In this video you’re going to learn about how to stay on point with video content and you’ll see two examples using content I created. I guess you could say that what you’re reading and the video about this topic is another example of content, and you’d be right!
Why you should care

Content marketing is not just a trend. Publishing content, whatever form that may take, is an important tool when it comes to branding and marketing your products or services. Consumers tend to trust and buy from companies that provide valuable information to them. That means you should care because without sharing valuable content with your target audience, your business becomes vulnerable to competitors that do embrace content marketing.

What content was created

Every week, I publish three pieces of content and each one is usually a video. On Tuesdays, it’s something for PresentationExpressions.com, on Wednesdays it’s something for Edutige Microphones, and on Thursdays it’s something for my personal website, CarlKwan.com. The Thursday content is anything related to creating, marketing or branding, such as this post you’re reading now.

And on Mondays, I usually publish something for Winright Law in Vancouver, a local law firm that has embraced content marketing.

So this week for PresentationExpressions.com, I published a video about how to engage a presentation audience using a simple question and sentence. For Edutige, it was a video showing how to get great audio for videos using an iPhone. And finally, for my own content… You’re reading it! And there’s also this video to along with it…

What was the purpose or goal of the content?

The video I made for PresentationExpressions.com was inspired by one of the more common questions I receive from viewers on YouTube, and that is how to engage the audience, or how to get the audience’s attention in a presentation. So the purpose of the presentation video was to educate my audience about a topic that is relevant to them.

The video for Edutige was in response to the growing number of people interested in vlogging or creating videos, but who feel held back because they don’t think they have the right camera and audio gear. So the goal of this video was to show how a simple point and shoot camera, along with an iPhone and one of the Edutige microphones could produce good video and audio. The hope is that someone will be inspired create, rather than feel limited by circumstance.

How to stay on point when making video content

So here are three tips for helping you when you’re working on your videos…

First: Keep in mind a 3 part structure: beginning, middle and end.

The beginning refers to identifying your target audience and their issue, problem or challenge. The middle is describing your solution and the end is your call-to-action.

Second: Use the simplest tools; use the environment.

This may not directly related to staying on point in your videos, but it’s still important because it addresses a major concern: As a business owner, you may feel that it is a major hassle and expense to get a bunch of equipment and set up a place to make your videos.

But even the simplest point and shoot cameras or your smartphone, can be powerful video cameras. The main requirement is being able to shoot in 1080p HD, some way to capture good audio (Edutige mics I heard were good!) and some place with good lighting.

But the point I’m trying to make is that video production doesn’t have to be complex or expensive. And you can always creatively find a way to make your videos. The biggest obstacle is usually the voice in your head saying that you can’t do it for such-and-such a reason.

Third: Edit without mercy

The final tip when it comes to making your videos is to spend time in the editing process to trim away the excess footage and talking that do not contribute to the video. Get your ego out of the way and consider what the video will be like for the viewer. Do they really need to see or hear everything you’ve shot? Most likely not.

The video for Edutige showing how to use an iPhone to get great audio was originally over six minutes long. But it was edited down to about a minute and a half. Much of the stuff I left out were transitions between me talking and the shots of the iPhone, along with some b-roll of the mic and camera I used. I also left out a lot talking that just didn’t fit.

So I hope you have a better understanding of what you need to do to create better video marketing content for your business. These are exciting times. I’m constantly amazed and inspired by what is possible in terms of marketing and taking control of one’s business.

Go out there and create. And if you’d rather have someone do it for you, please get in touch and I’ll be happy to see how I can help you reach your goals.

Thanks.