If you’re like me, when it comes to running your business, for the last few weeks you’ve been navigating the murky and choppy waters of a new reality. One where the average business owner is doing his/her best to swim against the current, or to even just to stay afloat. In this roaring river Options A and B are not great: swim like this and it’s a health risk; swim like that and learn the government banned your doors from being open.
Rather than suffer by going upstream, or surrender and go downstream, what I am doing to address the situation is look for that option C: swim to the river bank. Adapt. We’re going on foot from here for a while. It’s uncharted, slow, and a completely different approach to following a river, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned in filmmaking, experiencing the outdoors, and in owning a company, being open to adaptation is the only way to grow, survive, and thrive.
Enough analogies—what am I talking about? How is this relevant? Well, if you’ve made it this far, it means you’re one of the majority of humans: people like storytelling. It can really paint a picture and get us emotionally invested. As humans, we are keenly tuned in to pay attention to stories.
We are not currently meeting people in person, if we’re practicing true social (or rather, physical) distancing. We are not shaking hands, we are not sharing elevators, we are not stopping to chat in the grocery store. Now the closest we can get to people is through technology. We connect over email, text, phone calls, FaceTime and Zoom, and posts on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Tik-Tok. And I propose the mediums where I can see the person, hear the person, and feel genuinely physically close to the person again, albeit digitally, I get a reminder of what that feels like in real life, and it feels great.
While I do operate a professional film company, and therefore drink my fair share of video marketing Kool-Aid, like all of us I’m also a consumer on a personal level, and that’s why I believe the statistics about the effectiveness of videos. I know if I really want something explained easily, or with entertainment, or with some peer’s authentic personality and perspective behind it, I’m more likely to look up my inquiry on YouTube. Who looks for the manual anymore before at least trying to find someone’s review and installation video? I know the webpages where I find a video clip feel more modern, more engaging, more thorough, just…more. I’ll stay longer on those pages, and likely be more apt to browse the rest of the site, including the non-video pages, because of the interest generated by those initial videos. Starting from early childhood, there is much evidence that as a species we are very visual learners.
The good news is that you don’t have to flail in this turbulent economic rapid we’re in; you CAN choose to try new things. For me, that’s more offers of remote consulting on eventual video campaigns, planning of those campaigns, online training in basic filmmaking practices for those wanting to make video content themselves on their smartphone, and ramping up editing and writing services—all of which can be done from home. These are only to name a few adaptive approaches I can mold to our new digital-focused world, drawing from my expertise and interests.
Whether you’re looking for a pro video company’s help or are more the DIY type, I would suggest your river bank alternative route include experimentation in video. If you’ve never used it to reach out to your customers before, or tried it in attracting new ones, this is a perfect time to start. Andy you are lucky in that you most likely have a pretty darn good camera attached to your phone, as far as consumer grade gear is concerned. For the moment we are living in, things like camera technical quality have somewhat been universally democratized, and you can and should take full advantage of what you have access to.
Set your camera fears aside for a moment, because it’s almost like we all get a pass on the technical, perhaps best demonstrated by the numerous late show hosts and celebrity musicians, recording entire shows in their bedrooms with nothing but their iPhones and their family members. It’s about story. About personality. About being present. A video lets your audience know “I’m still here,” and can be a welcomed feeling of normalcy, or at least comfort. And I promise you, as camera shy as we all are, the more you do it the less you think about it.
I’d urge you to pick up your phone, open the video app, and just play a little. Record a message for your customers who are wondering what you’re up to, and how your company is handling things these days. Film a safety protocol you’ve put into place, or describe it. Talk about a new promotion or product you’re offering, and excite people about it. Educate them in something valuable and relevant. There are many ways you can adapt your business,TODAY, and by shifting your mindset and what you’re open to, you may just stumble on something that is not only helpful and effective during a health and economic crisis. What if when the river calms, and it’s smooth and familiar again, this effort becomes something you realize will help you grow in a post-pandemic society, or will reveal new untapped revenue streams?
My point: video can make a terrific connection with your audience. People need, want, and love connection and stories, and it’s a great time to give people something they need, want, and love.
For a free consultation on how video could accelerate your business goals and enhance your communication, contact Adam at Green Lens Media here and mention this blog post.
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