SmallBusinessNewz

Thanks to the advent of idiot-proof video cameras that automatically upload your videos to the web, it’s never been easier to make your own videos for marketing, promotion, or education. Yet few entrepreneurs feel confident using videos online to market their small business.

Typically, if they’re even willing to make a video, they’ll be far too critical of the results. So they won’t post the video online because they want to make it “perfect”.

The thing is, nothing is ever perfect. And it’s the imperfections of self-made videos that make them so compelling and effective. They’re the antithesis of the slick, expensive videos big companies can afford.

But I get it. When it comes to making and publishing videos online, I find I’m my own worst critic. It can be hard to have an unbiased opinion when you spend the whole time staring at the “weird” way your upper lip lifts. Or the way your voice sounds.

The reality is, none of that matters to anyone other than you! As long as your videos are interesting, informative or entertaining people don’t even notice most of the details that bother you—or at least not in the negative light you see them in.

In fact, in one of my first videos I felt very critical about my hair. But the content was good so I put it online anyway. Within a day one of my friends commented and mentioned how great my new hairdo looked. Go figure.

The thing is, videos are a wonderful way to personally introduce yourself and/or your products or services, to people who visit your Website. They’re also a wonderful way to reach an audience who prefers to watch and listen than read. And they’re good for your SEO. So it really is worth the time and effort to make a few to market your business.

On top of all that, you can create an entire product based around videos. Or add them in as a bonus when you sell another service or product. But that’s a topic for another article.

The real question here is…

How do you know if your video is ready for prime time (especially if you are your own worst critic)?

Here’s a short list of questions to ask yourself:

1. Is the main subject of the video easy to see?
    
2. Is the audio loud enough to hear?
    
3. Have you made sure there isn’t anything overly distracting in the background or foreground?
    
4. If you or another person is in the video, are they dressed and styled appropriately for the intended audience and their expectations?
    
5. Are the people in the video smiling at least some of the time?
    
6. Is the video less than 5 minutes in length (ideally less than 3 minutes)?
    
7. Do you cover useful information in a way that’s easy to understand?
    
8. Do you stick to one main topic?
    
9. Do you offer 1-3 useful tips or tidbits?
    
10. Did you introduce yourself at the start, and sign off with an offer and call to action (even if it’s just to visit your Website for more helpful info) and your URL at the end??

If you answered yes to all of these questions, your video is good to go.

Does this mean it’s the best video you can possibly make? Of course not. You’re going to get better with time and practice.

But thanks to youtube, no one expects perfection. Again, they just want something that’s useful, interesting or entertaining (or all three). If you’ve also hit that mark then you’re video is worth sharing. So post it now.

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