What are Video Barrier Busters? They’re profound changes in video technology, industry or marketplace dynamics that blast through barriers and norms in the use of business video.
As we launch into 2021, who couldn’t use a few less barriers?
During 2020, five Video Barrier Busters emerged that have the power to transform your business for the better in the coming year – if you choose to take advantage of them. They are:
- Video Everywhere.
- Equal Opportunity Juice.
- Rinse and Repeat.
- Easy as Email.
- Two-Way Street.
I’ll explain this cryptic code in a minute. But first, consider where we are right now, just a few days into 2021.
The Year of Transformation
If 2020 was a year of surviving historic challenges, then 2021 will be the year of urgent business transformation.
In fact, everything that 2020 threw at us – especially the Covid-19 pandemic – showed us that the world has forever changed, and we must transform quickly and adeptly to thrive in it.
In other words, we must craft a new vision of “our better business selves.”
Business re-visioning can, of course, cover many waterfronts: customers, products, mission, monetization and more. But you can never go wrong focusing on customers – indeed they’re often the key to driving re-invention.
But guess what? They just got walloped by the pandemic, too.
Customers are people – and they’ve changed
Your customers and prospects probably now:
- Work from home
- Conduct video calls routinely
- Have lost income, employees and customers
- Value and crave more human connection
- Seek more insight and help than ever
So now, not only do you need to transform your business this year, your customers just moved their cheese.
Your mission – and the power of video
Against this backdrop, no matter what your product or service is, you need to consider what your customer’s needs are now, and how you can best meet those needs.
Then, you’ll need to communicate with an audience that continues to experience profound upheaval and disconnection.
And when it comes to communication, nothing’s more important than “connection.”
That’s why I think video communication is so powerful and relevant today: it connects with humans on more visceral levels than any static medium can by combining motion, the human voice, music, text, facial expression, body language, emotion.
All while maintaining social distance!
Video Barrier Busters transform communication
With that foundation, let’s look at this year’s Video Barrier Busters that can transform your communications – and your business.
1. Video Everywhere
Think carefully: Where have you NOT seen video these days?
It’s on websites you visit.
It’s on your social channels.
It’s in the emails you receive.
It’s in text messages.
And in 2020, video broke barriers and showed up LIVE at your kitchen table, your home office, your child’s desk, your family reunion.
Not to mention those of your customers.
That’s communication in the age of Covid.
What does it mean for you and your business?
It means that your customers and prospects expect to see video. They already see it everywhere, they’re living more of their lives virtually, and now they seek video content over any other.
It also means that the communication landscape has changed permanently. No one’s going backward from this new normal.
The good news is that you now have the ability to communicate in video everywhere. And your customers are asking for it.
The only question is how you’ll respond.
2. Equal Opportunity Juice
In street lingo, “juice” is power, energy, authority.
Ever wish for that in your business?
The barrier-buster here is,
Video affordability + Unprecedented ease = Equal opportunity.
No more barrier to entry. “Video Juice” is now at your fingertips.
“Video Juice” is no longer limited to those with six-figure marketing budgets. You can now create free videos. Videos under $100. Multiple videos for what you used to spend on a single brochure or ad.
What’s more, this affordability and ease extend equally to those who prefer to Do It Yourself (DIY) and those who prefer to have it Done For You (DFY).
For DYI, my favorite platform is Vidnami, which can create videos in minutes using Artificial Intelligence. But you can also craft video content yourself with Animoto, Canva, Lumen5 and a growing host of other easy-to-use, affordable tools.
For DFY, you could tap your nephew who’s constantly on Tik Tok, or your friend with the latest iPhone camera. But if you want more than just amateur communication, look no further than Entente’s Easy Business Video service.
That’s Equal. That’s Opportunity. That’s Juice.
3. Rinse and Repeat
When has just ONE attempt at a marketing or sales tactic ever worked?
1 web page?
1 social post?
1 blog post?
1 sales call?
1 email?
1 brochure?
1 ad?
…1 video?
Nope. “One and Done” is a recipe for failure and wasted expenditure.
It takes a cohesive, planned, repetitive approach to break through the clutter. What works is consistent, repeated, frequent communication.
Not one and done.
More than one. Every month, week or day.
With the barriers of Video Everywhere and Equal Opportunity Juice busted down, “One and Done” is a failed video tactic of the past.
In its place are multiple, consistent, frequent videos – everywhere. And they’re now within your reach.
Rinse. Repeat. Rinse. Repeat. Rinse & Repeat!
4. Easy as Email
Think about how you use email in your business today.
You have an idea you want to share.
You draft a quick email about it.
You conduct a quick edit (at least you should).
Then you hit send, and your idea is shared.
Video is now as simple and immediate as email – idea, draft, edit, share.
If you’re the DIY type, you can now complete this video process yourself in a few minutes, right on your desktop.
If you prefer DFY, a service provider such as Entente can turn your idea into a video as quickly as the same or next day.
The time barrier of video is… busted.
It’s now as Easy as Email.
5. Two-Way Street
Videos are no longer one-way messages, built solely for people to watch.
They’re interactive now, built for people to respond.
This new Two-Way Street means you can both deliver your message and activate a response.
Clickable web links can be embedded anywhere, in any scene.
Call-to-action buttons can take viewers to the next step.
In-video forms can turn watchers into sales leads.
Event videos can integrate with registration forms.
And live video can elicit live response, from chats to surveys to on-camera discussion.
Today’s Two-Way Street has busted the barrier of interactivity.
Your vision: Your better business self
As you form a vision of your better business self in 2021, keep in mind how your customers and prospects have changed:
They’re at home. They’re hurting. They crave connection. They seek insight.
Would it benefit your business to have a more visible, responsive, human personality?
If so, today’s video possibilities could be instrumental in achieving your vision.
Transform your business with video
If you’re ready for a business transformation, there’s no time like the present.
The time is now.
The tools are there.
The barriers are down.
Enroll in your future business self today!
Really good post Tom! These days it is so hard to get people attention long enough to convey an idea. I am inspired to use video for a book I just published to help transitioning service members land a good career in the private sector. The transition process is full of anxiety, frustration and uncertainty, especially these days when the economy is struggling. I think video can work! Thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks so much for your comments, Bill. You probably recognized the theme of “transformation” in this post. Just like we discussed recently! I’m confident that video could help you gain attention for your book, and for your laudable efforts to help transitioning service members.