The next time you’re with a group of appraisers ask them who would be willing to step in front of a camera to make a promotional video for their business. How many raised their hand? Twenty percent? Ten? Five?
The truth is when it comes to being the face of our companies and building our personal brands the majority of us are reluctant participants. We’re good at our job, knowing exactly what to look for when doing valuations but in and of itself just being good at your job is not enough anymore.
If you’re serious about growing your appraisal business, you’re going to need customers, referrals, partnerships, and lots of them. One of the best ways to attract all of those things is to position yourself as an expert in the field. And in today’s digital world, video can be a powerful tool for doing just that.
For example, did you know that YouTube is the second largest search engine by volume after Google? If your customers are looking for answers about how the appraisal process works or how to hire the right appraiser there’s a good chance that they’ll ask a relevant question about the process on YouTube. You can either appear on-screen as the expert, or you can produce a simple “explainer” type video that is branded with your company’s logo and colors.
If your video is well labeled and tagged, there is a good chance you’ll come up in a search, giving you the opportunity to not only get in front of a potential new customer but also to become an expert in all things valuation-related.
Being perceived as an expert could be game-changing for your company in terms of attracting new clients. Since Google owns YouTube, your video can earn you extra “points” in the Google algorithm. When you upload your video to YouTube and then embed that link in your site, you may quickly find that you rank higher in Google searches. This is particularly true for videos that are getting a high amount of views. Google recognizes when a video attracts a lot of traffic it must mean the content in the video is valuable and relevant to its audience.
An introductory video can work well for you in a couple of ways.
1) A video is a great way to give viewers a glimpse into who you are as a person. People always want to do business with those who they like, and trust and a video is a great way to give viewers a glimpse.
2) People are much more likely to watch a video than read content. According to a Wordstream poll, 59% prefer video.
3) People pay more attention to the information that’s presented within a video than they do to any other type of content, according to HubSpot.
One of the best things about using videos to market yourself is how accessible production has become in recent years. While you’ll probably want to hire a professional to craft a flagship video for your website, anyone with an iPhone and basic video editor can make videos that are absolutely perfect for YouTube, social media, your newsletter and your electronic blog.
The hardest part of using video may simply be getting started, but the potential benefits mean taking the leap is well worth it. So, go ahead, step in front of that camera, take a deep breath and let the world know your perspective and your special way of explaining the ins and outs of the appraisal business.
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