You dread making (and watching!) videos of yourself – we know. Same. But video content on social media allows your audience – your customers – to connect with you, your values, and your business in personal ways that beautiful photos of your flowers cannot.
That personal connection, combined with your stunning blooms, is going to help motivate them to buy your product and support your business, so it’s important not to overlook it as one of the tools in your marketing toolbelt.
For those of us who may be less comfortable in front of the camera, this is easier said than done. So, we asked an expert to weigh in with some tips for novice farmers who are looking to use video content on Instagram and other social media platforms to grow their businesses.
Darren Chiappetta is a producer for NBC Sports and the Olympic Channel; he has produced some of these networks’ most name-drop-worthy shows, and has worked with professionals and amateurs alike to produce compelling video content for these networks. Here’s what Darren had to say:
As Much As You’re Selling Your Company, You’re Selling Yourself
In order to draw in casual customers, try to create content that is visually compelling and showcases your product, but just as importantly, attempt to make it interesting on a human level.
Be personable – people watching on social media want to feel like you’re engaging with them individually and that you’re confident in what you’re promoting. How else can you explain the fact that Kim Kardashian and her sisters are able to sell perfume, fashion, and whatever else they sell so successfully on Instagram and other social media platforms (seriously, I’d love to know)! You ARE your brand, and if you have confidence in both yourself and your product, show it.
Use Your Environment
If you’re not especially comfortable on camera, feel free to use your environment to take off some of the pressure. Maybe take your dog on a tour of some of your farm or showcase products with you, or have your 3-year old son ask you questions about what you’re selling. This can help to humanize the presentation and make you (and your product) more relatable.
Your Content Doesn’t Need To Be Perfect!
You want things to look clean and somewhat “professional,” but don’t get too caught up in that – most phones shoot sufficiently high-resolution footage for the internet, and as long as you’re not all blurry or out of frame, it’s probably good enough. Similarly, rather than scripting exactly what you want to say, maybe have a couple of bullet points about your company that you’d like to hit that you address during your video. Or maybe not. Again, your personality is what’s going to help sell your product, and you don’t want to be so concerned about saying everything you wrote down that you come off as reciting a script. Just relax and say what feels natural.
Shorter is Better
If the goal of your content is to drive traffic to your website, Facebook page, etc, where all the details and showcasing of your business can be found… get ‘em there quickly. That ties back in with selling yourself – if I find YOU interesting, I’m more likely to find your business interesting, no matter what it is. Let me know why I should care about both as efficiently as possible and then tell me the link to what your business is really all about is in your bio.
With that said, there are also times where you may want to do a longer post that’s catered more towards industry insiders – that’s fine too. Just be cognizant of the fact that the people that already like your product are (hopefully) also already buying it. It’s all about trying to convince someone who’s on the fence about you and your business that you’re the person they should choose.
When Making a Video, Have Fun!
Again, this is a recurring theme – if you’re having a good time, it can help put potential customers at ease, and the more they like you, the more likely they are to look at you as a potential business partner.
Some of you may be reading this and saying, “but what about my product? All of this is about selling myself.” Marketing your product on social media starts with marketing yourself, but it is critical to remember that your product must be able to stand on its own as well. All of the tips above operate under the assumption that your product is a quality one and that you have full confidence in it. Without that, your customers will not keep coming back for more – no matter how fantastic your video content is! So, make sure your product is on point, and then go out there and sell yourself and your flowers with confidence!