How To Use Social Media Video To Build Authority in your Industry with Laura Rees – PODCAST EPISODE 45

This episode discusses why video is preferred to static content, how you can create a video content strategy that aligns with your brand, as well as ways to get your video to stand out in the crowded social media world! Laura Rees is a video queen and helps us uncover how to make videos professional and relatable. Find Laura HERE.

How To Use Social Media Video To Build Authority in your Industry with Laura Rees

Laura Rees is a brand and video strategist. She works with business owners and solopreneurs to help them use the power of social media video to get in front of more people, make deep connections, and grow their businesses faster. Connect with her on Instagram at @_laurarees.

Get more eyes on your business with Reels — learn how at freereelstraining.com Get on the waitlist for Social Video Ace, the one-stop resource for growing your business with Instagram video, at socialvideoace.com!!

LISTEN HERE:

TUNE IN + SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR FAVORITE PLATFORM:

Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play

BULLET POINTS FROM THIS EPISODE:

• What does hustle like a mother mean to you?
  • Hustle Like a Mother means to make sure that you are intentionally taking time outside of the hustle on a regular basis, to design the life that you want to be living on both a personal and a work level.
  • If we aren’t actively steering that ship, then we just kind of end up in a place where we might not want to be, especially when we’re moms and we’re business owners and we are hustling all the time. If something is not moving you forward, it’s got to go.
• Why do you prefer video to static content?
  • Static content is awesome. I just think that video is more efficient.
  • First, it is so accessible. The second reason that I love video is that it’s the fastest way to make a personal connection with your audience. The third reason that I love video so much is the marketplace is really crowded, as you know, and so when we think about standing out, we want to do something that’s original and something that is unique – and there’s nothing more unique than your own face and your own voice.
• When it comes to creating a video content strategy that aligns with somebody’s brand, what are some ways that our listeners today can start implementing that into their current strategy?
  • The foxes framework! (It’s an acronym)
    • F is for foundational messages. Who are you talking to? And what do they need to know? Identify your perfect ideal client and then know what messages they need to hear.
    • O is for originality. How are you going to convey that message? If you’re doing this on video, you already have a leg up at being original because you’re using your own face, your own voice, your own method of delivery.
    • X is for execution. This seems like an obvious step – of course, you need to execute. But I think it’s the step that a lot of people get hung up on. The only way you ever find out what works is when you actually do it, getting out there and executing and blocking time for that. Having a plan, and knowing how you’re going to do that, is such an important step.
    • E is for excitement – and excitement on two levels. You need to find a way to get excited about doing this. And you also need to talk about what you’re excited about because that translates out to your audience. So when you’re excited about doing this content creation work, you’re more likely to keep doing it.
    • S is for strengths. These are just building basic competencies. How can you become more confident on camera? How do you choose words? You know, how do you practice writing scripts?
• What are some tips to make a video feel professional, even if it’s not professional?
  • Stand in front of a window, with a view of the room behind you. This gives some depth behind you. So think about going to a window in your home and a window that does not have direct light coming in, but just kind of has what we would call soft light. So you are facing the window and you have your phone between you and the window, and then you have the entire room behind you.
  • One mistake that I see people making a lot is not looking directly into the camera. Instead, they’re looking at themselves on the viewfinder and not looking right into that. On my iPhone, it’s a green light, so I look directly into that rather than at myself.
  • Turn on the grid on your phone. That can help you put yourself in the center of that square, which is what we would call the frame. I always recommend that you try to put your eyes in the middle of the top square and the middle square. This is the rule of thirds.
  • Use headphones if you can, for your audio quality. Eliminate the distraction from your message by just making the audio as clear as possible.
  • Try not to have a lot of distracting stuff in the background and consider wearing a neutral color.
• What is your favorite way to get a video to stand out in a crowded social media world?
  • Make sure that your messaging is consistent. The more that you have consistent messaging, the more that you’re going to stand out for that one thing that you’re standing out for.
  • Experiment with the features that are in the app. There’s often a lot of editing capability in there. And so if you can, instead of just talking straight to the camera for 30 seconds, can you talk in little phrases and edit that together to make a little bit of a story?
  • Use music to set a tone.
  • Use the filters in the app to set a tone.
  • Experimenting is a fun way to stand out, but consistency is key and you need to choose the messages that you are most excited about.