How To Use Video To Get The Phone Ringing

Have you shot videos about your business with little or no improvement in customer enquiries? As frustrated as you may be, don’t delete your YouTube channel yet.  You may be making a few mistakes in your creative process – which are entirely fixable.

In this blog, we’ll show you how to shoot videos in a manner which will engage and delight your audience.

Be vulnerable

A sure way to put your audience to sleep is to make videos without injecting any personality into them. It’s a brave new world online where abstract and technical videos attract a certain type of audience, while social media craves real people who know what they are talking about.

Online, your audience isn’t just looking for solutions to their problems, they are searching for someone they can trust. Go ahead and share stories about your own experiences that may help others.  Don’t worry about being seen as a flawed human being – if anything, this act will endear you to people in the same position as you. A word of caution: don’t overshare or let negativity enter your brand space.  Think about the moral of the story you are telling.

Aware of the common issues and story telling they share with you, audiences will be receptive to what you have to say going forward.

Mind your body language

What you say isn’t nearly important as how you say it – only 7% of in-person communication is relayed by the actual words you speak.

Rather, body language is what will make or break your videos, as viewers interpret half of what you say by the posture you assume. You can say all the right things, but none of it will matter if your body language is betraying you.

When shooting, avoid crossing your arms or legs, as these acts are indicative of impatience and defensiveness. Touching your face suggests you are anxious, whilst frequently looking away from the lens may make some question your honesty.

Instead, maintain an open posture, stand or sit up straight, and maintain steady eye contact with the lens when making videos. These actions display trustworthiness, confidence, and integrity respectively, so make a concerted effort to adopt these habits.  

Don’t be married to your script

Scripts are great for outlining key points. They aren’t meant to be read word for word – if you stick to them exclusively, you will end up sounding robotic and inauthentic.

Think you can’t speak on camera without the aid of a script? Know this: experienced videographers don’t craft their creations from a single clip of raw video – they use multiple takes and video editing to put together a slick end product.

As such, don’t be afraid to go off the cuff. This may be intimidating at first, but it will come with practice.

In the interim, using plenty of takes will ensure the finished product will look and sound amazing, so don’t be afraid to plunge forward boldly and put your personal stamp on the videos you create.

Imagine you are having a conversation with your best friend

Don’t fall into the trap of attempting to impress your viewers by pretending to be someone else. You aren’t on stage giving a TED talk to thousands of people – you are having a one-on-one conversation with each person who clicks on your video.

By speaking into the camera as if your best friend was sitting across from you, you’ll create an intimate vibe which will make the viewer feel as if you are in their room with them.

Feeling valued, they will feel compelled to reach out to you – multiply this by thousands of viewers, and you’ll see improved results in your business before long.