Did you know that posting on YouTube will help people find you on Google? Google owns YouTube, and, as people like to watch videos, Google prioritises showing videos in its results. YouTube, on its own, is also the second biggest search engine – second only to Google itself – with over 30 million daily visitors.
I know the idea of social media video can be scary for those of us in small businesses who need to be the ones in front of the camera. But can you afford to miss all that potential exposure?
Be brave and follow my five simple steps to ensure your YouTube or social media video is successful.
1. Plan – Know your audience, purpose and topic
You have a social media plan, don’t you? You’ve worked out your customer avatar, and think about the purpose of your posts to educate, entertain, sell or inspire? It’s the same for video.
Think about the interests, and the pain points, of the customers you are trying to connect with. Are you trying to build brand awareness among a young adult demographic? Try focusing on entertainment in your video. Seeking to move them along the customer journey? Educate, but keep it entertaining in some way to get traction on YouTube.
Once you know your target audience, and the purpose of your post, consider the topic. Check out what people are searching for with tools like AnswerThePublic or answer commonly asked questions from your feed or in person.
2. Get straight to the point
You only have a few seconds to grab your viewer’s attention before they move on so do NOT save the best for last. Get the best bit out quickly, be funny, connect directly with their pain point and get straight to the solution. You can elaborate once you have their attention.
Tip: Use text overlay to identify yourself and your business so you don’t have to use precious seconds introducing yourself.
Then keep it on brand showcasing why people should get to know more about you and your business or product.
3. Be engaging, legal and accessible
Being engaging is not just about saying interesting things; it’s visual too. Ensure your video is in great natural lighting, showcases your brand colours or overall vibe, and, if you are speaking on it, that you look like you want to be there. That last one can be hard, but it gets easier!
As for legalities and accessibilities, make sure you are licenced to use any music you overlay and consider subtitles. Subtitles are great for those who need them for hearing reasons and those who are in loud spaces or prefer to watch without sound.
4. Keep it human
A human face, a little vulnerability, and great video presence create an emotional connection and allow viewers to relate to you.
Producing videos from behind the screen or camera can be tempting – using apps or even slides. But trust me, just like your most informal and honest photo will be the one that gets the most engagement in a static Instagram post, the same will happen when you put your face on your social media video.
5. Include a call to action and keep an eye on your analytics
Once you’ve done the planning, recording and finishing touches, maximise the value of what you have completed by including a call to action. If you are building brand awareness, perhaps ask people to follow you for more similar content. If you are at the meaty end of the sales funnel, take them straight to a sales page or tell them how to purchase.
Then watch your YouTube and website analytics to see if you have achieved your target results. Tweak your offering and review again if needed.
I promise it gets easier the more videos you create. When I first started creating videos, I was terrified of being on camera, so I started with behind-the-scenes and animation to ease in. Going slowly helped me build confidence, and I’ve done a number of reels showing my face since. If you are nervous, start with short reels for Instagram or, better still, YouTube shorts. If I can get in front of the camera, so can you!
And don’t forget to reduce, reuse and recycle. For more personalised advice and support, book a free chat now.
