by Wendi McNeill
How important is it to have a video? Well, let me put it this way, if you want to keep up with the pack and stay on the top of your game you should have a video or several. We all know there are millions of videos on the internet today and as a speaker, author, coach or entertainer you want to stay on top in your field and amongst your target audience so you can increase your exposure, sales and credibility. If you’re not creating videos right now, you might want to get on the bandwagon with the rest of the pack so you can stay ahead.
When someone tells you to create a video so it can become viral it’s not just as simple as throwing together a video and posting it on YouTube. Remember once you post something on the internet, it’s there to stay for a long time so be wise and be careful when creating and posting your videos.
In creating videos for the past 8 years I have taken notice to a few things and if you don’t want your video to become stale and not kick into that viral mode you were hoping for then here are some things to remember.
- Be controversial (Don’t think your topics are controversial? think again…be creative and change a few things around)
- Dare to be different, this is what makes you stand out from the crowd…be edgy and exciting (boring videos go nowhere and most peoples goals are to have them go viral and get more exposure, sales and credibility. Be crazy, edgy, wild and fun this is going to help get your video to go viral) People are aching for something different, something offbeat and not normal, something they haven’t seen before.
- Non commercial (Once viewers see your trying to sell something it’s an instant reflex to hit the stop button) don’t sell on your video. You can have your website address at the end of the video but other then that simply add your info in the box provided when you upload your video.
- Be creative…give value…have a clear message…speak directly to your target audience.
- Be funny, people love to laugh and should laugh on a regular basis, when someone watches a video that makes them laugh, it makes them feel good and they have a tendency to click the share button and spread your video.
- Be exciting…you want to capture the viewer, draw them in, not put them to sleep with another boring, hum drum video.
- Be emotional and deep with your video. This is a good one because today most people are looking for Hope, they want to ‘feel’ if you can create a video that is emotional and touches the hearts of America then your video is going to spread like wildfire.
- A good example of the above tip is a video I created several years ago called: Bullycide in America. Never would I have thought this video would get almost 60,000 views…why did it? Because it creates strong emotions, it makes us feel, and touches the heart of everyone that views it. The video is also a topic that is talked about in the media and a growing problem in our schools systems and workplaces. If you haven’t seen it yet take a look here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53xKVl-paI8
- Be wicked, naughty and evil…but keep it clean. This one really is for authors who have the book or product that would be relevant to this. Believe it or not people want to watch this kind of stuff…it keeps them on the edge of their seat, keeps them excited and intrigued.
Have fun with your video, but remember if you want it to truly go viral you will need to implement some of the above ideas into your own video