The Top 3 Rules of Making Social Media Specific Marketing Videos

So a bit ago you heard me talk about the proper place for educational videos and how to use them properly. You can read all about it in the archives. This video that I made for two of my favorite entrepreneurs for their ability to be vulnerable, authentic, and the fact that they're both such smarty pants when it comes to business knowledge and really making it as spiritual entrepreneurs. This video follows all the rules for social media videos.



Aren't they so loveable?! They just did this amazing call where they enlightened us all on the importance and the use of niche to have a really powerful business that impacts lots of lives. They just announced an encore of this life changing call and you can sign up for it HERE. You'll also see another video that I edited for them there!

So onto the 3 rules! Not all videos have to follow these rules. You can just follow 1 or 2 of them, though, all 3 will give your video a lot more power.

1. It must be something people want to watch. Social media is a place for connecting. PERIOD! Though many of us use it to do business, it was created as a place for people to network and connect and learn more about each other (if you haven't seen THE SOCIAL NETWORK, it was my favorite movie of 2010 and I highly recommend it). So having a quirky, funny, or interesting spin on your video is important. In this case, Johnny and Anastasia used bloopers to pull people in and were still able to get their marketing message across. I'm working on a video today for my own business that will demonstrate that in a bolder way than perhaps I should take on, however, it will be fun! And my business is all about making the video process fun for people.

2. It needs to speak to potential clients in a way that they can relate to. In this case, Johnny and Anastasia express some of the growing pains that people go through when starting a business. It's a story that lots of people have and when they watch it they can go, "Oh yeah! I know what that feels like! Amen sista!" It's part of the human experience to want to know that we're not alone in our struggles. You can also accomplish this by telling a story that makes people laugh! It doesn't all have to drag people down.

3. Leave them feeling better than when they turned on your video. This also makes it more likely for them to share your video with others if they found it entertaining or inspiring. No one will share a video that made them feel like poop. So if you drag them down to the place of struggle, then you have to lift them up! In this case, J&A do this in two ways: They made us laugh in the beginning, and then then they also shared what's possible once you've narrowed down your niche and gave us "the light at the end of the tunnel." In this case, making a video that just straight forward explains your business, might not make someone feel excited or compelled. Especially in social media. People will feel "sold-to" instead of enrolled when we just put up strictly business videos in social media places. Save those for your website or more strictly business sites like LinkedIn. Sometimes I make those kind and then they get very few views. *Sigh*

So try one of these when making your online videos. I've also compiled some more rules and outlined all the components of making your online marketing videos in a series of short tutorial videos, "The 3 Steps to Making Client Magnet Videos." You can sign up to see them at www.rebeccacowan.com/3steps.html.

Happy Filming!

Rebecca Cowan, M.A.
Television Producer and
Marketing Video Master

Videographer