Modern marketing strategies aren’t complete without videos. People are always using mobile devices on the go, overwhelming themselves with news, entertainment and work correspondence. With such a distracted audience, companies have found video to be a fast and easy way to clearly convey information, improve engagement and build brand awareness.
Today, thanks to the medium’s low cost and fairly simple technology, almost anyone can make videos. That means workers can create them to boost their professional and personal brands. Adding video to your digital portfolio can improve your reach online and perhaps attract the attention of recruiters and hiring managers without having to clear the hurdle of an impersonal application.
Learn how to make videos to build trust, give people a better sense of who you are and reinforce your brand.
[See: 10 Ways to Perfect Your Personal Brand.]
Video Topics
While you could film yourself delivering your pitch, or record a video resume, that may not be enough to set you apart or engage viewers. Perhaps you want your video to highlight your industry knowledge or subject matter expertise.
The topic and style of your video should fit with your industry and align with your professional and personal brand. For inspiration, watch videos on Facebook and Instagram and adapt their styles.
Here’s a list of topics for videos to build your brand:
— Introduce yourself.
— Discuss an industry trend.
— Record a how-to video.
— Share job-related tips and hacks.
— Interview someone.
— Ask a question.
— Preview events you will be attending.
— Record live updates during an event.
— Show your day at work.
— Film yourself during volunteer projects.
— Compile photos and videos that showcase your professional life.
[See: Browsing Your Boss’s Bookshelf.]
LinkedIn Video
On LinkedIn, there are three places you can use video: updates, your profile and LinkedIn Publisher. The platform now allows you to upload or record (either horizontally or vertically) video from your desktop or mobile device.
“Native video” is uploaded directly to LinkedIn or created on the platform itself rather than transferred from YouTube or Vimeo. If you use LinkedIn’s mobile app, you can add stickers or text to your video during the editing process to grab viewers’ attention. To share a video you’ve saved on your desktop, go to the status update box and click on the video icon. From here you can select the video saved on your computer. You can also upload recordings from your phone or make new ones by clicking on the video button in the mobile app.
When shared as a status update, LinkedIn native video automatically plays without sound when you scroll through your feed. Some experts say that native video receives more views than other video and that native video shared in status updates is likely to perform better than text updates. Don’t forget to look at the analytics of your status update to see which companies are checking you out. These may be excellent companies for you to target and contact.
Embedding video in your profile summary provides viewers with the opportunity to hear and see you. Once uploaded, a thumbnail appears at the bottom of the summary section. When clicked, the video will play. Keep in mind, only people who view your profile and open your summary will be able to see your video, so it’s a good idea to share your video as a status update, too.
LinkedIn Publisher, a blogging platform, provides another opportunity to share your videos. You can upload video anywhere within the post you write, which will be shared with your network when published. The post will also be stored in your profile for later viewing, which is a good way to archive your video.
To give your video even more exposure, think about uploading and editing it for Instagram and Facebook. Sharing your video on different social platforms helps expand your reach and gives your personal network a glimpse of your professional life.
[See: How to Cover Corporate Travel Expenses When You’re Broke.]
Best Practices for Video
You aren’t expected to create videos using professional cameras; cellphone recordings are common. You should, however, follow these tips to ensure higher quality.
Camera: Plan to use your phone’s rear camera. Most phones have larger apertures and offer higher resolution from this lens. Keep the camera steady by using a tripod.
Background: Avoid a cluttered or distracting background. If you’re shooting in an office environment, make sure confidential materials and other brand logos are tucked away. You don’t want to inadvertently endorse another brand.
Body language: Try to be as natural as possible by smiling, using subtle hand gestures and looking into the camera.
Lighting: Natural lighting is usually adequate, but if it’s too dark, change your location or add lights. Watch for shadows on your face that will distract the viewer. Be sure you are not sitting in front of a window, which will only highlight your silhouette.
Length: Most marketing videos are under three minutes. Use this same standard and keep the video short.
Call to action: Tell the viewers how to contact you or what else to do after they’ve watched the video. At the end, share your website, social media username, LinkedIn URL or email address to make it easy to reach you.
More from U.S. News
How to Change Careers Successfully
Boost Your Professional Brand With Video originally appeared on usnews.com
