Videos have created stars, made multimillionaires and produced big profits. Remember Justin Bieber's beginning as a YouTube sensation or how cuties Sophia Grace and Rosie got discovered? And then, there's the viral "Charlie Bit My Finger" video that doesn't fail to make me giggle until now. On the other hand, videos can also ruin reputations or stain business images. Just ask Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian about how powerful camcorders are in blemishing an image. 

As a tool for marketing, videos can either break or make success. If done right, video marketing can bring in a lot of customers and put a lot of cash in your pocket. It is an effective tool that builds a connection between you and your audience, letting them put a face to an idea. BUT come up with an unprofessional, poorly edited video of yourself in an ugly dress and let's see how quickly you can drive away potential customers. Ensure video marketing success by learning how to use the camera to your advantage. Here are a few effective tips. 

1.) Choose The Right Camera 

In lieu of hiring costly videographers for solo video marketing, using a high definition digital camcorder would be the best approach. The item need not be the most expensive one around, nor with the most features, what you need to look for are the abilities to focus and pick up sound clearly, night, day, indoor and outdoor. Durability and battery or power consumption matters as well. 

Do's: If you don't have one yet, search around the web or local shops for the best choices with regards to pricing and suitable features for the purpose at hand. You may use your smartphone or tablet's high-def camcorder feature if it's able to capture moving images and sound in crystal clear detail. Do use a tripod for stabilization. 

Don'ts:  Don't buy camcorders with features which are not necessary for your shoot. You may skip the built in image enhancing abilities which may be fixed later by a trusted video editing software.  

2.) Proper Lighting 

Whether shooting indoor or outdoor, proper lighting is crucial. Improper manipulation of light may cause too much brightness and shadows which are undesirable to the resulting presentation. These types of errors may not be fixed by common video editing tools at all. Shopping around for good video lighting equipment is ideal, but may not be necessary for a good low cost video shoot. 

Do's:  Make trial shots at a selected venue for shooting with the lighting adjusted to the desirable brightness. View and compare the varying results until you get the best mix of light and angles possible.

Don’ts: Shadows are distractions. Avoid them like the plague.

 3.) The Perfect Setting

Indoor or outdoor, when selecting the perfect location to shoot your video, you must have ambiance in mind. Avoid all distractions, useless ornaments, props or unsightly dirt and loud obnoxious colors. If you want to use a nice background, make sure it has relevance to you what you are about. For example, well organized graphs or posters when presenting figures, a spic-and-span office setting or areas of strong historical connection with your business. The key is to utilize backgrounds or settings in a complementary way, not in a manner competitive and grabbing attention from your message.

Do's: List at least two areas for your video shoot. Make trial takes in these locations and compare results with regards to resulting video and light captured and audio clarity and reverberation as well. When shooting outdoors, do pay attention to wind blowing and find ways to avoid it.

Don'ts: Do not let any distraction stand in the way of you and your message's delivery.

 4.) Jazz Up Your Look

With a very inspired mood, your confidence is up and your spirits are high. Max your physical presence with a little make-up and get up make-over. Make your inner beauty flow with just a few enhancements and color. This is your moment in the sun, make the best impression to stand out and be noticed with a classy professional but simplistic image. 

Do's: Hire a make-up and hair artist if necessary but aim for a minimal make-up look. Being overdone for a simple solo shoot might clash with your message's power. If make up is not necessary, a little enhancing by lip gloss would  be attractive enough.

Don'ts: Never overdress. In a business marketing video, flashing too much colors, jewelries, accessories or trying to look like someone going to a Caribbean disco show is a potential disastrous embarrassment. Remember, simplicity is beauty and the message of story that you are about to deliver is the most important thing above all.

 5.) Getting Your Words Down To Perfection

The best scripts are the ones said straight from the heart to connect with other hearts. To engage people in your powerful message, you need to deliver with originality and total mastery. Keep them interested by talking eye to eye on cam, expressing full natural confidence that you know what you are talking about.

Do's: Make sure that you really have the related skills, experience, unique superior talent and the truth that you are what you are talking about in your video. Otherwise, your potential audience will doubt your standpoint and think of you as a presenter of someone else's business other than yours. Practice enunciating your scripts to a perfectly fluid delivery. 

Don'ts: Do not be wordy or to narrative in your discussion. Stop beating around the bush. Keep it brief and direct to the point.

 6.) The Ideal Video Length

In the battle of power commercial messages, brevity is key. Video viewer attention spans may vary, but usually, surfers click out if they find a video too long and narrative. In congruous with density of content, short and simple applies also to video length. There is no actual pinpoint figure around to say that a certain time limit is perfect for a video presentation. It may likely depend if the nature of the video is of introductory and short promotional or a narrative lecture.  For introductory business oriented videos, anything beyond three minutes may be too long. For expected long narrations or business lecture videos, its is wise to break these into three to seven minute series.

Do's: Wise usage of a good editing tool can help you save time. You can cut corners by cutting out long pauses, undesirable angles, add important texts as enhancements or reminders, music, etc. A nice free editing software to start with would be Windows Movie Maker for Windows and iMovie for Mac. If you need more professional features in your video, hire a videographer or buy a premium video editing software.

Don'ts: When editing, do not delete the master copy. Always leave a master copy on file for future re-edits.

 7.) Attracting More Visitors With Magic Words

After editing the video and publishing it on your computer, title it exactly in the manner you want your title to show on top of the video in YouTube. Include a targeted keyword in this title. Also, repeat this keyword in the title, with the second one in brackets. You must not change this right after uploading.

For example: Become An Unstoppable Woman (Unstoppable Woman) 

Do's: Add tags as many as you can. Separate all of your tags with a comma and group all of your multiple word tags with quotations. 

E.g.: "unstoppable woman", "million dollar plan","my savvy income" 

Don'ts: Do not really get serious with this technical aspect. The game of search rankings is always popularity based. Focus more on creating powerful impact and enriching your videos with useful content.

Back to viral videos, social impact is the greatest common factor. You can bring social impact in your videos. This is what's going to make you stand above the rest and get chosen by clients. You are amazing, gifted and one of a kind.  You have an extraordinary story to tell that world wants to hear about.  Connect to your potential audience by making a powerful original video message. Make that connection start happening now. Go and shoot a video.  

CREDIT: The Queen of Biz Makeovers, Shanesia Winston

www.SavvyBusinessMakers.com

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