It's All About Message
After 20 years in video production, I now know that it’s not the latest $6K camera that makes the video pop. That is only a tool.
In today's marketing, It’s the message. It needs to be clear, quick, and clean. As Don Miller of Storybrand preaches “You confuse you lose” and I lived in that business killer world for far too long until I finally cleaned up my message and got to work. It took two years to hone in “We create, post, and track video for online marketing.” I was a case study on how to confuse. I spewed tech talk and everything I’ve ever done to sound like I can do it all for a client. Why the confusion? I came from a videography background, stumbled into a Youtube partnership back in 2010, and knew how to get my client's message seen and heard. I just didn't know how to say "IT" so I said everything. My clients needed their content to be seen and I realized I was the person to get the job done. I was not JUST a videographer. It took building a bridge that my future clients could understand between content creation and delivery, an onramp for our super highway of information.
Working with clients to create ad and brand content I constantly edit down to one clear simple message at a time. The 3 minute and beyond videos telling your story and all the benefits your company can provide still have a place. Yes these videos do exist and yes, they can be very important in your business's overall brand, but in our fast-paced marketing world, the better investment is clear concise content over time. One long piece of content is a luxury the majority of my clients cannot afford.
But, but, but, I hear my clients say.
What about this? And we also do this? We can add it here and here and here….
My reply is GREAT! We have another video for the next week. Keep it coming, we need 51 more messages to fill the year.
Sometimes I feel like a diet coach, the video weight watcher standing over the scale each week. Yesterday I edited a voice-over script that I wrote, it took me back to the same spot over and over until I realized the speaker had embellished and added a sentence that contradicted the entire video message. I didn’t see (hear) it for the longest time, we are so used to the side comment, the "ooo, ooo, we also do this" statement that we’ve become nose blind to the damage it does to our communication.
Three tips to keep your video on track.
No rambling to get to the point. Say it in two sentences.
Under 2 min max. An ad needs to be under 1 minute or it will not play across Meta’s platform. Even better write it so it can be broken up to 4 under 30 secs for reels and shorts. Leveraging Your Content
Keep the visuals and audio clean. Not a lot of text, noise, or clutter. One message at a time. Text on ads work when done properly.
Sticking to these simple guidelines and a phone on a tripod are all the tools you need to get started.
It is our human nature to add and combine as much information as we can into our communications. It is my nemesis the smorgasbord of information we have at our fingertips. To succeed, your business needs to be fit. Keep it light and filled with value for your clients and keep it coming on a regular schedule. This is a marathon, not a sprint. You want your business to thrive. That takes a message, a plan, and the time to deliver so your customers can connect to you.
Reach out for a talk over coffee or a hike I give information freely. I only ask to be paid when I do the work. tgold@bigwaterci.com
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Trina Gold
Master Creator