There's a perception that creating a promo video is THE key to gaining business, and that's not always the case.

Allow me to explain.

Just recently, I was in the market for a car, and as I inspected each potential vehicle I didn't merely search for an
engine under the hood. That would be foolish on my part. Yet, numerous CEOs and advertisers sell themselves on the belief that certain video is the vehicle necessary to gain attention, but it is merely a part of the car (an engine, a wheel, a paint job) — a piece of the elements needed to build customer relationships.

Depending on your clientele, video content may be more necessary than others. For those reaching out to next-gen customers, visual media is almost always a major part of the strategy — the engine and transmission. For others, video content could be a secondary piece in the overall assembly, like cruise control (and as customers vary, this may or may not be a requirement!).

I've seen it time and time again. Organization XYZ spends $xx,xxx to have a cool music video or a commercial with Mr. Joe Famous as the spokesperson, they post it on YouTube, and then they expect people to flock to watch the video and to create immediate name recognition and interest.  Pipe dreams.

So what is the solution? Consider these few steps:

• Learn/Determine your audience. age; life stages; types of connections, whether on social media, in their closest relationships; income bracket, etc. Where do the people hang out that you want to reach? What are their daily habits?
• Connect with them.  Meet them where they are, guiding them on the journey to where they need to travel. Locations could be online, targeted social networks, or even local events.
• Demonstrate quality. I narrow quality down to two characteristics: excellence & authenticity. What sets you apart? Be real with yourself and your product, and make it something you are proud of. Stop lying to yourself and fix what may be broken.
• Touch your world regularly. Whether it's TV commercials, blog posts, your twitter feed, how-to videos on YouTube, or Instagram pics of your cat, you will be forgotten unless you keep pushing your brand to where eyes are with concerted effort.
• Break stereotypes. Be different in a positive way. Promotion is not merely creating your website and a commercial, it also involves that hand-written note to a client apologizing for a glitch they faced in the system with a solution you put in place for them to not see it again. It could even be non-advertised bonuses to employees for keeping partners happy (your employees are often one of your largest promoters on and off the clock — positively or negatively) or a simple chat over coffee to build real relationships with people on your contact list.

Returning back to it, don't get so focused on one element in your promotional strategy that you lose sight of other opportunities, and certainly, take the time to consider where video best fits into your plan.

Need help connecting to your audience? Contact us! info@pointlightpictures.com