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Video presentation is becoming more and more popular in the marketing and branding realm. Not only can it summarize written content, but it sheds light on the culture and competence of a brand. Finding ways to take advantage of different forms of content to can shed more light in areas of opportunity for businesses and personal brands. In this article, I want to touch on a few ways I’ve been maximizing video content in hopes to inspire you to harness your own originality.
As I mentioned in the first article of this series on blogging, I love giving away free advice. It gives me a chance to prove my worth and helps me build trust. At the end of the day, there are tons of ways to improve video views. But the simple tweaks and extra work on every production is far more fruitful. So give this strategy a try and let me know how it plays out for you and your brand!
When it comes to maximizing video content, starting with genuine purpose is essential. Forget the fluff already. One of the most common fails I see in video production is: too much information and zero personal connection. We’ve surpassed the persuasive talking head era. Creators need to understand that perception is everything now. But this doesn’t give you a reason to be cheesy, fake or lie. Talking about yourself, what you do or how you’re better isn’t impactful either.
Don’t get me wrong – every video has it’s place. Sometimes you have to explain things. But purposing every video is key. TV commercials and video ads are a completely different spectrum. Even on-site, youtube or social media video campaigns should involve unique messaging. A strategy helps you take advantage of organic search traffic, consumer intent and relevant viewing. The more original you are, the easier it is to stand out within your industry.
There are plenty of things to consider when it comes to videography. Spending a lot of money on a stiff production script (or a predetermined talk-track) can be counterproductive when a vision or identity isn’t involved. Engaging your audience with an authentic presentation makes it easier to tap into emotions and develop trust.
Before creating individual videos for sales, promos, insight and processes – try to focus squarely on your definitive value. When building a house, you don’t start with the roof. Take the time to uncover your brand identity so you can establish clarity and speak with intention. In my opinion, who a company is and “why they are” should always navigate marketing movements.
When brands waiver from their purpose and value, it confuses consumers while altering credibility. Consistency matters. You don’t always need a $5000 budget to curate an effective video. With mobile technology advancing, anyone can record at any time. Take advantage of this and don’t be afraid to be a little vulnerable.
In case you’re not sure where to start, let me dive into a few ideas..
Video content doesn’t always need to follow a certain set of deliverables. When you think about it, videos are rarely the last step of the conversion cycle. They tend to be viewed during the awareness phase. In other words, hard selling via video can create a negative first impression from the jump. PreFocusing on topics that nurture your audience is a great way to encourage them to buy in – whether they intend to buy now or down the road. This is where my passion lies in maximizing video content.
What I’ve learned over the last decade is that consumers are beginning to value who they give their money to. Deals, promises or ego-boosting-media has created purchase hesitancy. This is why I encourage clients to avoid popular topics and consider the power of your origin story. Most consumers want to know why you launched and how you came to be! They want to see where you’re committed to them! Video topics that don’t tie into a brand’s value propositions is strictly informative or entertaining. Do you want attention or company growth?
Although competitive corporations often invest in smear tactics, losing sight of the customer can cause you to tarnish the sale altogether. There are a number of ways to position your product or service without seeming pushy. Instead of telling people why they should buy in, discuss 3-5 ways they benefit from you. Instead of shoving features down consumer’s throats, talk about why you developed them. Instead of promoting a general testimonial, sit down with the customer and talk with them about their experience.
I recently completed a video series for Green Zone Health and Fitness in Glendale, Arizona. They wanted to promote their online vegan meal plans and custom workout regimens. Instead of piecing together a commercial-like production – we focused on why they started, how they’re competent and who they’re serving. We were able to come up with 10 different topics by simply hashing out these foundational elements of their brand. The best part is, they should all be unique!
Before I explain how I maximized their videos, let’s talk more about breaking down topics.
Video content is a lot different that blogging. In most cases, on site copy requires an introduction, body and closing. With video, you only have a few seconds to engage and attract. Not everyone is going to get through the entire video because the initial point won’t always be interesting. That doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t an element of the video that won’t speak to them.
Earlier this summer, I did a live podcast on purposeful social media posting. To kick off the recording, I spoke about a few things I was working on and how I was planning to expanding my services. Although some people viewed the entire video, I’m sure most could care less about my endeavors. I’m sure a lot of them stopped watching. Throughout the video I discussed chasing likes, popularity, imagery, competition, perspective and hashtag use. I could have blasted this video across all channels in hopes that a quantitative method worked – But, I knew that would be ignorant and lazy.
So, I created separate videos (with titles) for every idea within the topic. To date, my 60 second “hashtag video” is one of the highest performing posts on my Instagram feed. It’s not amazing but it was worthwhile. Breaking down the video garnered more views on the podcast and improved organic search traffic for my business. Leveraging the credibility of one key point allowed me to engage users with something that interested them.
In turn, people wanted to see what else I had to say about different areas of marketing. Maximizing video content isn’t always about the topic. It’s about strategically presenting the information you’re capturing and repurposing it with value statements. Let’s look at another example..
When I was working with Green Zone, we used a similar strategy. The initial proposal called for one video discussing their three online fitness packages. During the shoot, I had them explain what types of people benefitted from each option. I quickly realized that they created separate packages because a meal and workout plan isn’t for everyone. Duh!
I ended up talking them into breaking this video down so they could target certain people with a relevant option. They would have essentially limited their reach by bucketing everything into one video. Not only were we able to create additional video content with original answers, but more traffic to their membership page. The results gave them confidence to continue hiring me for other projects.
The last step in maximizing video content pertains to publishing. The easiest way for most of you to share video content is through Youtube. But don’t overlook the little details. Things like the featured image (the picture that previews your video) can play a big role in click through rates. Using a screen shot or standard header image is better than nothing. But creating a video graphic with the title is worth the extra time.
Without “sharing” too much detail, I wanted to revisit something I’ve reiterated throughout this article. Don’t force feed your followers or overwhelm them with information. Avoid spammy lingo and nurture them with intrigue. This creates more comfort in pressing play. Just keep it simple and make sure your channel is cohesive. Themed title images, consistent tags, detailed descriptions and correct links go a long way.
If you’re going to take the time to maximize the reach of video content then it better look professional. And don’t forget to link all of the videos together and point to the full feature. This ensures the experience is sound and it’ll enhance your SEO.
Lastly, when you solidify your brand identity, you should also know exactly who your customers are. If your audience doesn’t log into social media until 6pm at night, don’t post your videos at 10am. You can automate the process for certain times of day so you’re not manually posting everything. Make sure there is a rhyme and reason for everything. The results will reward you!
I’m passionate about helping businesses and professionals improve the way they present themselves. Video content is just another opportunity to do so. If you’d like to discuss possibilities with me, I’d love to learn more about your story how I can help.
Since I launched my business back in 2016, I’ve leaned a lot on originality for content production. After a few years in the agency realm, I realized duplication was not my cup of tea. Every brand has the potential to create genuine topics that speak from their identity. I’ve been told I shouldn’t share these types of things. Companies might figure it out on their own, I’m told. But I could care less. I want you to thrive.
The value I provide is actually more rooted in the development of branding and strategic campaigns. I’m not looking to be hired as your content writer. You’re either maximizing blog posts on the front end or you’re not. In most, cases, I’d be more interested in helping you map something out for the next two years. Having a game plan allows you to direct someone else (that’s cheaper) to implement the vision.
Writing an article is a common form of driving traffic to a website. It’s an easy way to generate engagement and funnel people to landing pages based on interest or behaviors. It’s also a great way expand on information from other pages and resources to solidify credibility. If you’re really good at writing unique blogs, you can even generate leads or extra cash (through on page ads) straight from the page! But if you don’t have a purpose behind your content, it’s going to be very difficult to drive traffic and any kind of results.
In other words, you can waste an awful lot of time and money if you don’t know what you’re doing. We can’t begin to talk about maximizing blog posts if you’re cutting corners, avoiding opportunity or being lazy. Publishing content just to publish content is ignorant. It also can ruin a ton of first impressions. Truth be told, most businesses don’t even know how to measure or even monetize written content.
If you hire an external agency to perform – it’s frustrating when they don’t. So why is this so common? It’s because brands are not tapping into their identity and values to generate blog topics that relate to an ideal target audience(s). They’re simply chasing popular topics and high volume search phrases. There’s nothing creative about this.
In my opinion, my companies would be better off leveraging (or giving bonuses to) an internal staff member to write an article based on their personal knowledge and experience. Some businesses even ask influencers to write for them. No matter the approach, original content always works well. We all just need to do a better job of sharing. So, let me explain how maximizing blog posts increases the return.
In order to get the best bang for your buck, you need to magnify every ounce of valuable content in each article. Every word, title, link and image carries weight. You’re leaving opportunity on the table when you simply assign a topic, check the copy for errors, add some stock photos and call it a day. It’s 2022 and the online arena is more competitive than ever before. So, for starters, invest in your own pictures and media!
Like I mentioned before, duplication does not move the needle much. If you’re going to source popular topics, do your best to break each point down into its own separate article. Staying in your lane helps you determine the voice you speak in as well as what your “take” actually is – or what your perspective is rooted in. Discussing something new from a fresh (and credible) point of view, you’re already ahead of the game – and you haven’t even started yet!
I can’t say it enough: Competing with other websites for similar blog topics is an evergreen uphill battle. Even though the idea may be well searched, it doesn’t mean you’ll be found well. Genuine information, great writing and interesting headings alongside original imagery is like music to any reader’s ears. Unless you’re maximizing blog posts this way, you can’t expect any organic leads. It’s not that hard to develop a library of images that meet brand guidelines. Starting with originality enhances SEO while telling a story that’s easy to follow.
I know I’ve already hammered on this nail quite a bit, but most of you probably don’t know how to go about this. That’s OK! One of the most successful approaches I use for SEO is the spidering out of quality content. For example: If I were a foot specialist, I could talk about general foot pain like everyone else. Or I could plan an original blog series about my favorite shoes that help with foot pain. No matter how many articles there are out there on this topic, myvantage point will always be unique (unless I copy someone else’s).
Within this topic, I could list my favorite dress shoes, sneakers, boots, sandals, house slippers and why. In order to maximize reach, I could even create a complimentary blog about my favorite types of sneakers. From here, I can list my favorite basketball shoes, Chuck Taylors, running shoes, casual sneakers, cleats and even workout shoes. If I ran track in college, maybe I talk about spikes. My point is, people would value this type of content because I specialize in feet!
If I wanted to convey more insight, I could even go as far as high tops and low tops down the road. I might even talk about different ankle braces or inserts and how they bode with each type of shoe (or impact the arch of the foot). A recommending or opinionated standpoint would work (so do personal or professional voices). If I were interested in maximizing blog posts for this topic, I could have another expert in a related field write a guest post (affiliate marketing) and publish the article with a different keyword and title.
It can be tempting to write a simple summary about painful feet – but a broad topic that’s precise will reach far more people. People like to bookmark valuable perspectives. Instead of trying to outdo competitor ideas, work smarter than them! Look at the bigger picture. Time and effort in most things pays off, right? Once you’ve mapped all of this out, you can begin organizing each article to truly maximize the reach of every single blog post you write. Keyword cramming is limiting and wasteful.
Now that you have a unique topic with corresponding media, you can start piecing together a social media publication strategy. Promoting authentic content in different online landscapes, with purpose, is the main key of maximizing results. For the most part, every article should have 3 main points; an introduction, body, and closing. Even if you don’t have a list (like this article does), you can still use an outline to gather your thoughts. This is important because it helps you general your social media posts.
In short, every subtopic (of your blog) should be turned into its own social post. The more snippets you promote, the more chances you have to be found. Think of it like posting unique signs around the neighborhood with different messages that point neighbors to the same event. Someone might be intrigued by the games, while someone else is eager to try the food! Either way, it’s all at the event. Describing your articles this way ensures viewers aren’t misled (or confused) by the title.
The goal should be to attract as many ideal visitors as you can. Posting generic topics with bland social media messaging isn’t very appealing. Maximizing blog posts with quality content all around is not only interesting, but it shows you care. You want people to know what they’re reading, enjoy it, and know there’s not going to be an “ask” (or pop-up) at the end. Many businesses lazily publish 3-4 basic social media posts for every blog then wonder why social media marketing isn’t working. But the message itself isn’t the only factor.
Unless you understand your ideal targets use and behaviors, it’s going to tough to reach them. Certain people browse the net at certains times of day. If they’re not online in the morning, why are you putting a sign up then? Wait until they’re active and looking! Moreover, you can’t be fooled by general interactions. If posts are driving leads, they are not effective. Likes mean nothing – especially if they’re from friends, family or employees. Being purposeful with your timing is so important.
When publishing content on social, I also recommend using a CMS. I personally like Hubspot, but platforms like Buffer, Hootsuite or Coschedule work as well. Most people will not be interested in the initial blog overview. This is why I even suggest changing up the title to see how it performs. Either way, breaking down points and telling a story throughout the month helps you speak louder. Purpose improves organic SEO traffic tremendously. Remember, this isn’t a sales pitch – you’re simply trying to nurture and encourage people to check you out.
The final chess piece of maximizing blog posts is the photography you took. Make sure you’re using the images that are most relevant to the message you’re posting. Remember, the quality of your presentation gives you an opportunity to attract someone that may have skimmed past previous posts. When the consistency is on point, followers will increase.
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Using keywords and hashtags is also something you can incorporate – but I think you get the drift. If someone else claims to be maximizing your blog posts, then jot this down see if they line up. There’s no reason you should be writing an article for your website, posting it social media and waiting for the traffic to come to you anymore. Blogging is one of those things that can be extremely counterproductive and deterring if you’re not careful. Sometimes, a little consultation is all you need. My first one is free (BTW).
Hashing ideas and concepts out is what fills me. So be purposeful with your content marketing and look to make a difference with differentiation. Avoid competing with those that invest in shortcuts and commit to helping others and it’ll definitely help your business!
Producing content can be an overwhelming process. It just so happens that developing original branding and messaging is something I’m passionate about. If you’d like some advice on where to start or need help formulating the best strategy for your brand – let me know.
When it comes to cleaning a pool or cutting grass, most homeowners are well aware of the provisions. But, when it comes to branding, not many home service companies are promoting value propositions that help them stand out amongst the pack. This is why price point tends to be the determining factor for most. If you’re simply conveying standard services and not promoting the customer experience, you’re simply throwing yourself into a bucket of options. So, think of new ways you can communicate how you make your customers feel instead. This can be done in a number of ways, but the first step is making it a priority for long term success.
Showing potential customers what you can do for them is a far better alternative. Think about this next time you’re investing a few hundred dollars on a print advertising campaign or handing out a business card. Create a unique message that speaks to the customer instead of aligning with the rest of the industry. Aside from promoting original imagery and content, here are some additional ways to stand apart from competition.
Most home service companies train their people on how to do a certain job and measure their performance based on completion. This is why the landscaping and pool service market intrigues me. There’s not much of a “wow” factor when it comes to cleaning a pool or trimming hedges. But, there can be if you create it. Don’t develop a tagline just to create a tagline. Establish a culture with a brand promise that all of your employees are held accountable for on a daily basis. Not only does this streamline the hiring process, but it sets the standards of service without exception.
Now that you’ve set the expectations, it’s time to step outside of normality and create an impression. One of the most powerful ways to increase reach is to build a review system. There are plenty of ways to ask customers if the job is satisfactory. You can leave a door hanger with a link to your Facebook page or ask them to leave a Yelp review. You could ask the homeowner to fill out a printed review form as the work is being done.
Even if the customer is annoyed, they know that their business is important to you. You can pick up the reviews when the job is complete and have your guys take a picture of it with the yard or pool in the background – then post it on social media! Anything done out of the ordinary lets the customer know they’re appreciated. Creating a lasting impression establishes loyalty and allows your company to be remembered positively even when you make mistakes.
When landscaping or pool service is being completed, you have to acknowledge the sense of insecurity involved. Most interaction is with wives or children and they’re essentially allowing strangers on the premises. As a father of 4, I value being able to trust these people. Any additional insight gives me a peace of mind and allows my family to feel safe, secure and satisfied. Take a step back and create a little vulnerability for your business. Get to know the people you hire and promote their ability to serve your customers. Present a weekly or monthly employee spotlight or list everyone on your website. When customers know your team, relationships tend to be made.
This also gives your employees a sense of purpose and worth within the culture. They’ll feel obligated to uphold the brand standards because they’re valued for the work they put in. Not only does this enhance cohesion but allows you to attract quality candidates that are more reliable. In turn, customers take notice and will be willing to pay extra for your transparency and commitment. This improves your bottom line by avoiding hiring costs while holding onto more customers throughout.
How will you ever know that a job is well done if you’re unable to see the quality? For some reason, there is only a handful of pool service and landscaping companies in Phoenix doing this. When it comes to larger jobs such as resurfacing or pavers – why wouldn’t you want to showcase the results? You can even take before and after photos with the company truck included. Take it a step further and have your guys take a team selfie! Most everyone has a smart phone these days and it only takes a few seconds to capture the completed work.
Not only does this show ownership that the job is satisfactory, but it creates appeal for potential customers. Who wouldn’t want their beautiful yard or pool showcased on social media by a professional home service company? This is just another way of establishing competence while ensuring the work you do is satisfactory and worth investing in. Moreover, brands that take pride in their work and personalize the experience tend to garner the most recognition.
These are only a few ways that a landscaping or pool company can stand out amongst the convoluted market. If you don’t think your employees or the quality of work is worth promoting – then you may want to consider your purpose. I love helping small business so much that I’m willing to offer a FREE strategy call to help you find the perfect solution!