Adding video to your content marketing strategy is one of the most popular trends today. By providing a way for customers to see and hear you, videos are ideal for adding humanity to your brand. They also allow you to tap into something that is inherently true: Business is between people.
The other day, I tuned into the podcast Building a StoryBrand with Donald Miller. His guest, Joey Coleman, was talking about how to stop losing customers. During their discussion, Joey talked about how all businesses sell their products or services. Logically, companies fall into the B2B or B2C buckets. Regardless of which vertical you are in, humans buy from other humans. You start a relationship with an individual, build rapport with them, and then begin a business relationship. Not all sales cycles are that in depth, but the basics are same regardless of your target audience.
In creating videos to represent your brand, one strategy is to keep in mind that the people you are trying to reach are also trying to reach you.
Get Real
Let your customers see the team that they will work with them buying your brand. Show your team talking about what problems you solve and how they work through them. Don’t get me wrong, there are use cases to use “white board” style videos and animations, but showing your team’s personality and letting them tell their story on camera will literally give your company a face.
Share Stories
Humans connect with stories. Here are two examples of the same story:
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The second phrasing is more impactful because you can empathize with Amy’s unrealistic deadline. When a person can see a problem from someone else’s perspective, a connection is made. The is especially true for video. Think about the videos you’ve watched where the host is droning on about “special” features not hiding the fact he is reading a script. You probably can’t remember a specific example, but you know you have been there. On the flip side, you can probably recall where you were and who you were watching an engaging YouTube video with from weeks ago.
Be Selfless
The videos you shoot shouldn’t be about you, your personal successes, and the amazing growth you’ve had. When content is centered around you, it becomes unsharable and people quickly lose interest. Don’t be “that guy” who stands on a soap box preaching at people and hoping to draw a crowd of followers. Instead, focus on your “why” and “how” you serve your customers. Instead of putting your knowledge behind a paywall (or a $100 consultation), give it away and elevate your influence. People are drawn to those who truly care.
Now is the time for video. With the droves of people becoming entrepreneurs, each industry is slowly getting crowded with competition. Dare to be unique and put yourself in the front-and-center of your brand. Not many people are doing it – and those that are doing it are winning.