More and more of the people who follow you online have a short attention span.
We are constantly being distracted by e-mail, phone, Facebook, Twitter, text messages and more. How do you capture people’s attention? Video!
Video evokes emotion, it tells a story, it makes you stand out, and it gets your point across faster!
If you are like most real estate agents, video is likely the last type of content that you are actively using online to promote your business.
After all, it seems much harder to produce than it really is and most people get stuck with what to say or what to do. However, video can be the easiest type of content to create if you follow a few basic rules.
Five easy video rules:
1. Get an easy-to-upload camera. I love the new Kodak Z18 camera that lets you automatically upload your videos to Facebook or YouTube. Or, my favorite: Use your iPhone!
2. Shoot exactly what you want so you don’t need to edit anything.
3. Get close enough for good sound. The issue with quality usually comes from sound, so try to get close enough so everything you want to hear will be audible.
4. Keep it short and sweet. The best videos are 30-45 seconds.
5. Don’t overthink it. Don’t get stuck overanalyzing what you should video. Guess what? If you don’t like it, don’t use it! Just dive in and start!
What type of video should you shoot? Here are 4 simple ideas:
1. Client testimonials. How about the next time you close a sale, you ask your clients if you can take a quick one-minute video of the happy family? Have two or three preplanned questions and ask them in advance what you are going to ask them.
2. Answer a question. Think of the questions you get asked over and over again — search your sent e-mail folder for ideas! Shoot a quick video answering a question and then post it to your Facebook page or blog. You could easily create a library of the "top 10 questions people ask me."
3. Quick home improvement tips. Have a simple tip for adding value to a home? Or an easy staging idea? Shoot a quick video of it!
4. Community video. How about a quick video of your favorite park, school, restaurant or neighborhood? There are unlimited possibilities with this idea. Keep it simple. Pick one location and make a 30-second video. Interview the owner of the local pizza place, for example.
Make local connections, post the videos online and now you are really making the most of social networking.
Are you currently using video in your business? Leave your feedback below.
Katie Lance is senior marketing manager at Inman News. Future of Real Estate Marketing is a part of Inman News.
