Creating online video may seem out of reach for many brokers, but two experts say it’s easier than you think
With a greater demand for a more personalized approach, the finance industry – among them real estate professionals – are taking steps towards creating a more intimate and interactive marketing strategy.
Matt Mitchener, marketing and product manager at Vow Financial, says there are many incentives for real estate professionals to use online videos to promote themselves and their companies.
“It’s important in a crowded marketplace to stand out from what everyone else is doing. Most businesses have a website which serves as their online business card, but they rarely create unique and dynamic content for their clients and potential clients. By using videos, you can educate your clients while connecting with them on a personal level.”
Charbel Azar, managing director of Coloursock Productions, specializes in tailored videos. He says, video content is a growing resource for businesses in search of higher conversions – and one in three brands already use video to generate sale leads.
“Most consumers are self-identifying as visual learners, making video the perfectly suited multimedia for attracting clicks and driving conversions.”
Mitchener believes real estate professionals should have videos that are short but punchy.
“Keep all information in bite-sized chunks. A real estate agent should aim for three minutes at the most. We recommend using a professional service for some core videos. If you are just getting started, these can be quite inexpensive if you keep them generic.”
Azar adds that YouTube averages four billion hits each day and holds ‘high authority’ in Google search.
Mitchener suggests creating engaging, topical content when it comes to online videos for professionals.
“You can produce weekly market updates, or product news, or just some information on rates and real estate buying or investing. Keep up the energy but don’t oversell and if you do this regularly, you may like to keep it fun and light-hearted for your audience. This can be extremely engaging and have a greater chance of it being shared to potential clients.”
“You could also give a tour of your office and introduce all your staff, talk about why it’s important to use a real estate professional or source market reports about the real estate industry to talk about.”
Azar says professional production houses that specialize in property and finance research can also help professionals plan and create scripts.
“It’s best to find a production house who speaks your language. They can help identify your audience and design, plan and script accordingly.
Whether you’re making the video yourself or enlisting a professional, Mitchener says to have your contact details and logo on the video, but to keep it simple.
“One of the many great things about video is you never know who and how many will view it and share it. It’s almost like an interactive business card.”
