Voices

Advisors: 2 Video Mistakes to Avoid

In my aim to stay relevant and fresh in the marketing space, I’m constantly visiting other financial advisors’ blogs and websites. I like to look at people’s marketing techniques, web design, Wordpress themes and other elements, to get new ideas that I can use to improve my own site.

In my recent visits, I noticed a few things on these sites -- and, sadly, I see them as the mistakes you can make with digital video.

FOCUS ON PRODUCTION VALUES

Don’t shoot in anything less than 720p HD. Even an iPhone 5 can shoot in 1080p HD, so there’s really no excuse for anything less. You don’t want to send prospects a blurry video, focused on an advisor who might (but might not) be you.

Even if you are video blogging, think about production value. If you want your audience to stick around, record in high quality, with good lighting and good audio.

DON’T BORE VIEWERS

Videos often get judged immediately by viewers, and let’s be honest -- personal finance videos are not the coolest things to watch.

So before shooting, take a few moments to think about ways to make your topics more visually interesting. I’ve seen some video bloggers put gag reels at the end of their blogs; others go out and shoot on location, rather than in the office, or feature a broader cast of people.

I like to include a quick, appealing intro and outro for each of my video blogs. It presents my company logo with music and varying visual effects. I like to think it portrays a feeling of relevance to the viewer. (And it only cost me $50.)

Gone are the days of being able to put up grainy videos with bad audio and lighting. If you want to use video, invest in some equipment and do it right.

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