Tips For Making Videos More Appealing
Thinking of making a video? Great! Video has become popular as an online communication tool and it can be very effective for conveying your message. It also helps people to feel like they know you, which is important in helping them to decide if you and your practice are the right choice to help them resolve their issue.
Through video, you can help ease a potential client’s hesitation to reach out and contact you. You can help cut down on the confusion when the client has collected 2-3 names and is deciding who to call first – especially when the client views your service as a commodity and is focused only on “who they can get through to first”.
Think of your video as your opportunity to talk directly to your potential client at the time they are making a decision on whether to seek help and who to call. This is a critical point for clients and video gives you a unique opportunity to “be there” for them as they are trying to decide what to do.
If you are making a video for use on your website as a marketing tool, here are a few pointers to keep in mind:
- plan ahead for your recording session
- wear solid colors – patterns make the video look “too busy”
- wear bright, flattering colors (not loud colors and not drab colors)
- for women, wear simple jewelry that goes with your outfit. Avoid large, flashy pieces, jewelry that clanks or makes other noises, and jewelry that is going to “catch the light” and reflect it back to the camera as a glare
- take a look around at your “set”, the background that will appear in your video. Even the smallest item can be a distraction when it’s in disarray.
- Watch for messy stacks of anything on your desk, bookshelves behind you in disarray, stray tissues, crooked pictures on the wall, coffee mugs with lipstick on the rim, wrinkled curtains, things drapped over chairs.
- These are things your eye may overlook in the room, but that stand out on the video in a “not so attractive” way.
- do a practice video, then watch it to see what shows up in the background that you didn’t notice. Also notice any shadows or reflections you don’t want.
- position the camera so that you are looking straight into the camera or slightly upwards. Looking downwards when you record it results in a video with shadows on your face.
- Looking downward puts you in a position that doesn’t seem natural to the viewer to watch (how many times do you talk with someone who is staring down at you during the conversation?)
- get the room as bright as possible so that lighting is even and shadows are minimized
- know ahead of time what you want to say and run through it a few times. You don’t want to sound rehearsed, but you also don’t want to look like you’re not clear on your message
- before you turn on the recorder, do a few things to losen up and increase your energy level.
- breath deeply, walk around the room (some people find a few stretches increases their feel of energy)
- laugh out loud – think of something funny or just simply laugh
- say something loudly – shout it! This helps loosens you up and helps you avoid starting your video with a low tone of voice. It can also help you increase your energy level. High energy comes across on a video…and so does low energy (which is painful to watch).
- look straight into the camera, smile and start talking!
This short video has a few more tips to add to your toolkit: