Camera Ready: 5 Tips for Shooting Engaging Videos to Promote Your Business

Shooting video doesn't come naturally to all of us. Often, it takes some getting used to before you feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera. However, sharing your story and expertise through video can be a powerful way to connect with your audience and promote your business online. According to SocialInsider, Reels are Instagram’s most engaging content format, with small brands registering the highest Reels view rate at 13.3%. So, let's dive into five essential tips to help you get camera-ready and make the most of this engaging format.

1. Plan Your Content

Before hitting the record button, take some time to plan your content. Determine the key message you want to convey and outline the main points you want to cover. This preparation will help you stay focused and ensure that your video delivers value to your audience. Remember, storytelling is powerful—share your journey, challenges, and successes to create a relatable and authentic connection with viewers.

2. Set Up Your Environment

Your environment plays a crucial role in the quality of your video. Choose a well-lit area with minimal background noise. Natural light is ideal, but if that's not available, use soft, diffused lighting to illuminate your face evenly. Pay attention to your background—keep it clean and clutter-free to avoid distractions. A tidy and professional setting will help you appear more polished and credible.

3. Dress Comfortably and Confidently

What you wear can impact how you feel on camera. Choose an outfit that makes you feel comfortable and confident. Avoid overly bright colors or busy patterns, as they can be distracting. Instead, opt for solid colors or simple patterns that complement your style. Dressing the part will help boost your confidence and make you feel more at ease while filming.

4. Practice Speaking Naturally

One of the biggest challenges when shooting video is sounding natural and engaging. Practice speaking clearly and at a moderate pace. It's okay to have a conversational tone—imagine you're speaking directly to a friend. If you're nervous, take a few deep breaths before starting. Remember, it's okay to have pauses and imperfections; they can make your video feel more genuine and relatable.

5. It's Okay to Practice—In Fact, I Encourage It!

Practice makes perfect, and this is especially true for shooting videos. Don't be afraid to do a few trial runs before recording your final version. Practicing allows you to refine your message, get comfortable with your delivery, and troubleshoot any technical issues. You can even record yourself and watch the playback to identify areas for improvement. The more you practice, the more confident and natural you'll become on camera.

Getting camera-ready and shooting engaging videos can be a rewarding way to promote your business and share your expertise. By planning your content, setting up your environment, dressing comfortably, practicing natural speech, and embracing practice, you can create compelling videos that resonate with your viewers. Remember, authenticity is key—don't be afraid to show your personality and share your unique story. With these tips, you'll be well on your way to creating captivating Reels that showcase your brand and connect with your audience. Happy filming!

Summer Business Bucket List: Three Ways to Make Your Business Stand Out Online

Summer is often seen as a time to relax and take it easy. However, while others are taking time off, your business has a golden opportunity to shine online. A summer glow-up can set you apart from the competition and keep your audience engaged. Here are three things you can do this summer to make your business stand out online.

1. Revamp Your Social Media Strategy

Summer is the perfect time to refresh your social media presence. Here's how:

• Update Your Visuals: Summer is synonymous with vibrant colors and sunshine. Update your profile pictures, cover photos, and social media graphics with bright, summery themes. This visual change can catch the eye of your audience and make your content more engaging.

• Seasonal Content: Create content that resonates with the summer vibe. Share behind-the-scenes looks at your team enjoying summer activities, offer summer-themed promotions or create summer-related tips that tie into your business. For example, if you run a wellness business, you could share tips on staying balanced and energized during the summer months. If your brand features recipes make sure you’re sharing summertime picnic favorites, etc.

• Engage with Your Audience: Use the laid-back summer months to connect more personally with your audience. Host Q&A sessions, run fun contests, or simply engage more frequently with comments and messages. This personal touch can build stronger relationships and loyalty.

2. Optimize Your Website for Summer Traffic

A well-optimized website can be a powerful tool for attracting and retaining customers during the summer. Consider these steps:

• Summer Promotions: Highlight any summer sales or special offers prominently on your homepage. Use banners or pop-ups to grab attention and drive conversions.

• Mobile Optimization: With people spending more time outdoors, mobile browsing increases. Ensure your website is fully optimized for mobile devices, with fast load times and easy navigation.

• Fresh Content: Publish summer-themed blog posts, guides, or resources that offer value to your audience. This not only boosts your SEO but also keeps your website relevant and engaging. For instance, a blog post on summer skincare routines could draw in traffic and potential customers.

3. Leverage Email Marketing

Email marketing remains a powerful tool for staying connected with your audience. Use these tips to make your summer email campaigns sizzle:

• Seasonal Newsletters: Create engaging newsletters that capture the essence of summer. Share company news, summer tips, and exclusive offers. Highlight any upcoming events or new services.

• Personalized Offers: Segment your email list to send personalized summer offers to different customer groups. Tailored messages can increase open rates and conversions.

• Automated Campaigns: Set up automated email campaigns to welcome new subscribers or re-engage inactive ones. For example, a welcome series for new subscribers to your business newsletter family can introduce them to your various services and summer specials.

While others might be slowing down, your business can take advantage of the summer months to stand out online. By revamping your social media strategy, optimizing your website for summer traffic, and leveraging email marketing, you can ensure your business experiences a summer glow-up. Embrace the season's energy, and let it reflect in your online presence. Happy summer glow-up!

Don't Miss Black Friday

As the holiday season approaches, businesses are gearing up for the biggest shopping day of the year—Black Friday. In the digital age, an effective social media marketing strategy is essential for maximizing your Black Friday sales. Here are some key tips to help your brand stand out in the crowded online marketplace.

• Create a Buzz with Teasers

  Start building anticipation well before Black Friday by teasing your audience with sneak peeks of your exclusive deals and offers. Utilize visually appealing graphics and engaging captions to pique interest and generate excitement.

• Optimize Your Social Profiles

  Ensure that your social media profiles are optimized for the holiday season. Update profile and cover photos with Black Friday-themed visuals, and include relevant keywords and hashtags to enhance discoverability.

• Countdowns and Timely Reminders

  Leverage the power of countdowns to create a sense of urgency. Regularly remind your followers about the approaching Black Friday deals, emphasizing limited-time offers to encourage prompt action.

• Engage with Your Audience

  Foster a sense of community by actively engaging with your audience. Respond promptly to comments and messages, encourage user-generated content, and run interactive polls or contests to keep your followers involved.

• Utilize Hashtags Strategically

  Develop a unique and memorable hashtag for your Black Friday campaign. Encourage followers to use it when sharing their purchases or engaging with your content. This not only increases visibility but also creates a sense of community.

• Post-Black Friday Follow-Up

Don't let the momentum fizzle out after Black Friday. Follow up with your audience through social media to express gratitude, share success stories, and promote any remaining deals or upcoming promotions for the holiday season.

Black Friday presents a massive opportunity for businesses to boost sales and engage with their audience on social media. By implementing these social media marketing tips, you can navigate the bustling online landscape and make a lasting impact this holiday season. Happy selling!

Countdown to Small Business Saturday

Small Business Saturday is a great opportunity for your small businesses to boost visibility and attract new and current customers. Check out these social media marketing tips for Small Business Saturday:

• Countdown Posts: Start a countdown on social media platforms to build anticipation and remind your audience about the upcoming Small Business Saturday.

• Promote Special Offers: Advertise exclusive deals or discounts for Small Business Saturday to attract more customers.

• Engage with Your Audience: Encourage followers to share their favorite products or experiences with your business and respond to their comments.

• Collaborate with Other Local Businesses: Partner with other local businesses for cross-promotion. Share each other's posts to expand reach.

• Showcase Unique Products/Services: Highlight specific products or services that make your business stand out. Use visuals to make these offerings more appealing.

• Create Compelling Visual Content: Use high-quality images and graphics to make your posts visually appealing. Visual content tends to perform better on social media.

• Share Behind-the-Scenes Content: Give your audience a peek behind the scenes of your business to humanize your brand and build a connection with customers.

• Host Contests and Giveaways: Organize a contest or giveaway to encourage engagement and create excitement around your Small Business Saturday promotions.

• Use these hashtags #smallbusinesssaturday #shoplocal #shopsmall #supportlocal

Remember to analyze the performance of your social media efforts after Small Business Saturday to gather insights and improve your future marketing strategies.

UTILIZING USER-GENERATED CONTENT TO GROW YOUR SMALL BUSINESS AUDIENCE

UGC:  Today’s Low Cost, High Impact Marketing Strategy

User-Generated Content (UGC) has been compared to traditional word of mouth marketing, only better!  Today, customers are encouraged to share their experiences with brands and companies online who will then, in turn, share these same posts, videos, reviews, and testimonials through their company’s social media channels.  The exchange is a win-win scenario as it increases brand awareness, grows credibility between customers and businesses, and ultimately propels audience engagement—generating marketing buzz AND sales all the while! Bonus, capitalizing on UGC costs little to nothing making this strategy a must for start-ups and small businesses.  

DETERMINE GOALS & AUDIENCE FOR UGC

For small businesses, UGC acts as a social media secret weapon giving power and purpose to customer food pics and selfies.  This free content is created by the customer putting your brand or business in the spotlight. As with any social media marketing campaign, it’s important to develop your UGC strategy with specific goals in mind.  While conversion is the end prize, growing your target audience is a good place to start when implementing a UGC marketing plan.  

Brands should first determine a key demographic.  Age, race, gender, socioeconomic status, region, and education level are categories to consider.  Next, choose a social media channel(s) that best attracts this demographic: Instagram and Twitter for Millenials, Facebook for a large cross-section of adults, Pinterest for a female demographic, and LinkedIn for a professional audience are some of the top platforms on the list.  Make sure your plan includes metrics such as Audience Insights, Likes, Pins and Retweets to help measure your progress. Many of these social media channels offer free analytics, a budget-friendly incentive for small businesses and start-up companies.  

UGC COMMUNITY CREATION

Businesses should begin with community creation.  Showcase your product or service through social media content, blogs, vlogs and be sure to include polls and contests.  Your content should be engaging with a specific Call to Action (CTA,) a powerful hashtag and social media tagging opportunities that encourage followers to begin sharing their own posts, videos, reviews, and testimonials.  Small businesses can greatly increase the size of their page following with the addition of prizes, discounts and insider exclusives in exchange for UGC. Keep in mind that your brand should always ask permission to repost, give credit to the post originator and offer something of value in return.  

Fan-powered campaigns have proven successful on a variety of levels.  Consider the innovative “Share A Coke” marketing strategy that created a huge splash across the nation.  Popular names printed on Coke bottles quickly filled social media posts and tweets.  Small businesses were watching and soon followed with clever hashtags of their own. For example, #TheSheJewels is a small business that specializes in hair scrunchies and jewelry.  The company has a website and is active on four social media channels that meet their younger demographic. The social sites have an extremely small following compared to Coca Cola, however, this small business utilizes UGC every day, sharing posts and testimonials from satisfied customers.  They frequently run contests and include surprise rewards in the packages of return customers. As an added bonus, customers see their name as a pop-up on the website celebrating their purchases. These are winning UGC strategizes that create community and keep customers coming back time and time again.  

UGC SOCIAL SHARING

Authenticity is key among customers and potential customers.  Nearly two-thirds of customers rely on endorsements and reviews when it comes to making a purchase.  Many customers note that they are more likely to trust a fellow buyer when considering a new product.  And the recommendation from a friend offers additional credibility to the endorsement. These are all important factors to consider as your brand begins the social sharing process.  Through a quick keyword search and tagging, businesses and brands will be able to quickly find positive UGC to share. Small businesses can use these posts to create a content library to help promote their brand in the future.  

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK AS UGC

UGC doesn’t just occur through hashtags and tagging, businesses should mine their product review page and seek out testimonials as well.  Today’s marketing is a two-way street and includes conversations between customers and brands. Customers are looking for opportunities to share feedback and they expect their voices to be heard.  

A great example of this includes a small coffee shop in western Kansas.  Patrick Dugan’s Coffee House not only uses its social media sites to create brand awareness but also as a way to authentically connect with its customers as they develop trust.  While they only utilize two social media channels, their posts are frequently shared and questions are quickly addressed. Simply tagging them or using their hashtags in a post will almost immediately be met with not only a response but also with a comment as well.  They are also known to reply to reviews further creating that customer and business bond. In the short time that this coffee shop has been in business, they have seen great success and recently added staff and space to their business.

UGC DOs & DON’Ts FOR AUDIENCE GROWTH

• Do use specific CTA keywords to encourage UGC.

• Don’t forget to promote your UGC hashtags across platforms.  

• Do make sure you ask permission before posting and sharing UGC.  

• Don’t take credit for content that you didn’t create. 

• Do offer rewards and incentives for UGC.

• Don’t ignore your UGC creators.  

• Do monitor keywords, hashtags, and tagging. Engage your audience by responding to posts and reviews in a timely manner.

• Don’t skip the metrics.  Analytics will help your business to know what kinds of UGC are working for your brand.  Use this insight to reinforce or create future campaigns. 

We know that small businesses and start-ups have fewer and limited resources when it comes to growing their audiences.  Creating a UGC social media strategy is a great way to save time and money while building brand awareness and increasing your following.  Through a careful selection of social media platforms, smaller companies can consistently connect with customers and potential customers proving this low investment, high impact strategy works for businesses of all sizes.