1. Stop selling.

I don’t want to be sold to, neither do you or your customers. Offer the customer value in the form of genuine information, let them in on your secret sauce and teach them everything you know. Give away the farm and you’ll become the ultimate source of information and authority in your field. 

2. Keep it light and playful. Show your personality.

The most successful videos I have produced have come from business owners that maintain a light and friendly demeanour when presenting in their sales, product and corporate videos. It shows character and makes you very approachable which in turn develops trust in your customers. This works far greater than serious Sam staring down the barrel of a camera lens. I’ve had customers approach my clients and start talking to them at ease as if they’ve known them for a while. In the customers’ mind they feel they know you enabling a far more productive interaction.

3. Be truthful and respect your brand.

Be authentic and don’t embellish. Customers are savvy when it comes to watching sales videos. Being truthful will engage an audience more than other methods.

4. Ask a question first.

The opening line should always be a question typically centred around answering the most common issue a potential customer is looking for. It works for any niche from an accounting issue or finding the right boat, the customer will immediately become engages in what you have to say.

5. Build for Social Media.

Why? Youtube is the second largest search engine in the world. Facebook mobile will mostly be video content by 2020. Most social ads across Linked in, twitter, Instagram and Facebook are videos. How? Build versions with and without audio to maximise lead retention. 

6. Teach.

Similar to stop selling, teaching customers value tips and tutorial walk-throughs can greatly influence a potential buyer. It’s also an opportunity to add sizzle to the video. If selling a golf widget, it doesn’t hurt to include those early morning sizzle shots on the fairway, selling the dream.   

7. Customer testimonials.

They can be interacting with you on the job or a product as they are talking over the footage or standard interview style. It doesn’t matter, the point is showing existing customers happy with you and your brand builds trust, simple as that.  

8. Solve the problem. Explain what you’re doing.

After asking the question, showing trust in your brand and secret sauce, begin to show the customer how you and your brand solve the problem consistently over and over again for many customers.

9. Good locations.

I don’t know how many businesses have great products and services and then shoot a video behind their desk with dick doodles on the white board. Select a good location, use a DSLR with shallow depth of field to place the background out of focus. Dress neatly, if you’re a guy, shave! USe good lighting, go to Bunnings (hardware store) and buy an LED work light for 20 bucks. Google “shot composition for video presenting” to learn how to frame the subject. Such small things make the biggest difference. 

10. Talk to the camera, your customer.

Scripts are handy but you should never read from them. It looks too rigid, like you’re reading from a script! Either talk directly to the camera to connect with your audience or look at someone just off camera and talk to them. More real, more engaging. I find a lot of business owners do not wish to be in front of the camera, so it’s good to know there are plenty of other methods to get your message and brand across on video.