Five ways to use video to get business

by Terry Brock

It is no secret that video is a hot way to connect with important business prospects and customers today.

Video is preferred to print by many. We can debate whether that is good or bad later. Marketing-minded entrepreneurs today need to use video to capture the attention of potential and current customers.

Fortunately, we have seen major developments that have made creation and delivery of video much faster, easier and cheaper (three words that will ring the bells of joy in any entrepreneur’s heart). Ease of video capture and editing is one development. Increased bandwidth is another.

Here are five ways that you can use video to increase sales and connect with important people.

Facebook Live

Facebook Live gives the excitement of a live event. Think of the energy and enthusiasm that is generated for a live sporting event or a live telethon. As of the third quarter of 2019, Facebook has 2.45 billion monthly active users. That makes it the most populated nation on earth!

You can use Facebook to reach all the people on your list, or even better, target specific groups where you are active. The old saying, “Get rich in your niche” applies here when you use Facebook to target a specific group who has an interest in a specific topic.

Bonus for you: There is an add-on that works with Facebook to let you bring in up to 25 people on screen, share your screen with them and more. The tool is called BlueJeans. Another tool called Zoom also allows this, along with the ability to share your smart phone and tablet screens. People are able to generate a lot of excitement and energy using Facebook Live with the added enhancement for video.

YouTube

This is the dominant video force today. There are two primary uses for YouTube. One is videos that solve a specific problem for your target market. Remember the old sales adage that is still true today — make your content about them, not about you.
Another way you can use YouTube is with a live broadcast. Think about it. You have the power to send a live video stream like only well-heeled, financially enriched TV stations and networks could do just a few years ago.

Make your live YouTube videos exciting and highly relevant. Think about using this for a new product launch, a new development in the news, a tour of your facility, or another way to connect with your audience and provide serious value for them.

Personal videos

This is exciting! This technique has been around for a long time, starting with a tool called Eyejot, which unfortunately went out of business a while ago. However, there are other tools available.

One of the best ways to send a personal video is to use the YouTube Capture app that is available on both the Apple store and Google Play. The capture app allows you to use your smart phone or tablet to create a quick video for important people.

You can create a video and then upload it to YouTube. Once that’s done, you can send an email to the specific person or persons you want to see it. Be sure to make it “Unlisted” so that it is available only to those you choose, rather than the “Public” option.

This is particularly good when you want to show something relevant like a new product or something that can benefit your customer when you are on the road.

Think about the benefits of creating a quick video with you and another person that is sent to a third-party you both know and want to reach.

Screen sharing

Screen sharing is a great way to create how-to videos. Tools like Camtasia (from techsmith.com) or ScreenFlow (from telestream.net) can create videos that illustrate how to perform certain tasks showing your screen. You can also have a picture in picture alongside the screen so that it makes the video more interesting and helpful for learning.

Both Camtasia and ScreenFlow can give you the ability to create training modules and answer specific questions from email in a unique, creative way. These types of videos get attention and help in the learning process, and helping others is a great way to boost sales.

Live virtual interactive presentations

These presentations offer a magical way to create excitement with buyers. Facebook live is one way to do this, as cited above. Tools like Google Hangouts, which has been replaced by YouTube Live, are also great for live virtual presentations.

Recently, I worked with a team to create an eight-hour fundraising event for a charitable cause. We interviewed key celebrities in a given niche over this eight-hour period live on video. People joined us from around the world for the exciting event which we promoted in advance.

The bottom line is we had more than 14,000 people join in and we raised more than $50,000 for the charity. One hundred percent of the funds raised went to that charity.

Think about how you can use live events for an exciting, updated presentation around a given event. I do this often now, and find every time I do it, it generates excitement for me and my clients.

Get to know these video possibilities. Video can help you in your work and help your customers. Having excited customers who love what you are doing boosts your bottom line.

Terry Brock is a marketing coach who helps business owners market more effectively leveraging technology. He shows busy professionals how to squeeze more out of their busy days by using the right rules and tools.

You can reach Terry at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at terrybrock.com.