The 4 Ways Every Photographer Should Be Using Video

On a typical weekday, I sat in the waiting room of the doctor’s office, waiting, waiting and waiting some more. I usually glue myself to my phone while I sit there, but a magazine on the table next to me caught my eye; The “Pocono Flair”. How typically charming of you, small town Pennsylvania. As I flipped through the pages, I saw a profile of a local photographer. Having recently come back to my hometown I was itching to connect with local visual artists. As I read on, I saw that she graduated from the same undergraduate program at the same school! Was it fate? I had only heard of two other people from my area going to Ithaca College and I happened upon someone from the same program that was running her own business here in the Poconos, Smile Peace Love Photography (She’s amazing. Please check her out). I knew I had to reach out to her, and wouldn’t you know she was looking for someone to run the video side of her business. And we’ve been working together ever since. Now I think that was meant to be (Yes, I’m one of those weirdos that believe in signs from the universe and definitely doesn’t take them lightly).

From our meetings to our first wedding shoot together, I paid close attention to how she interacted with clients, talked about her work, and over delivered on literally everything. She exposed me to the 4 ways every photographer should be aspiring to use video in their business:

1. Behind the scenes footage

As a photographer your clients are trusting you with capturing their biggest moments; their wedding, family portraits, or Sweet 16. Developing your know, like, and trust factor is incredibly important because of this. Showing them “Your How” builds that trust; your process for making your clients comfortable, how you communicate before and after shoots, how they order prints, how you design books. If transparency is important to you and your brand, video is a clear and concise way to deliver this to your clients.

2. Be invisible on the shoot, but Show your personality before and after

Most professional photographers would agree that being invisible on a shoot is integral to allowing your client to be in their moment, completely natural. The last thing you want to hear is that your couple wanted to go enjoy the party but felt that the photography session was a time burden. Or that you were in the way while the bridesmaids tried to walk down the aisle. BUT don’t hesitate to show who you are before, after and in all your communication with your clients, whether that’s through a blog, your photos, or even a promotional video that describes your business.

3. Get in front of the camera

Don’t let the camera be the barrier between you and your clients. Don’t let them wonder how someone who has never been in front of the camera can make them feel comfortable or understand how they feel on the other side of the lens. Shoot a video as an example of how you also had to work up the courage to be on camera. Share how you felt and be honest.

4. Educate others

As entrepreneurs, we have a natural tendency towards giving back to the communities that helped build us up. The desire to teach others our skills is natural whether that’s through a blog, emails, workshops, events, or video courses. Creating your own video course for young photographers in your area to invest in, is not only a resource that was previously not available, but another stream of income for you. Why not even create a scholarship program?

Even if you’re not a photographer, you can introduce videos in similar ways into your business. You’ll build trust, connect with clients, and build relationships with your community. All you need is a plan and the motivation.

Your first step is to sign up for my free course all about amping up your business’ online presence with video. Then, connect with me on facebook and twitter. I’d love to learn more about you and your business. And if you liked this post, feel free to share with friends and family. Until next time!