The 7 C’s of Video Marketing

There was a time, not long ago, when video marketing was out of reach for many small and medium-sized businesses. The equipment was expensive, not to mention the costly time spent editing the raw footage to something that looked professional. With the staggering growth of YouTube combined with smartphone ownership here in the UK at over 50%, video is now a daily part of our lives. This has led to a huge reduction in filming and production costs and has made video marketing a viable strategy for most businesses.

While it may be a good idea to use an established video marketing company for larger projects, you can produce your own videos if you wish. Quick “how-to” style videos along with video testimonials are a great way to break into the field of video marketing. Yes, you can use your smartphone or a relatively inexpensive handheld camera, but you’ll probably also need a good external microphone and possibly some additional lighting. You will also need to think carefully about what you want to achieve with your video. With that in mind, here are the 7 C’s of video marketing:

1. Communication – when you’re in front of a camera it’s not just about what you say but how you say it. You will need to focus on your non-verbal communication as much, if not more, than on the words you are saying. There are way too many boring talking head style videos out there, so if you want yours to stand out, make sure it’s nice and upbeat.

2. Capture – you have about 10 seconds to capture a viewer’s imagination or else they will likely get bored and move on. You need to give them a reason to keep watching you, so be clear about what you’ll be talking about and grab their attention.

3. Compact – The most effective videos are short and to the point. Be clear and concise, and do your best not to go on too long. Unless you’re showing how to do something or performing a task like fixing a shed roof, there’s no real need to go beyond 90 seconds.

4. Credibility – unless the viewer really believes what you’re saying, you’re probably wasting their time and money, so don’t overdo things. Talk about real customers you’ve helped, and use specific examples to illustrate and support your points.

5. Delighted – the cream of the cake, the meat of the sandwich… unless it’s there, the rest disappoints you a bit. The content could be a customer saying what a wonderful job you’ve done for him, it could be advice on how to do something, or it could be asking the viewer to do something.

6. Access – having the ability to establish a connection with the viewer will take your video marketing to the next level. Stay relaxed, keep it conversational, talk about your experience, and show that you can empathize.

7. call to action – having a clear call to action at the end of your video will help the viewer decide what to do next and hopefully guide them down the path you’d like them to take. Whether it’s picking up the phone to call you or clicking elsewhere on your website to request more information, you don’t want them to leave your video without knowing what to do next.

If you’re serious about DIY video for your business, we definitely recommend watching some training videos to help you get started. Making sure you have the right equipment, knowing how to plan a shoot, editing, and then uploading the video are all things you need to be comfortable with. Figure that out, and you can start using the power of video to grow your business.