As I often tell my mortgage coaching clients, you are not just in the mortgage business, you are in the relationship business. In today’s virtual environment, incorporating videos into your marketing strategy can truly amplify your brand and help you build lifelong, trusted relationships with your clients, referral partners and community.
Creating value through impactful videos is not about how you look on camera or the type of camera you use (though keep reading for tips on that too!). The key is to focus on the content and value of your videos. Your videos should demonstrate your authenticity and inspire your audience to engage with you on a deeper level. Share what you are passionate about, why you do what you do, and how helping people achieve their dream of homeownership fuels you. Don’t be afraid to let them get a glimpse into your life! Getting real in this way allows you to create an instant connection with your audience.
This blog will help you learn where to start and will guide you towards creating IMPACTFUL videos for your audience through the following 3 sections:
- VIDEO CONTENT AND STRUCTURE
- VIDEO EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS
- YOUTUBE TIPS AND TRICKS
VIDEO CONTENT AND STRUCTURE
- Make your message simple and to the point.
Each video should have one clear theme, or message that you are trying to get across to your viewers. Before you write a script or pick up your camera to start recording, ask yourself what you want your audience to get out of watching your video? If the video you make does not express that clearly, you notice yourself rambling too much or there is too much “fluff” around your point then you should consider re-writing your script, jot down some bullet points to follow, or re-assess your strategy for getting your message across in a concise and engaging way.
- Share information and create value.
This is key across all content and social media platforms. What you are posting should always bring VALUE to your audience. Whether that is giving them a tip, a freebie of some kind or making them feel a strong emotion, your video should give them something they need and/or want to share to their own social network.
A good rule to follow is that 90% of your posts should be valuable and shareable and 10% of your posts can be promoting yourself. Every post should still have a clear call-to-action regardless of if it is a “promotion” post or not. Your CTA could be as simple as asking your audience to re-share the video, or it could be pushing them to your blog or website for further information on your services.
- Share your authentic self.
It is easy to get caught up in the business and marketing and blaze through making your videos. Remember to keep in mind that you are speaking to real people. Make videos that are from the heart and let them in to your world – relate to your audience’s daily struggles and show them the real you!
Tell a story! True, personal stories are the best way to reach someone and connect over a shared experience. Stories always elicit more emotion from our audience, that is how they are able to relate to us and get more from your video. When we create emotion in our audience, the message of our video is more likely to stick with them.
- Keep your videos short.
No one has the time or attention span to watch a long video and often your message will get lost if it is not presented right away. Keep your videos shorter, a minute up to a couple minutes is great. Keep in mind that the first 6 seconds of your video should hook your viewers and grab their attention. The next few seconds should let them know what they will get out of the video and why you are an authority source on the matter. Get right to your message after that. Tell stories and have fun with it but try to avoid too much filler.
- Keep your content current, local, and relevant.
The mortgage industry is huge, and you are probably faced with a good amount of competition. To stand out from the crowd it is better to pick a narrower niche, rather than fighting against the masses. To do that, make sure your content targets your location, that it is relevant to the people you will be serving, and that it is current and fresh. For example, your video should not be about “How to Apply for a Mortgage.” Rather it should be about “How to Apply for a Mortgage in 2021” or “How to Apply for a Mortgage in Denver, CO”. This will help you stand out from other businesses, while also bringing in the right types of clients.
- Use the P.R.E.P. method.
Alexa Fischer has a great model for how to structure your videos:
- Point – create a clear & concise way to tell your audience what you want them to know.
- Reason – let them know why it’s important to them to know what you are sharing.
- Example – share something to support your idea such as a story or testimonial.
- Point – reiterate and clarify the point of the video.
VIDEO TOPIC IDEAS
- Teach someone something they don’t know about the home buying process, for example how to get a loan or when to refinance.
- Your videos don’t have to just be for social media. Consider sending videos for different parts of the loan process – an introduction, what to expect, where their loan is at, when the loan closes, etc. Videos make a much more personal, lasting impact than a text or email.
- Ask each of your clients for a testimonial video. You can post them across social media or on your website. Testimonial videos speak volumes for your reputation.
- Interview local businesses about their role in your community. You will forge new relationships with important people while you keep your audience informed on local matters.
- To keep referral partners and past clients engaged, send videos about mortgage industry news, when to refinance, meeting follow-ups, a thank you, happy birthday or holiday well-wishes, or loan anniversaries.
- Research what topics and questions are popular with your audience. Create solutions for their problems.
- Take past blog topics or informational marketing and turn it into videos. Repurposing content is an effective way to make sure your audience receives the information they are looking for in the way they prefer to digest their material.
Click HERE for a free copy of my guide: 60 Engaging Video Content Ideas to Promote Your Mortgage Business
VIDEO EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS
The process of creating videos should not be complicated. It is easy enough these days to grab your smartphone and have a simple video ready to share in minutes. The content and information you are providing is the most important aspect to an impactful video. However, your audience will not want to watch a low-grade video either. Here are some tips for creating decent quality videos, as well as some tools and equipment to take them up a notch!
- CAMERA – Using a higher-quality smartphone works great for most videos. Your desktop’s webcam will also work fine. If you are looking to upgrade your quality, I recommend using Logitech’s Brio Ultra HD Pro Business Webcam for recording from your computer. This will also bring a higher quality to your digital meetings.
Most of you will not need a more advanced camera, but if you are wanting to truly dive into video creation, read this article for “The Best Cameras for Vlogging in 2021.”
- AUDIO – The sound quality of your video makes a huge impact on the overall quality and message. Consider purchasing even a simple external microphone such as this TONOR USB Microphone.
Some people prefer microphones they can clip on, or ones they can attach to their cameras. Here is an article that provides different types of microphones: “The Best Microphone for Vlogging and Filmmaking in 2021.”
- LIGHTING – Proper lighting can instantly make your videos look much more professional. Figuring out the right lighting for your space will take some trial and error. Use the light you already have to start. Try to face yourself towards a window for natural, direct light. Use filler lights where needed if you do not have enough natural light. This ring light is a very simple, portable option to add some quick extra light.
Lighting does not need to be too complicated to start. It is important to have decent lighting, but beyond that lighting should work to enhance your videos. To learn the basics of lighting, read “A Beginner’s Guide to Video Lighting.”
- TRIPOD – if I am filming a video on my phone, I use a simple tripod such as this one. The most important thing to remember when using a tripod is to make sure your camera is balanced. Filming on either your computer or tripod is great for slightly longer videos. You may want to consider having an assistant help you and hold up bullet points, or you can tape them to the wall or off to the side of your computer if you are doing them by yourself.
- PROGRAMS – There are many programs and software suited for video production.
For recording on your computer you can use QuickTime on your Mac, or Loom works on both PC and Macs. With Loom you can screen record, camera only record, or do both.
BombBomb lets you send videos through text or email. You can see who played your video and when, plus it integrates with popular mortgage CRMs such as Jungo.
There are a handful of free and paid for teleprompter tools, such as PromptSmart, if you are filming a longer video or need a script.
Your phone has some video editing capability if you are filming a quick video. If you are looking for more intricate video editing, iMovie is an easy go-to, or Adobe Premiere for even more tools.
YOUTUBE TIPS AND TRICKS
While videos can, and should, be posted across multiple of your social media sites, you may still be interested in posting your videos to YouTube as well. YouTube is a great channel to host your video content and provides another way for your information to come up in search results and to reach an audience on a different platform. Implement these few important tips to start creating your YouTube channel.
- SEO – Make sure your title is keyword friendly and optimized for search engines. YouTube is owned by Google and is actually the 2nd largest search engine. Treat your videos as you would a blog post, for example, and make sure you are using keywords and relevant tags in your description and titles.
- CUSTOM THUMBNAILS – Create unique thumbnails for your videos to help you stand out from the crowd. By using your brand colors, including similar images, and adding what the video is about you will start to create a brand for your channel.
- END SCREEENS & SUBSCRIBE – YouTube has some additional features that can help your audience keep coming back to your content. End screens can be found on the right-hand side when editing your video. Add new or relevant videos or playlists that your viewer can click on to continue watching your videos. You can add a “subscribe” element as well. Or you can set a custom watermark for subscriptions that will display on all of your videos through Customization > Branding in your YouTube Studio.
- VIDEO DESCRIPTIONS – Make sure to add a brief description of each video. In each description you should include your website, social media links, as well as a clear call to action.
- CUSTOMIZE YOUR CHANNEL – In your YouTube Studio under “Customization” you can create a channel description to tell your audience who you are and what type of videos they can expect to see, add relevant keywords, add links to your website/social media pages, include contact information, set featured videos and more. Starting with customizing your page is important, these settings will be the first information your audience sees when they find your channel and will direct them to learning more about your services.
- WHAT TO POST – Consider posting mortgage news updates, informational videos (how to buy a new home or what to expect during the loan process), do Q&As with local businesses or use blog posts and informational content to repurpose for your YouTube. The same video content and structure tips from above still apply. Remember that the way your audience finds your YouTube is often from when they are searching to find an answer to a question. Provide the answers to your audience’s questions in the most clear and concise way possible and your YouTube will do great!
Creating a video production plan and strategy is essential in today’s fast-paced digital marketing world. Start by focusing on the CONTENT and VALUE of your videos, make sure you always have a clear call-to-action, and don’t stress about getting the latest and most expensive camera equipment. Your audience is looking to connect with you and learn something from you, which will help them determine if you and your services will match their needs.
If you are looking for more guidance with your social media channels, read my blog on “10 Must-Know Social Media Trends for Mortgage Pros.” Or, if you are looking for direction and clarity on how to promote and elevate your business to the next level my coaching programs help you not only with strategies to increase your production, but also with techniques to build deeper connections and clarify your company image.
To learn how my coaching programs can help you grow your business and achieve the life you truly desire, schedule your complimentary coaching call by clicking HERE.
For more information about The Defining Difference coaching programs, please click HERE. Or email our team at info@cindyertman.com.
