Are you leveraging video on Linkedin?

It’s time to start because it’s become a rapidly increasing trend.

Since Linkedin has jumped on the video bandwagon, people from all professions have been using video in fun and creative ways, and as a result have gained lots of attention.

Here’s a couple of examples:

Video To Promote Your Services

A man named Rutger Hofman, a towing and mooring master and freelancer, decided to shoot a timelapse of the sun coming up on the ocean.  

So far, this simple idea got him 81 comments and over 700 likes!

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6299127991477825536/

Video To Promote Your Resume

Linkedin is mostly known for recruitment and resumes. A young woman named Niah is using video to do just that, and has created a “video resume”.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6307327448774168576/

That’s thinking outside the box!

Video To Promote Your Talent

A woman named Shaung Chen, has created a virtual reality set to show people at Burning Man how to find their camp.

She did this to show off her talent in creating virtual reality, and promote her services.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6306558823612194817/

Want more great ideas for your profile?

Use Video To Tell Your Brand Story

Telling your story with video a great way to attract attention on Linkedin.

People LOVE a good story, and will find you more relatable and interesting if you use a story arc format.

Use Video to show Company Culture

Behind the scenes of how you actually do things get lots of love online. It’s another great way to show your human side, as well as the heart and soul of your company.

People that find you relatable, find you trustworthy, so show them your true colours!

Use Video Testimonials

Showing the transformation of your customers will appeal to potential clients.

Video testimonials let’s other people position you as the authority.

They can also be used to handle objections.

People will continue to use video on linkedin in exciting and creative ways this year.

So don’t get left behind.

Get your video on linkedin, and ride the wave to new business growth!

Anthony Madani

Anthony is the Creative Director at UpMedia Inc and a growing expert in Business Storytelling. He’s spent 12 years making compelling content in mediums such as 2D and 3D animation, and video, and on award winning television shows and movies. He is committed to creating impact in the business world with video storytelling.

Youtube has become mega-popular recently, and more and more people are diving DEEP into video content creation.

Are you using it in a way that converts browsers into warm new leads?

Wanna hear something crazy?

You have about 7 seconds on average to keep someone’s attention.

If you fail, they get distracted and scramble to the next article or task.

That’s not a lot of time.

Therefore, there are specific things you should do to keep people’s attention.

After studying Youtube experts and trying out different strategies with my clients, I’ve discovered the best       5 step recipe to hold attention and convert those new leads.

Excited to hear? You better be.

STEP 1: ANNOUNCE WHAT THE VIDEO IS ABOUT

Start by reaffirming what the video is about and what they will learn.

This is critical because so often videos say they will teach you a lesson, but take forever to get to the point. Or they don’t precisely cover the topic.

Ever happened to you? It’s annoying!

This has caused people to spend the first 7 seconds scanning the video to ensure they aren’t wasting their time.

If you begin by reminding them they are indeed in the right place, you will gain their confidence and keep them watching.

STEP 2: SHOWCASE YOUR BRAND IDENTITY

Once you have completed step one, then (and only then) should you introduce your logo.

This is important if you are conducting a series of videos, because it creates something called “brand consistency”. This means that your genius can be found throughout all of your content. It creates trust.

It also keeps your brand, branded in their minds. This is good.

So make sure you flash your bat signal early in every video.

The more they see it, the more they will call to you when trouble arises.

STEP 3: THE BODY

Now we know who are and what you’re all about. Let’s dive into the deep end.

The most important thing here is to keep your content valuable.

How can you add the most value to your video?

What can you tell people that your competitors haven’t?

How can you one-up the competition with value?

Here is a great example of how to get right into the meat of it and start adding value:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjtt-bMonpc

STEP 4: ASK QUESTIONS OFTEN

Do you know what will bore your audience the most??

Blundering on about yourself.

Keep your audience engaged in your video by asking them questions. This will keep them engaged and involved.

It’s just like school. The teacher that asks more questions keeps you on your toes.

The teacher that rambles on, quickly loses your attention.

Make sense?

These days, most people watching your videos have the attention span of an 8 year old,  so we need to continually ask them questions throughout the process and help your viewer internalize what you’re saying.

STEP 5: CALL TO ACTION

Why are you making this content in the first place?

Don’t lose sight of that.

A call to action should be very simple.

A one-step action; something easy enough for them to do while they are still motivated by your video, and feeling generous!

A few examples:

• Subscribe to my Youtube Channel
• Click here for more videos (let the Youtube Binging begin)
• For more info, go to my website www.buymystuff.com
• Leave a comment below.

Your call to action shouldn’t be to club them over the head and drag them back to your cave.

It’s to lead them one step close to a sale.

Eventually you want to lead your viewer off Youtube, and back to your website where you can continue to lead them down your sales funnel.

This is why your Call To Action should be the “finishing move” of your Youtube video.

Don’t make a video without it!

Looking for more tips on boosting sales with video? Download a free copy of my Guide.

Anthony Madani

Anthony is a growing expert in Business Storytelling and Creative Director at UpMedia Inc. He’s spent 12 years making compelling content in mediums such as 2D and 3D animation, and video, and on award winning television shows and movies. He is committed to creating impact in the business world with video storytelling.

Looking for a video marketing strategy that works well for your business?

Wondering how you can take the confusion out of video marketing and make it super simple?

In this article I’m going to give you the 3 main steps you need to boost your business with video.

#3 SPEAK DIRECTLY TO YOUR DEMOGRAPHIC

When making your video marketing strategy, the most important thing to understand is:

Who exactly is the video targeting?

As a video producer, I can’t tell you how many marketing videos that appeal to the masses. They end up vague, and don’t convince the you that they have the gumption to solve your problem.

This week I saw a promotional video for a new purchasing technology that didn’t even explain what the product does.

Idiotic.

Speaking to your client’s demographic; their desires, weakness, and pain points,

will make your video very appealing.

Theodore Roosevelt once said “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care”.

With that in mind, catering your video directly to your ideal clients is actually rare, and will give you a huge step up above the average. Take a day to write out all you know about your client demographic. Make the video all about them!

#2 HAVE A CLEAR PURPOSE FOR YOUR VIDEO MARKETING STRATEGY

The second most important thing about video is knowing what you want your video to accomplish. Do you want to tell your brand story, create a conversion tool, educate prospects, or make your client laugh so stay top of mind?

Your video can effectively explain what you do, book you a meeting, educate and build trust, tell business stories, and a whole gamut of other great options. But if you don’t have a very specific outcome, your video becomes too generic, and loses impact.

A good question to ask yourself is, what gap do I have in my sales funnel? Is my sales process stronger at the beginning or at the end? How can I strengthen that gap with video?

Don’t try to make your video do everything. Make your video do one thing well, and you will see great results in that area.

Think about what your videos can do to move you one step forward in that area, and you will be much more happy with the result when you achieve it.

#1 WHAT DO I INVEST IN MY VIDEO MARKETING BUDGET?

Video can be expensive, we know you know 🙂  And sometimes it can feel like a risk.

But keep in mind, video has become the best tool for marketing and exposure today, and if used with strategy, provides a HUGE return on your investment.

Video has the power to increase sales online by 64% and boost google ranking by up to 70%!

Think I’m just full of hype?

According to Entrepreneur magazine,  the Dollar Shave Club (which nobody had ever heard of at the time) netted 12,000 new customers within 48 hours of it’s one youtube video release. That’s an incredible return.

Personally I’ve had one of our customers get over 22,000 views in under a month of releasing a video. Did that get them new clients? You bet!

Let me tell you this, the most successful clients using video I’ve ever had, were not afraid to invest a few thousand on a video.

Here is a fair approach. Determine what you want to invest based on the percentage of what return you want from the video. Invest 10-20% of the ROI you intend to gain.

Don’t know what that looks like?

How much money is a 10-20% increase in clients for you in a year? Invest that much.

This should give you a general starting point.

AND FINALLY

A big part of what we do at UpMedia is get clear on your video marketing strategy before we start, so we can maximize your productivity and success!

From promotional videos to online courses, you need to have a strategy in place, which means we need to know all these things up front.

Let these 3 steps be your guide to help simplify, and DON’T START USING VIDEO until you have 100% clarity.

Looking for more tips on boosting sales with video? Download a free copy of my Guide.

Anthony Madani

Anthony is a growing expert in Business Storytelling and Creative Director at UpMedia Inc. He’s spent 12 years making compelling content in mediums such as 2D and 3D animation, and video, and on award winning television shows and movies. He is committed to creating impact in the business world with video storytelling.

Video Marketing doesn’t work, if you are too camera shy.

But if you can appear comfortable and knowledgeable, you can really impact your viewers, and even create a sense of celebrity status online!

What if being great on camera didn’t require a superpower, or decades of experience, but rather a few simple tips?

In this article I will share 5 top tips to give you the camera charisma for content confidence!

Step 1: Practice on your phone.

This step may seem simple and obvious to some, but it’s an important step and super easy.

Do it when you’re by yourself. Reach in your pocket, pull out your phone, hit record and talk about your day. That easy.

Generally the first 10-40 seconds are super awkward, but once you get over that hump, it actually becomes fun. Because honestly, who doesn’t like listening to themselves talk a little bit?

My business partner and I started doing FB live videos recently, and I found that the first few were uncomfortable, but like anything you start to get used to it, and it becomes easier.

So set a goal of doing 1 video/week (or/day if you wanna speed up).

*You don’t need to show them to anyone. They are just for you.

Watch your confidence start to soar after 5 – 10 videos!

** Another key tip: Only talk about what you love. This will get you going and it may be hard to stop.

Step 2: Warm up.

Lebron James doesn’t just step on the court and steal the show. He warms up.

If you do the same, you can start to perform at an expert level.

Warm up your face:

Stretch your mouth, tongue and cheek muscles, so that you speak with clarity and precision. Be humble, don’t mumble.

Warm up your hands:

Get comfortable using them, moving them. Hand signals keep our attention, and when we see your hands, we feel like your authority.

Warm up your mind:

Practice the content you want to say, so that is sounds natural when you are creating your video.

If you were doing a Ted Talk, you would practice for months, so why doesn’t your video get the same love and care??

Give your content the prep time it needs, and you will ROCK during film day!

Step 3: Interview a Guest.

Ok, maybe being in front of a camera is just TOO SCARY.

No problem. Put the pressure on someone else 🙂

Guest interviews are an awesome way to create genuinely engaging content, and you don’t have to toot your own horn either.

Types of guests you can invite:

• People who have a following or market you want to tap into.
• Industry experts
• Your favourite clients
• Your industry mentors

Make sure you ask them relevant questions to your industry, so that the content serves as a promotion for your offering.

Be gracious and thank them for participating, and ask them where the public can find them, so they get some promotion out of it as well.

 Step 4: Use A Teleprompter

This is the best tool known to video marketers.

Reading off a teleprompter takes virtually all the fear out of being on camera since you only need to read. This will save you hours of film time.

Recently we did a video shoot in Vancouver for a marketing manager of a large firm.

He was having trouble delivering all his points word for word, and kept stumbling through his material. We started falling behind schedule.

Ever experienced this? (It’s pretty common.)

On day 2, we introduced the teleprompter. It literally changed everything!

We were able to 3x the speed in which we got through the videos, and he sounded way more confident.

Whether you want to boost camera confidence, or just want to speed up the filming process, the teleprompter is the way to go!

Step 5: Hire An On-Camera Coach

If you really want to take your video marketing to the next level, crush all camera shyness, and stand out from all the competition, seriously consider an on-camera coach.

They will help you with posture, presence, mindset, and a whole gamut of other hacks that you only learn from being on television and movies!

It’s really awesome, and you will look like a pro.

Hire them for one training session, or have them there throughout your video shoot.

At UpMedia, we almost always supply some form of camera coaching to our clients.

One of our staff is an actor, and she can massively boost your confidence after one session, even if you’ve never been on camera!

Now it’s your turn. Apply one of these tools today and watch your camera confidence go UP!

Anthony Madani

Anthony is a growing expert in Business Storytelling and Creative Director at UpMedia Inc. He’s spent 12 years making compelling content in mediums such as 2D and 3D animation, and video, and on award winning television shows and movies. He is committed to creating impact in the business world with video storytelling.

Last night I binged.

Harder than ever.

On Youtube.

You see, I was creating some spreadsheets for my business and, I couldn’t focus. I was just too bored.

Suddenly, a cool song popped into my head! I knew I could look it up on Youtube.

2 hours later, I was still on Youtube watching videos.

Wow.

What just happened?

Has this ever happened to you?

THAT, was the newest form of binging to hit the market!

Introducing: The Youtube Binge

There is a specific type of demographic who binges like this (as there is with all forms I assume).

Binge-viewing behavior happens mostly with Millennials.

Millenial [mil-len-ee-uh l]  noun: A person born in the 1980s or 1990s, especially North America.; a member of Generation Y.

I am one myself, and we are born of the information era. We want everything fast.

We have virtually no patience,  and we are only subservient to the newest forms of technology and entertainment.

We also LOVE videos!

With out short attention span, we find video  far more appealing than reading.

Plus phone and tablet technology has made it easy to watch videos from anywhere (which means on a bus, train, meeting, on the can).

It’s the perfect gateway drug for us to fix on the latest greatest all-intoxicating, information!

Here’s some cool stats:

An astounding 37% of Millennials (age 18-34) say they binge-watch on a daily basis vs. just 14% among those age 35 and up.   – Comscore.

75% of binge watchers only ever mean to watch an episode or two, and then find themselves sucked in by a series.    -MarketCast.

As an entrepreneur, this is clearly a phenomenon YOU need to take advantage of.

But how?

Position yourself so a binge watcher ends up on your channel!

Get them binging on your videos.

Imagine how this can grow your audience engagement? Not to mention your Google ranking.

Think of how a binger will become engulfed in YOUR brand through your videos.

It’s time for you to become an online video drug dealer!

Here are 4 easy steps to bait the bingers, and watch them blow up your blogs!

Step 1. Create Relevant Videos

These addicts wants the freshest product on the market.

Put out content that is current. Make it interesting.

Study the latest trends in your niche and share it with your audience. People are looking for an info outlet they trust. If you can become that, you will gain loyalty and respect as a go-to thought leader (or go-to thought dealer).

Step 2. Create A Series of Videos

One video isn’t enough to show them the full spectrum of your value. That’s like going out on 1 date.

Create multiple so you build interest and eventually trust.

My suggestion is to create a short series that revolves around a topic.

Short enough that you can complete it, but long enough that it compels them several times over.

Think of it like you were making a music album. You’d have about 10 songs right?

So make 10 videos. Then evaluate what’s working, and what needs to be tossed.

Step 3. Target Millennials

This is the demographic who binge-watches, so you need to be certain you are hitting the right people. Don’t waste your time on Boomers.

They hate technology. And rap music.

The statistics above shows Millenials have the highest probability of binging on your videos, so make sure your content is relatable to them.

Step 4. Tell Stories

Millennials are sick and tired of hard-selling.  They will get turned off easily if they smell a sale.

Instead tell stories. Stories are more social. More fun. And they convert!

Millennials have grown up in a world obsessed with Hollywood heroes and villains.

So tell stories where your client is the hero and their problems are the villains.

Grown-ups call this case studies. We call it storytelling.

Have you ever had a major epiphany? Something that changed you, and after that night you were never the same?

My last night’s binging shenanigans helped me realize this social craze was really a massive business opportunity.  And that it’s here to stay.

I discovered that Youtube binging is really a flocking of focus and if you inject yourself into it, you can yield massive growth of your audience, and eventually your sales.

Currently I am working on my own new batch of videos to feed the fiends, and I’ve been watching them over and over.

Crap, I’m getting high off my own supply!

Anthony Madani

Anthony is a growing expert in Business Storytelling and Creative Director at UpMedia Inc. He’s spent 12 years making compelling content in mediums such as 2D and 3D animation, graphic design and video, and on award winning television shows and movies. He is committed to building humanity in the business world with storytelling.

What does Netflix know about business success?

For starters, did you know they started out small, delivering dvd rentals by snail-mail for several years before scaling up to a monolithic level, revolutionizing an entire industry.

Their growth has put many people out of business, and put many more in business.

And though that might not be a priority for your business, the one thing they’ve done extraordinarily well is something you could and should model:

They care deeply about what their client’s want.

To such a high degree, that they’ve studied their clients like they were mad scientists trying to find a cure for cancer!

But how?

From 1997-2013 before they created Netflix originals, they conducted massive amounts of analytics on the Netflix movies people were watching.

Things like:

• What movies were most popular?
• How long did people watch them?
• When did viewers drop off?
• What got more repeat views?

They analyzed the data. Discovered the most popular content, and used it to create their Netflix originals.

You see, their originals have been tailor fit to appeal to their ideal audience in every way possible!

That, is why they are so, darn, addicting.

Say what you want, but that is a freaking phenomenal marketing strategy.

Now how does this apply to you?

The Netflix 3 Step Success Strategy

1. Spend more time studying your ideal clients.

For starters, how well do you know your ideal client? Can you know them better? (I’m always striving to know mine better.)

• What do they like?
• Dislike?
• What do they struggle with?
• What do they crave as a solution?

What is one new thing you can learn about your ideal client, that will help you relate to them better and become their top pick?

2. Implement surveys and feedback forms. 

This will greatly improve your deliverable. Google Forms can do this for you for free. All feedback is data. If you’re missing data, you’re missing sales.

3. Recognize trends and patterns in your research.

This will help you simplify your next steps. What is the most common client need you find?

Just like Netflix, if you can streamline your offering to match their needs, you will have an addictive product, that really stands out.

Conclusion

If you want to have explosive Netflix type growth for your business, become a mad scientist for your ideal client’s needs.  

Ask questions. Collect data. Implement.

Remember, it all stems from caring – the secret and sacred ingredient to all business success.

Anthony Madani

Anthony is a growing expert in Business Storytelling and Creative Director at UpMedia Inc. He’s spent 12 years making compelling content in mediums such as 2D and 3D animation, graphic design and video, and on award winning television shows and movies. He is committed to building humanity in the business world with storytelling.

If you want to grab 2017 by the balls, start using video.

It has become the number one way to generate sales, and hasn’t even reached it’s peak in popularity.  But with so many ways you can approach video, how do you do this?

As you gear up for the new year, I want to share with you the biggest and baddest trends and strategies you need to know.

But first, you need to know why.

1. Viewtopia says Video = Victory!

For 2017 I wanted to bring you the most cutting edge video marketing news I could find. So I decided to check out Viewtopia. Have you heard of it? It is the Mecca for video marketers.

I wanted to be there soooooo bad. But because of my busy filming schedule, I just didn’t have the time (clients come first). I knew I needed to have this information though, and that they were broadcasting live.

So I decided to tune in live and take down as many notes as possible from my office.

Here are some favourites from the conference:

These are pretty shiny facts about how monetary video can be for you, and the numbers will likely increase over the year. But how do you get the most bang for your buck?

Live videos are the answer.

2. Live Videos

“Meerkat and Periscope made live mobile video “a thing” in 2015, and since then about every other digital platform has gotten into the game.” – Adweek

Facebook and Youtube quickly followed up with their own versions and are planning to dominate the live video race.

Look for Facebook Live and Youtube Live to be the biggest trends of 2017!

It’s not just watching a video, it’s creating a live broadcast. This gives viewers a chance to interact with the you in the moment, as they can literally engage with your video as it’s happening.

Business Insider says:

“Live is Facebook’s way of giving you reason to open the app at certain times, instead of just when you’re waiting in line or procrastinating. The desire to tune into something as it’s happening will keep you coming back.”

This will become a massive conversion tool for your business.  

More and more, you as an entrepreneur can become a media outlet of your own, using your cell phone.

Social Media is the new ABC, NBC, CNN.  

Social Media is the news for millennials,  and you can be the top story. 

But this is likely to scare the living crap out of most of you (who aren’t Youtube diva’s or attention hogs).

Who want’s to go live on video in front of the social media world, where you can’t re-take or rewind what you say?

No sweat, I’ve got you covered with a strategy that will make things super easy.

It also happens to be a quickly emerging video marketing trend.

3. Business Storytelling

You need to engage people in your message, weather a blog, a video, or live broadcast, and motivate them to action.

But how do you make it compelling?

Forget shameless promotion. Instead tell stories!

Tell stories about your client’s success.

Tell people about how awesome your clients are, and guess what??

People will want to be YOUR clients.

Stories have proven to keep people’s attention for about… 2000 years now, so it’s pretty well beta tested. Even scientists have started studying the positive effect of stories on people’s brain.  

Content Gurus like Robert Mckee, Park Howell, and Seth Godin are raving about how storytelling is the missing ingredient to creating engaged clients!

Stories and testimonials are so powerful because they build rapport and trust.

And best of all, they take all the pressure off you!

(This will help you amazingly during live broadcasts)

But how do you tell a compelling story? Is there a recipe for success that is easy enough to apply to a marketing blog, or video?

There is!

I have written several blogs on storytelling, and you can find two of them here:   

4 Steps To A Compelling Story Arc

Are You Story Poor?

But once you are clear on how to deliver content in a compelling story, are there any other platforms to promote your video?

4. Honourable Mentions For Video Promotion

Instagram Live :

Instagram (owned by Facebook) now allows up to 60 seconds of video, where it used to be only 15 seconds. Why?

Cuz video is that important! And they just launched Instagram Live! 

Snapchat:

Gary Vaynerchuck will not stop talking about this app. It’s become the most popular social app for Gen Y and Millennials. Follow his lead and start snapping!

Periscope:

It is owned by Twitter, and has been around since 2014.

Sorry to sound redundant, but live broadcasting is what is making this app so popular.

Conclusion

Video = Victory.

Using these tips you will be ready for 2017.

Do it live, do it everywhere, tell compelling stories, and you will definitely boost your business.

Good luck next year, and keep it UP.

Anthony Madani

Anthony is a growing expert in Business Storytelling and Creative Director at UpMedia Inc. He’s spent 12 years making compelling content in mediums such as 2D and 3D animation, graphic design and video, and on award winning television shows and movies. He is committed to building humanity in the business world with storytelling.

How do you rise above the noise and stand out from the competition?

How do you stay relevant and make a connection with your current and potential customers?

Video content has become an increasingly popular form of marketing, and for good reason. YouTube is the second largest search engine, after Google. People are using video as a way to find out information, digest news, and discover new people, products and companies.

Creating a successful business video isn’t just about beautiful imagery.  Find out how to amplify your brand’s message with UpMedia’s video marketing tips below.

Check out these 4 powerful ways to build your brand with video.

Let’s get specific.

1. Tell a story

The most engaging content creators are amazing storytellers. Video is no exception to the storytelling rule in content marketing. A brand video needs to tell a story. Make sure your videographer is focused on getting cohesive shots that will form a single story. The final product should be interesting enough to capture a viewer’s attention throughout the entire video, regardless of length.

Regardless of the intent of the business,  the story should come first. Don’t be afraid to get creative when appealing to emotion.  Check out this amazing commercial, and notice how it sucks you right in!

2. Add Value

It is the information age. People want to learn more things, more quickly. This is especially true in the world of videos, which is why how-to video searches are up 70% year over year. Including useful, and maybe otherwise unknown, information about your product or company can be very intriguing.

Give viewers enough value that you can be sure they’ll click play on the next one you send out. This is a perfect example of a How-To video, that totally keeps your attention, and keeps you wanting to watch more (probably better to watch this at the end of this blog, cuz you may not come back).

3. Build Trust

Video can help establish trust by putting faces to names.  Employee interviews, customer testimonials, and inside looks into the workplace all give viewers a greater sense of what your brand stands for and what your company is all about.

It also humanizes your company, after all, companies don’t hire you or buy your services—people do!

Showing faces and real human emotions can help build trust online, which is something that is otherwise hard to do on the internet. The video doesn’t even necessarily need to have a spoken narrative, like the Hootsuite recruitment video below.

4. Inspire Action

A good video also inspires action!!! YES!!  Whether you want your customers to visit your website, visit your company in person, or sign up for something online, your video should spark viewers into action. Video CTAs (calls-to-action) can be as subtle as your website being displayed in the final frame, to as obvious as asking for the viewer to come stop by your business (as seen in our video below).

Video doesn’t have to be traditional either. There are other, new mediums like Vine and Instagram videos that are great ways to use video in real-time. You can also post short clips of the professional videos you already have. Promoting them this way can really maximize their reach.

If you’re looking to add a video to your marketing mix, or what to find out more about how video can help your company branding, send us an email! Let’s chat about the possibilities. With over 10 years of experience, UpMedia is the go-to for video production in Vancouver.

Now what about you? Have you seen examples of this?  Leave a comment.