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In 1981, MTV launched to a small, geographically limited, cable tv audience by playing The Buggles, Video Killed the Radio Star. Lead singer and writer, Trevor Horne, who later went on to produce the likes of Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Seal could see by the late 1970s that the writing on the wall for radio as a primary method of reaching an audience and yet, more than 40 years on, much of the financial planning profession still uses radio or at least podcast, as if it is state art.
Is it time to add video to your content mix?
YouTube launched in 2005 in a small corner of the internet. The very first video posted wasn’t as prophetic as MTV’s launch, in fact, it was a 19 second video of co-founder Jared Karim at the zoo but today, YouTube is the second most used search engine on the planet with 3 billion searches each month and 100 hours of video uploaded every minute.
Don’t get me wrong, podcasts are a great way of getting your message out there, building an audience and gaining brand recognition. They can be relatively easy to set up, quick to launch and easy to produce regular content.
However, they miss the most important element of building a real connection with your audience, your face.
The reason so many successful marketing campaigns include a human personality is that it allows brands to form a strong human connection with their audience. No matter what industry, or how big the company is, connecting with an audience on a human level helps increase engagement and boost conversions.
How does a human face help you create that connection?
Logos are fine, but having a human, as the face of your brand gives you an identity. Of course, your logo can be used to identify you, but without a face, your identity can appear impersonal and even cold to your potential customers.
The truth is, people just don’t connect with logos in the same way that they connect with other people. Seeing a person that represents the company on video quickly establishes your brand as friendly and relatable.
You will have seen the impact of video yourself, when you stop scrolling to watch on social media, when you see videos on websites and if you’re one of the 2 billion monthly users on YouTube. It’s one of the most effective mediums for building trust and credibility and attracting your ideal clients. While video has long been important, it’s even more so as everyone continues to adjust to this virtual world and building a valuable virtual brand.
A combination of the reduction in the amount of time commuting and the growth of live video meetings means that 2021 is likely to be the year when financial planning content switches from audio to video.
How can you be at the forefront of the financial planning video revolution?
A lot of financial planners are put off producing video as it can seem complicated, time consuming and quite frankly, many of us don’t like seeing ourselves on screen.
The great thing is that you can produce good quality, engaging video using your smart phone and ambient light. So, if you are would like to produce more video but aren’t sure how, here are three tips to get you started:
Producing video doesn’t have to be difficult and producing perfectly scripted video shouldn’t be your first aim. The power of video is that it creates engagement so go for authenticity over perfection.
Keep things short, at least initially. In financial planning we deal with complicated issues so it is tempting to look to explore these in depth in your videos. To begin with, limit your videos to a maximum of 2 minutes, shorter if possible. Include a short, 15 second introduction. Next, discuss the main points (maximum of three) of you chosen topic briefly for a minute or two. Finally include a call to action. This may be to click on a link to download a fact sheet or get in touch.
Practice! For most of us, making a phone call and leaving a message are mundane everyday tasks that we don’t really think about. We dial and if the other person doesn’t answer, we leave a message. We produce a short, permanent recording of ourselves without giving it a second thought.
Producing video content can be as easy as leaving a phone message if you practice. Much of what you produce in the early weeks of producing video will never see the light of day but the more you record, the easier it will get and you will reach the point where you are happy to begin to share your content.
We know the power of video and of having a good virtual presence to spread the value of advice. Just picture yourself at this time next year with a library of videos for your target audience, an engaged social media presence, valuable content on your website and being comfortable and confident on camera.
Adam Owen is Head of Content at NextGen Planners
For details of the Video Creation Masterclass launching in February with exclusive NextGen Planners discount and early bird offers click here: https://www.innovatingadvice.com/masterclass