For video, focus on your business
Creating great content takes thought, and customers can tell
Entrepreneurs are in business to make money. Whatever their ventures, they look for return on investment.
This applies equally to video. If they want to tell their message in front of a camera, entrepreneurs want to know how to monetize video content.
Owen Hemsath warms to the subject. Better known as Owen Video, he is a podcaster, live streamer and YouTuber. He talked with social media marketing entrepreneur Madalyn Sklar about what it takes to earn money on video.
Video adds a more personal touch to marketing messages. Moving pictures and audio — how early 1900s — get more attention than words and flat graphics.
“This is exactly how relationships are made,” Hemsath said. “Video is the most engaging platform on the web. Video creates relationships 24/7.
“Video answers your customer frequently asked questions and drives leads into your funnel as well,” he said. “Livestreaming is barrier-free. With just your mobile device, your customers can hear from you, and your message can reach new prospects.”
Those who do video know it takes extra effort that pays off.
“You can address news items and stay extremely current,” Hemsath said. “Anyone can post, anyone can tweet, but video takes thought. Customers know it.
“Pro tip: Customers don’t care about your hair and makeup,” he said. “They care about your message. My first viral video was me at 2 a.m. with mussed hair and a dirty shirt — but my content was on point.”
For this, Sklar noted gender differences.
“As women, we are more concerned about our looks,” she said. “This keeps many women from broadcasting on video. It’s why I’ve made it my mission to help female entrepreneurs with this issue.
“Video and live video allow you to connect and engage with your audience on a whole new level,” Sklar said. “I have incorporated it into a regular part of my digital marketing. The results are amazing.”
Strategic importance
Online video marketing needs to be part of a sales strategy.
“Make the videos that matter,” Hemsath said. “Start with the seven videos every entrepreneur must have: company promo, about me, product video, Facebook ad, video bumper, square video template and testimonials.
“Those are not the only videos but those are the essential videos,” he said. “There are three ways to think about videos for your business.”
- Pull videos to pull new viewers in. These are videos based on keyword searches.
- Push video to push your unique selling position. Less about keywords. More about branding.
- Finally, pow videos to hit ’em hard with your sales message. These are ads or higher-end production vids.
“Start with your goal — what you want the video to accomplish,” Hemsath said. “Then work backward.”
He covers this topic in depth on his podcast on iTunes.
“Many people don’t start because they are unprepared,” Hemsath said. “Therefore, planning helps.”
Video and any other marketing must mesh with your overall vision and core messages. Without that, you’re shooting home movies without a purpose.
“Know where you’re monetized and make content around that,” Hemsath said. “We follow a seven-step process for monetization called the Video Funnel Blueprint.
“Follow a proven process,” he said. “Stop guessing. Follow our graph.”
Whether it’s video or other means, the general communication rules apply.
“Know who your audience is,” Sklar said. “And know your what and why behind the videos and message.”
Be consistent
There are smart ways to use video to drive more traffic across your social media channels.
“Have a consistent upload schedule or livestream schedule,” Hemsath said. “Same time every week and develop audience.”
He added these essentials:
- You need a distribution schedule. Where are you gonna share? When are you gonna share it? What’s the call to action?
- You need share partners. Who is gonna share? When are they gonna share? And why are they sharing?
Hemsath gave another pro tip: Use chatbots like a boss.
“My most popular videos are when I’m walking my dog, Max, in the morning,” Sklar said. “I show him off then share tips and advice on social media. I get great response from this.”
Three-step process
No matter the social platform, engage with people and have conversations whenever possible. That shows you’re real, you care and have products and services to address their pain points.
“Follow this process: Recap, problem, solution,” Hemsath said. “Have one clear call to action.
“So many video makers cram it all in: Like me, subscribe, follow, share, comment, opt in, buy. Pick one,” he said. “Remember this: If they watch to the end, they are already qualified. You don’t need to sell your call to action.”
Hemsath broke down know, like and trust:
- Know: They found your video or it found them. They know you know. Win.
- Like: If they are still watching, they like you. Another win for video.
- Trust: If they watch you again and again, they trust you. Now you can sell them something.
“Use video sequencing to build know, like and trust with your viewers,” Hemsath said. “Create a series of videos — not just one.”
Sklar urged video makers to stay natural.
“People need to get to know, like and trust you in order to convert them from a subscriber to a customer,” she said. “Be real. Be yourself. It’s a long game.”
Convert blogs
Hemsath detailed underutilized ways to repurpose video content across different social media channels, starting with a pro tip.
“Turn your blogs into videos instantly with Lumen5,” he said. “It’s amazing. I’m not affiliated but love them.”
These are his key points:
- Be platform agnostic. Just upload everywhere. Don’t worry so much about “subscribers” or “followers.”
- Share old videos all year. Use AgoraPulse to share your videos throughout the year.
- Make square videos. Chunk your longer live videos into small square videos for re-sharing.
“Always respect the platform,” Hemsath said. “We make slight tweaks for each platform we upload to.”
Sklar regularly crosses boundaries with her posts.
“I will take a Facebook Live video and cut it up into pieces that I can use on Instagram and Twitter,” she said. “Content is content. Don’t be afraid to use the best parts on other platforms.”
Hemsath drew from his experience on how to grow and monetize an online video channel.
“Make videos around your sales process,” he said. “Take your prospecting system and turn it into videos. One conversation equals one video. Don’t try to cram it all in.
“Don’t reinvent your wheel,” Hemsath said. “Make your money where you already make your money. Use video to drive more people to the properties and meetings where you make your money.”
Great reruns
Don’t be intimidated by the go-to video platform.
“Video is underutilized,” Sklar said. “Make more videos and put them up on YouTube. YouTube is a great search engine.
“I get views on my videos from years ago,” she said. “I’m not as active as I should be, yet I have 133,000 total views on my channel.”
Hemsath gave the top apps online video creators need in their video marketing toolkit:
- For mobile device editing, use iMovie for landscape and fast trimming.
- Use Videorama for square vids or vertical, adding text, music, special effects.
- Use Pixelmator to create thumbnails for YouTube and IGTV.
- Use Apple Clips for adding text under your videos in real time.
- Use AgoraPulse to share your videos directly from your mobile device.
- Use Dropbox to transfer desktop vids to phone.
- Use your photo folders to keep things organized.
Sklar also has her preferences.
“I use iMovie, InShot and Quik for video editing,” she said. “They are simple and easy to use. If you want captions in your videos, use the Apple Clips app. It’s super cool. It’s an iPhone app.”
Even with all the tools, Hemsath inserted the most important element.
“Here’s a thought: Don’t grow a channel. Grow your business,” Hemsath said. “Income means more than subscribers.”
In addition to his course on how to make square video memes from your phone, users also can subscribe to Owen Video on Youtube.
About The Author
Jim Katzaman is a manager at Largo Financial Services and worked in public affairs for the Air Force and federal government. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
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