11 Tips On How To Create A Business Promotion Web Clip

Here are some simple steps to get you on your way to creating a video web clip to promote your business via your website and/or strategic postings.

1. Story good, selling bad-Blatantly pushing your product/service will have viewers jumping to a new page. We are inundated by sales messages seemingly every moment of every day. People will not choose to watch them if given the choice. Think of building relationships by including some type of personal story or desription. The idea is to help customers understand you or your business better. This comes through giving a glimpse of who you are.

2. You can smell a rat from a mile away- Speak honestly, from the heart and people will hear you. We all know when somebody is being sincere and when they are not. Do not try to be something that you are not. Be yourself. Video clips do not have to be dramatic, complex or state of the art. They have to be real. It is just like your person to person dealings. When you are true, honest and empathetic, people want to do business with you. Good video captures this.

3. Don’t try to be Spielberg- Most of you are probably saying, “I would never or could ever be Spielberg. I can’ t even operate my home video camera.” You only need basic equipment and a desire to expand your business. Think simplicity, think basics. Flashiness is not needed here. You are striving to help customers connect to you and your business, not sell the next blockbuster.

4. Bad lighting turns Cinderella into a hag- You don’t need to know much, but you must stay aware of the light when you film. Along with some basic sound, which many consumer cameras already have built in, lighting is the other main consideration. Natural lighting can work very well, but then you are committed to filming outside. If filming outside, take into account where the sun is. Try to film in mid morning or late afternoon when the light is a little softer. Keep the sun to the camera’s back. I would also invest in lights- whether it is two or three of them. They are relatively inexpensive and with some basic knowledge you can be a film pro. Shadows, darkness and strong light are your enemies.

5. Keep it short- In most cases, think no longer than a minute or maybe two. There certainly is a place for longer clips, but those should be reserved for specific pages. Brevity works well because you can capture attention, drive your point home and wrap it up while customers are still engaged. If they click off of a long video due to boredom that hurts your cause. Short, sweet, to the point- it’s a formula for success.

6. Failing to plan is planning to fail- A storyboard is an outline of what your video will cover. It includes your message, the visuals and any text additions. Think of each clip like a book. It should have an introduction, body and conclusion. Your storyboard may be as simple as writing out, “I will sit in front of the camera, in the living room chair, introduce myself and state the mission of my business.” The only limit is your imagination, but you will be well served if you map out your route first. It can be kind of daunting sitting in front of the camera saying to yourself, “Now what did I want to say.” You don’t need to write a script, but at least know your point.

7. Huh??? What did he say? – Probably doesn’t need to be explained in depth, but your sound quality should be great. If you are filming in a controlled environment- meaning living room or conference room- and you are positioned within shouting distance of the camera (which you should be because zooming is a no-no for web video) most quality consumer cameras built in mic should be adequate. If in doubt, buy an external mic. You can get one for cheap and you won’t have to worry about the sound quality. Check to make sure your camera has an external mic input.

8. Smile, smile, smile - I am not the smiling type. Ask to take a picture of me and immediately my face will distort and become unrecognizable. I am not talking about fake smiling- like Herb the used car salesman- but genuineness. Slow down, there is no pressure. Putting a video together is on your own timetable. Take a few deep breaths and enjoy the experience. I mean it. If you enjoy filming it, people will enjoy watching it.

9. No this is not X-rated – Let your passion show. It is one of the most important things you can do. Have you ever seen a speaker who enthralls you. If so, she was in touch with her passion. It’s like “getting into the zone”. I am sure you can remember times in your life when your speaking- even just in casual conversation- was coming from a different place. Get in touch with that spot deep inside and use it. You are passionate about what you do and people have to see that dripping off you. How you demonstrate that passion varies from person to person, but you need to be excited to tell the world about your message. Passion is contagious.

10. Everyone can see it -Do yourself a favor when first fiddling around with web video, convert everything into Flash. If you don’t use Flash you will have to think about other formats, who can see them, who can’t see them, adding links to downloads, etc. . . Converting into flash is easily done. There are many programs out there and the cost for the download is nominal. Here is one program that will allow you to convert most any file into Flash format.

11. I hate asking for help, but. . .  – Don’t be afraid to call in professionals for some or all of your project. Web video is a new industry so you might have to hunt around a bit, but there are plenty of people you can call upon. Traditional videographers can help with filming, editing and possibly production. Ask for pricing and be specific on what you are looking for. Be a good comparison shopper. Run your project idea past your web designer before you start. That way you will have an idea on how it is going to fit into your overall site. Ask questions, be specific and know what you want.