Are you using video in your business yet?  If you’re not then you really should be because it is one of the best ways to get noticed.

Here are some great tips to get you started.

Open a YouTube Account

Get over the first hurdle and open a YouTube Account.  To make it super easy we have recorded a video on how to get started with YouTube

 

Just Try It – Give it a Go

Many people resist using video for many reasons but principally because they don’t think they look good on camera or they are too shy.  Honestly, these days it is not difficult to have a go – you don’t need lots of professional equipment and software – just being yourself is what counts and delivering content people can use.  You might find you like it but you will never know until you try!

Your First Video

Use Google Search Stories to create your first video.  It is simple and within a few minutes you have your first video on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/SearchStories and no one has yet seen or heard you as you haven’t had to be in front of the camera or spoken!

Here’s one we created to give you an idea

 

The great thing is that you can choose the key words of your business so it becomes a really good promotional video for you as well to get you off to a flying start.

Be Consistent and Authentic

Get your message out there on a regular basis about your chosen subject (niche) whether that be internet marketing or living a healthy lifestyle.  Videos of 3-4 minutes are great and as long as your message is heartfelt and authentic your viewers will love you for it.  Make sure you add video consistently e.g. once or twice a week. Don’t forget you don’t necessarily need an expensive camera or editing software.  You can shoot video from a webcam or from your phone these days.

Collaborate with & Share Content of Other People

Stories about or interview with someone who works in your industry/niche are a great idea.  You can also review a product, service or their book.  They will love you for it and may even include your video on their website.

Here’s one we did – reviewing a book “The Self Help Bible” of one of our students

Create Video Tutorials

These are a really good way to create video content for your channel and also visitors to your website.  There are some good recording software (some free) which you can use such as Jing http://www.techsmith.com/jing/ free version and paid version or Camstudio http://www.camstudio.org/ (free)  The paid version which has a lot more facilities is Camtasia http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia/ The investment is worthwhile because the features and editing incorporated into the product are superb and you can easily zoom in and zoom out to highlight areas of your screen plus the ability to use a video inset.  For Mac users there is screenflow as well http://www.telestream.net/screen-flow/

Once you do a video tutorial, you upload it to YouTube because so many people search for good “how-to” material on YouTube. Then you can embed it into you blog post so it can be found both on search engines through our blog and through YouTube.

Here’s an example

Make your videos personal

These can be really short and sweet – look straight into the camera and deliver your message. Talk directly to your “audience” as if you’re in a room with them, this creates more intimacy and connection and builds better relationships with your fans.

You can record videos straight into Facebook or YouTube for example so if you have some news to share with your community just give it a go.

Be the First

One of the best video marketing tips is simply to be the first.  Ensure you can adapt quickly to relevant news and topics in your niche.

When we found out about Google +1 we made sure we recorded a video about how to install the Google +1 button on your blog and got hundreds of views overnight (1700 + views as of now)

Those Little Extras That Make a Difference

Check your audio equipment

You can make a great-looking video very cheaply and easily but the one thing you do want to spend a some money on is the audio equipment. If you are using a camera with built-in audio, make sure you are within about 3 metres of the microphone so your viewers can also hear what you have to say.

Test it, and make any adjustments. You can be forgiven for bad lighting, but never for bad sound. If the viewer can’t hear your message, he hits the stop button.

Plan your greeting and sign-off scripts

The best videos will look and feel like a spontaneous conversation. However, what separates a good business video from a great one are little bits of information that must be planned and written in advance.

It’s a smart idea to start every video with a greeting, your name and your business name. It’s friendly and it tells people who you are.

The way you end each video is also important. The ending gives you another chance to mention your business name along with other information that would help a potential customer find you, such as your address and city. It’s also a great place to add your business tag line.

Write out these pieces in advance, and practice saying them until they are completely natural and you can say them without thinking about it.

Use YouTube Annotations

Use YouTube Annotations to direct traffic to other videos, your YouTube channel or a call to action to subscribe to your channel.

This is also very helpful if you made a popular video that now has out-of-date information. Just add an annotation to direct viewers to the new, updated video without losing any of your visibility.

The Fortune is in The Follow up

If you have ever heard the expression “the fortune is in the follow up” – this equally applies to your videos. The journey is only just beginning once you upload your video. Taking action after posting your video online will give you an idea of the reception it is getting, and whether the venture has been successful.

Try these ways of following up your video campaign:

• Monitor comments and then reply. Develop a conversation.
• Measure the statistics. If your video includes links to your website, or a call to action for viewers, monitor the increase of sales, website visits or blog subscribers you receive.
• Answer questions. If viewers want to debate the topic you discuss in your video, or ask for more information, allow them to continue the conversation with you.
• Take feedback on board. Listen to what industry leaders, customers etc say about your video, and make notes to use next time.
• Try again. Using the information you gain to develop your next video campaign

Optimize your video for SEO

Make sure that the search engines can find your videos. The search engines can’t crawl a video like they can a text-based web page, so you’ve got to give them a little extra help. Use a couple of keywords in the title of your video.

SEO your videos and make them shareable

We all know that YouTube is the most popular video site, but did you know that YouTube’s search algorithms are different from search engine algorithms like Google? Five quick tips:

• Create your video title to engage users while keeping in mind the SEO aspect.
• Use keywords in the video description, title and keyword tags.
• Include a link in your description of the video back to your site. You will not get SEO link juice, but you will get referral traffic.
• Share your video on YouTube and post it on your website. Remember to keep your titles SEO and social media friendly.
• Include a transcript of all your videos when posting them on your website. This process can be manual, but in the long term, it will help your SEO.  The transcript should also be in the “description” box on YouTube

If you find that you love video marketing as much as we do then grab some more free training here