Are you currently using video marketing for business to attract and book ideal clients? Whether you use video marketing software or create them yourself, video marketing is a fast way to capture the attention of clients who are perfect for you. Though, it can be challenging to know exactly where to start with videos and the best places to share them to gain the most traction. We reached out to ShootDotEdit Wedding Pro, Vanessa Joy, to gain her insights on how to boost your photography business with video marketing. Keep reading to learn more.
Vanessa Joy has been an influential business coach in the wedding community for years. Starting her photographic journey in 1998, she has since earned 5 college degrees, started her own business in 2008, and began teaching around the world in 2009. Vanessa has spoken on major platforms such as CreativeLIVE, Wedding MBA, WPPI, Imaging USA, WeddingWire World, and Mobile Beat in addition to giving talks at numerous conventions throughout Europe and South America.
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Video Marketing for Business
Marketing to millennials. Millennial just might sound like the bad “M” word to you, but nowadays it takes up a huge part of the market. If you’re a wedding photographer, it’s your primary market. So how do you speak the Millennial language?
Being a NJ wedding photographer since about 2002, I’ve watched marketing methods change over the years, and I’ve gone through countless trial-and-error campaigns to find the success I have now. I’m going to spare you all the fluff in this article and get right down to what works.
Videos on social media works. Why? Millennials are on social media and video content is preferred by most social platforms because it keeps users on their platforms longer. And even once that algorithm trick doesn’t work anymore, the psychology does. People pause for video longer than they will for photos. Here is your 5 step method to how to boost your business with video.
Related: 5 easy marketing ideas you can implement into your business NOW!
1. Get Photo and Video Content
Photo is easy – duh that’s what you do. If you have a camera that can snag some video, get that, too. Just hold still (preferably on a tripod or put your camera on a table) and let the action of your subjects move for you. Forget the audio for now. You really don’t need it anyway.
Related: Share the best images possible with your clients in the videos you create when you outsource photo editing to a specialist, like ShootDotEdit!
2. Match Your Brand
Branding is one of the most important aspects of your business. In fact, a lot of clients will decide not to work with you based on your brand alone. If you want a few branding secrets, download my free eBook 9 Secret Ways to Brand Your Business. Consistency is key in any brand.
Related: Are you using these 5 ways to market your photography business?
3. Make a Video
I know, I know. It seems like I just skipped 17 steps here. Trust me, I didn’t. Making videos today is seriously easy. After you’ve taken a bunch of photo and video clips, you just need to put them together. There are a lot of programs out there to do this, and I have tried them all. Personally, I use Animoto because it’s fast, easy, and reliable. You can literally upload your photos and videos, click here and there, and have a finished marketing video done in 20 minutes or less.
Don’t believe me? I’ve made you a tutorial on how to do it that you can watch for free right here. You’ll watch how I make a video in less than 10 minutes and be ready to do it for yourself right afterward. Plus, I’ve given you a few examples of the types of marketing videos you can make on that page as well.
Hint: You can communicate better with your existing clients via video!
Related: 4 Amazing Marketing Ideas for Wedding Photographers – get them now!
4. Make It Compelling
Now that our world has an attention span that parallels a goldfish, it’s not enough to unintentionally slap together photos and videos. You have to make it interesting enough to keep the attention of the viewer as well. There are a few tricks to doing this that’ll come in handy when you’re putting your film together.[ninja-inline id=14322]
First, keep it short.
Keep everything short. Photos should only be on the screen for 1-3 seconds. Video clips less than 5 each (unless something really, really interesting is happening), and the entire video should be under a minute. Under one minute ensures you can post the video on Instagram, though Facebook suggests videos be closer to 15 seconds for the best possibility of being watched all the way through.
Second, use text.
80% of people are watching your videos without their sound turned on. You need to be able to communicate your video’s purpose without audio. Of course, make sure you have audio on the video (Animoto has free music included for you), but don’t rely on it to convey your message.
Third, bounce the eyes.
This is a great technique primarily used in cinema and TV shows that subliminally causes the viewer to be more interested, or less bored, in your video. To do this, arrange your photos, video clips, and text in a way that moves around the screen. Don’t have the subject of every clip be in the center. Have it go from left, to bottom, to top right, to middle, to top left and so on. Moving the viewer’s eyes around the screen will keep them engaged in your video just a few seconds longer.
Related: Are you using content marketing as a part of your strategy? Find out why you need to here!
5. Post it Everywhere
Once you’ve created your masterpiece, it’s time to share it with the world! Download the video and upload it to your social platforms directly, rather than via the share button on Animoto. It’ll slightly help boost the chance of your video being seen by more people.
At a minimum, I recommend you having a social presence on Facebook and Instagram, so post your videos there with the proper tags and hashtags. If you need some help with tricks to posting on social media, I’ve got just what you need right here in a FREE replay webinar chock full of social media tips.
I hope you’ve highlighted this article to death. I gave you a ton of information and a ton of homework. Truthfully, the tips and tricks I gave you here are massively responsible for the success of my business. Because of methods like these, I’ve booked gigs that found me on Instagram, called me and booked a $10,000 package. There is no end to the power of social media and using video to speak to your potential and existing clients. I’ve given you the tools, and even more resources online – go get ‘em.
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Knowing how to use video marketing for business owners can help you quickly reach your ideal clients on social media. Since creating a marketing photography plan is such an important part of your success, we put together a guide filled with expert tips and tricks on how to best use marketing for photographers.
I came across this article and I found video marketing does work. I started using Animoto to create video slide shows and it has increased my business and amount of calls I get. This is a really good post!