By James R in Video — Nov 15, 2023

Unlocking the Potential of Video in Your Social Sales Strategy

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth… a lot more!

Or at least that is the way that most social media algorithms work. They love video.

This makes sense because social media users love video too. The content with the most engagement is consistently video.

TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, etc., are the most popular ways to consume social content in today’s social media world.

So it should come as no surprise that I recommend that you use video content as part of your social selling strategy. It’s a great way to expand your reach and build authority in today’s social media environment.

In this week’s Sell with Social, we will dive into how you can begin to leverage short-form video content. We’ll talk about why it’s important, how to get started, and tips to maximize your results.

Why Video is Important

Let’s start by talking about why video is so important.

And in my mind, there are three major reasons why you should be creating videos:

Enhanced Engagement and Visibility
Humanizes and Develops Personal Brand
Builds Trust at Scale

Let’s jump into each.

Enhanced Engagement and Visibility

Short-form videos cater to the evolving preferences of modern audiences who favor quick, digestible content. Videos, typically lasting just a few minutes, are ideal for capturing the attention of users scrolling through their feeds.

And due to their engaging nature, videos often have higher engagement rates in the form of likes, comments, and shares compared to traditional text posts or images. In fact, LinkedIn says that video content sees 5X the amount of engagement compared to other post types. This increased engagement not only boosts visibility on individual posts but also enhances the overall reach of your profile and brand.

Humanizes and Develops Personal Brand

Then there is the human aspect of seeing and hearing from people.

Unlike written posts, videos allow viewers to see and hear from you, fostering a stronger personal connection. This format is ideal for communicating your story, enabling individuals and brands to share their journey, successes, challenges, and insights in a compelling and approachable manner.

Builds Trust and Thought Leadership

By using video, not only can you build your personal brand, but also establish trust and credibility with your audience. This aspect is particularly beneficial for salespeople and business owners who rely on building strong professional relationships.

I’ve seen sales reps develop a reputation as a thought leader in their industry by continually showing up online in video. They establish credibility and build trust at scale as they show up week after week through regular video posts.

For business leaders who are looking to expand their reach and build their authority, creating video content is a massive opportunity.

“But James, what type of video should I create? I don’t want to dance around like a Tik-Tok Star!”

Don’t worry, you don’t have to dance! There are nearly endless ways that you can use video on social media. My suggestion is to find the styles that work best for you.

Here are some of the more common styles:

Explainer Videos: Create 30-90 second videos that simplify complex topics related to your products or services. Explain how things work and educate your audience on a topic related to your business. (Example)
Behind-the-Scenes: Offer a glimpse of your company culture. Record a day in the life or behind-the-scenes video of part of the process for creating your product or providing your services. (Example)
Talk To Your Audience: Simply record yourself talking directly to your audience. Give them an update on you, your business, or anything else. Pretend you are simply having a conversation with your customers. (Example)
Tutorials and How-Tos: One of my personal favorite video types is how-tos or tutorials. Record a video teaching your audience how to do something related to your industry. (Example)
AND MORE: There are tons of other ways you can use video on social. My recommendation is to give everything a try, because you never know what will be successful until you try.

But before we move on, I want to quick make a distinction. Your short-form videos do not need to be a professional video production. They should look simple and “user-generated” in style.

Social media users expect “ugly” content in their feeds. In fact, amateur video content often outperforms professional videos on social media. It looks less like an advertisement and encourages audience engagement.

So with that said, let’s get started.

Getting Started with Video

This entire next section could be summarized with 1) Press record on your smartphone, 2) Share an insight with your audience, and 3) Publish your video.

But… I realize that is an oversimplification of the process. And if you are new to creating video content, there are some extra tips along the way.

What You Need

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need any fancy equipment to get started with video.

The smartphones that we have in our pockets have way more than enough power to record simple social videos. If your smartphone is 3 years old or newer, this is what I’d use to start.

Or if you are at your computer, you’ll just need a webcam with a high enough resolution to be clear (minimum 780p). Most plug-in webcams are at this level.

Besides the camera you are using, the other two considerations are lighting and sound.

My basic setup includes a webcam, ring light, and microphone.

Aim to use natural light whenever possible, positioning yourself facing a window to ensure even, flattering illumination. If natural light is limited, consider investing in a simple ring light or softbox lights, which can provide consistent, soft lighting that reduces harsh shadows and highlights your features clearly.

For clear and professional audio in your social videos, prioritize recording in a quiet, controlled environment to minimize background noise. If you record video often, you may want to consider using an external microphone to improve sound quality.

Recording Your Video

You’re ready to record! Now it’s time to press the little red button and get to work. Here are a few things to consider when recording:

Plan Your Content - Before you start, plan out the content that you want to speak about. It can be scripted or unscripted (my preference), but the key is to know the why, what, and who of your message before starting.

Talk to Your Audience - Make your content natural and talk directly to your audience. Pretend you are having a conversation with your favorite customer. Make eye contact, be friendly, and engage them directly.

Short and Impactful - Social media videos should be short and impactful. Start with a hook, telling viewers why they should care. Keep the content short at around 30-90 seconds. And be sure to include a CTA if relevant.

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Tip - Keep our energy levels high. On a scale of 1-10, where a normal conversation is a 5 or 6, your energy levels when recording should be an 8+.

Editing

Once you have the raw video recording, it’s time to get to editing. This is where you prep your content and make sure it’s ready to be published. Here are ways you can edit your video:

Record in One Shoot - The most simple option is to record your video in one shoot. This is a great option if you don’t have access to video editing software, and it can make your video look “natural” as well.

Smartphone Editing - There are a number of video editing tools that you can use directly on your smartphone. For instance, iMovie for iPhone users, or CapCut if you are making more TikTok-style content. This is a great option if you are already shooting your video on your smartphone.

Desktop Editing - If you are editing on your computer, you can use more powerful video editing tools like Final Cut or Adobe Premier. But for social videos… those are really overkill. I personally use Kapwing.

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Tip: Edit out the “dead space.” Remove long pauses, off-topic ramblings, and any distracting elements. Good pacing keeps the viewer engaged throughout the video.

Publishing

Now it’s time to share your video with the world! Here are some suggestions to keep in mind as you publish your content:

Text and Headlines - Ensure that the text that accompanies your video in the post itself is effective. Write an engaging headline, a clear description, and include relevant calls to action.

Include Captions - Your video should include captions. This is good for both silent viewing, as well as providing accessibility features to those who may be hearing impaired. You can either add captions while editing, or otherwise most social media platforms will auto-caption (that you can edit).

Post Natively - ALWAYS post your video natively to each social platform. For example, don’t post a YouTube video in LinkedIn. This will maximize the reach of your content in the algorithm and make it easier for people to watch your video.

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Tip: Start with one platform. While it may be tempting to upload content to every platform, your time is better spent establishing an audience on one platform before expanding.

Ema uses a strong headline to grab people's attention.

What’s Stopping You?

So now I need to ask, what’s stopping you from creating video content?

We know video is incredibly effective, we know it’s fairly easy to create, yet so many people don’t do it…

If that’s you, I’m here to give you tough love:

Get over the fear.
It’s okay to make mistakes.
You need to start somewhere.

The keyword here is start.

You need to begin experimenting with video and learning how to incorporate it into your overall content strategy.

Because video is too important to ignore.

For this week’s action items, you guessed it! I want you to create video content for social media.

If haven't already started creating video content, I want you to start now. And if you are already creating videos, I want you to try a new type or style of video.

Here are this week’s action items:

Create Your Video - Think of a simple topic that you can teach to your audience. Then, create a video explaining it. Your video can be as simple as you talking into your smartphone for 30 seconds.
Post It - Now post your video on social media. Write a quick description and upload the video natively to your chosen platform (I recommend LinkedIn or YouTube for most B2B people).
Show It To Me - Shoot me a DM, reply to this email, or even better, tag me in the post. I want to see your videos and help you expand your reach. Don’t be shy.

I look forward to seeing you online!