Let’s fix this little problem that really sneaks up on you and saps all the fun right out of your video marketing. I call it the “I Ain’t Got No Studio Blues”
How to Quickly Set Up Your Video Marketing “Studio”
You know you want to do video marketing consistently. You may even want to use video to create products and services. That means setting up a space to do video in. Because if you’ve taken my instruction seriously you know that setting up your video properly makes a huge difference in how you and your company are perceived.
The Complication of Video Marketing
But that adds a complication, doesn’t it? Because now you have to move around a bunch of lights, mess up your workspace, tell everyone to keep their noise level down, choose a background, compose your shot, set your audio levels…well, you get the idea. It can be a royal pain in the you-know-what.
Is there a better way? The answer is most definitely yes. In fact, you can get this whole prep session down to about 5 minutes. But there’s a catch. And the catch is that you have to make a decision.
The Decision That Makes Video Marketing a Snap
That decision is very, very simple and very, very hard. It’s simple, because once you make it, the way you make videos will be very easy from then one. You’ll save hundreds of hours that you can spend selling, creating products, devising marketing campaigns, the whole nine yards.
But it’s also hard, because making the decision is also making a commitment. Ugh. There’s that word again. What are you committing to, precisely? I think you’ve already guessed it, haven’t you? The commitment is that you are going to use video to begin attracting your best clients in a kind of auto-pilot marketing program. It means you will be putting out video content on a regular basis; from once a week to once a month.
And that is the sticking point for most people and most businesses. They aren’t really super-sold on the fact that video can really help them or that it’s worth the time and trouble to set up a dedicated space. So if this is you, I have a solution for you.
How to Quickly Set Up a Video Marketing “Studio”
This solution will allow you to prove to yourself that video done right works really, really well. And it won’t cost you a penny to implement. Ready to find out how it works? Great! Right before I tell you how to set this up, I’d like you to see a particularly nice example of this solution in action.
Please click on where it says “new video”: http://www.bamagazine.com
Now, did that look very difficult to pull off? Of course not! It looked like he was working at his desk, then just shifted in his chair to talk to you. That’s what we’re going to make your space look like. You can set this up in just a few minutes, and…this is the commitment part…keep the setup there for a few weeks. You may decide you like it so much that it becomes your permanent studio.
Here’s what you’ll need to get started:
1. one video light
2. camera on a tripod set up at eye level
3. wired or wireless microphone plugged into the camera and ready to clip on.
You can even set the light and camera aside if you place a mark on the floor where they will go when you need them.
Set the light from 20 – 45 degrees to the side of the camera. If you want to get crazy, hang a little backlight from the ceiling and leave it there out of the way. That’s it. That’s all you need to do.
Remember composition. Where you place the camera is important. Put yourself off-center to create a pleasing composition, just as John has done in his video. If you want to review how to handle this particular piece when no one else is around, look down this page a bit for the video that shows you how to do that.
The Unique Advantages of Your Own Video Marketing Studio
And that’s all there is to it! You can literally have this entire “studio” set up in less than 30 minutes. Now anytime you get the inspiration to talk to your audience, you can do so on the spot and you’ll have the confidence to know that it will look fantastic.
There’s one other less tangible benefit to all this. It will encourage you to keep your work area relatively clean. I find that a clean workspace tends to free my imagination anyway, so it might even make your videos better.
Consistency in getting your message out is really important in establishing your credentials. Don’t let lack of a dedicated studio hold you back.
And we’ll keep the cool “Blues” in music, where it belongs…