Advisor communications series: Five best practices for videos

Given the amount of time people spend watching online videos, it’s no wonder advisors want to evolve their marketing endeavours to capture the attention of their clients and prospects.

Here are a few tips to ensure your online videos are more professional and engaging.

Be prepared

Write a script. If you can’t get it right, bring someone in to polish it for you.

You don’t want to wing it when it comes to conveying your message. If you’re lost for words and start using fillers like “umm,” it could hurt your – and your company’s – image.

Great video depends on great sound

We can’t overstate how essential audio is to video. You may be talking about the most interesting subject in the world, but if your audience can’t hear you clearly, they’ll go somewhere else.

This goes for lighting too. If you’re hidden in the shadows, your viewers may not want to strain to see you.

Keep your video short and sweet

People often ask us “What’s the best length for a video?” Sometimes people are surprised by our answer. A minute is good. A one-minute video works because it doesn’t ask too much from your viewer. If written well, it’s more than enough time to convey one to three key points.

Note: there is a place for longer videos if the content you’re sharing truly is great and people are highly engaged in your topic.

Hold off on the hard sell …

The best videos are not sales pitches. They solve problems instead.

If you focus solely on your company’s history and successes, you’ll bore your audience. You don’t want them asking “What’s the point of this video?”

The best approach is to use your corporate videos to help solve your clients’ and prospects’ challenges.

… and close like a pro

Corporate videos, just like brochures, emails and every other type of marketing material, should end with a call to action.

Remember that if they have made it to the end of the video, you’re not bothering your audience. The viewer probably wants more. So help them out and tell them what they should do next.

If you want help with your next video, contact us at 416.925.1700 or info@ext-marketing.com.