Instagram, for some reason, more and more people scroll through Instagram stories. I can’t tell you how many times I skip over someone’s Instagram stories because they haven’t typed out highlight notes or even have some sort of visual to share with what they’re talking about. On the Apple platform, they’ve got this fabulous app called Clipomatic. I REALLY love when people use it because I now know what they’re talking about and I’m able to engage more with you!

KEY TOOLS TO MAKE YOUR VIDEO MARKETING CONTENT MORE ACCESSIBLE

Headliner• Video Transcripts

Audiogram • Translate audio into video• Full videos for YouTube up to two hours• Also available for other platforms

Get more ideas on how to use Pinterest to drive traffic and sales for your business from the experts.

Download the Ultimate Guide to Pinterest for Business.

10 | Video Marketing

Rev• Transcription - Audio to Text: $1 per minute• Caption Your Videos: $1 per minute• Foreign Subtitles: $3-$7 per minute

Clipomatic• Instagram Captions on iPhone: $4.99• You can edit your captions

Otter.ai• This is more for voice notes, but I’ve used it to transcribe videos that aren’t captioned. While it’s not

the most accurate, it still has helped me immensely.

Amara• The multi-award winning Amara Public Editor is FREE and super easy to use. All video and subtitles

are public, and open for collaboration when using this platform.

Google Voice Typing

ONE LAST THOUGHT ON MAKING YOUR VIDEO MARKETING MORE ACCESSIBLE

As a business owner myself, I can completely understand how much work it is to make sure your content is accessible, and you need to see the value in it. My best piece of advice is to start with one thing at a time. Start with captioning your Instagram Stories. Get comfortable with it. Then if you create videos and have the budget for it, start investing in captioning your videos! I’m looking forward to consuming more content, and hope that you’ll consider making it accessible for people like me!

ERIN PERKINSMabely QSilver Spring, MD@mabely_qmabelyq.com

11 | Video Marketing

As we continue to accept the importance of video content in the year 2019, I still find most small businesses avoiding or putting off starting a YouTube channel. Whether it’s the fear of being on camera or the overwhelm of where to even get started, not using YouTube is such a missed opportunity.

WHY IS YOUTUBE IMPORTANT FOR YOUR VIDEO MARKETING STRATEGY

While most of us use YouTube on the daily, many small business owners aren’t quite sure how YouTube is going to work for their business. I’m told all the time that, “I don’t think my audience is on YouTube.” To that I typically ask, is your audience on Google?

You see, Google owns YouTube. And when you have a video on YouTube, plus embed that video to a blog post on your website, you could potentially have two front page Google search results. Not to mention, YouTube alone is the second largest search engine in the world.

Here are your first steps to getting started on YouTube to ensure the time you put into creating YouTube content actually pays off!

5 STEPS TO TAKE BEFORE STARTING A YOUTUBE CHANNEL TO IMPROVE YOUR VIDEO MARKETING

1. Let Go Of Perfection

You first need to have a mindset adjustment. This is the biggest hurdle I encounter when

5 STEPS TO TAKE BEFORE STARTING A YOUTUBE CHANNEL TO IMPROVE YOUR VIDEO MARKETINGTrena Little

working with business owners getting started on YouTube. You want to have the perfect video equipment, the Pinterest perfect background, and it needs to be the “perfect time for your business.”

But here’s the thing, nothing will ever be perfect. And more importantly, your audience isn’t going to connect with perfect. Your audience wants to get to know you. They want to feel like they are learning or watching a friend who cares about them. There are so many choices to buy from today, and your people are going to hire you when they feel most connected to you.

2. Know Your Value

One of YouTube’s superpowers is being able to get your videos in front of your target audience better than any other platform! But you have to clearly understand what value your channel is going to provide to viewers.

This is called your channel value proposition. And while you may want to help the world, the riches are in the niches on YouTube. Just like on regular TV, we go to ESPN for sports and we go to HGTV for Fixer Upper.

Start thinking about, who do you want to speak to on YouTube? What value is your channel going to provide your audience? Why will your audience come to your channel?

3. Research Your Content

If you are going to put time into video marketing, my goal for you is that you are creating videos

Photo by Hermes Rivera

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Title - For a long time it was thought if you just stuffed as many keywords as possible into your video title, your video would perform better. But we need to be optimizing our video titles for humans. Humans are the ones who are going to decide if they want to watch your video based on the thumbnail and title, not an SEO robot.

Audience retention - You want to create valuable content that gets the viewer to the end of your video. The key metric we see channels hitting when YouTube starts recommending more of their content, is when your videos are hitting 50% of audience retention at the end of your video. This just means, of all the people that clicked on your video, 50% are sticking around to the end.

5. Create A Schedule

Consistency on YouTube is key for your video marketing strategy. Posting once a week is all you really need to see great results. It’s best to remember quality over quantity here.

So how do you start planning all of this out? Batch film your videos. If you are going to take the time to set up all your equipment, make sure you have a quiet house, and do your hair and make up, try to film a couple videos at one time. I suggest setting a goal for filming 4 videos at a time, that way you are done with your video content for the month!

that reach your audience, connect with them, and more importantly, convert them.

The best place to search for great video ideas is YouTube! If you start typing a video idea into YouTube, the YouTube search bar tries to predict what you are going to type by suggesting actual search phrase people are searching on YouTube!

For example, I started to type in “How to grow an insta” and you can see the video ideas YouTube is already giving me:

1. How to grow an Instagram account from scratch

2. How to grow an Instagram Art account

3. How to grow an Instagram account organically

4. Focus On The Right Optimization Elements

When it comes to optimizing YouTube, so many people worry about using the perfect video tags. While yes, this is a step in YouTube optimization, it’s not as important nor should you waste much time on this step. Spend more time on the following optimization elements.

Thumbnails - This is your video’s primary marketing material and how you are going to get people to watch your video. Best practices for thumbnails include having your face on the thumbnail because we as humans are more likely to click on a video when we can see the whites of your eyes. Also have a pop of color so your thumbnails stand out on a white YouTube background.

TRENA LITTLEYouTube StrategistGreencastle, PA@trena_littletrenalittle.com

13 | Video Marketing

Video marketing has grown in the event industry significantly as creatives have discovered its direct link to increased sales. In fact, recent studies have found that 74 percent of people who watch a product video decide to buy it. It’s also an extremely effective way of reaching on-the-go mobile users.

How often do you find yourself scrolling through social media, only to linger on the videos splashed throughout your timeline? The auto-play feature weaves video content into our media consumption seamlessly, and video has been shown to draw users in more than any other type of content.

With that in mind, it’s hard to dismiss the impact of video marketing — let’s look at some ways to implement it in your business for continued growth.

LIVESTREAMING

Facebook and Instagram now both provide live platforms to broadcast video content to masses far and wide. The “live” aspect makes it very intimate and authentic, as there are no scripts or re-dos. It’s a great way to share behind-the-scenes moments, sneak peeks, company news, and events with your audience. It really provides followers with an insider feel and further engages them with your brand story. Plus, you don’t need to spend a ton of resources on curating highly-edited videos.

EMAIL MARKETING

Videos aren’t just for social media; they are quickly becoming a popular aspect for email marketing as well. You could use an informational video as a lead magnet to capture emails, then embed a series of video webinars into an email funnel to market your services. Testimonials and case studies also make great fodder for video content; share it on your website and via emails to quickly build third-party credibility.

Photo by Georgia De Lotz

4 WAYS THAT VIDEO MARKETING WILL CHANGE

THE WAY YOU DO BUSINESSKylie Carlson

14 | Video Marketing

VIRTUAL REALITY

No longer a thing of the future, virtual reality is making an impact in the business world here and now. While the technology is still being developed to reach its full potential, we’re seeing virtual reality as an excellent platform for storytelling. This provides businesses with new tools to build genuine one-on-one relationships with both prospects and clients. Show off your venue or give them a look at the décor digs in your warehouse — the possibilities are endless.

CONSUMER CONTENT

There is a lot of value in user-generated content, as it takes virtually no resources to share to your followers. We are seeing businesses shift from creating videos in-house to sourcing consumer videos, like product reviews and brand shout-outs. Consider creating a hashtag for clients to share more about their experience; then, you only need to spread it through your own channels. The benefit of shared UGC is the pure authenticity, which speaks volumes to others who may be considering your services.

Simply, there is no downside to video marketing. While it may take some time to get outside of your comfort zone and embrace the record button, rest assured that you are taking the right steps to building strong, engaging relationships with your followers that will show in positive referrals and increased revenue.

KYLIE CARLSONInternational Academy of Wedding & Event PlanningFrance@weddingacademyliveweddingacademyglobal.com

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What is video marketing?

I know it might sound crazy, but the term “video marketing” doesn’t have to be synonymous with “sales-y ad!” Video marketing can mean creating a fun product tutorial, sharing behind the scenes, providing useful educational content, or inviting others to talk about their experience via a testimonial.

Luckily, (and contrary to popular belief!), video marketing doesn’t have to be complicated and it doesn’t have to be expensive- I’m looking at you, all my hustlers, grinders, and fellow entrepreneurs-on-a-budget. With a little creativity, strategy, and investment in the *right* tools (vs. ALL the tools), you can create great video.

HERE ARE 5 TIPS ON HOW TO CREATE COMPELLING VIDEO MARKETING FOR YOUR BRAND.

1. Tell a story

Most businesses tend to start with their story (why their product is great, how amazing the company is, etc). I suggest you flip that around and tell the customer’s story. Tell a story they

5 TIPS TO CREATE COMPELLING VIDEO MARKETING FOR YOUR BRANDPeter Aguilar

can see themselves in or that they want to be part of. Use your branding 101 skills here: who is your ideal customer? What do they need and how can you position yourself as the tool that helps them get there? Start with mapping this out first and you’ll already be ahead of the curve.

2. Keep them wanting more

Yes, you want to get the point across. But also yes, the average consumer has a very short attention span. Capture their attention, deliver the message, then shut it down before they have a chance to get bored. There is a time and place for great longform video, but marketing videos are rarely it.

3. Think about the visuals

No one wants to watch a dark, grainy video. Obviously, equipment plays some role here if you want to get technical, but in all reality, you can capture some really decent video with most phones. So get picky about what you can control. Shoot in good lighting. Assuming you don’t have good lighting equipment, find a nice, well-lit (ideally with natural light) space to film in. Keep your hand steady (a tiny tripod

Photo by AJ Garcia

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5. Pull it all together

This goes back to the beginning. How are you going to tell your story? There are so many different software options you can use to make edits, but the biggest thing you need is your creativity and your mind. You can figure out how to use whatever software you decide on (Hello, Google). Things to keep in mind: make sure every edit has a purpose. Cut everything that isn’t serving your story. And don’t forget to play to emotions. Video is the perfect place to do this. Introduce some drama with your transitions, make cuts that coincide with key parts of the message, and pick the perfect music to tie it all together.

At the end of the day, just press record. I’m not saying there is never a time or place for professionals or big, expensive equipment. I’m just saying, that time doesn’t have to be ALWAYS, and you don’t need to wait for a huge budget to start creating some really amazing video marketing content for your brand.

will work wonders here). If you are moving or panning, do it as smoothly as possible (I recommend purchasing a small gimbal if it is at all in budget). Lastly, consider the direction you are shooting: is it primarily for Instagram? Shoot vertically. Primarily for Youtube? Shoot horizontally. Can you modify your video for either? Yes. But you should think about where the majority of your viewing traffic will be directed and shoot accordingly.

4. Nail the sound

Make sure your sound is clear. If someone talking on screen is part of the video, be sure your recording equipment is at an optimal distance for good sound. Try to minimize background noise and distractions as much as possible by shooting in either a quiet location, or at a less busy time of day. Consider utilizing a small microphone to amplify the speaker’s voice. It makes a world of difference and doesn’t have to cost a fortune. If you are using the sound only as a voice-over, you’ve got more options. You’ve probably all heard this trick, but in case you haven’t, try recording in a closet full of clothes (or even under a blanket). There’s a lot more to this explanation, but essentially you’re reducing reverb as the soft surfaces trap soundwaves before they bounce back to your mic.

Photo by Sarah Sharp

PETER AGUILARAguilar DevCape Coral, FL@soy_pete_aguilaaguilardev.com

ASHLEY LARGESSE3 Ways to Reach Your Ideal Client Through Instagram

Stories

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Do you currently use video marketing for your business? What is your best tip?

What is one way you’d like to implement video marketing in your business?

How can you implement accessibility in your video marketing strategy?

Are you a user or consumer of Instagram Stories? What do you like most about them?

Pair with a partner and brainstorm three educational or promotional topics you could share about via video marketing.

Are you more likely to buy from someone if you can consume video content they’ve created? Why or why not? Discuss as a group.

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RISING TIDE | HONEYBOOK BLOG POST

Disclaimer: The advice featured in this guide and on the blog was sourced from our community members for sharing of general information and knowledge.

For specific legal, tax, mental health, and professional advice, please consult an authorized professional.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

TOBIAS MICHELVideo Without Overwhelm – a reality check and helpful guide

for busy web-preneurs

MEAGAN BICKERSTAFF The Lowdown on Instagram

Stories

WHO WE ARE

The HoneyBook | Rising Tide team believes an empowered creative economy will change the world. By elevating the voices of creatives, sharing their stories, and building a thriving online and offline community, we support creatives in their pursuit of a sustainable livelihood.

Empowerment begins with saving creatives time and money. HoneyBook helps creative entrepreneurs manage their businesses more efficiently so they can do more of what they love. With HoneyBook, creatives can send brochures, proposals and invoices; create the ideal customer experience; and track payments – all in one place. Equally as important are sharing knowledge and providing support. That’s why Rising Tide is a community and living library of educational resources, including blog content from thought leaders, monthly guides, online summits, and over 400 monthly meet-ups across the world to help creatives succeed in business.

We’re also passionate about supporting the communities around us. To date, we’ve given over $130,000 to nonprofits including Pencils of Promise, The School Ses-sions, U.S. Dream Academy, The Birthday Party Project, Thirst Relief and more. We’ve also partnered with Pencils of Promise to build a school in 2018 funded en-tirely by community donations through our 2017 RISE Summit.

We believe that magic happens when creatives gather, support one another and are empowered to pursue their passions. We believe in community over competition. We believe in empowering the creative economy to rise together.

Photo by Laura & Rachel