Have you considered marketing video production as part of your marketing strategy? Creating your own videos is a valuable opportunity to develop a personal connection with multiple clients — without having to jump on the phone or meet them at your office individually.
We understand that knowing how to make a marketing video is beyond the scope of most financial advisors. Where do you even begin? How do you make the best financial advisor videos? Where do you find the best video marketing tips for financial services? On an episode of our podcast, we went through the basics that advisors need to get started with video. Read this guide, then listen to the episode in its entirety, and you’ll be ready for “Lights, Camera, Action” in no time!
Why Marketing Video Production Is Important for Financial Advisors
Video marketing isn’t the future of marketing — marketing video production is a marketing necessity for any business that provides personal services. Video marketing is one of the most effective ways to connect with today’s digital consumers, and the ROI is undeniable. According to wyzowl’s latest research, learning how to make a marketing video is one of the smartest brand-building moves you can make. Here are some of their findings for 2021:
- Marketers who use video realize improvements in traffic, leads, and sales.
- Marketers will continue to make marketing video production a priority in both usage and spending.
- The pandemic has only increased the amount of video consumed, creating an even broader audience.
- Consumers continue to consider video marketing an intricate part of their customer journey.
So why does video marketing continue to have such an impact? Because consumers like videos more than other content. Whether video’s popularity is due to short attention spans, the digital age, or a combination of reasons, it can mean more business for financial advisors. When financial advisors adopt marketing video production as a part of their marketing strategy, the medium provides the perfect platform for building their brand.
What can video marketing mean for financial advisors? It means an opportunity to communicate your brand’s value, connect on a more personal level, and tap into the power of social media marketing. Video isn’t popular just with consumers, either. Video content ranks high in search engines, giving your advisory the benefit of increased SEO and a greater online presence. Check out FMG Suite’s ultimate guide for financial advisor marketing videos for even more benefits of video marketing.
5 Video Marketing Tips for Financial Advisors
To get you started with marketing video production, we’ve put together the top five tips to get you up and running. Keep in mind that you don’t have to create the perfect video, you only have to create a video that connects with your audience. Your prospects and clients know you’re not a director — all they want is to get to know you and your services. Once you get started, you’ll probably find the entire process a lot less intimidating than you thought. Ready? Grab your smartphone and let’s get started.
- The Camera
Do you need to buy a camera to get started with video marketing? The surprising answer is no! When you’re creating your first financial advisor videos, a webcam or smartphone is perfectly sufficient. If your existing web camera is lower quality, you can buy an affordable one that plugs into your computer and sits on top of your monitor.
Just make sure you have a setup that allows the camera to be at eye-level, whether that’s with the webcam, or purchasing a tripod to setup your phone. If you start making more videos and want to level up, buying a nicer video camera is a great option for year two.
2. The Script
Whether you use a script or improvise depends on your comfort and the topic. If you’re creating a casual financial advisor video about your office or a more general financial topic, improvising is a great option. But if you’re concerned about compliance, writing a script ahead of time and sending it to get it approved will keep you from having to re-shoot the entire video.
You might feel comfortable having an off-the-cuff conversation with the camera. Or, you might prefer to read something, knowing you can give a natural delivery that way. Practice and see what you’re good at!The nice thing about using your webcam is that you can put the script on your screen and read it from there. Just make sure it doesn’t sound like you’re reading.
3. Filming Location
Your office or home should be your first thought when it comes to filming location. It’s where your clients think of you, and it’s easy! But you want to make sure the room looks nice and doesn’t have anything too distracting in the frame. Ideally, the room also has a good natural light source, such as a window or skylight, to keep you well-lit. Test it out by filming something in that spot, and see how it looks!
If you don’t have a space that works well for video, then you can get creative! Do you have a nice patio outside your home with a killer background? Do you have a friend with a great office or library setup you can borrow? It all depends on finding a location where you feel comfortable, that is easy to set up, and available to keep filming in, time after time.
4. Accessories
Do you need microphones and lights for a financial advisor video? If you’re just making a simple video indoors, and you have a good natural light source in your filming location, you shouldn’t need anything extra. But if you’re working outside or in a larger space like a lecture hall, a small lavalier microphone might be helpful. If you need some extra lighting, it’s easy to buy a starter lighting kit. Both of these things can be found with a quick Google search for a relatively affordable price.
If you choose to upgrade your equipment after you start regularly making videos, you may find you want to invest in microphones and lights as well.
5. Editing
Instead of worrying about learning a new skill, try shooting your video in just one take! This makes it feel easy and familiar to your audience and keeps things simple. If you are shooting the video just sitting at your desk talking to a camera, editing different parts together won’t look very seamless.
If you’re filming and mess up, just start over. Often times, you may find your second (or third or sixth) take is even better. As you practice, you’ll be more succinct and feel more comfortable.
If you’re making something more complicated, the editing software that came with your computer (iMovie for Apple or Windows Movie Editor for PC) should do just find. You can also invest in something like Adobe Premiere if you feel comfortable with editing and want to add a lot of text, images, and other elements.
Get Started with Financial Advisor Videos
Don’t miss the full episode, “Guide to Video Creation for Financial Advisors” with our VP of Creative, Brandon Brown. It’s full of expert advice to help you start filming today! And when you’re ready to take your video and other content to the next level, check out our financial advisor content library and other services.
