In today’s digital age, personal branding has become increasingly important for professionals looking to establish a strong online presence and stand out in a crowded market. One of the most effective ways to do this is by incorporating video content into your personal brand strategy. How can you use video content in your marketing strategy? Keep reading!
- What is Video Content Marketing?
- Video Content Creation Tips
- How to Make a Video? Video Content Creation Steps
- How to Use Video Marketing for Your Personal Brand
Video content offers a unique and engaging way to showcase your skills, expertise, and personality to your target audience. It also allows you to communicate your message in a faster, more dynamic and memorable way than written content.
Incorporating video content into your personal brand strategy can provide a range of benefits, including:
- Increased visibility and reach. Video content is highly shareable and can help you reach a wider audience on social media platforms and other channels.
- Improved engagement. Video content is more likely to be watched and shared than text-based content, which can help you increase engagement and build a stronger connection with your audience.
- Enhanced storytelling. Video content allows you to tell your story in a more compelling way, which can help you differentiate yourself from competitors and build a stronger brand identity.
- Improved search engine optimization (SEO). Video content can help you improve your SEO and increase your visibility via search engines like Google and YouTube.
Incorporating video content into your marketing efforts will help you establish a stronger, more engaging, and more memorable online presence and enable you to stand out from other freelancers.
What is Video Content Marketing?
Video content marketing is a strategy that involves creating and sharing video content to attract and engage a target audience. Video marketing has become increasingly popular in recent years due to the rise of social media and the increase in online video consumption.
Here are some relevant statistics about video content consumption and social media video:
- 85% of internet users in the US watch online videos regularly. (Statista)
- Social media videos generate 1200% more shares than text and image content combined. (G2 Crowd)
- 72% of customers would rather learn about a product or service through video. (HubSpot)
- 92% of mobile video viewers share videos with others. (Crisp)
- Video ads on social media have an average engagement rate of 25% higher than image ads. (Hootsuite)
These statistics highlight the importance of incorporating video content into your freelance marketing strategy and the potential benefits it can provide in terms of engagement, reach, and brand awareness.
Video Content Creation Tips
Creating high-quality video content is essential to engage your audience, building brand awareness, and driving conversions. We’ve made a list of video content creation tips to help you create effective video content:
1. Tell a Good Story
Customers and potential customers often look for a creative mind to work with. This means you should develop a clear and concise story structure that is also unique and memorable for them.
Take a look at Sean Dalton’s A Day in the Life of a Travel Photographer Living in Bali video to get a glimpse of life as a travel photographer and some behind-the-scenes material. This video works in helping to build Sean’s personal brand because it reveals details of how important his job is for him and the effort it takes to get good photographs.
Follow Sean’s lead and use visual storytelling techniques to convey your message and incorporate emotional elements to connect with your audience.
2. Hook Your Audience Within The First 5 Seconds
Audience’s attention spans are short. That’s why you must attract a viewer’s attention within the first five seconds or less of your video. Start with a compelling hook or question, use visuals and sound to capture the attention, and then proceed to show the rest of the content.
In this Daily Work Life Vlog, designer Jesse Nyberg reveals three different things he does –lighting a candle, logging in, and drinking coffee– when starting his work day. All of these insights are revealed within the first five seconds of the video, so the audience gets a good understanding of what to expect from the content.
3. Include Closed Captions
Adding closed captions to your video content will improve accessibility and help it to reach a wider audience. Use captions to highlight key points and reinforce your message. Optimizing captions for SEO will improve visibility and search rankings for your video too.
4. Optimize Your Video for SEO
When it comes to YouTube video content, optimization is key if you want your video to rank high in the search algorithm. Use relevant keywords in your video title, description, and tags, add a transcript to improve search rankings and accessibility, and optimize video thumbnails and metadata for maximum visibility.
For inspiration, take a look at Andres The Designer’s YouTube Channel and discover how he includes keywords in video descriptions and thumbnails. By doing so, his preview stands out from the rest of the search results.
Pro tip: Optimize your script and voiceover with relevant keywords too and your search results will improve.
5. End Your Video with CTA
Get your viewers to take action. Use a clear and concise call-to-action (CTA) at the end of your video. Encourage them to subscribe or visit your website. Use visuals and sound to reinforce your CTA and leave a lasting impression.
You can also incorporate CTAs to invite users to watch a related video –like The Black Trumpeter has done in this video.
Worth reading: How to Use YouTube to Attract Clients
How to Make a Video? Video Content Creation Steps
1. Preparing for Video Content Creation
Before you start creating video content or live streaming, you must prepare and ensure you have the necessary equipment and tools to create high-quality videos. Here are some steps to take before producing your content:
- Identify your target audience and their preferences.
- Determine who your target audience is and what type of video content they prefer.
- Research what video platforms they use, such as YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok.
- Identify the topics and themes that will resonate with your audience.
- Choose the right video platform and format for your content.
- Choose the video platform that aligns with your target audience and content goals.
- Determine the video format that best fits your content, such as a tutorial, vlog, or interview.
- Consider the length of your video, as well as the aspect ratio and resolution.
- Determine the equipment and tools you need to create high-quality videos.
- Invest in a high-quality camera, such as a DSLR or mirrorless camera.
- Purchase a tripod or stabilizer to keep your shots steady.
- Consider investing in lighting equipment, such as softboxes or ring lights, to improve your video quality.
- Use a microphone to ensure clear audio quality.
2. Creating Engaging Video Content
Creating engaging video content requires careful planning and execution. Follow these tips and be on your way to creating awesome video content:
- Develop a script or outline for your video.
- Start by outlining the key points you want to cover in your video.
- Develop a clear and concise script that effectively tells the story you want to share.
- Use a conversational tone to make your video more engaging and relatable.
- Incorporate storytelling techniques to capture your audience’s attention.
- Use a hook or question at the beginning of the video to capture your audience’s attention.
- Develop a clear and concise story structure that aligns with your content goals and the message you want to deliver.
- Use emotional elements –such as acting, words, or sound– to connect with your audience and keep them engaged.
- Use visuals, sound effects, and music to enhance your video content.
- Incorporate relevant visuals and B-roll footage to make your video more engaging and visually appealing.
- Use sound effects and music to set the tone and mood of your video.
- Use text overlays and graphics to highlight key points and reinforce your message.
3. Editing and Post-Production
Editing and post-production are essential to creating high-quality video content. Here are some tips on how to do it properly:
- Learn basic editing techniques.
- Familiarize yourself with basic editing techniques, such as trimming, and cutting. If you’re a bit more skilled, add transitions to your videos, especially if you’re creating content for social media.
- Learn how to color-correct and adjust the audio levels to improve the overall quality of your video.
- Use online resources, such as YouTube tutorials or Envato Tuts, to learn basic editing techniques.
- Use video editing software to add effects, transitions, and captions.
- Choose a video editing software that aligns with your skill level, such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut, DaVinci Resolve, After Effects if you have advanced knowledge or iMovie if you’re a beginner.
- Use effects and transitions to enhance the visual appeal of your video.
- Optimize your videos for different platforms and devices.
- Consider the platform and device your video will be viewed on when optimizing your video.
- Optimize your video for different aspect ratios and resolutions to ensure it looks good on all devices.
- Use relevant keywords and tags to improve search rankings and visibility on different platforms.
How to Use Video Marketing for Your Personal Brand
Now that you’re on your way to reaching new audiences and potential customers, let’s go through some tips on how to use video marketing for your personal brand:
1. Share Advice to Build Authority
Sharing your expertise and advice is a great way to build authority and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. Create video content that provides valuable insights and tips for your audience. You can create tutorials, how-to videos, or even Q&A sessions to share your knowledge and help your audience solve their problems.
Sharing valuable content –like this how-to by Josua As24– will help you to build trust with your audience and establish yourself as a credible source in your field.
2. Showcase Your Portfolio with a Slideshow
If you’re a creative professional, such as a photographer or designer, showcasing your portfolio through a slideshow is a great way to attract clients and showcase your work.
Create a visually appealing slideshow highlighting your best work and demonstrating your skills. You can use music and captions to enhance the visual appeal of your slideshow and make it more engaging for your audience.
3. Jump on Trends to Reach New Audiences
Trends come and go quickly, but they can be a great way to reach new audiences and expand your reach. Keep an eye on current trends and create video content that aligns with them.
For example, if there’s a popular hashtag or challenge on social media, create a video that aligns with it. From TikTok trends to trending audio on Instagram Reels, there are plenty of trends to leverage to expose your content and brand to new audiences.
Take Illymation’s TikTok, for example. She’s an animator who used Taylor Swift’s trending audio to explain what happens when she tries to work, but her pets are being disruptive in the background.
4. Collaborate with Others
Collaborating with other creators or freelancers is a great way to expand your reach and tap into new audiences. Find other creators or businesses in your niche and collaborate on video content together.
Like freelance illustrator Melanie Chadwick, you can create joint videos to include and promote other freelancers’ work.
You can also create tutorials, interviews, or even challenges that showcase your skills and provide value for your audiences.
Wrapping Up
Video content is a powerful tool for freelancers looking to establish a strong personal brand to stand out in a competitive market. By incorporating video into your self-marketing strategy, you can increase your audience’s visibility, engagement, and credibility.
To start with video content creation, consider using the tips and resources mentioned above, such as developing a clear story structure, optimizing for SEO, and including a strong CTA.
If you want to level up your skillset, there are many online resources available to help you learn more about video content creation, such as YouTube Creator Academy, Udemy, Skillshare, and Envato Tuts on YouTube. By investing in video content creation, you can take your personal brand to the next level and achieve long-term success as a freelancer.
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