Building your professional brand online has never been easier. You have an unprecedented number of digital channels to choose from to get your personal brand messages out in the digital market. And using video content to tell your professional story is very powerful.
Growing your personal brand with video content
Using videos on any social media accounts is very effective.
You can choose to use LinkedIn, social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook, or alternatively create profiles on niche industry digital platforms to amplify your professional brand. Setting up your account is relatively easy with the help of family, friends, colleagues and YouTube!
But that is only the first step in the online personal brand building process. Creating content that entertains, informs and educates prospective employers and clients, is what will help you to stand apart from other talented candidates.
Now for some of you, creating video content is perhaps overkill. But for many, it is a highly relevant and positive and professional digital profile building activity.
This article explores why you might consider developing video content to grow your personal brand, some common do’s and don’ts to keep in mind, and how to use video content to grow your professional profile.
The WHY
Put simply, when done well, video content:
- Will help you stand out in the digital crowd. Static content is now common place but video stands out in a social media feed crowd
- Puts a face to your name which is really helpful when recruitment companies, prospective employers and potential clients are looking to engage new talent
- Creates a compelling case for learning more about you
- Stimulates conversations with people who feel more engaged with you based on your video content
The key to using video content is finding the right digital platform to feature it on. If you work in a particularly creative industry, consider building a video of your work portfolio (which then acts as a virtual portfolio of your work).
If you are applying for a customer facing role, a video introducing yourself to prospective employees might just demonstrate the confidence and self-drive required to be shortlisted for an interview.
Free video making tools
If you are interested in creating video content, you need to make sure it reflects your personal brand messages clearly. This messaging should be consistent across all digital platforms you chose to use. That means you should carefully curate the key messages that you want to deliver in each video.
In terms of creating the video itself, there is plenty of help out there – free and paid. Boomerang and Biteable are just two free video making tools on the market right now. Many free versions of video apps carry a branded watermark.
Tools vary depending on whether you are going to create them on iOS, Android or desktop devices. But with a quick Google search, you are likely to find two or three options fairly quickly which will do the trick nicely, easily and without pulling any money out of your pocket!
If you are after a more professional finish, consider using freelancing services to help you create your videos on sites such as Airtasker or Fivvr.
The type of video content that resonates
It can take a few tries to work out which video content resonates best with your specific audience. This will depend on the industry you work in, your skillset and the employers or clients you would most like to work with.
Let’s say that I work in the IT industry as a Developer. A quick video introducing myself, incorporating examples of my work is likely to resonate well with prospective employers, recruitment agency staff and potential clients.
But if I am a child care worker, it might be best for me to introduce myself and talk for a couple of minutes about what I think are the key characteristics of an effective child care worker. No one video script and style works best for every role, industry sector or personality.
The key to great video content is to reflect YOU…as you! With any video content created, you are trying to get one step closer to meeting with your future employer or client face to face. Your goal is to compel your desired audience to reach out to hear more about you and determine if you are a great fit for their company.
Sharing videos – When and What
The options here are endless. When you share videos online and what you share, is up to you. Creating videos does require some forward planning and preparation (unless you are an absolute natural in front of the camera!).
Developing a loose script can be helpful before you record. Typically, an introductory video should include:
- Your experience
- How you have helped companies to be successful to date – what problems have you solved? What successes have you been a part of?
- How you tend to work with others
- The skills that help you to work autonomously, when required
- The work type you are looking for (contract, permanent, part time, casual, freelance etc)
- Why you enjoy the wok that you do and the work focus you are after for your next role
Beyond creating an initial short introductory video, you may wish to record short “how to” videos, top tip videos or instructional videos.
Video Content “Do’s”
Choose digital channels that are a natural fit for your professional brand. If you work in the Executive space, your video content is more likely to be seen on your LinkedIn profile than on an Instagram account
Create something authentic using language that feels natural for you
- Include a written content overlay on your video – many people will “listen” to your clip on silent
- Look for examples of what other talented individuals in your sector have produced, to get a sense for videos that resonate in your industry
- Make sure that the content reflects your professional brand eg if you are an energetic person, make sure that shows in your videos
- Create one-off content or, if you are going to post regularly, create a schedule to keep you on track. Don’t start with an ambitious schedule for your content if you are likely to run out of steam
- Include a call to action with your video if that makes sense. At least include an email address or website where people can find you online. If you want prospective employers or clients to call you, provide your phone number, email address or LinkedIn handle (or other social media handles) in your video
Video Content “Don’ts”
Here are some of the key things to avoid when creating video content to improve your personal brand. Don’t:
- Record something that doesn’t reflect your professional brand messages well
- Create long content – the video content you develop should be bite size and easy to “consume”
- Use record against an uninspiring or inappropriate backdrop. Find an inspiring spot in a co working space, a pleasant outdoor space or a plain backdrop
- Use video content if your industry sector is not a natural fit for video content
Great digital homes for your personal digital content
Video content is a natural fit for more social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. You can also use video content on your personal website if you have one. Videos work well on LinkedIn too.
It is always a great idea to include some relevant hashtags with your videos when you upload them onto your social media accounts. This will amplify your audience reach as many people use hashtags when they perform searches for candidates with specific skillsets.
So following my earlier example, if you are an IT professional, you might list “ITjobs”, “ITSpecialist”, “ITrecruitment”, “SoftwareDeveloper” in your post.
Conclusion – Videos Build your Digital Personal Brand
So, there you have it. Creating video content sounds daunting, but when done well, can help you stand out form the rest of the digital crowd.
Take your time in developing quality, short videos that represent you professionally and authentically. And make sure the content really adds some value to your audience. The videos you create should convey more than your resume or online text based professional profile content does.
Video content is increasing in popularity each day. Use videos to open doors for your career. Be noisy and animated for the right reasons, and your professional online brand will be amplified and get you in front of the people who can influence your career.