Did you know, 85% of internet users in the US watched online videos on their devices. Since a majority of people enjoy watching videos now, the video penetration in the United States from 2013 to 2021 has increased from 75.7% to 83.8%. Just by looking at these stats, you can say without a doubt that video is now the future of businesses.  

But Why do Most People Never Create a Simple Video?

If you look at the news media or your social media, you can clearly see that everything is video-centric. Despite that, many people are not comfortable speaking in front of a camera. 

“How can I talk in front of a camera? You know, I’m not an on-camera person. I’m not a TV star. You see, I got to wait for my hair to grow back or lose 10 pounds.” Everyone has different excuses that hold them back. 

Here’s the thing. Your video doesn’t have to be the 1984 Apple commercial that got so many awards and so much attention. It’s just you talking about something you do or something that solves your audience’s problems. Even if you make a simple video giving knowledge nuggets, you’re going to stand out. 

But before that, the first thing you should do is…

Mastering the Human Side of Looking and Sounding Your Best on Video

The problem for most people when they speak on camera for the first time is, they try to look natural by faking it, which may make them nervous. When you’re nervous, your body freezes, your hands stop moving, your voice starts speaking at a constant pitch.

Here’s what you have to do in order to look comfortable and confident.

For starters, make sure you are constantly moving your body. Great communicators move their heads, faces, eyebrows, and hands while talking to appear natural. Next, bring a variety to your voice: you should adjust your pitch depending upon the subject. This means, you can be louder, faster, or even slower with occasional pauses. 

People love candidness in videos. They are not watching a video to see a robot reading a script. That said, you cannot introduce any emotions if you are not showing this human side yourself. 

Here is what you should do. Pull out your mobile and record yourself talking. Keep recording until you can see a reflection of your human side. However, don’t wait for perfection as it’s nothing but an illusion.

Your Proposals will Stand Head and Shoulders Above Your Competitors

A massive benefit of getting comfortable making videos is that you use them when applying for jobs. This works exceptionally well if you are applying to a remote gig. Surely, they can’t meet you in person, and there’s no personal connection, especially if you’re not a part of some wildly known brand where all the credibility is already there. Recording a video for this purpose helps you stand out. It shows that you’ve gone the extra mile to put in the effort. It’s the best way to distinguish yourself from your competitors.  

Your Clients Will Find You Their Most Responsive Partner Ever 

How do you respond to your clients’ concerns? Well, most people reply with a text or leave a voice note. But if you record a video elaborating everything, your clients appreciate it enormously. It shows you truly care about them, rather than doing the bare minimum or even having some 22-year-old intern answer the mail. 

Your Website Can Be Video-Centric

Anything and everything on your website could be delivered in a video format now. No doubt, you should have some blog posts on your website. But a video on your home page or sales page doesn’t hurt. In fact, it will boost your engagement as people are more inclined toward watching videos than reading plain text. 

Now You Can Answer Frequently Asked Questions Just Once!

Most businesses are asked the same questions over and over again. Hence the term “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).” So, why not record a video, and get all the questions done once and for all. That video can be used for multiple purposes, and you can cross-pollinate. This means you can make that available on your website, send it to your email list, and upload it across your social media and YouTube channel, etc. 

Sweet! But how long should this video be, you ask? In general, the shorter, the better. But it primarily depends on the platform you’re using. For example, a 3-minute video performs differently on YouTube on Facebook. 

Talk Your Customers Through Your Whole Business Process 

Every business is of a different nature. But for a company providing a service or product, recording a video explaining how it works does a great job at uplifting your business. It makes your customers believe that you are not in for money only; you genuinely care about your prospects and their experience. It helps you win your audience’s trust tremendously and turn them into returning customers. 

Win Hearts with an Active YouTube Presence

You don’t need me to tell you about YouTube unless you just crawled out from under a rock. So, here’s my question: “How much content is there on your YouTube channel right now?”

With over 1 billion hours of content being watched daily and having 2 billion active subscribers, it’s undoubtedly the second largest website in the world. Using this great resource is your best bet to build your brand and win your customers’ trust.