Everyone keeps telling you that you need to create business videos to get the most attention on social media. But when you press “record,” you freeze up. Does that mean you will have to miss out on making videos for your business? Absolutely not!
You can still create videos in different ways for social media—even if you don’t feel confident doing a solo presentation. Whether you use words, pictures, animations, or even lean on a photogenic support person, you have a lot of options.
Slideshow Business Videos
Maybe you don’t love to create videos but like to take pictures. You can use those to make a video! There are several tools out there to help you make slideshow videos, but the easiest is to do it directly on Facebook.
Start by creating a new post, and click on the “Photo/Video” option.
You will see several video options, including “make a slideshow.” Once you open this, you can load 3-10 photos, determine how long to show each photo, and even add music.
Wondering how you might use a slideshow? You can…
- Do a quick recap of your day’s event with photos you took at the event.
- Showcase your customers.
- Share quotes of customer testimonials.
- Show off your new product.
Let your imagination create new ideas!
Remember that you can use any image file. So you can take your own photos, use stock images, or create text graphics with an online tool like Canva. These videos are fun and fast—and a good part of your content mix.
Create Business Videos with a Guest
Sometimes, activities that are difficult on our own get easier with a friend. Video is no exception. This is one of my most often recommended ideas for clients nervous about launching into a video on their own.
It can feel awkward when you do a video, as if you are talking to your computer. Instead, give yourself a real person to talk to.
Who would make a good guest?
- An expert in a complementary field to the products and services you offer
- A customer or client who has had experience working with you
- Someone with an interesting story to share
- Partners or collaborators who are working on a project with you
Feel nervous doing social media video on your own? Get a friend to help!
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You might want to try Facebook LIVE for your video. You can do it together in the same room, or use a tool like BeLiveTV to coordinate both of your feeds from different locations.
It is also an option to record on your phone or a camera. Doing so gives you the opportunity to edit it later. Then you can also schedule the video to multiple social media platforms. Agorapulse makes it easy to schedule videos and customize the post for each platform. You can even publish video directly to Instagram!
Show and Tell
Do you have a product or service that is very visual? Would seeing your product or service in action be helpful? Some examples of businesses that lend itself to this kind of video creation are:
- Artisans
- Crafters
- Chefs
- Designers
- Web creators
- Makers
- Realtors
With a little creativity, you can demonstrate almost any product or service.
For example, you can do a demonstration of your product or service both showing and telling what you are doing. But if you really don’t want to be on camera, you can always keep the focus on the product or service. For example, you could do a walk-through of a house for sale if you are a realtor. Or as a pastry chef, you can put a fixed camera above where you are decorating a cake, so that only the in-progress cake is visible.
You also might want to do a screen capture. For graphic designers or Web creators, a sped-up screen capture video showing your work can be a powerful testament to your skill.
These type of videos will take a little more preparation (especially the first time you do it). Make sure you are aware of the lighting and that the camera is steady. The good news is once you have your setup right, you will probably be able to do more in a lot less time!
Animated Videos for Your Business
Another way that you can create videos for the Web without being in front of the camera is by making an animated video. Does that sound really expensive or impossible unless you are a professional artist? It’s not! Many tools are available today for anyone to use. They may have built-in animations, text elements, and more. You can create a narration to go along with your video, or only use pictures.
One tool that I love is Powtoon. They have plans starting at free, up to $99/month depending on what features you use.
Creating these animated business videos is as easy as drag and drop. However, expect a learning curve and time to get the video just the way you want it. Like show and tell style videos though, once you establish your branding and look, you can more easily create more videos. (And if you don’t have a style guide for your business, this is a great time to create one.)
Once your video is done, you can download the movie file for easy scheduling on Agorapulse.
Learning to Be More Comfortable on Camera to Create Business Videos
Being confident on camera is a skill that you can learn. Here are some things that can help:
- Create a script or at least an outline before you get started so you don’t feel stuck.
- Make sure the space you are recording is well lit and comfortable.
- Eliminate sounds and distractions when you are making your video.
- Practice in front of the mirror to get more comfortable.
- Try singing karaoke, doing stand up on open mic night, or taking a public speaking class to push you outside your comfort zone.
- Put a picture of your very favorite customer or client next to your camera and pretend like you are talking right to them when you are recording.
Don’t worry if your videos are not always perfect. Just keep practicing!
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Who knows? After crafting different styles of business videos without your being in front of the camera, you may change your mind. And you might just decide that you want to do videos with you on camera anyway.
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How to Make Your Business Videos When You’re Awkward in Front of the Camera posted first on http://getfblikeblog.blogspot.com
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