OK so you have the equipment and you are ready to make your first metal detecting video, what happens now !
Just remember Whatever it is you’re producing, you’re not likely to be the first one to do so. The biggest challenge you will face is standing out from competitors in your field. What can you do to set your production apart from the rest out there ?
Times are changing I would be confident in saying approximately zero potential customers will likely read your thousand-word written explanation about why your metal detector is better than the next guy’s.
Visual content is so much more digestible, accessible, and shareable to the average person.
If you can, figure out a way to showcase your product or just yourself in a way that’s relatable and memorable.
Let’s go back a short step, I just said “why your metal detector is better than the next guy’s” which is something to give careful consideration, there is a very important question you need to ask yourself……What am I promoting ?
I am pretty sure you will be promoting something, that’s why you are making a video, are you promoting a product ?, are you promoting a particular skill, are you promoting a club ?…..Are promoting yourself !. If so this is the hardest thing to get right and if you get it wrong it will be a sure way of your viewers hitting the fast forward button.
As someone once said : Are they laughing at you or are they laughing with you ?
Ask yourself how many You Tube video’s are out there based on self promotion, sure some people are masters at this and do it in such a way you feel a connection with them, take Todd Roy for example a fast and witty comedian who you just love to watch, he is promoting himself but also telling a great story.
If you can pull it off, you will have them eating out of your hands and I wish you the very best. However if you don’t have Todd’s skills and charm…find another niche market.
Have you ever made a purchase just because you liked the personality of someone? this can be the same with visual content—perhaps a video—You instantly feel connected with them because they are just so likeable. Aim to create that kind of video content. If people decide they like you, they will be returning viewers.
Let’s not even go to the other side of self promotion : Glory hunters with a runny nose swearing and screaming down the camera on a windy field, yes we have all seen them. And I am not suggesting for one moment you are one of these people, but please be aware of what message you are portraying to younger viewers and possible future sponsors.
So basically to sum up this section, try to work out what you will be promoting and do it to the best of your ability, try to think how the viewers will interact with you.
Your ability
Be honest with yourself about your on-camera skills, if they are not great ask a friend who is more charismatic? Put him or her in front of the camera as the main character, you can still work as a team, but let them take the lead.
Talking into a mic and speaking to an unseen audience may seem easy, but it’s not. Do several takes, upload them all, and edit out awkward pauses and glitches afterwards. Practice trimming and splitting clips until your transitions look natural. Remember to keep continuity during filming, don’t change your shirt half way through.
The product
Make sure you know your product well, also never assume everyone else knows the ins and outs of your product, keep it simple and try to communicate with a wide range of skill levels.
If you’re marketing a metal detector try to create quality screen captures on video. Demonstrate the typical use of your product, but don’t jump right into it—use screen captures to demonstrate each point. If the viewer can identify with the item you’re showing them on-screen, they’ll be much more engaged.
Also let the viewers listen to the audio, rather than just showing you digging the target.
Viewer retention
Believe it or not, not everyone will like you or want to sit through your video, even if it is short. Why should they? There are millions of other videos on the Internet, and some of them even have large breasts in them.
Figure out what value your video is going to offer to your audience. Does it tell a great story? Does it explain how to use the product ?
Think back to the last video you shared. Why did you share it? Chances are, if you’re like most people, you wanted to establish your authority on the topic. You wanted to be the first to present that piece of information to the people in your hobby. It’s why most content is shared—for the social credibility.
It all depends on the type of video but it is generally said the ideal length of time your video detecting video should run is 8 minutes with an intro of around 10 seconds. This is the ultimate viewer retention time…which I partly agree with but not always, if you have changing content the video can hold a longer audience retention.
Get out there
You’ve created a great piece of video content that showcases your personality, explains what you’re doing, has a clear benefit, and tells a great story. What do you do next?
Okay, this one is painfully obvious—you promote the heck out of it right !……Yes and no, please be respectful where you post it, don’t spam forums and other social media sites, try to be discrete.
Export your video to more than one platform. Some people watch on YouTube, some will only watch videos on Facebook. Don’t limit yourself to one platform, or you’ll miss out on a huge number of potential viewers.
Metal detecting video tips part 3 will be available soon, so stay connected to Detecting 101