Member Article

How to get comfortable with digital content creation.

During the last 2 years the rate at which we consume digital content has dramatically increased. Digital commerce has grown exponentially and is continuing along that same trajectory in 2022. As entrepreneurs we have always been heavy content consumers. However, the way we consume our content has also changed. We are now much more likely to use video or podcasts as ways to ingest content. Therefore, if we have a brand or a product it is obvious that we should also use these platforms to successfully market ourselves or our brand, to make content for others. Many business owners are quite reticent to move forward with digital content and marketing. A word of warning though, if you do not envelop this new digital way of marketing and content creation you will likely succumb to your competitors who are transitioning in this way.

Consumers make decisions on a product or a brand if they believe in the message. Part of successfully growing your product or expertise in the marketplace is to create a trusted brand message. By using visual digital formats like zoom or basic video posting on social media you will be able to create an honest and authentic brand. Never underestimate the competitive advantage of a great personal brand behind your business. Video allows you to share your personality and expert opinion in a different way. It could mean that a company chooses to work with you rather than your competitor. Always remember that marketing is a disqualification process as well as a qualification process. There’s only a certain portion of any market that will work with you. Being honest and authentic means you are able to focus on the people that you actually want to do business with.

Do not avoid going on camera. Video content is such a powerful tool to have in your toolkit as a business owner. Going forward, business owners and entrepreneurs should use speaking, presenting, video and podcasting as much as they can. Get camera ready. The importance of being able to effectively speak publicly on video is stronger now than it’s ever been before. Two years ago you couldn’t get people on Zoom, now most business is conducted this way.

Do not get pushed out of the market. Millennial entrepreneurs have the upper hand when out comes to technology and using it as a marketing tool. They have grown up with social media and via peer to peer coaching have become naturally adept at it. However, by educating ourselves, those of us who are more established and less used to social media marketing and digital content, can still use technology to our advantage and develop our brands successfully via social media and video.

Get good at being on camera. Do not be the worlds best kept secret. If you are an expert at what you do, share it. Be the strong personality behind the brand that consumers will buy into. Become the face of the company, do not hide behind it. People connect with personality rather than a corporate brand. Getting good at being on camera is all about body language, eye contact, and facial expressions, as well as how you look. Be yourself. Work on a dynamic delivery. Think about how you can get your message to the market with confidence and how you can bring your personality into your brand. Try and overcome your fears and limiting beliefs when it comes to speaking and presenting to camera.

Get your audio right. A big part of the listening experience is how something sounds. If your video and audio sounds bad it will reflect on you and your brand negatively. It doesn’t have to be a big investment, a USB mic, from Amazon can make a big difference. It is also worth thinking about your lighting. Simply having a lamp behind the camera shining onto your face can help. Little tricks that do not cost money. Have a play around to get the look and feel of the video you want. Remember you can have lots of goes at pre - recording material until you are comfortable.

The importance of personal brand. Learning to present on camera is a skill. It needs to be approached methodically and slowly. If you are learning to swim, the first swimming lesson isn’t in the sea, it is in the shallow end of the swimming pool with armbands on. It is the same with speaking. Podcasting is a really good way of starting your presenting journey. You are often in a private comfortable environment, having a conversation and getting your message out to a wider audience. There is no standing on stage or speaking in front of 10,000 people in a big arena. Also arguably podcasts have a bigger reach online than you would have at a conference. Podcast episodes are evergreen and searchable on Google as well as sitting on Apple forever. You can also repurpose the content in the form of audiograms, video graphs, TikTok clips and blogs. It’s a great way to create content without any pressure.

Did you know that TikTok is the second largest business channel in the world. It may seem madness that people are consuming business content within 30 seconds on this platform but it is the truth. The development of tablets, smart phones and the general miniaturisation of computing means that we will ingest our information digitally through these audio visual channels increasingly in business. If you don’t become comfortable with the digital age then a competitor who may have a less superior product, but a far better marketing engine in terms of a digital personal brand, will outsell you. Digital content is also a very positive way of marketing, fiscally. Paid advertising has a finite window. Once the money is used up your advert and visibility has gone. With digital content, it is evergreen and will be searchable forever. If it is tagged up correctly it can continue to work for you by bringing customers to you, infinitely.

What else do people need to do to become video or audio centric? Work with a coach. Don’t try and figure it out on your own. Get instant feedback to speed up your progress. You don’t need to leave your home. You can get feedback on your hand gestures, your facial expressions or your voice to help you become a dynamic presenter. Via zoom calls. Google “Succeed Through Speaking” where entrepreneur Tom Bailey has lots of free videos to help you as well as a monthly masterclass. This will help you get your message to the market with competence and clarity.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lucy Hood .