There are several reasons to use video for your business and if you are not using video you need to know that your competition probably is. Video is everywhere online and it has now become easy for just about anyone to utilize existing videos or produce their own. That being said there are right and wrong ways to use videos for business to be most effective.

Video helps with SEO: I am not a big fan of SEO for local businesses but video is one area that still works well to get your website on the first page of Google. You can optimize your videos on YouTube with keywords, terms, phrases and they may show up on Google Search in their carousel on the first page when the terms are searched.

Video vs text: Most people would rather watch a short video over reading a bunch of text. We live in an “I want it now” environment and you can get a point across much faster and better with video.

Shelf life: When videos are properly produced they can have a long shelf life and bring you business that you may have missed if only using the written word. Note I said “when properly produced”. This is an important factor in using videos properly.

Distribution: With today’s technology it is easy for just about anyone to view a video promo. Cell phones, computers, emails, social media and more.

Common video mistakes

The good news is most everyone can make a video. The bad news is most people do not have the knowledge or experience to properly know how, where or what type videos work best for their business. here are some common mistakes people make:

“I can be the star”. Yes you can and if you look and sound good on camera you may want to be in your own videos. The problem is most people do not look good enough or sound good enough for a professional video. If you don’t have a professional business it may not matter if you are in your own videos but if you have a professional business you should have a professional spokesperson. Even some of the local TV commercials look and sound terrible when the business owners are in their own videos. If you are like me and have a face for radio hire a professional to be in your videos. It may cost a couple hundred dollars but will be well worth it in the long run. If you know where to look you can find the right professional to represent your business for a couple hundred dollars. If needed I can assist with this for your business and location. Contact Success Builders: info@SuccessBuilders-Tampabay.com

Script: If you are using the video to sell something or need someone to contact you to do business you need a “Call to Action” (CTA) script. Keep it under 90 seconds and preferably under 60 seconds. Don’t educate! If you are educating you need to have a different style script. If you are not a professional script writer and have a professional business hire a script writer! This may also cost you a couple hundred dollars but well worth it. A nice looking video with a bad script is worthless! If needed I can assist with this for your business and location. Contact Success Builders: info@SuccessBuilders-Tampabay.com

Wrong Equipment: If you are using the video for your business website I encourage everyone to have a quality video on the home page. This video needs to be professional including lighting and video quality. You can use a cell phone if it provides high resolution video but this is only part of the equation. You need proper lighting and sound in order to produce a quality video. Any part of your video that is missing the right talent, script, lighting or sound will sabotage your results. If you are not a professional at producing videos you may want to hire a professional. be sure that the person you hire has a good knowledge of every aspect mentioned above before paying for their services. Unfortunately many so-called videographers call themselves professional just because they have equipment that looks professional. If needed I can assist with this for your business and location. Contact Success Builders: info@SuccessBuilders-Tampabay.com

Paying to much: Because of competition and ease of producing D.I.Y. videos the cost of having a quality video is now affordable for just about anyone. A quality sixty second video can now be produced for $500-$1000 depending on what is needed. An example of this is at the bottom of this page. This video was produced for less than $900 including shoot, talent, script, edit and posted to YouTube with S.E.O. If this sounds expensive remember that if properly produced it could possibly last you ten years. That is only $50-$100 per year to market your business! If needed I can assist with this for your business and location. Contact Success Builders: info@SuccessBuilders-Tampabay.com

When to D.I.Y. videos

There are times when you should absolutely produce your own videos. I suggest having your own YouTube Channel and produce as many short 30-60 second videos as possible related to your business. Be sure to optimize these videos. These are NOT your home page videos but instead “how to”, “testimonial”, or videos that create interest in your products or services. These can be distributed via social media, testimonial pages, the “MoneyTree reputation management website” , email lists, and more. Thes D.I.Y. videos do need to be produced properly and I would suggest attending a class for this or do a lot of research to better understand how to effectively produce these videos. If you are in the Tampa bay, Fl area I do affordable workshops on video production. If needed I can assist with this for your business and location. Contact Success Builders: info@SuccessBuilders-Tampabay.com