September is Marketing and Branding Month at Inman. Tips for better branding and in-depth features on how to take advantage of marketing tools provided by Zillow, Redfin and other platforms are all in the works in addition to insights from experts. You’ll find it all at Inman, as well as our two-day virtual, flagship event, Your Playbook for the Fall Market, in October.
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This article was last updated Sept. 20, 2022.
When it comes to content creation, the push in all industries is video, video, video — and for good reason. Video provides a scalable opportunity to share value with more people. Instead of talking with one person at a time, you’re having the same conversation with multiple people.
Body language and tonality become more apparent. Consumers start to feel like they know you by watching the person on video. The upside here is huge.
No matter where they are in the world, potential clients can connect with you by watching and rewatching recorded content. But after filming a video, the process is only just getting started.
Most agents are making or talking about video content, but without operationalizing the video creation process, valuable content — and opportunity — is left on the table.
It’s not enough to create a video, post it on social media, and stop there. This may be a great way to get started, but the next step is to use every piece of content to its fullest potential. Jimmy Burgess, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Beach Properties of Florida, provides insight into his content creation process and how he leverages video to increase sales and provide value to more potential clients.
‘Start where you’re comfortable because once you start the process, everything else falls into place.’
If videos aren’t your top skill, start with something else. For example, turn an article or blog post into a video if you are more comfortable with writing. Likewise, if you are better at verbalizing your ideas, start with recording a video. This strategy will help you build confidence at the beginning of the process, resulting in more valuable content.
‘It really is simple, just record it and put it out there.’
When it comes to creating a video, all you need to get started is you, a camera, and the record button. If you’re not ready to show your face on camera, use voiceover on a slide deck until you are. Committing to video is not about having the best camera and production. Instead, the businesses and business people that are consistent with putting out content will engage at a higher level with customers over time. Consistency wins.
Don’t overcomplicate the process by worrying about how good your video will be. Like your first listing appointment, your first video won’t be your best work. Skills are developed over time, and with each video, you will improve and build more momentum.
‘When you only create one piece of content, you’re leaving opportunity at the table.’
Recording a video is a great place to start, but the next step is to take advantage of your hard work by operationalizing the content creation process. A video can be used to create multiple types of content. Parts of a video can be repurposed as a teaser to increase traffic, and audio can be extracted and made into a podcast.
Agents can also create articles from their videos for publication at the local or national levels to increase their visibility as the go-to resource for potential clients.
It’s important to remember that everyone prefers to learn and engage with content differently. While some like watching videos, others want to listen to a podcast or read the content. When you operationalize the video creation process by using several approaches, you are more likely to reach more people.
Recording a video is the first step in creating connection-focused content. Operationalizing the video creation process will ultimately put your value in front of more people no matter where they are in the world.
If you want more listings, clients and referrals, all you have to do is make the simple decision to start.
It really is that easy.
