Tips for agents – how to use video in your marketing?

If a picture paints a thousand words, a video offers double that. Video content can be engaging, interactive and three-dimensional in way that photos or other visuals can’t.

Despite that, many agents may be reluctant to embrace video, for the fear of the costs involved and the effort it takes to produce high-quality content that people will want to watch.

However, with Covid-19, the ‘new normal’ and continuing encouragement for us all to do more things remotely and virtually to ensure social distancing is kept to, engaging video content has become more important than ever.

But how should you use it?

Communication with your clients or would-be clients

Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram offer the ability to be live through your phone or tablet, for free, and post short videos to your followers and a wider audience. To enhance your brand, you may want to consider short videos from you or your staff, informing people about your current operations, or how you’re carrying out viewings.

Regular contact with clients and potential clients through visual mediums can help you to build a rapport, which makes the likelihood of an instruction or repeat business that much higher.

There’s also FaceTime, Skype, WhatsApp video, Microsoft Teams and, of course, Zoom – which all allow for easy (and mostly free) video calls and chats. You can also use these sites to record messages, webinars and meetings, creating video content in minutes.

Such an approach is good if your budget is tight or you’re just experimenting with video content, as in most cases it will cost you nothing or very little to get the content out there. You may also want to consider educational and instructional videos, or market update videos, to ensure you are an authority to your clients.

Professionally-shot videos

Some agents in recent years have made a big deal of using video in their marketing strategy, to both attract new clients, position themselves as an authority on a given subject and advertise the property on their books through virtual tours before they were the in-thing.

Now, of course, most agencies are utilising virtual viewing technology in some shape or form, but there may be less take-up on professional videos because of the perceived cost and lack of rewards involved.

However, an engaging, well-made video can really help to enhance the credentials of your brand, and give you a USP in your local area. Reddoor Homes, which is based in and operates throughout the Medway Towns in Kent, is one example of an agency which has placed a big importance on video content, with a busy YouTube channel offering videos on everything from property hints and tips to the local area and property industry news. The videos are distinctive, professionally shot and have regularly been featured in the property trade press.

If you’re worried about the cost of all this, you may want to look in-house. You may find that you have a tech-savvy staff member who is adept with video-making software and knows how to make use of all the equipment needed to shoot and then edit a nifty video. 

Often, younger staff members will have an excellent knowledge of video-sharing sites and social media, as well as how to create engaging video content, so it may be worth your while tapping into this to improve your marketing strategy.

Keep it short and sweet

People’s attention spans when it comes to videos are generally quite short, and to avoid losing their attention you need to ensure any video content you make is snappy, interesting and memorable. People are unlikely to be interested in epic 40 minute interviews or the full video of a webinar you ran recently – some might, but the majority probably won’t – so it’s advised that you keep things on the shorter side.

Mini videos asking quickfire questions can be a good way to go, with opening titles, logos and jaunty (but not annoying) music included, while Christmas-based videos are also likely to prove popular. 

It stands to reason, of course, that the videos need to be of a decent quality, with good audio and no graininess. If they’re not, people will simply turn off or not switch on in the first place. Fortunately, even the most basic smartphone these days can perform miracles when it comes to creating videos, while high-end iPhones, tablets and Android devices – which many people now have – can also work wonders.

Professional equipment will cost more, of course, but you may have someone in your agency who is a budding videographer in their spare time who has already purchased said equipment. You can utilise this equipment and their skillset to enhance your marketing strategy.

One of the best examples of video content in the property world comes via MoveIQ and property TV royalty Phil Spencer, whose videos regularly receive thousands of views, with a subscriber base of more than 11,000 on YouTube. 

The videos, typically less than five minutes long, offer property advice in a simple, unfussy manner. You may want to take inspiration from the tone, length and format of such videos when considering making your own.

Here at The ValPal Network, we offer a number of additional services around social media marketing and content marketing, where we can help to advise you on your marketing strategy and whether video content fits into it.