Marketing and Branding Tips Archives

Category: Marketing and Branding Tips

Digital Marketing Strategy: find your content cocktail recipe

Here at BWC, we love a good cocktail. It’s a well-balanced mix of delicious ingredients that do just the trick. We like to think about marketing content strategy in the same way. But the content cocktail recipe one business uses won’t necessarily be right for another’s digital marketing needs. It’s all about finding the right mix — because, no, you don’t need to be on each and every platform that exists.

But if the recent Facebook outage taught anyone anything, it’s that your digital marketing content recipe might need a little tweak. You don’t want to put all of your eggs in one basket. Here are some content strategy recipes that we’ve deployed for our clients. (And the why.)

BW client content strategy recipe examples:

Broad world content strategy for JennaMaye Fitness in Vancouver — JennaMaye Fitness focused on building community and converting fitness subscribers.

Broad World content strategy for True Curated Designs — Tori from True Curated Designs wanted to demystify fine jewelry and share her knowledge.

Broad World content strategy for Jasmine and Bethany — These real estate dynamos focused on building community and trust to market the homes in their portfolio.

Broad World content strategy for Merbae — Merbae came to us with the goal of booking more events and setting up an e-commerce site.

To sum up, there’s no one recipe for the ideal content mix to achieve your business goals. (And always, always know your why!) We’d love to help you create your perfect content strategy. Let’s go for a cocktail or coffee — on us! 🍸 DM us or visit biz.broadworld.co

Beyond Facebook: Six ways to diversify your digital marketing strategy

Do you have more than one way to communicate with your customers and team? If the Facebook outage in October taught us anything, it’s that we are very heavily reliant on the FB… oops, we mean Meta… family of social media apps — Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. It also likely (re)inspired business owners to diversify their digital marketing efforts. Because… what if it happens again? Or worse, the apps become obsolete? *shudder*

The network was down for a whopping six hours. While this may not seem like a big deal for a casual user, the prolonged gap in services affected businesses big and small around the world.

As a business owner, and after some initial panic, you possibly got productive in other ways. (Your inbox hasn’t been this organized in years, right?) Or you took the outage as a sign to back away from your computer, put your phone down, and get outside. Or you read an actual book. And when the apps were back up, you rejoiced. But again, we ask you: What if it happens again? (It did, a few days later, but for less time.)

So let’s look beyond the blue F at other platforms that can diversify and bolster your content strategy. Be sure you can communicate with your target audience at any point!

1. Email marketing

Your email list is G-O-L-D. It’s yours and yours only. It’s really the best way to communicate to your customer base and get mega ROI for your efforts. Why? To give you one example, for every $1 you invest in email marketing, you can expect to make $42. We’ve shared three top email marketing tips for clicks and conversions here.

2. LinkedIn

In our humble opinion, LinkedIn is underused and underrated. It’s truly a brilliant place for small businesses to share info and connect with potential customers, partners, and collaborators. Don’t be afraid to use it as a sales tool and shine bright with your industry knowledge.

3. Twitter

Facebook has a Twitter account. That’s how they communicated during the outage, keeping people on track with what the heck was going on. Twitter is the place to share quick, concise info. And any time Facebook goes down, we picture Twitter as Mr. Burns tapping his fingers with menacing delight.

4. TikTok

The power of video content is mighty enough for TikTok to have gathered 1 billion users and grown faster than any of its big brother and sister apps. More and more brands are utilizing this platform in creative ways and it’s ultimately about how you can make it work for you. (Don’t feel like you have to keep up with the TT influencers — you do you!). Take a trend and make it your own, or create a new one altogether. The platform rewards creativity. It’s also important to note that while TikTok videos and Reels are similar, they are very different.

5. Internal Comms Tools

For any business owner who uses Messenger or WhatsApp for office group chats and to communicate internally and/or with customers, the FB outage wasn’t great news. Slack, Microsoft Teams, Skype, and Google Chat are all great alternatives — with most included in your business software, or free. (As are good old text messages.) As for keeping the channels of communication open with customers, click here to scroll back up to email marketing. but more so an internal comms backup tool.

We stand by our stance that you don’t need to have all social media apps — it doesn’t make sense for every business. But the need to have more than one network to communicate with your customers is clearly there. Diversify your digital marketing so you don’t get caught short (again).

6. YouTube

As mentioned with TikTok, video is a powerful engagement tool. YouTube is a great channel to sprinkle into your marketing efforts but can seem a bit daunting. See our checklist to effectively set up your YouTube channel.

Did the Facebook outage make you amp up another channel or app? We’d love to know your experience — share in the comments below. And if you need support in diversifying your digital marketing, we can help! Pop us a note here.

Marketing Goals 101: Know your ‘why’ for better results

The first question we always ask our clients is: what’s the goal? It might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised at how often businesses pump out content, throw massive events, or take on other marketing initiatives just for the heck of it.

“Everyone else is doing it” isn’t a good enough reason to pour money into a new initiative, and not all initiatives NEED to equal a sale. But they do need to have ROI attached, whether that be brand awareness, loyalty, monetary, or just attracting more eyeballs to your business.

Knowing your ‘why’ will also help you narrow in on the copywriting and call-to-action that will get you there. Let’s talk through different goals for your marketing and how to achieve them.

*TLDR? Watch the video!*

Marketing Goals 101

Traffic: Basically, sending people to a website, landing page, or events page. Getting your audience to land in these places means they’re actually reading what you have to say. Increased traffic also increases your SEO.

Brand awareness: This is how we introduce your brand to the world. It’s difficult to track ROI when it comes to brand awareness but that’s totally okay. The story behind what you do is just as important.

Lead capture: This is the first step in the sales process — the moment where your audience says, “Okay, tell me more.” Remember, you wouldn’t marry someone on a first date — so why expect your audience to buy as soon as they meet you?

Lead nurturing: This is what happens after you capture a lead — the relationship-building with your business and its audience. Keep in mind, it takes an average 11 impressions of a brand for someone to make a purchase. At this point we want to share bits and pieces of our brand with a potential customer, and tweak as needed. Did they click through on that ad you sent them? Great, keep doing what you’re doing. Are you getting no traction at all? Maybe it’s time to pivot.

Education: This is SO important in trust-building. People are more likely to engage with a business that they’re confident knows what it’s talking about. It makes the purchase feel secure and solid. So as a business, it’s your job to equip your audience with the knowledge they need to make that jump.

Engagement: There is so much power behind shares, saves, comments, and direct messages. Not only will you build a loyal audience that will boost your message to other people in their network, but social media platforms will start to favour you in the algorithm. The goal here is ultimately relationship-building.

Re-engagement: This is when we re-open communication with people who have already purchased from you (or have thought about it). Whether it’s asking them for feedback on their experience, a product review, or shooting them an email when they abandon their cart — it’s all about keeping your brand top of mind. This gives you the opportunity to fix any blips your customer experienced along the way and build long-term loyalty.

Purchase or Hire (Conversion): Of course, a customer making a purchase or hiring your business is the ultimate goal, but everything you’ve done until this point matters! When it comes time to ask your customer to buy, we want to make sure the call to action is appropriate to their customer journey.

Marketing goals are never one-size-fits-all. While some businesses entice their audience to make a $3 coffee purchase every day, others try to sell something major like a car or a dream home. This is why your goal is so important. Your marketing strategy will COMPLETELY shift depending on your goal and the customer journey that’s needed to get there.

So start with your goal and work backward. Need help finding your ‘why’? Reach out to us here.

For more marketing and branding tips and tutorials, visit our blog page.

The FAQ 2021 Edit: Your top digital marketing questions answered

There are a few questions that keep popping up with our clients no matter what industry they’re in. The world of marketing and branding can be so big and confusing. So let’s break it down and demystify it together with the answers to the marketing FAQs we get from our clients and followers.

Does email marketing still work?

YES. It’s a direct and effective way to consistently re-engage with your audience — especially with your superfans who are following along your business journey with you. Most EDM platforms allow you to really narrow your messaging and create journeys based on each individual’s interactions with your content.

Email marketing has insane ROI attached. On average, every $1 you invest on email marketing yields a $42 return. Yup, you read that right.

Do I need to hire a marketing team?

You don’t necessarily need to have an internal team to take care of all your marketing. But there is a point in your business growth where it makes sense to hand stuff off to someone else. Maybe it’s an intern to take care of pesky tasks like social media scheduling or writing alt text. Or perhaps a strategist to put together an overarching plan to ensure your marketing is working cohesively. Maybe you’re not exactly sure what you need and opt to hire an agency like Broad World Consulting *wink, wink* to help you nail your business goals. Stay mindful of your workload and know when it’s time to ask for a helping hand.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is just marketing jargon for online categorization. Basically, all of the words you write online (on your social media accounts, website, blog, etc.) tell search engines like Google what your content is about — and who it’s important to. Search engines then take that information and index it. So when someone searches for keywords online, Google can show them relevant information. If you’ve used keywords and alt text strategically, this will help you get your business in front of the right audience.

What is brand voice?

Imagine your business was a person. How would they speak? That’s your brand voice. Just like your company has a personality through visuals like your logo and font, your brand voice tells the world who you are. It’s important to meet your audience with the correct vocabulary, tone, and level of professionalism.

Can my company benefit from digital marketing?

Yes. Every kind of business can benefit from digital marketing. Online platforms help you find your audience in online spaces and draw them in. Whether your audience is searching for a service on Google, scrolling Instagram, or even browsing what’s new to their neighborhood on Maps — having a presence in these online spaces gives your business a better chance to be discovered.

How often should I update my website?

This depends on your business and what you’re selling. If you’re a clothing brand, you’ll definitely want to update your website with every new drop and season. But if your offering stays consistent, you may not need to update as frequently. What’s most important is that your website is up to brand standards, doesn’t look outdated, and shows up as impressively as you do in person.

What pages do I need on my website?

It depends, but let’s go through a few of the basics:

Homepage – An absolute necessity. With a single glance, your homepage should tell your audience exactly who you are, and what value you provide.
Contact – Another crucial piece. Keep it simple and clear to make it easy for people to get in touch and hire you.
About – You may also want an about page to humanize your brand and flaunt your credentials and your why.
Services/Products – This can be helpful to outline your offering and price point within the market.

Do I need a blog?

Probably. A blog can significantly strengthen your website’s SEO and get your content in front of the right people. Putting out strong content positions you as a thought leader in your industry and helps your business build trust with your audience. It’s also an effective way to repurpose that content into social media posts that add real value for your audience.

Does my business need to be on social media?

Yes. Again, it’s really important to build your online presence. But you don’t need to be on ALL platforms — just the ones that are relevant to your audience. So if you’ve got a product that’s fun and flashy, it makes sense to jump on Instagram or TikTok. But if you’ve got a professional and information-based brand, LinkedIn might be more your jam.

Do I need to constantly be creating new content?

Yes and no. Try to strike a balance between evergreen content while also staying ahead of trends with faster-moving thought leadership pieces. That way you can add long-term value for your customers and get SEO on your side.

Is it okay to repurpose your content?

Absolutely! Less than 20% of your following on social media or email will see your content. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Be sure to update things like stats and pricing to stay accurate. This is also a fantastic way to expand your content across multiple channels, simply tweak for the user behaviour on that specific platform. Read our full guide on how to make the most of your content.

How do you create effective content?

This answer isn’t one-size-fits-all. Not all platforms are built the same so your goals should be tailored to each one. Really focus on nailing down your goal for each platform so you can determine what success looks like. That way you can match your copywriting and calls to action to support your goal.

What is lead generation?

Lead generation is the process of attracting potential customers and converting them into customers. This process depends on your goals, platforms, and how long a lead needs to be nurtured before they convert. Generating a lead could be collecting someone’s email address, getting them to an event, or delivering a series of emails to push them through your sales funnel.

Remember, on average it takes 11 exposures of a brand for someone to make a purchase.

What is remarketing?

Remarketing is the process of reaching out to people who have already been familiarized with your brand. Whether they’ve made a purchase before or simply looked at some products on your website, remarketing keeps your business top of mind and gets you closer to a sale.

How can Broad World Biz help me achieve my marketing goals?

We offer every kind of marketing service, from digital marketing, to strategy, to PR events, and full website design and construction. We know marketing isn’t one-size-fits-all, which is why we personalize all of our packages. We’d love to help you streamline your marketing plan to make it effective for YOUR business.

Book a free consultation.

Did we miss anything in our marketing FAQs video or in this post that you want and need to know? Pop us a comment below or contact us.

Tips for content value from Broad World Consulting

Four tips to get better value from your content

We’ve all felt like we’re behind on content, always trying to come up with fresh new ideas. Chances are you’re probably making more original content than you need to and simply not squeezing every last drop out of each piece. Not only will this save you a huge amount of time in the long run, but it also allows you to tailor the messaging for different touchpoints. This is creating content value.

Blog, email, social media, and newsletter all call for different levels of detail. Additionally, users on each platform have different habits and expectations for what they’ll see — and how they’ll engage with it. For example: Someone who bookmarks a detailed blog post to read on their coffee break isn’t the same as the person who’ll do the same with an Instagram post while using the app in line at the bank. You need to capture your audience wherever they are.

Today we’ll show you how to take a well-thought-out hero piece and break it into bite-sized content for all of your channels.

*Don’t feel like reading? Watch the video.*

1. Start with a hero piece of content

Your hero piece is going to be the main piece of content you’ll pull from in the next couple of steps. Usually this is a blog, or maybe even a long-form whitepaper. No matter what you’re pulling from, make sure it’s well-researched and well-written. This will keep your content strong as it gets broken down into smaller pieces. Not sure how to format your hero piece for best results? Keep reading.

2. Wireframe your long-form pieces

This is how our team formats almost all of our long-form content. (Pssst, we used this trick on the blog post you’re reading right now.)

Start with your intro: “Here’s what I’m going to tell you.”
Follow with three or more sections that dive into relevant aspects of your topic. This is the part where you tell them.
Outro and call-to-action: “Here’s what I told you.”

3. Point form each section

When it comes to those sections in the middle of your hero piece, it helps to think of bullet points to expand on. Be sure to talk through the problem, provide solutions, and discuss the different options for each unique scenario.

4. Use the smaller points to create bite-sized content

This is our favourite part. You know those sections you created? Each of those is one piece of content! Yup, that’s a minimum of three pieces of snackable content from one blog post. We did that.

So, where can those content snacks be used?

Build each point into different Instagram posts to give your audience value over time.
Turn them into a Reel.
Add it as a block in your newsletter.
Or… all of the above!

The goal is to get the most out of your content. Remember, even your biggest fans only engage with 20% of your content across all channels — and you have new people who are just learning about you all of the time. Don’t be afraid to place the same messaging in different places or repurpose content you’ve previously used. (Just be sure to freshen it up when necessary!)

You have a ton of knowledge and you know your client’s pain points. Use that knowledge to build out one great piece of hero content — then squeeze out every last drop to get the most value!

For more tips on content and branding, visit our blog page.

Email Marketing tips from Broad World Consulting

Three email marketing tips for more clicks and conversions

Let’s start this post with a fun fact about Email Marketing: For every $1 you invest in this communication to your customers, you can expect to make $42? Now, that’s major ROI. Today, we dig into how to make the most of your email marketing with a newsletter, product emails, and the customer journey.

*Not in the mood to read? Watch the video!*

Not only is email marketing one of the most effective ways to grow your business, but it can also help you maintain and grow your current customer base. It can even get you more likes, clicks, views, and reads on your content. Again, major ROI.

At Broad World, we implement email marketing strategies for virtually all of our clients. Why? Because it works. And it can work for you too. Let’s start with the tried and true: the newsletter.

Newsletter best practices for email marketing.

We always recommend starting your email marketing with a newsletter. This is a good way to keep in touch, converse with your customers, and most importantly, add value. Some things to remember for your newsletter:

Frequency: A good rule of thumb is to send out one per month. Adjust for your content — we don’t want to send out 10 blog posts in one newsletter. So if you’re ramping up your content, break the newsletters into a few per month.
Value: We all follow brands who ask us constantly to buy, buy, buy. Flip the script and give your customer value through things like informative content. Educate, inform, inspire. That’s how you create a connection.
Add buttons to external links: Keep things tight with your newsletter — make sure it isn’t too long. A great way to do this is adding buttons linked to the full version of whatever you’re talking about.
Humanize: A newsletter doesn’t have to contain just serious content like blog posts, products, and videos. Newsletter readers are often highly engaged, so use this space to humanize your brand. Introduce your team members, feature a recipe, ask a question. Sophia Amoruso does this really well when she asks, “What was your girlboss moment of the week?” She sometimes answers, writes a guest’s answer, and ultimately has the reader thinking of their own moment — getting them involved in the content with an emotional reaction.

Product marketing with email.

Okay, so you’ve got your newsletter template down. How can we use it to sell more of your products or services? If you run an ecomm website, this is for you. Support your website goals with the newsletter and direct links. If your goal is to sell more of a certain product, feature them in the newsletter in a valuable way — like in a blog post that tells a story.

Scale things up by sorting out your auto emails. Examples of these are:

Newsletter signup welcome email
Abandoned cart emails
‘Thanks for your purchase’ email with link to review or give feedback

Did you know? Sending three abandoned cart emails leads to 69% more orders than a single email reminder. It also takes about 11 views of a brand for someone to make a purchase. So it pays to “nag!”

Uplevel your email marketing by understanding the customer journey.

Be strategic with your email communications by creating customer journeys that build sales funnels. If you know you have various personas with different goals and motivations, you probably shouldn’t be sending all of them the same email. Segmented lists are your friend and help you understand why people are on your site. This way you can send emails that resonate with each individual.

Think about your different buyer personas
Segment your lists and tag them
Send the right content to the right audience

Use copywriting best practices.

An important part of email marketing is to have smart, concise copywriting. Always use copywriting best practices, and make it personal — talk to your customer, not at them. The copy you put on your button should also be personal and start with the word that is attached to the benefit. Eg: Instead of simply “click here” use words like learn, read, improve, or watch.

Why? Personalized CTA’s are 202% more effective, and personalized subject lines generate 50% higher open rates. Give it a go and see results!

Do you have an email marketing strategy in place? Or need some help getting things set up? Pop us a note in the comments or contact us here.

How to set up an effective YouTube channel

YouTube isn’t just a video-sharing platform. It’s become the world’s second-largest search engine. With so many people searching for content of all kinds on YouTube, it’s a huge opportunity for businesses to attract more eyeballs and grow really quickly.

Video is a super engaging way for brands and influencers to connect with their audiences directly — but there’s a catch: your channel has to be set up for success to give you the best chance of being picked up by search engines and algorithms. That’s how you draw people in!

Let’s break down how to set up the perfect YouTube channel. You’ll want to use YouTube Studio for all of your channel, upload, and management needs. Be sure you’ve set up what YouTube calls a Brand Account so you have all of the capabilities.

*Don’t feel like reading? Watch the video below!*

1. The basics

It might sound obvious to say you need a channel name… but stick with us. Your channel name needs to reflect your brand, but it also needs to be SEO searchable. Make sure your channel name is something people will search for when they’re looking for you online.

You’ll also need a channel profile image sized at 800 x 800 pixels. Depending on your business, a logo or photo of you works great!

Make sure to set up your channel name, profile image, and header image.

2. Header imagery

Your header image is a huge piece of real estate that you can use to communicate with your audience. Rather than sticking to just pretty visuals, use this to tell your audience something about your business. Things like what they’ll learn from your channel, your value proposition, or even how often you post videos.

The overall header specs for YouTube are 2560 x 1440 pixels, and your header should also be optimized for smart TV, desktop, and mobile.

3. Channel description

Your channel description is where you’ll tell people who you are, what you do, and what your audience will take away from your videos. You’ll want the first 100-150 characters to hook people in! Because of truncation (formatting YouTube does to shorten a write-up), these first few sentences are what people will see before they’ll have to click to expand the rest of the description. And yes, the rest of the description is just as important — be sure to use strong keywords for SEO.

4. Choose your channel layout

There are many ways to personalize your channel. This includes creating playlists on specific topics, moving seasonal content to the top of your channel, or simply highlighting key branded content. Be sure that you’ve optimized how viewers see your space and that it aligns with your marketing goals.

5. Create two channel trailers

YouTube has added a ton of cool new features over the years to give creators the tools to grow their channel. One of those features is channel trailers. Think of this like a mini movie trailer for you and your business.

You’ll need two trailers: one for current subscribers, and one for people who have never seen your channel before. Don’t worry, all you need to do is upload and YouTube will take care of pushing the right trailer to the right eyeballs.

6. Engage with DM’s and sticker replies

As you grow your channel, people will want to reach out to you. So make sure you give them a way to do that. Plug in your contact email under the ‘About’ section of your website to help your audience and other businesses in your industry connect with you.

We’ve said this a million times and will say it again: YouTube is a SOCIAL media channel. It relies on you to not only create amazing, indexed content, but also engage with other creators on the platform. So get social!

Are you adding YouTube to your content strategy? Let me know in the comments below.

How to use LinkedIn as a sales tool

LinkedIn is so much more than a job-finder or talent acquisition tool. Like other social platforms, LinkedIn gives people a place to connect, share ideas, and build relationships with likeminded people. Let me repeat that LinkedIn is a social platform — one with a professional lens.

For a salesperson, LinkedIn is an amazing tool to introduce yourself to others, position yourself as a thought-leader, and have clients find you!

Below are the steps to setting up a notable, discoverable profile. One that will turn your expertise into leads.

*Don’t feel like reading? Watch the video.*

Optimize your profile

First thing’s first: your profile. Not only is this the first thing people see when they click your name, but it’s also driven by keywords and other important factors that will get you discovered.

Make sure to have:

A professional profile picture. Ideally headshot style, bright and recent, warm and personable, no cocktails in hand. (Unless you’re a booze rep!)
A personalized header image. This could be a company branded graphic or a photo of the amazing balcony view from your favourite hotel in Cabo.
An up-to-date headline. This is your two seconds to tell someone what you do before they scroll down to read more or decide to exit your profile altogether.

Connect with me on LinkedIn!

Crush that ‘about’ section

Chances are you haven’t updated this since you were looking for a job, in which case it would have been used like a cover letter. But now, it’s about growing your business, building trust, and breaking the digital barrier so people know what it’s like working with you.

This is your opportunity as a sales professional to create a strong sales funnel with a personal touch. Take your headline and expand that. Tell the reader who you are and what you do with a mix of personal and professional detail.

Get recommendations

The ‘recommendations’ feature on LinkedIn is a bit underrated, mostly because it’s often at the very bottom of most profiles. You might not even know it exists! (Pro tip: You can move this section up in your profile page.) You want potential customers to know how amazing you are to work with — so find it, and use it to reach out to three people in each of the following categories:

Current colleagues. Reach out to two or three colleagues, offering to write one in return. Remember to phrase it in a fashion that you want to update your profile to attract more clients to the company. You are not job-hunting.
Personal connections. This can be a bit tricky because you want the recommendations to be more than, “My daughter is amazing!” When reaching out to personal connections, consider those who you’ve worked with in some capacity, like a volunteer project. This is a chance for your biggest cheerleaders to talk about your character and the kind of person you are.
Past clients. Testimonials from past clients are valuable currency. Don’t be afraid to reach out. An example:

“Hi [past client], it was great to work with you on the [project] for your company. If you could take a moment to leave a recommendation of your experience of working with me at [company], I’d appreciate it. I’d be happy to return the favour!”

Curate your connections and who you follow

Follow leaders, influencers, competitors, topics, and key brands in your industry. Why? So you can engage! Engagement is so important. Remember, it’s called social media.

From the connections you make, your newsfeed will populate with posts from industry leaders. Like, make a thoughtful comment, and share to boost your connection so others can see the post.

Get a seat at the table

You have a lot to share, so don’t be shy — share! Dovetailing from your curated connections and engagement, now it’s time to show your expertise. This can lead to opportunities outside of sales, like speaking opportunities that can shine a light on you and your company.

Get involved in industry and other relevant conversation by sharing articles — remember to include a comment on why you think it’s interesting.
Take your marketing departments initiatives like blogs and share them with a lens from your role or territory
Answer the FAQs your customers have
Offer value and tips to grow your notoriety

Remember the rule of thumb:

3-5 shares per week, and two 15-minute sessions/day of engagement.

The point here is to show that you are a leader in the industry and that you’re a real human being. This will make people curious about who you are and get them to click on your profile page. If you’ve optimized your profile with the tips above, you’re sure to pique interest in the right audience and customers.

Think of Linkedin as your digital conference space. It’s free, the resources and leads are plentiful, and it’s an ideal networking space for sales professionals. The key is to be social.

*Head over to our blog for more tips on personal and business branding and marketing.*

Feel confident on camera tutorial with Broad World Consulting

How to feel confident on camera

Watching and hearing yourself on camera can be an awkward experience to say the least. The overanalyzing, picking at small details, cringing at the sound of your own voice… We totally get it. Speaking to a camera can be uncomfortable. But we also know audiences are looking to connect with brands that are real and human. Video is one of the best ways to break down that digital barrier, tell your story in your own words, and ultimately connect with your audience. But feeling confident on video takes practice.

Let’s talk about how to get out of that awkward headspace and step into your on-camera confidence.

1. Arrive prepared with a clear goal in mind

You’re making videos for a reason — so make sure the ‘why’ is clear to you and your audience. Before you hit record, have a clear understanding of the goal of your video. Is it to make an announcement? Communicate a new offer? Just check-in with your followers? It sounds basic, but a clear goal for every video will keep you on track.

2. Write an outline, not a script

While a script might seem like a good idea, it can often work against you. Scripts can feel robotic and shatter your confidence every time you miss a specific word. Save yourself the frustration!

Instead, write down your main ideas in point form. Once you’re in front of the camera, speak to each point, and move onto the next. You know your stuff, and this more natural way of speaking will ensure that’s clear to the audience.

3. Show up feeling put together and confident

What makes you feel your best? Steaming your button-up? Putting on lip gloss? Styling your hair? Whatever it is, do it! How you present while filming is completely in your control. Knowing you look and feel good will be one less thing to worry about when you hit the Record button.

4. Get your nervous energy out

Nervous energy is completely normal in front of the camera. It may sound silly, but you can physically shake those jitters out. Here’s our go-to: plant your feet hip-width apart and shake your whole body until you feel more settled. And don’t forget to breathe! There are a ton of different breathing techniques that instantly calm your body.

5. Physically ground yourself

Speaking of planting your feet, this is another way to ground your body during filming. Plant those feet with your weight equally distributed and sit in your full power. Not only will this avoid awkward shifting, but it’ll portray your confidence in a physical way that’s obvious on camera.

6. Keep eye contact

Think of the camera like a member of your audience. Look directly into the lens and make eye contact in the same way that you would in person. Because after all, there’s always a real person on the other end of the video.

7. Speak slowly, clearly, and with authority

We have a tendency to rush when we’re nervous, so speak slow and clear enough for the audio to pick up your words. This will avoid playing an unwanted game of Telephone with the audience.

8. Start talking with non-scripted dialogue

Another great way to get those jitters out! Speak straight to camera about something you never intend to post. You can talk about anything at all! Like what you had for breakfast that morning, or the plot of that new awesome Netflix show. Do this during the first few moments of filming get into a more natural groove.

9. Mistakes are A-OK

You’re going to make some mistakes along the way. It’s inevitable and more than okay. So don’t beat yourself up for stumbling over your words or saying the wrong thing. Those subtle blips are what humanize you and make you relatable. And the great thing about video is that YOU have control over the final product. If you really messed something up, just cut it out. No sweat.

10. Speak to ONE person

This is a big one for engagement. Use the word YOU in the first 5 seconds: you, your, or yourself. These variations of the word hold a ton of power and can increase your engagement by 68%. Yup, you read that right. Remember, there’s often only one person on the other end of your video — so speak to them as they are, in that live moment.

11. Cut to the chase

We don’t mean you should skip the basics. You should always give a quick intro and let your audience know what they’ll get out of your video. But once you’ve covered those bases, jump right into the bulk of it. No one wants to sit through a long video for just a few minutes of actual value-adding content.

12. Don’t be condescending

The people who watch your videos are probably there trying to learn something from you. Avoid hitting them with these types of sentences:

Do you get it?
Does that make sense?

While it’s definitely not your intention to come across in a condescending way, phrases like that imply your audience isn’t keeping up — even if they are. We want to make them feel like it’s okay that they’re not well-versed on what you’re teaching… because it is. That’s why you’re there to educate on your expertise.

Try these phrases instead:

Do you have any questions?
Do you have any feedback for me?
Did I leave out anything that you’re curious about?

We’re a firm believer in video over here at Broad World. Why? It’s grown our business, engagement, and the connection between us and our audience. We know it’s not easy at first, but getting comfortable on video is like working a muscle — you have to use it to see improvement. And remember, your audience is there for a reason. They want to connect, and they’re on your side.

You can and will feel confident on video. Get started TODAY — right where you are.

For more branding and marketing tips and tricks, visit the BW Biz Blog.

Shot list for photoshoot tutorial from Broad World Consulting

Save money and valuable time with a photoshoot shot list

A shot list is a critical part of any photoshoot — be it for social content, product shots for your site, lifestyle imagery, or any other visual campaign. A shot list outlines the who, what, where, when, and why of your shoot to keep you on track with your time and budget.

If you forego the shot list, you’ll end up getting back to the office with photos that don’t fit where you need them, aren’t aligned, are all the same — or worse, missing altogether.

Here’s our quick breakdown of how to nail a shot list, save yourself time during shooting, and getting the most images you can use out of each photoshoot.

Don’t feel like reading? Watch the video!

Highlight your business goals

Marketing rule numero uno: always, always, always understand why you’re doing each initiative. Go into your photoshoot with your goals not just in mind, but written down too. Make sure they’re clearly communicated to the whole team so the vision is clear, questions are asked, and you’re all fighting the same battle.

Two questions will help you identify those goals. One: Where will these photos be placed? Two: What actions do you want people to take when they see them?

Refer to your content calendar

Your content calendar can help you guide your shots. Take stock of upcoming dates of importance, product launches, and the pieces of content you’re creating.

Note: Capturing some evergreen shots is always great, too. Don’t shy away from taking a few shots you save for a slow week, generic marketing materials, or times you need a solid, branded image.

Break down your important categories

These are the big categories that will structure the order in which you shoot. Maybe you have a couple of different locations, maybe you have two rounds of models, maybe you need different equipment for the types of shots you need — highlight these time-consuming changes as the overarching pieces.

Break your categories into smaller parts

Break each larger category into smaller sections. If you have a model for one hour, break down which outfits they’ll be wearing when. If you have a bunch of product shots on one background, schedule those together before changing scenery.

The key here is to do the majority of the planning before you arrive into the mayhem of the day.

Think about where images will be used

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve kicked myself for getting too many vertical shots when I needed a horizontal one for a certain blog post or thumbnail. Each digital platform or print material requires different parameters for your images. Here are a few things to consider:

Orientation — landscape vs. portrait
Resolution — how high or low quality is best
Macro vs. micro shots — how zoomed in or zoomed out an image is
Backgrounds — for website product shots it’s important that you can remove the background

Break down realistic timelines

Now that you have your categories, subcategories, and types of images you need to check off the list, it’s time to build your timeframe. The beginning of a shoot always takes a little longer than you think to get rolling, and the end of a shoot always feels a little frantic.

Don’t do that to yourself. Marking the times along each section is a great way to make sure you’re staying on track and can set priorities if the wheels start to fall off.

Pro tip: like a budget, always inflate your times by 20-30% to allow for human error, wardrobe or equipment malfunctions, and general mishaps.

Note all necessary props

Since you’ve thought meticulously about each shot, you know what will help bring those images to life. Maybe it’s a picnic setup complete with a blanket, wine, cheese, and a bougie picnic basket. Or florals and/or crystals to enhance your product shots. Perhaps it’s accessories that bring your clothing to life.

Whatever it is, make a note for the shot it applies to so you don’t forget in the craziness.

Prepare everything beforehand

Props are great. We love props. They really help tell a brand’s story. However, make sure everything shows up to the shoot camera-ready.

Sneakers are clean
Inflatables are blown up
You’ve tested to make sure new items work
Clothing is steamed and hung
Accessories are in baggies and attached to the outfit they go with

This seems obvious, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen accessories be missed, props didn’t work, or clothing looked like it had been pulled out of a dirty laundry basket.

Measure twice and cut once, friend.

Pack an on-set kit

Shit happens. Be a good boy scout and always be prepared. These are the go-tos in our kit:

scissors
thread and a needle
double-sided tape
safety pins
baby wipes
paper towel and soft rags
Windex
Tide-To-Go pens
water bottles

Remember, these are the fun days! Get all of the planning and organization out of the way before you arrive to set. A photoshoot shot list will give you the day-of brain capacity to manage people, products, a timeline, and the budget. And actually enjoy a creative day!

Creative strategy and organization aren’t for everyone, so this all might sound terrifying to you. If so, we’re here to help! Reach out to us for any of your branding and digital marketing needs. Let’s go for a coffee — on us!