The use of video is on the rise. In fact, video is dominating the major social media platforms. How does this relate to career professionals and how can they leverage video in their own marketing strategy? As an independent career practitioner, I feel that we need to raise awareness of our services and educate our prospective clients on the importance of being proactive, rather than reactive, with their careers.
Using video to highlight what you do is one way to reach more potential clients. Video allows the audience to see your body language, hear your tone and your words. This is a much more personal experience, creating a stronger opportunity for connection with a potential client than with a blog post, for example. Also, you can convey the same message in a short amount of time in a quick video that could take pages to write out. Of course, there is some planning to put into your video, such as being clear on who you are speaking to, the goal of your video, the video platform and whether a script is necessary. However, with statistics showing that video can increase conversions by up to 80%, the financial and time investment are well worth it.
4 tips to get started with video
If you are new or resistant to adding video to your marketing strategy, these tips can help you get started:
1. Share stories: Tell your own career journey, the lessons you have learned, and how and why you are doing the work you are doing. Alternatively, you can share video testimonials from your clients about their career paths and how having someone to guide them has affected their journey. Stories connect us and makes us relatable.
2. Educate and engage: Offer valuable information to keep your audience engaged. What do your ideal clients need or want to hear? What problem do you solve?
3. Go live: Many social media platforms offer a live-stream feature. The platform that you choose to live-stream from depends on your audience. This Vidooly blog post helps to break down where your ideal client may be spending their time and help you to choose the best platform for your brand. According to this post, 80% of customers prefer watching video to reading.
I did a live video in the Career Professionals of Canada Facebook group, in which I mentioned that if you are hesitant about going live, you can practice with a test group you are comfortable with or go live with a co-presenter to take the pressure and focus off you. But the truth is that like anything else, the more you do it, the more comfortable you will get.
I think that one of the biggest advantages of live video is that you can engage with your audience. You can converse with them or answer questions, which helps to position you as an expert and to provide value to your audience.
Lastly, live video can be repurposed. Facebook and Instagram allow you to download the video and you can upload it to your YouTube channel, which gives you more exposure, or you can have it transcribed and use it as a blog, or other social media platform post.
4. Progress over perfection: You may find yourself getting hung up on not having the right camera, microphone, lighting or background, but if you aren’t currently using video, I would recommend diving in by using what you have currently available. You can use your cell phone to film, take advantage of natural lighting by facing a window and choose a space that fits your message or brand.
Why video matters
My personal experience of being laid off and staying at an unfulfilling job fuels my passion for the growth of the career development industry. My biggest wish is for people to do work they enjoy, and I feel that we, as career professionals, are the way to help them get there. Video works, and I believe it is the biggest vehicle to help raise awareness about what career professionals can offer the world. By using video in my own business, I have attracted clients and partnerships with other professionals.
