EP 7: A Stress-Free Approach to Creating Marketing Videos

I just going to come out and say it. I don’t like being recorded in video. And I have found that many of our clients feel the exact same way!

That being said, if you haven’t started focusing on leveraging video in your marketing yet, now is the time!

I’m not going to bore you with a bunch of stats on why video is more effective than traditional (static) marketing. 

Here’s what we know - video is not going away. And businesses that are leveraging it in their marketing are getting tremendous results. But, you know this.

So, if you are with me (which I think you are because you are listening to this) then let’s pull up our big girl (and boy) panties and start making some videos!

In this Episode of Shop Talk, I am going to share a step-by-step approach to creating marketing videos for social media with ease. 

Let’s do this!

If you have been procrastinating making videos for your marketing, are new to video marketing, or just want a simple approach to creating videos as painless as possible - you are in the right place, my friend!

I have created a TON of videos in my business over the years. But, most of the videos I’ve produced have been me hiding behind my Powerpoint slides and recording my screen. Honestly, I am totally comfortable there.

The problem with hiding behind my slide deck is that it’s a lot harder to connect with my audience. And if you’re anything like me, you know that designing a slide deck can take a lot of time!

So, I recently decided that I am going to “flood the internet” with my face sharing valuable information that can help my perfect ideal customer. And I am already seeing some amazing results!

And I want that for you too.

Today, I am going to share everything I’ve learned in making face-to-face marketing videos (so far). I say “so far” because I’m anticipating that I will continue to learn new tips along the way…and I promise I’ll share them as I continue to learn as well.

My hope is that you can take my process, tips, and tools and start creating some amazing marketing videos for your business right away!

Here’s what I’ll be sharing:

• The equipment that you’ll need
• The tools that will make your recording a bazillion times easier
• Some tips I’ve learned to make your videos look amazing
• A content strategy to help you build awareness, engage your perfect ideal customer, and convert your fans and followers into customers
• I’ll share the easiest way to come up with the content to share in your videos
• And I’ll even provide you with my super simple script writing format so that you can grab the attention of your viewers and build trust and authority

Be sure to go to www.yourmarketingcoachonline.com/7 to grab my video script template (no opt-in required).

Let’s Dive In By Talking About The Equipment You’ll Need

There are just (2) things I’d recommend here.

#1 - You need a ring light.

I recommend a light ring that’s a little bigger which will provide more light. Lighting can make or break how your video looks.

The one I use is 18 inches and comes with a tripod stand, a camera holder, and a remote so that you can turn your video on and off by remote instead of having to push your phone (because then you’d need to edit the beginning and end of the video which is just a hassle).

Light rings are priced all over the place. I have one that I found on Amazon for a little less than $80 bucks, so I’ll go ahead and link to it in the show notes so you can check it out for yourself.

Just make sure whatever lighting you choose has a tripod and camera holder (one with a remote is a plus, but not totally necessary).

#2 - You don’t need to go out and buy a fancy camera. Grab your phone and you can make some really amazing-looking videos.

Easy peasy! That’s it for equipment.

The Tools

Now let’s talk about tools.

There’s only one app that I’d recommend, and it’s called BigVu (spell). I’ll be sure to link to it in the show notes.

BigVu is a teleprompter and video editing app.

If you are like me. I freeze when I am in front of the camera. My mind goes blank and I struggle with what I want to say.

Writing a script helps me A LOT! And I’ll be sharing my script writing template with you soon.

So, how you use BigVu is:

• You write your script in a Google Doc.
• Paste it into Big Vu.
• Turn your video on.
• And BigVu puts the script at the top of the screen so that you are looking into the camera while you are ready it.
• When you are done, BigVu will use your script to put the transcription on the video automatically. This is important because not everyone who sees your video will press play to hear you. This gives them the option to watch the video and read along with you.
• You can use BigVu on your mobile phone or computer - which is perfect, because it gives you the flexibility to use your phone anywhere, or at your computer or laptop.

Now, you can get really slick and drop your videos into Canva to add some images and stuff…but, this Episode is all about keeping things super simple so that we don’t complicate the process and stress you out so that you don’t create your videos.

Remember, version done is better than version none. We’re not striving for perfection here. We just want to produce some content so that we can get our face out into the public and in front of our perfect ideal customer.

Ok, Now - The Tips

I have a few tips that I wish someone had recommended to me before I got started. So, I want to pass them on to you now.

Tip #1 - if you wear glasses it is virtually impossible to get the glare off your lenses. I’ve watched a bunch of videos, bought the softbox lights, tilted my head in a way that made me look ridiculous - and I still got ring light glares!

It’s SO frustrating!

Here’s what I recommend.

If you can see close up without your glasses then find an old pair, knock the lenses out of them, and record your videos with no lenses.

You see, I wear glasses all the time. If I took them off during the videos no one would recognize me! So, this is a perfect solution to my problem.

But, if you need glasses to see close up then I have 2 recommendations.

1. You can record your videos with you facing natural light instead of a ring light. The key thing to point out is that you must face the natural light (not have the light to your back). If you face the natural light (like by a window) it won’t be as harsh as the ring light so you won’t see as much glare.
2. You can always just let the glare be what it is. I know this might not be an ideal solution. But, if you can’t get your lighting perfect then just let it be. Most people won’t even notice. Just don’t let glares in your glasses stop you from producing your videos.

Tip #2 - create your videos in batches.

This is HUGE!

The hardest video you will complete is the first one. When I created the first video I probably started it over about 20 times!

But, once I found my stride, I was rolling! The rest of the videos were much easier.

So, you’ll prepare all of your scripts ahead of time. Then record all of them in one sitting.

That leads me to Tip #3 - have a handful of outfits ready to change into.

I didn’t want all of my videos to look the same. I wanted to make sure that they would stick out from one another. So, changing my outfit is a great way to do it.

I even cheated a bit - ha!

I recorded from the waist up so that I only had to change my top to keep it really simple.

Tip #4 - identify a few spots around the house or office that you can use to record your videos.

This isn’t 100% necessary but can help your videos stand out from one another.

Your ring light is super easy to pick up and move wherever you want to record.

Just look for backgrounds that aren’t too cluttery, that give you about 6 feet of space behind you (if you can), and that give the “vibe” you want for your videos.

Now, if you have a crazy household that never seems to rest (I remember all too well what it was like when my 4 kids were little) - you can also rent an Airbnb for the day and record your videos there.

This is a great way to get unique backgrounds and a quiet space where you can work and record your videos.

The Content Strategy

Now, let’s talk about the content strategy for a minute.

One of the biggest (mental) roadblocks that my clients run into is what they should talk about. And I get it. 

As an expert in what you do, you are overflowing with knowledge that you could share with your perfect ideal customer. It can be hard to know where to start. Plus, it’s really easy to forget that marketing is all about relationships.

Many Entrepreneurs want to skip the relationship-building part of marketing and jump right into “buy my stuff”. But, I promise you - it won’t work.

You have to create a connection and build a relationship before you ask your viewer to buy from you.

There are 3 types of videos that you need:

1. Awareness Videos That Connect With Your Audience
2. Engagement Videos
3. And Conversion Videos

Awareness videos are designed to provide value and present yourself as a leader in your industry.

Engagement videos are designed to invite your viewer to take action.

And conversion videos are designed to invite your viewer to purchase your offer or solution.

The cool thing about creating all 3 of these types of videos is that they can follow the same structure. The only thing that makes them different from one another is the call to action.

So, let’s talk about the video structure. 

There are just 3 parts you want to include in your videos, they are:

• A Hook or Main Idea
• Value Points
• And a Call-to-Action

The hook is designed to capture the attention of your viewer right away (in those first few seconds) so that they want to know more and will continue to watch.

The value points are your opportunity to share your experience, expertise, story, or a problem you solved.

And the call-to-action is the action you recommend they take once they watch your video.

Pretty simple - right?

Now, I want to switch gears for a minute to talk about the 3 steps to help you decide on the subject matter you can talk about in your videos.

Subject Matter For Your Videos

STEP 1 - Start With The End In Mind

I find it easier to come up with my subject matter when I think about the ultimate action that I wanted my viewer to take - and then reverse engineer it into mini conversations that I might have with my perfect ideal customer. These mini conversations become my individual videos.

STEP 2 - Identify How Your Perfect Ideal Customer Is Feeling Now

Ask yourself:

• What are the common problems your perfect ideal customer has about the solution you provide?
• What are the myths or limiting beliefs they have?
• And what are the common mistakes they make?

STEP 3 - How Can I Help Educate Them To Overcome Their Challenges or Beliefs?

As you review your list of problems, limiting beliefs, and common mistakes you will be able to identify the subject matter that you can talk about.

Let Me Give You An Example Of How You’d Follow This Format

We have a program that we offer our clients called Websites That Work.

Our ultimate goal is to get our viewers to purchase this program.

A common problem that our perfect ideal customer has with their website is that it doesn’t capture leads.

Another common problem is that their website doesn’t get enough visitors.

And a common mistake is that their messaging is not clear, and therefore they lose the visitors that land on their website within the first 8 seconds.

As the expert in your industry, you are aware of the common problems your perfect ideal customer is struggling with. All you have to do is take a few minutes to write them down.

Once you’ve identified these challenges you’ll want to choose 3 and plug them into the video script format so that you can prepare the script you’ll use when recording your video.

Let’s dive into the script format again.

And don’t forget, you can grab a copy of this template at www.yourmarketingcoachonline.com/7 (no opt-in required). Just click and download it to begin crafting your video scripts!

The Script Format

If you remember, I shared that there are 3 parts you want to include in your video:

• A Hook or Main Idea
• Value Points
• And Call-to-Action

Again, the hook is designed to capture the attention of your viewer right away so that they want to know more and keep watching.

The value points are your opportunity to share your experience, expertise, story, or problem.

And the call-to-action is the action you recommend they take once they watch your video.

Let me walk you through this process using the example that I shared with you a second ago.

Let’s write the script for the common mistake that Entrepreneurs make when it comes to their website messaging using this format.

This script will be used to create an awareness video. If you remember, the goal of an awareness video is to provide value and position yourself as an industry leader. 

Here it is…

That’s it!

You’ll then follow that format to create more awareness videos, engagement videos, and conversion videos.

Remember, the only difference between the 3 types of videos is your call-to-action.

Awareness videos will have a “soft” call-to-action like “follow me”.

Engagement videos will (typically) ask the viewer to take action like “download a free resource”, “sign up for a masterclass”, “read your blog article”, or even “listen to your podcast”.

And then your conversion videos are designed to get your viewer to click to your sales page where they can purchase your solution and offer.

Closing Remarks

The last thing that I want to leave you with is that these videos don’t have to be super long. TikTok is proof that people love watching short videos that offer value and get right to the point.

The important thing to remember is not to overthink it. Don’t question whether your viewer will find your video valuable - let the numbers prove it.

The key here is to just produce some videos. Promote them on social media and look at your numbers to determine which videos are doing well and which ones aren’t. And replace the ones that aren’t with new content.

There is no way for you to know if a video you produce will do well unless you create it and share it!

And that’s all I have for you today.

Don’t forget to download my video script template to help you write your scripts at www.yourmarketingcoachonline.com/7