A beginner’s guide to online video marketing

Want to have a personal relationship with all your customers but can’t reach them face-to-face? Online video marketing is the answer, and getting it right as an entrepreneur doesn’t have to break the bank.

The internet is a beautiful thing, it’s revolutionised our work and personal lives, but one downer is that in some respects, we’ve lost the art of face-to-face communication. No-one picks up the phone anymore because they can send an email. People hide behind their screens, terrified to actually interact with customers and show a human face. But we’re tired of this, I’ve noticed in recent years people are craving human contact. They’ve become suspicious of dry email communication, and if they’re going to buy from you, they want to be able to develop a relationship with you and trust you.

But who can have a personal relationship with all their customers? If you want to actually build a profitable business and reach more consumers, this isn’t possible. That’s why I’ve fallen in love with online video marketing. It might sound scary, and when I first started off, I was really nervous – who wants to put themselves out there – on the internet, where everyone can see you? But, 100 million people watch videos online every day. If you aren’t making the most of online video marketing, you are missing out.

Online video marketing doesn’t have to be terrifying. By applying video at all the stages of my marketing funnel, I was able to transform my business. Here are my tips for what you need to deliver authentic, honest and successful online video marketing, and how it can have a phenomenal impact on your bottom line.

Don’t go overboard investing in expensive equipment – it’s not necessary. The camera on your iPhone/Android is capable of taking decent images. If you want to go to the next level, you can invest in a DSLR but there’s no need to spend more than a few hundred dollars.
If you’re going to be roaming with your videos, you might want to think about investing in a GoPro. If you haven’t got the budget for that, you can always use a selfie stick with your smartphone – yes they may provoke judgement, but they’re great for this purpose (just not when you’re on holiday!)
Audio: Regardless of budget, I don’t recommend using the audio straight out of your smartphone – invest in a lapel mic (they’re pretty affordable – between $12 and $60), plug it into your phone’s headphone jack and use your phone’s free audio app (Voice Memos/ Audio Recorder) to record your audio
Lighting – this is important, and the lighting in your home/office is unlikely to do the job. You’ll need two umbrella lights positioned either side in front of your face. This will make the world of difference, trust me, and you won’t need to splash out more than $30-$40 for each.
Teleprompter: Even if you have the world’s greatest memory, you still might forget something important, or gabble your words, so teleprompter is crucial. Position it behind and just above your camera. Experiment with the speed – this will depend on what you’re comfortable with so practice with varying speeds until you find the right one for you.
Finally, editing. Once you’ve got the video filmed you need to edit the audio and visual together, and there are heaps of free software packages available online. The ones that comes with your Mac or PC (iMovie and Windows Movie Maker), are fine, cost nothing and are easy to use.
Now you’re good to go – embedding a clickable image that takes people to a video in an email increases the click-through rate by 65%. Take advantage of that!

Want more articles like this? Check out the podcasting and video tips section.

Predictions are that in 2017, 74% of all Internet traffic will be directed towards video so there’s no point in delaying. Online video marketing needn’t cost an arm and a leg, and by getting your voice and face out there, you’re going to finally have a personal relationship with tens of thousands of people!