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Real President Sharran Srivatsaa dives into the importance of creating quality content
The power of video is staggering. According to the Cisco Report, 80% of all internet traffic was forecasted to be video content. That is a mind-blowing statistic to those looking to boost their brand online. And, if you’re not taking advantage of it already, it’s also a mind-blowing difference-maker.
It’s important to recognize how using video can change the way you grow your business. People enjoy being entertained, and the amount of content you’re able to unload in a video versus a photo is hard to compare. As a real estate agent, your content is typically the first thing a potential client sees when exploring who to work with. It’s vital that you showcase all that you are, and all you can do—in as many ways as possible. Being an expert in video allows you to do just that.
Equipment
You never need professional equipment to get started. Plenty of content creators stick with their trusted smartphones to generate valuable content via video. While some kick it up a few notches, a simple editing app and small microphone is all you need.
We like this lapel microphone as a great place to start, and utilizing the in-app editing tools on platforms like Instagram or TikTok are enough to get you started. It’s what’s in the video that matters to your audience, not always how professional it’s been done.
Is video valuable?
“A picture is worth a thousand words, but a video is worth a thousand pictures,” Real President Sharran Srivatsaa said on the topic.
“Creating video today is so much quicker than creating any other form of content,” Sharran continued. The ability to pick up your phone, record a quick informational byte and send it off to your audience in a matter of minutes is an effective way to connect and engage. Additionally, your audience will remain engaged longer because the content isn’t digestible in a moment's notice, as is the case with a photo or infographic.
The structure of a perfect video
While video may be an easier solution to generate content, it can also harm your brand if you’re not particular about what it is you’re putting out there. If you’re planning to do something, you’d want to do it to the best of your ability, right? Let’s dive into how your videos can be formed to connect best with your following.
Hook
We’ve all read a great book and can understand when the first page instantly pulls you into the story—or doesn’t. Your video should act the same! Engage and captivate your audience right off the bat. Do well here, and they’ll more than likely stick around for the remainder of your video. The average attention span is less than 8 seconds according to a marketing trends report. Being in the real estate business means you likely have less than that. With the speed at which real estate moves, you’ve got to hook ‘em—and hook ‘em good.
Story
What keeps you reading a book that you just can’t put down? It’s the meat of your video, the story. Your video needs just as good a story as a hook. Sharran says “essentially, your story is your teachings, and it’s super helpful because now you’re going to tell them all the ways you can help them.”
Let’s say you’ve decided to be the local real estate expert on VA loans and military families. You’ve identified a problem in the VA market that you can help solve with educational video content. Your videos need to solve those problems, your story is how you get to that solution. It’s telling your audience exactly what they came to hear, it’s exactly what you hooked them in with from the beginning.
Teachings
One of the larger pieces of your conclusion is your teachings. While this may seem like a repeat of your story, it’s actually not. Let’s say you’ve given three ways to help your military audience land the appropriate loans for their housing decisions. What you’ll want to do next is offer a fourth way, that only you have the answer to—that they definitely don’t want to miss out on.
Frictionless Invitation
That fourth item, and the final piece of your video is always the invitation. The goal of your content is to grow your brand, your business, and your audience. Inviting viewers to engage with you is a crucial part of delivering effective content not just for them, but for you.
“You’ll want to tell them: ‘hey—message me for the fourth thing,’” Sharran continues.
“You want this invitation to be as frictionless as possible. They won’t want to call you right away, or leave the app to text you—but they want that content.” By prompting them to reach out for the content they need, you’ve gotten them to engage with you and your account in a way they haven’t before.
Bring it home
While video can be a daunting task, it’s one of the most effective tools for growing your brand as an agent. With so many people using online to educate themselves, it’s important that they discover you in their search. Using video can significantly boost your online presence, and the earlier you start, the more runway you have to turn your platform into a business builder.
