It might feel like the biggest parts of making a video are the filming and editing stages…But it’s the planning stage where the power of the Force will strengthen the most.
(I couldn’t resist bringing a little Star Wars to this week’s episode since The Force Awakens opens tonight. Now, back to the episode…)
Spending just a little more time planning your videos empowers you to pre-visualize them before you even hit record, and this alone will boost your videos’ quality greater than any equipment or technique.
What steps can you take to plan better videos for your business?
#1 Bring value to your target audience first.
This is the key difference between a video that someone enjoys (and even shares), and one that they click away from after only a few seconds.
But this might feel counter-intuitive since you’re making videos for your business, right?
Well, think about it from your target audience’s perspective: What do they really care about?
They will watch the video you’re sharing because it’s actually valuable to them, not because of the camera, lighting or microphone you’re using. If the content of your video is not valuable in their eyes, no equipment, software or techniques will keep them engaged.
So whether you’re making videos to entertain, inspire or teach, focus on providing value for your audience first.
Then after that, better visuals, better sound and even your comfort on camera will give you an edge and make your videos even more amazing.
#2 Define what “success” looks like for your videos so overtime they’ll help grow your business.
This is more of a strategy, and it looks like this:
Each video that you make for your business is a little tool, a little investment of sorts. If you plan it out, each one has the ability to work for you each time someone watches it. It’s up to you decide the work that your videos will do to help grow your business
Now, for me and these Ask Zach episodes, success looks like this:
If you’re already an email subscriber, then you’ll learn something helpful from me.
And if you’re new here, then you’ll also learn something helpful from me, and maybe you’ll subscribe to my emails so I can continue to teach you over time.
#3 Have only one message – one main takeaway – in each video you make.
I know it’s tempting to include a bunch of information in each video, but choose that one valuable thing that your viewer can take away.
Maybe it’s just one fun or beautiful moment that you’re sharing. Or maybe it’s a few helpful tips around one topic.
The fact is that by having one take away it’s much more likely to stick with them long after they finish watching.
