The truth is, I never did! In typical macho style, I’d always feel I could work it out- and so followed hours of frustration: plugging in wires to the wrong sockets, or using the right screws in the wrong holes. But the explainer video has come to my aid and somehow I don’t feel quite so emasculated watching these and, let’s face it, they’re a lot easier to understand.

And so 2019 is going to be the year that YouTube overtakes Google as the most popular search engine in the world!

I was invited to conduct some video training recently, inspired by new research by CRM platform Hubspot. Interestingly they have just launched their own DIY video platform, and subsequently spend 126 pages explaining how easy it is to capture your own content! But to be fair, it is pretty easy to do. However, it’s slightly more difficult to do it- and make it look professional.

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/video-marketing

Limit your authentic and honest, yet poorly lite and badly framed videos to social media. They work there- you can get away with it.

But if you want to present yourself as a professional outfit on your website, or in reception, or as part of your sales pitch, get in a professional to help you. It doesn’t have to be expensive. If your sink gets blocked at work, you don’t get your tools out and begin messing around with stop cocks, you get a professional plumber in. Likewise, if you want a professional film to tell your story, or simplify your product proposition with an animation, get a professional in. After all, there are few more valuable things that will disappear down the plug hole than your professional image if you get it wrong.

As part of my preparation for the training, I gave some thought to pantheon of ways in which video can be used to help you boost your business success. I realised they can be summarised as:

• Humanise
• Engage
• Show delight

Humanise

People buy from people. What is your corporate personality? How do you show it? What’s your genesis? What drives your passion to delight customers? Are you approachable, likeable; a mix of characterful humans, or a faceless corporation? Which would you rather deal with? Video can help you express your brand identity in a way that text can never do. Still images seem weak and staged. You build business by building trust- and you build trust by starting relationships. What type of online dating profile do you have? Oh, and when you have commissioned a video that addresses the above questions, make sure you include a link in your email signature.

Engage

It’s easy to win in the digital space. To engage you need to either make people smarter or happier. Either educate them, or entertain them. When you are creating explainer videos, don’t talk about what you do, or how you do it, but what solutions you provide. How do you solve problems and alleviate pain points? Animation is a great way to simplify complicated concepts, and who doesn’t love Disney? Tell a story, and make your clients the heroes. They are Luke Skywalker- you are Yoda. Which TV ads are you happy to watch? Elton John anyone? Who remembers raising a smile when Maureen Lipman was proud of her grandson for getting an ‘ology? Remember DH Hartley? For your video to engage it must raise a smile or an eyebrow. ‘Simples!’

Show delight

What’s the most persuasive thing you could take into your next sales presentation? How about your 3 best customers- would they strengthen your case? If they explained the problems you had solved for them; the fantastic customer service you provided; how you over-delivered on your promises, would that help you close the deal? But it’s not really practical is it? Unless…you have them on film. Then you can take them to all your sales calls; you can put them on your website, you can even send out their messages on your social media feeds. Their advocacy will grow your business. Guaranteed. In an age of fake news, text endorsements have lost their credibility. If your clients will endorse you on film you will have the trust of future clients.

Good luck.

Written by: Andy Rice, Director of Business Development at Giggabox

The One Nucleus blog is written by individuals and is not necessarily a reflection of the views held by One Nucleus.