Video marketing has become beneficial to any financial advisor’s marketing portfolio. Whether it’s editing together an eye-catching commercial or long-form content, video has become an essential tool in any financial advisor’s marketing repertoire. In fact, in 2023, online video is expected to account for 82.5% of all web traffic, making it the most popular content type on the internet.
The only problem with video marketing is figuring out where to start. For many advisors dipping their feet into the video marketing pool, finding the starting line can be daunting. That’s why we’re here to help. In this blog, we’ll be sharing video marketing tips with you. Along with how to get started with video marketing as a financial advisor. Going over the best video marketing tips, tricks, and tactics to ensure that your foray into video is a successful one.
What’s Stopping Advisors From Getting Into Video Marketing?
It’s common for companies to be wary when diving into new, unknown areas of content. The same can be said for financial advisors who are either interested in creating video marketing or are currently in the process of doing it. One of the biggest issues that arise is self-doubt when advisors aren’t sure whether they’ll be up to the task. Some of the most common concerns we hear are:
- “I’m worried I’ll trip over my words.”
- “I can’t memorize a script.”
- “What if I look dumb?”
- “Will people care what I have to say?”
These concerns are all warranted, but they shouldn’t be. When an advisor puts themself out there and creates videos, it’s necessary to understand that no one expects perfection. What they want to see is someone who’s genuinely interested in their industry and wants to share their knowledge with clients, potential prospects, and anyone else in their audience.
If you’re worried about tripping over your words, don’t be, everyone makes mistakes. Can’t memorize a script? Then don’t improvise and make the video your own. Think you might look silly? As long as you’re trying your best and are passionate, you won’t look dumb in any sense of the word. Here are 5 video marketing tips and steps to help you get started.
Be Sure to Have These Essentials Pre-Production:
The Script
Whether or not you use a script or improvise depends on your comfort and the topic. If you’re creating a more casual feeling video about a general financial topic, improvising is a great option. But if you’re concerned about compliance, writing a script and getting it approved ahead of time will keep you from having to re-shoot the entire video.
Filming Location
Your office or home should be your first thought when it comes to filming location. It’s where your clients think of you, and it’s easy! But you want to make sure the room looks nice and doesn’t have anything too distracting. Ideally, the room also has a good natural light source, such as a window or skylight, to keep you well-lit. Test it out by filming something in that spot and see how it looks.
The Camera Set-up
Do you need to buy a camera to get started with video marketing? The surprising answer is no!
Evolving technology has given anyone with a phone better production equipment than a movie studio owned 20 years ago. If you’ve bought a new smartphone within the last five years, you already have all you need to make a video.
The main concern with a phone will be the sound. Recording through the phone’s mic will be adequate, but you may want to use a shotgun or Lavalier microphone to look for a more professional sound.
Here are a few other items you may want to have with your camera:
- Tripod
- Lighting kit
- Shotgun or Lavalier microphone
Production Necessities
It can be challenging to predict everything you will need to make sure your video shoot goes well. Like most endeavors, you should plan for the unexpected. Run through the production day in your head. What might you need? A few items that almost always come in handy are:
- Tape – Gaffers tape or masking tape are best
- Extension cords – Funny how often that outlet is just out of reach
- Food – If others are helping, they will appreciate snacks and lunch
- Chargers – Whether you’re filming with your phone or not, don’t leave home without it
Editing Software
Before you shoot your footage, you should know what you will do with it once you are finished. Your editing plans will affect how you shoot your video.
Film editing software has become accessible to even a novice. However, that doesn’t mean you necessarily want to edit yourself. If you can find a professional editor to work with, it can save you a great deal of time. If you plan to work with someone to edit your footage, be sure to talk with them about your camera settings to ensure your video’s quality will be adequate.
1. Have a Spokesperson or Face of the Company
We recommend that all advisors get a person who can be the “face” of the company or a spokesperson. What’s important is that you get someone on camera and ensure that person can consistently star in your videos. Much like a brand voice, having the same spokesperson in your video marketing establishes a tone and helps create connections between advisor and client.
When you host videos with the same person, viewers get used to it and often connect that person with the type of content provided, making them more likely to tune in and watch future videos. Think of it like this; your friend gets a new job hosting the news. Are you more likely to watch that channel now? Most likely, your answer is yes. When an advisor has a spokesperson, they function similarly since they form bonds and connections with your audience.
2. Decide On Your Video Marketing Topic
The first step after deciding on a spokesperson is to find out what marketing topics you want to create videos for. This can be divided into two sections; planned video ideas and spontaneous videos. Planned video ideas can come from a pre-crafted list of topics you want to cover, while spontaneous ones come from trending topics and current events which can’t be planned for. Having a solid list of ideas will ensure that you never run out of ideas, while living in a civilized society will keep you stocked up with videos based on trends and events.
We recommend brainstorming a list of ideas you want to turn into videos and adding to it whenever a new topic pops into your head. Having this list will ensure that you’re always supplied with quality ideas that you already know you’re interested in. On the side of trending topics and current events, be sure to have a good turnover time on videos. Wait too long, and the trend or event will be done with, do it too fast, and your video might not meet expectations.
3. Figure Out How You Want to Record
When it comes to recording videos for marketing, a lot of financial advisors seem to think they need a professional setup. While it is nice to have, it is not at all necessary. Anyone can record a video as long as they have a phone and enthusiasm. Many marketers and advisors today record videos from their cellphones and then upload them to computers for editing. If you don’t want to use a phone, use your computer’s webcam.
When Using a Phone:
- Open the camera app.
- Click the “rotate camera” button to see how you will appear in the recording (or rotate your phone)
- Secure your phone to its recording location.
- Select Video mode.
- Press the record to start and stop your video.
- Remember to look at the camera while speaking, not your face on the screen.
When Using a Webcam:
- Open your computer’s recording software (Mac is Photo Booth, Microsoft is your Camera app)
- Turn on your audio and video:
- When you’re ready, click record to start and stop your video.
- Remember to look at the camera while speaking, not your face on the screen.
It’s also important to pick an environment that suits your need the best. Finding a great recording location isn’t hard. Just be sure to keep in mind the following:
- The area should be quiet, as you don’t want extra sounds in your video
- You want to ensure your background isn’t distracting. Your viewer’s attention should be on you
- That you should be near a source of natural light, such as a large window
4. Editing a Video
Once you’ve completed recording your video, it’s time to upload it to a computer and edit it. There are numerous ways to edit and a plethora of programs to help you get it done. Whether you want a free experience such as Movie Maker or Veed or a more robust paid one with programs such as Adobe Premiere Pro. The choice is up to you. Find one that you feel comfortable with and start editing.
When editing a video, keep in mind the following:
- Keep it simple. It doesn’t need to be a cinematic experience
- Check audio levels. You don’t want your voice to be too quiet or too loud
- Make sure you’re exporting in HD. You don’t want your videos to be blurry
- If you’re using music, make sure it’s royalty-free or you have the commercial use license
- Have fun. Creating and editing a video shouldn’t feel like a chore.
5. Sharing Your Video Marketing Creation
You’ve finally finished recording and editing your video creation, but what’s next? Fortunately, this is the easiest part. All you have to do is share your video. This can be done through a multitude of channels, anything from adding it to your website, sharing it on social media, uploading it to a video streaming platform (YouTube or Vimeo), and much more. The main thing to remember is that this video is a marketing tool, so share it so it’ll get lots of attention.
From there, be sure to interact with people who comment on the video. Answer their questions and engage in meaningful and thought-provoking conversations. A big part of marketing is done post-video creation. Now take those marketing tips and start creating some wonderful videos, get out there and make some magic!
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