How can you use video to tell your personal story and build your brand?

Begin by clarifying the objective of your video. Are you looking to inspire, educate, entertain, or simply connect with your audience? Defining your goal will help guide the content and tone of your video. By utilizing video to define your goals and tell your personal story or brand, you can connect with your audience in a powerful and engaging way. Remember to remain true to your objectives and focus on delivering a compelling message that authentically reflects who you are.

Using video as a means of personal branding is a learn-as-you-go process. As you do the "pre-production" on your video, plan to record and re-record often. The goal is to develop your authentic voice and that will take some self-discovery through practice.

Grab your viewers' attention from the start. Use visually striking imagery, compelling narratives, or intriguing hooks that will compel them to continue watching. Make sure your video is engaging throughout, keeping your audience invested in your story or brand. After sharing your video, monitor its performance through analytics. Pay attention to metrics like views, engagement, and click-through rates. This will help you gauge how well your video aligns with your audience and objectives so you can make adjustments for future content.

Sometimes, the best way to know your audience is to deliver content and measure engagement. We make some preliminary decisions, create content that reflects those choices, and pay attention to the responses.

Dig deep into the personal archives and find the treasures that make up the "you". Often, it's what makes us quirky or funky that makes us relatable and authentic. Don't try to hide or smooth over the wrinkles or seams. What most people are looking for is someone who makes them feel comfortable and engages their emotions. Bring out your funny or your sincere. Just wear what you brought and dance.

The biggest success ingredient in video content is consistency. Keeping your content coming on a schedule that we can depend on is crucial. So, choosing a delivery method that makes it simple to create the content becomes very important. If you have to create a "set" every time you want to record, you will struggle to keep up the pace. Find a place and a time that you can control and just start working in. For some, that's a quiet place in their home, for others it could be in the car. Get creative with it. Once you find that special place, it will be a source of motivation and inspiration. When you walk into the gym, you know what's about to go down. Your recording space needs that feel as well.

While you don't need Hollywood-level production, ensure that your video is well-executed. Pay attention to lighting, sound, and video quality to create a professional and polished result. Remember, quality production reflects positively on your personal brand. Consider how you will distribute your video and tailor it accordingly. Each platform may have different specifications, such as video length or format. Adapt your video to suit the platform where you intend to share it, whether it's YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, or others.

It is so easy to get good video now. If you have a smart phone made in the last couple of years, you have a video creation power tool. BUT the unforgiveable sin of video is not the video quality but the audio. The simplest method is to use a bluetooth headset, but I highly recommend getting a cheap microphone you can connect to your phone. It makes all the difference. You also want to be careful of sound reflections. You don't want to record in a space with a lot of hard surfaces if you can avoid it. Carpet and sofas are your friends. Just not fuzzy wallpaper. That helps no one.

Promote Your Video: Finally, actively promote your video across various channels and with your existing audience. Encourage them to share, comment, and engage with your content, helping to amplify your message and expand your reach.