Do videos really work? This is a question I get a lot and the answer is a definite “Maybe”. I know that’s not a very satisfying answer. You are probably thinking: “Joe, everyone says I need video. I watch videos all the time. I’d rather watch a video than read a bunch of text on my computer screen or phone.”
Ok, so the simple answer is “Yes.” But the problem starts when you use a blanket statement like, “Videos work great for marketing.” That’s the same as saying, “Websites work great for marketing”. As we have already learned in this book, in order for a website to really work, it needs to be set up and presented in a specific way. In fact, a lot of the elements I teach about web design also apply to video.
If you create (or have someone else create) a professional-looking video with lots of stock pictures and some catchy background music, do you think that is going to connect with a potential client? The answer is “No.” That’s the same thing as setting up a boring generic brochure-style website.
Now, imagine this: A video begins playing with background music. The owner of the company and his crew are getting ready to start the day. They are dressed professionally and it’s obvious they are ready to work. It then shows ten seconds of a smiling customer talking about how amazing the company is.
The owner makes a few comments about how important it is that the customer is satisfied and how quality is a priority. There are several shots of completed work and then the video ends with a simple call-to-action, a phone number and a logo.
The entire video lasts about a minute.
Do you see the difference? The first video was boring and generic. The second video says “Hey, nice to meet you. We are people that you can trust. Let us know when you are ready to solve your problems.”
Believe me, I have built my business on video. And I can say first hand that a short personalized video is worth tens of thousands of dollars. The great thing is that it’s a little work up front, but once it’s complete, it’s done FOREVER!
It works for you 24/7. It’s a powerful component of The Service Business Money Machine.
Do you have to have a video to make your website produce results? No, but it sure helps. And if your competitors do not have a video as described above, then you win. You will get the call before they do.
How to Make a Video Step by Step
By doing a little prep work you can increase the chances of your video being successful. You don’t have to be the director of a major motion picture, but you are the producer of a customer-magnet video.
- Decide on a specific day to film the video, preferably when the weather is nice and lighting is good. Is it an indoor or an outdoor scene? This will depend on the specific service you are promoting on the video.
- List all of the people that will appear in the video. Examples are employees, top clients or family members. Make sure they are aware of the date, time and location.
- List all of the props that will appear in the video. Examples are tools, equipment, vans and backgrounds. Gather them in one place.
- List all of the locations and settings. Examples are workshop, office, customer’s home and job sites. If you want to build a lot of local business, it is good to utilize recognizable locations in your community.
- Create a very rough outline of how the video will play out. This may be a “story board.” Watch other industry-related videos on Youtube.com to get ideas.
- If there are going to be specific speaking parts, then create a very rough script. It is easiest to create bullet points so you are sure everything important is covered in a short amount of time.
- Make your life easy and find a local video pro on Craigslist.org under Creative Services. You may have to pay them a few hundred dollars to film and edit. Check their references and ask to see some of their work. This will save you hours of headaches trying to figure out cameras, lighting and complicated editing software. Many times, they will have insight and ideas for props, locations, scripts and other elements that you may be struggling with. I recommend paying them half of the agreed-on price at the filming and the rest when the finished product is delivered. Be aware that if you are paying by the hour, one minute of video may take several hours to edit. I prefer to pay by the project.
- Once the video is complete, you will need to upload it to Youtube.com. To log into your YouTube.com account, use the same Gmail or Google login you use to log in to your Google My Business account. Google owns YouTube.com so the login information is the same and the accounts will be connected.
- Once you log in to YouTube.com, click on the Upload button at the top of the screen. Then you will be able to browse and find your video file or drag and drop the file into the Video Upload box. Next you need to optimize your video for Search Engine Optimization and to help with conversions if someone finds your video on YouTube.com.
After the video upload is complete, you will be taken to a screen that allows you to make edits to the video. There are two sections that we want to work on here.
- First, the Title. You want this Title to contain your primary service, the city you are located in and the name of your business exactly as it appears on your Google My Business listing.
- Second, you want to move on to the Description box. Here you will add your website, your phone number and your physical address (optional if you work from home). You can also place the web addresses to your different Social Media accounts if you would like.
Now that the video is published live on YouTube.com, you want to do what is called embedding it to your website. This can get a little technical. If you have a web designer, then you may want them to do this for you. If you want to do it yourself, then go to the page where your video is located on Youtube.com. Below the video, click Share, then click Embed. You will be given a box of HTML code that needs to be copied and pasted to your website.
If you are on the edit screen of WordPress, then you will need to make sure you are in the “Text” tab, not the “Visual” tab. If you are using a platform other than WordPress, you will need to check with their help department. Once this is complete, the video will now appear as if it is live on your website.
In closing, don’t worry about making a cinematic Hollywood production. The power of video comes from how “real” it is. Feel free to make mistakes, and remember to smile. When speaking to the camera, just imagine you are having a conversation with a potential client.
If you have implemented everything up to this point, then you now have an amazing high-converting, lead-generating website, a virtual Money Machine. In the next chapter let’s discuss how to close the deal once a visitor picks up the phone to call you.
Table of Contents
Intro to Book: The Service Business Money Machine
Chapter 1: The Power of Making It Easy
Chapter 2: Navigation Menus and Pages
Chapter 3: Going Mobile
Chapter 4: Website Look and Feel
Chapter 5: Domains, Hosting and Websites
Chapter 6: Building Trust On The Internet
Chapter 7: Video Power!
Chapter 8: Closing the Deal
Chapter 9: SEO – Understanding the Game
Chapter 10: On-site SEO
Chapter 11: Off-site SEO
Chapter 12: Google My Business FAQ
Chapter 13: Facebook Marketing
Chapter 14: Bringing It All Together