How to Make a Killer Marketing Video

dotloop

July 24, 2018 | comments

Master the Mini Movie and Start to Quickly Generate Leads

Real estate agents have been using video to cut through the noise on social media, build rapport with followers and ultimately evoke a response to help land new clients.

Now with Instagram joining Facebook and YouTube and Twitter hosting longer-form videos, agents willing to learn how to create good content and produce it consistently have more chances to capture views than ever before.

The human face communicates information in ways far differently than text, still images or audio, says Jason Sheffield, Vice President of Content Strategy at leading email video marketing platform BombBomb.

The sales process begins with knowledge and awareness, moves to building trust and, if all goes well, a positive reception. Social, print and other media can achieve these goals over time, Sheffield says, but only videos can build all three immediately.

Contrary to popular opinion, a successful video doesn’t have to be expensive, clever or even contain highly original content. You just need to check off four basic elements.

1. Start with Basic Gear

 
Begin by getting some basic video equipment. There’s no need to purchase an expensive camera — today’s smartphones can shoot high quality video. You will, however, need adequate lighting. The inside of a car makes a great location because of the abundance of natural light softened by the windows, Sheffield says.

Avoid overlit environments, such as direct sunlight, and underlit rooms, like the back of a restaurant.

Sound is also extremely important. Someone shooting in a very quiet location, such as the car, can use the built-in microphone on the phone. But when you need to boost your voice while cutting background noise, reach for a phone headset. You can also find inexpensive lav mics (think clip-ons used for TV interviews) designed specifically for a smartphone.

To help stabilize the video, inexpensive mini tripods with flexible legs can help hold a smartphone on a car dash or in your hand for selfie-style videos. Gimbal mounts make great assistants for stabilizing the camera when you’re walking and filming.

2. Exude Energy

 
When speaking on-camera or smartphone, always look directly at the camera lens. You may be tempted to look at the screen, but viewers can tell when a subject’s eyes are not looking directly at them.

Sheffield says this may take some practice, but this simple tip will make your videos that much more personable.

“Always talk to your audience as if it’s a single person,” he says. “Don’t start off your video by saying, ‘Hey, everybody.’ You want the person watching it to feel like you are talking directly to them.”

While it may be a myth that the camera adds 10 pounds, it does soak up energy. That’s why Sheffield recommends exuding about 10% more enthusiasm that in normal conversation.

“When we’re in a group setting, we naturally up our energy level. It’s important to do this on camera so you don’t come across as flat and unexcited about what you’re presenting,” he says.

Speak clearly and deliberately, making the most of pauses.

Another tip: Let viewers see your hands. When people can see you, it builds trust, and natural gestures add enthusiasm.

3. Create Engaging Content

 
Agents often mistakenly believe that they have to create content that’s original enough to garner thousands of views. Not only is it extremely difficult to create videos that consistently go viral, but having tens of thousands of views by people from outside the market won’t accomplish your goals.

“What I hate about the idea of ‘original content’ is that it’s extremely overwhelming,” he says. “Because there really is no original content. Someone else has already done it. So if you get hung up on the idea that you have to do something nobody has ever done before, you’re not going to do it.”

Sheffield advises focusing instead on creating “you content,” that is, content from the agent’s unique perspective. For example, if you specialize in a certain neighborhood, you may focus your content on the community, which can provide value to local viewers.

As a rule, strive to convey messaging that covers the following three areas:

Education: Demonstrate knowledge of the industry and a deep understanding of the local real estate market. Use this knowledge to educate people constantly.

Community: You should be a hyper-local expert, knowing all the best restaurants, bars, parks and schools. Each of these could be the subject of a video. Sheffield suggests co-producing videos with the owners of these businesses and have them promote the video as well on their social channels to optimize views.

Life Outside Real Estate: What makes you unique? Share a little about your hobbies, causes and personal projects to help personalize your video and make you more memorable.

4. Post Consistently

 
It’s important not to try posting videos a few times and then give up. Give your videos a fair chance by consistently producing and sharing for many months.

Remember, the difference between a successful and an unsuccessful video campaign often  comes down to the frequency of your messaging.

According to Sheffield, research has shown that prospective clients require between nine and 14 “touches” with an agent’s content (about six months worth of videos) before evoking a response.

For best results, keep production as simple as possible with videos that are easy to shoot and edit. Sheffield advises using time-blocking to get the best efficiency in your production: Set aside four hours every two weeks to record 10 pieces of video content. This should give you enough material to post daily for two weeks.

Once you have your hair and makeup ready for the camera and your gear set up, it makes sense to shoot multiple videos at once. If you want to make it look like the videos were shot on different days, change something noticeable about your outfit, like a blouse, tie or scarf.

Game shows like Wheel of Fortune use this “batching” trick to tape a month’s worth of episodes in four days. Pat just changes his tie, and Vanna changes her gown.

By making video production a scheduled habit, you’ll quickly grow more comfortable in front of the camera, acquire better content ideas and see a return on your time investment as prospective clients start to comment and share your videos.