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13 Top Video Marketing Tips For Entrepreneurs

 

Question: What are some winning strategies for creating online video that is engaging and valuable or customers and potential customers?

 

by The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC)

DON’T MAKE A COMMERCIAL

“Make a video about something in your industry, something funny or newsworthy. YouTube can drive a huge amount of traffic to your site, but not if your video is some boring video just about your business. People don’t want to just hear about you; they are searching for funny, valuable, interesting videos. That’s what’s going to bring you traffic in the end.”

 

– Ben Lang | Founder, EpicLaunch

 

 

JUST KEEP IT REAL

“Unless you’re shooting a professional video, don’t be afraid to be a little imperfect. Know what you’re going to talk about, rehearse, then go with it. Don’t worry about cutting out every imperfection. Real is relatable and honest. It works. Instead of over thinking things, focus on getting your message across in a real and honest way, even if it includes a few ‘um’s.'”

 

– Matt Cheuvront | Founder, Proof Branding

 

 

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

“The most compelling videos will give valuable information or insight and speak directly to what the audience wants most. Just like with copy, you need to understand your audience and why they would take five minutes to watch your video instead of a yawning puppy video on YouTube. Once you know what to share, record videos in small chunks so they’re easy to digest.”

 

– Kelly Azevedo | Founder, She’s Got Systems

 

 

OUTLINE A PATH

“Great online videos make clear in the outset what will be discussed within. If you start the video by just diving in to the content, it won’t be clear to viewers what they’ll be getting out of it. Use an outline format, like an essay, to communicate at the start of the video what the viewer can expect to learn.”

 

– Doreen Bloch | CEO / Founder, Poshly Inc.

 

 

LEAVE IT UNANSWERED

“Regardless of what the video is about, make it thought-provoking in that viewers will want to share their comments with you on it. A good example of this is always ending your videos with some sort of question.”

 

– Logan Lenz | Founder / President, Endagon

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGE SHORT ATTENTION SPANS

“Record no more than 30-45 seconds. Anything longer than that and people will tune out, unless you’ve done something really, really special. People don’t have the attention span to watch a two-minute video unless they have already committed to your product.”

 

– Nathan Lustig | cofounder, Entrustet

 

 

SHOCK! AND AWE!

“The key to online video is first grabbing attention within the first ten seconds. To do this, you want to start with something ‘shocking’ that leaves the viewer in ‘awe’ and wanting more. Once you’ve grabbed their attention, you have to keep them engaged. In addition to the content you are giving them, you want to have images, words or some pop-up transition on the screen to keep them engaged.”

 

– Doug Fath | Founder & CEO, Faithful Investments, LLC & Wealthy Passion Corporation

 

 

WHO ARE YOU FILMING?

“Too many people feel that to have a great video you must write a script, shoot with high (and expensive!) production value and totally transform yourself from the everyday. While I do recommend getting out of your pajamas and at least having an idea of what you want to say, the best videos are those that feel like it’s just you and the viewer having a good ol’ conversation. Be real!”

 

– Erin Blaskie | CEO, BSETC

 

 

GET CHOPPED!

“A ton of people I know are trying to create video content, but fail to take into account people’s attention spans. No one (yes, no one) is going to watch a ten-minute video on your product. Break that ten-minute video into ten pieces and release one piece per day. This keeps people coming back and turns one view of a ten-minute video into ten views of ten different videos.”

 

– Lucas Sommer | Founder CEO, Audimated

 

 

LAUGHTER WINS ALL

“Using humor in online videos is a great way to engage your customers. If the audience is laughing, then they’re happy. If they’re happy, they’ll associate your brand with that emotion. When that happens, you’ve won. Just be careful not to sacrifice the brand’s messaging for a cheap laugh.”

 

– Nick Friedman | President, College Hunks Hauling Junk

 

 

LEAD THE THOUGHT

“Rather than creating a purely promotional video about your product or service, create several educational videos on topics relevant to your industry. Potential customers will appreciate that you are sharing your knowledge and will begin to recognize you as a leader in your field.”

 

– Bhavin Parikh | CEO, Magoosh Test Prep

 

 

HIRE A PRO

“Approach online video like those car commercials you see on TV: don’t try this at home. A poorly produced home-made video is worse than no video at all. Find a videographer in the area that has good equipment and knows how to create a compelling storyline. Ask for references and see samples. Don’t use the cheapest company; use the best that fits within your budget.”

 

– David Adelman | Founder and CEO, Reel Tributes

 

 

CREATE A CLIFFHANGER!

“Don’t stop at one video! Create a series of educational videos that lead people from ‘episode to episode.’ Use what TV writers have been using against us for years by creating ‘open loops’ where an idea is ‘to be continued’ in the next video. This creates engagement and allows you to educate prospects in more than one video, and to lead them back to your website.”

 

– Nathalie Lussier | Creator, The Website Checkup Tool

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