Dawn’s quick and dirty guide to getting yourself out there.
Video. Everyone’s doing it. Everyone’s watching it. Maybe it’s time you got into it, too.
Are you feeling the pressure to join in? I know I do. As a writer, that can make me a bit sad, but I’ve decided to leverage the articles I write into video promos. My message gets out to readers and video viewers, so win-win, right?
I’ve started experimenting with my own promos. They get views. I also help my thought leadership clients turn their articles into multi-video snippets. We distribute these videos on social media over time. These videos often lead to clicks to the articles. Even if they don’t lead to clicks, the people who watch them are creating relationships with my client’s brands. Again, win-win.
Here are the guidelines I’ve come up with for my clients who want to add video to their thought leadership strategy.
Try to keep the videos under 30 seconds. People want to get the message, then scroll.
Pay attention to the lighting. Natural light is best. People want to see your face. Really.
Thought leadership is all about changing the conversation by challenging norms. For quick talking head videos, I recommend this format —
- Here’s the accepted best practice/belief
- Why that best practice/belief isn’t actually best
- What you recommend as the actual best practice/belief
- The superior outcome if you follow my recommendation
Enable yourself to make these videos on the fly. We’re all mobile these days. Things to buy to make this easier to do (anywhere you go)—
- a phone tripod with a remote
- a quality microphone for your phone. I haven’t tried this one, but it was recommended to me by a professional videographer for use with iPhones.
Format and upload for highest engagement. How to prep and distribute your videos—
- Set up your YouTube account and upload there. YouTube is a major search engine.
- Use video captions. Platforms like LinkedIn automatically play videos on silent, plus it’s good for accessibility and inclusion.
- Upload videos directly to your other social media platforms. Native video reaches more people than YouTube uploads on other platforms.
Okay, that’s the quick and dirty of it. Get started, keep practicing, and watch your reputation grow and strenghten.
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