3 Ideas To Unleash Your Inner Director As A Real Estate Agent

4 Resources to Edit Your First Video Without Breaking the Bank
Originally written for and posted on KatieLance.com.
Lights, camera, action!  It is hard to ignore the audience reach and marketability of creating and using videos in today’s mobile and social age.  I am sure within the past week you probably have clicked on at least one online video, whether for entertainment or informational purposes (I personally have re-watched some of the funny Superbowl ads).  Well, you were not alone. 
YouTube (one of the most popular video platforms owned by the behemoth, Google) touts that they have over 1 BILLION unique views EACH month with millions of viewers DAILY subscribing to their favorite channels.
To add fuel to the growing video audience fire, Millennials watch YouTube more than ANY cable network – wow!  Sidebar: if you have been spinning your wheels to reach Millennials, video marketing should be added to your business plan, STAT.
In essence, the good news for us as real estate agents and brokers is that online video currently allows us to impact these audiences (and more) practically for free, unlike the potentially exorbitant expense of buying ad space on cable or network TV.
Furthermore, with numbers like that, you undeniably know that video is an effective medium for garnering eyeballs to your various social sites and business.  Ideally, for you as a real estate agent or broker, video marketing has the potential to lead to an uptick in your Critical 3 Cs (clientele, closings and commissions).
But how do you translate such powerful viewership statistics into a sales driver for your business when you have no clue as to how to produce a quality video? 
Unfortunately, the answer is, You don’t until you get a clue.  And this may be exactly what has been holding you back from unleashing your inner TV Director Diva/Dude (director test: if you have ever watched a TV show or movie and made assessments on how it could have been better, then you indeed have an inner TV Director Diva/Dude that needs to be unleashed)!
Here’s what I encourage you to do over the next month to become savvy and build your video empire to ideally spur forward your real estate sales:
1. Create & USE A Video Account - Because I love synergy and getting more bang for my buck, I am a Google Girl and I actively use all of Google’s platforms (Google+, Blogger, YouTube) since they are still the leader in internet searching among home buyers and sellers.
But, your loyalty maybe be elsewhere so pick your preferred video platform (Vimeo comes to mind as a contender with respectable traffic) and create an account.  Start interacting with other video makers on your chosen platform and see what videos are popular to get a feel for the Dos and the Don’ts.
2. Become Your Clients’ Paparazzi - Start snapping photos and video shots as often as you can, particularly during happy moments like at a home closing and when going under contract (as opposed to during a home inspection or at an appraisal that typically leaves buyer and seller clients flushed, ugh).
These clips do not have to be perfect (it’s ok if the video is a little shaky or dark) because your editing software will clean these up and make them presentable.
3. Transform Raw Shots Into Sales-Driving Video Promos - Remember that I mentioned you do not have to obsess over every photo and video clip being perfect?Here are four resources that can polish your videos without breaking the bank:
  • Use the Behemoth’s Free Tools YouTube has an editor directly on its website and it has also partnered with Directr.  Both are great, non-bank busting tools if you have a fairly straightforward video, like a client testimonial, that you simply want to add text or music overlays to.  ]
  • Explore “Freemium”, Do-It-Yourself Video Editors – WeVideo (full disclosure: WeVideo is a client of Katie Lance Consulting), Wideo (great if you are camera-shy and just want graphics), VideoliciousMagisto (I love this for short montages like a video highlighting different events from an excited client’s home buying process) and Animoto, just to name a few, are popular editing sites that allow you to bedazzle your videos for free as a part of the basic plans.
  • Use What You Got, To Get What You Want – If you have every heard Liza Minnelli sing this song from the Tony award-winning musical, The Life, here’s a positive spin: use the video editors that came free with your computer, to make the video you want!  For most PCs, you have access to install for free Windows Movie Maker and for Macs, you should use iMovie. I also am a Chromebook user but since it is a web-based laptop, stick to the editors mentioned in the points above.
  • Crowdsource – Our internet age has really broken down the barriers of how your projects can be delegated to others and videography is no exception. Hop on ODeskGuruFiverr and the like to explore the affordable, human video editors that can take your raw photos and video scenes and make them powerful marketing pieces for you while you tend to other business matters like preparing for your next listing appointment.
In every video, remember to include your contact information (preferably as a clickable link) and a call to action (which simply means giving the viewer a task to complete, like visit my websitecall for your free CMA, etc.).
Making marketing videos is a skill truly honed through experiential learning, meaning it must be developed through actual practice (learning by doing not just reading).  So I challenge you to make and edit your first video this week and then let us know how it goes by posting a comment below.

Follow me on Google+ and Facebook for more tips and techniques. Also, if you are a real estate agent or manage agents, learn how to GROW or RE|VAMP your business with us today.  Here's to your success!  
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