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It’s no secret that video has become a powerful tool for advisors to connect with their networks and grow their businesses. It allows people to get to know you and your firm and really “humanizes” your brand. But, we get it! Getting started and consistently updating your video content can be intimidating and often gets lost in everyday tasks. It doesn’t have to be though. In this blog, we’re sharing actionable tips to grow your firm. Let’s dive right in!
We’re breaking down some step-by-step information so that you can create and publish your first video while successfully implementing this tactic into your marketing strategy from start to finish, including:
- Creating a video strategy
- Creating shareable and engaging video content
- Necessary tools & equipment
- Best ways to share via your website/blog/social media accounts
Why Should You Use Video?
So, why should you use video? There are many different reasons and in today’s blog, we are going to touch on some of the top things to remember.
Designate a Spokesperson
When it comes to video, there are some things to keep in mind so that you can get a better strategy in place, and to start, designating a spokesperson to represent your firm is going to be key. Visibility comes from thought leadership, and it’s important to remember that people connect with people, not brands. It humanizes your company and puts a face to a name, making for a much stronger connection.
How Can You Get People to Watch?
Other than having engaging content, there are some tips that you can implement to get more eyes on your video including, having a great thumbnail, hooking people with the first 15 seconds and using the PPP formula (Preview, Proof, Preview).
Before you get started, however, it’s important to implement a strategy. When you put your content out, it’s important to keep the following in mind:
- Have one big idea
- Don’t script every word
- Make sure your content is relevant and timely
- Focus on stories and not sales
Focusing on stories is another way to “humanize” your brand, because if you share a certain story, someone from your audience may find your story relevant to them, which is a great way to hook them.
Once you get a strategy in place, what type of content should you be posting?
“Talking Head” Videos
Some things to keep in mind are:
- Find good lighting (light source behind the camera)
- Position talking points behind the camera
- Camera positioned at eye line or higher
- Speak extemporaneously
- Start with a story or stat to hook viewers
“Get to Know You” Video
This can be short and sweet and just let your audience learn more about you. They’re great to use on your bio, your homepage or “Meet the Team” page.
Single-Topic Videos
This can include market commentary or trending insights.
Create a Video Out of a Social or Blog Post
Creating strong content consistently can be quite a feat for anyone, especially a busy financial advisor. So, why not get the most out of a good social or blog post and turn it into a video? Pull a statistic or some good information and then you can create a video that you can share on social, within a blog on a website or in your email marketing.
Just as you get more for your marketing dollar when you cater to a specific niche, the same goes for video. The more narrowed down the audience is…the better. The post and video below from Dave Zoller focuses on a very specific question, “Can I deduct golfing if I discuss business?” When you answer this type of question rather than create a vague video, it will really hit home with more people.
Now that you know the type of content you should be using, we’ve got some great news. You don’t need fancy equipment to create some awesome videos. You can shoot with your smartphone or on your webcam. When paired with some video hosting software, you can really create videos that connect. And this is incredibly important, especially since the demand for video is increasing. In fact, 54% of consumers want to see more video content from a brand or business they support.
Sharing Your Videos
Websites are 52 times more likely to be found when they have an embedded YouTube video on them, so make sure you are including these!
To make sure everything is up to speed, here are a few best practices to implement.
- Make sure your videos are 30 seconds to 1 minute (static pages – home, about)
- If you have a vlog, keep it at 4-20 minutes
- Do not set your videos to auto-play
- Embed from YouTube
- Take a blog you already have and record a short video – keep the video laser-focused on ONE topic
- Transcribe for compliance approval and use transcription for an SEO boost
YouTube shares that 90% of the best-performing videos on YouTube have custom thumbnails, so make sure you are including those on your videos. Cut through the noise and draw in your audience with a strong thumbnail.
Using Video in Your Social Media
The main goal of a firm’s social media is to create interest and engagement with its audience and to use video in this way takes it next level. On average, a visitor sees a video within the first 10 seconds of social media use. In fact, videos perform well with most algorithms, based on watch time. And research from Mention shows that Instagram videos usually draw in 2 times the engagement as compared to images. As you can see in the image below, Jeanne Fisher, CFP®, CPFA shared a video about “The After-Tax Bucket” and then tagged several of advisors and companies, which is another great way to boost engagement.
BEST PRACTICES FOR SHARING VIDEO ON SOCIAL
- Upload video natively to each platform
- Length: 1- 4 minutes
- Add hashtags
- Tag @ people/companies you mention
- Ask questions that you want people to answer in the comments
- Link to long-form content in the comments/text of the post (your blog, landing page, etc.)
- Always reply quickly to everyone who comments
- Feel free to also tag others in the comments to get more exposure
Using Video in Emails
According to Biteable, video content in emails can improve click-through rates by up to 300%. And email marketing is already an incredible way to reach your audience, with an amazing ROI of $42 for every $1 spent.
BEST PRACTICES:
- Include word {VIDEO} before the subject line for higher open rates
- DON’T ACTUALLY upload/send video
- Take a snapshot from the video, add “play” button over it (CANVA)
- Embed image into video, link image, which will take readers to Youtube to watch
And lastly, every business should have a YouTube channel. It is the easiest way to distribute content and get found, so ensure that you have this.
Key Takeaways
Videos are not going anywhere. They are such an incredible way to connect with clients and prospects, and this has never been more true than in the last two years. We were socially distanced for so long, and video was one of the only ways that we could truly connect, and we hope this helps you to better reach your clients and prospects right where they are, on their phones or in front of a screen.
Related: Social Media Video Best Practices for Financial Advisors in 2022