Recently, Jane Deuber and I were having a conversation about video. Jane is a best selling author and business coach. Jane suggested that branding is so much more personal today because of video and it’s so important to make sure your video posts properly reflect your brand. I agreed. Having a good video on your home page to say hello can make a great first impression (it also helps your Google ranking).
If you’re like me, you may be cringing right now at the thought of being on camera. I have a whole new appreciation for actors since I’ve seen myself on video a few times. It’s something that I really need to get my head around because it’s such a great way to communicate. With “Flip Video Cameras” we can now do it all at home and easily post them to YouTube.
Voice coach/broadcaster Cathy Sobocan advises to just be yourself on video – many of us (myself included) try too hard, thinking we need to speak differently or with more enthusiasm. Cathy emphasizes the idea of being relaxed, breathing and letting your voice come from your belly. When I took her Voice 101 course we spent half of the course doing yoga-like postures and rolling around on the floor to loosen up and get the breathing going. I recently saw the movie “The Kings Speech” (excellent). When it came to Geoffrey Rush coaching Colin Firth to help him deal with his stammer, he had him rolling on the floor and doing exactly what Cathy had done with us. I was laughing – these are very old techniques and they work. Just need to practice.
Today a client sent me a video of herself to get my feedback. My first thought was “this isn’t aligned with her brand.” The colours were wrong and the overall feeling I got watching it was not giving me the message that I know my client is trying to communicate. Remember EVERYTHING YOU DO CREATES AN EXPERIENCE OF YOUR BRAND. What you wear, how you speak and how you answer the phone are all touchpoints that gives clues to potential prospects of how you operate and the kind of work you do.
In terms of what to wear on camera; some colours work well and others do not. Some outfits work well and others do not. VideoBio ( http://www.videobio.com ) does a good job at systematizing the production of your video. They review your script and wardrobe with you in advance and you show up at their studio for a 30 minute shoot which they then edit and send you links and code.
Summary of advice for video:
Align it to your brand by creating an experience for your prospect.
Wear the right colours (they look good on camera but also match your business colours).
Speak in a casual relaxed tone (do some voice coaching if you feel you need it).
Be clear with your message, be real, be authentic. The more you do this in every aspect of your business, you’ll be a natural winner.
