This is Part 5 in the “How to Turn Unused Space Into a Video Set” series, and am learning a lot as the dry wall goes up in the new Indie Business TV set. In this video, the contractor says we should be ready to paint and decorate in a few days! All it takes is a plan and a little bit of elbow grease to create a special space where you can share your products and ideas with the world.
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Here are just three of the reasons (and there are lots more!) why video is indispensable to your business today. Your “video set” doesn't have to be fancy (as you can see), but without one, you are selling yourself and your customers short. Using video is an extremely important requirement for small business success today, and that is one reason why I am sharing you how we are doing this — step by step
- Video Breathes Life Into Your Business. Video allows you to share “in real life” from your heart. Characters on a screen cannot make eye contact with your customers. Static images are good, but not good enough. Now that video technology is easily available and inexpensive, your customers deserve to have the option of seeing you look them in the eyes and share how your products and services can enhance their lives.
Only you can bring your products to life. Without video, you're making it harder on yourself and on them.
With video, you can deliver your customers the real you, in a real-life environment. It's authentic, un-staged, open and people respond to it.
- Video Encourages Dialog. Your customers can't ask questions about your products if the only means you provide for interaction is a static website. Use FaceBook, your blog, Twitter and other free digital tools to make it easy for them to ask you questions, share their ideas and give you reliable, first-hand feedback about how you are doing.
When you open up to people, people will open up to you. It's that simple.
- Video Shows Commitment. Anyone can write a blog post or add static images to a static website. But don't your customers deserve more? When you add video to your outreach repertoire, you are showing an increased level of commitment to serve your customers. Making a video is not hard, but it does require an added level of commitment.
I'm not saying that lack of video shows lack of commitment. But the reality of business today is that the status quo is completely un-extraordinary. And if you have extraordinary products, you should not hesitate to show them off in extraordinary ways. Video is one of those ways, and the price is right.
If you want your customers to go the extra mile for you (and ponying up their credit card number, email address, etc., is going the extra mile), then you must also go the extra mile for them. Video shows your commitment to go the extra mile, to make the extra effort to win their business.
Today, no matter what you sell or to whom you sell it, you must also embrace your role as chief publisher of information people need to make an informed decision about whether to buy what you have to offer. There's no magic. No secret sauce. Just pick up your video camera (or borrow a friend's) and start where you are. I'll be posting more frequently on this topic as our set nears completion.
Question: Where is your Youtube channel? If you don't have one, what are you waiting for? If you have one and nothing's there, why not?
