Hardwood Floors Oct/Nov 2019

BUSINESS BEST PRACTICES MARKETING Why Aren't You Using Video? ANSWERS TO THE 3 MOST COMMON OBJECTIONS

According to Animato’s 2018 State of Social Video: Consumer Trends report, the top three reasons companies don’t produce more video are: (1) video creation is too time-consuming, (2) video tools and software are too complicated, and (3) video is beyond their budget. Let’s define video as information presented and viewed in a video format. A video could be an animation, a series of still shots with overlaid text, or a talking head. You don’t even really need sound. Now, let’s address the barriers to using video. “ Video creation is too time-consuming.” Local TV stations livestream updates and teasers for the evening news on Facebook. Realtors livestream new listings. I’m sure that somewhere, savvy restaurant owners are livestreaming the dinner specials. One wood finisher I know livestreams updates on his custom flooring and restoration projects, demonstrating techniques and job progress. Even if you don’t livestream, you can use your phone to record tips and tricks, instructional videos, or product demonstrations, and post them on your YouTube channel. Screen recording is another option, especially for events you’re already hosting like webinars, online meetings, or courses. Let’s say you have a new website feature for customers. You can walk them through it by simply recording what’s on your computer screen and recording your voice explaining what they’re seeing. Of course, you could also record a “talking head” introduction and/or conclusion to make it more personal. Some useful apps for screen recording are Bandicam, CamStudio, Capture, Camtasia, EZVid, Free Screen Video Recorder, IceCream, Jing, Loom, Movavi, Snagit, SRecorder, and TinyTake, to name a few. Pro Tip: to find more options for any app, search “apps similar to” or “competitors of.” Most teleconferencing apps like Skype and GoToMeeting also offer a recording feature. With PowerPoint, you can directly record video, slides, and audio, then upload to any social media platform or your website.

Humans are visual creatures, processing information based on what we see. And 65 percent of us are visual learners, according to the Social Science Research Network. So why don’t companies produce more video?

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