Video content is more popular than ever right now. According to HubSpot, four times as many customers would rather watch a video about a product or service than read about it. This is why we’ve created the ultimate guide for YouTube, the second-most visited website and second-most used social platform according to Hootsuite. By starting a YouTube channel for your financial practice you’ll be able reach more leads and educate your clients. If you don’t have a YouTube channel, this will be a great how-to for creating one. If you have one already, we will discuss some useful tips to improve your channel.
Setup your YouTube Channel
Create a google account, if you don’t have one already, and then login to YouTube. Now, here comes all the fun stuff to get established in the YouTube community. Start by customizing your channel and updating your information by selecting ‘Basic Info’ to add the following:
- Channel Description: Tell viewers who you are, why you are here, and what you can provide to your YouTube community. This could also be a good space to put your disclosure language.
- Links: You can choose to add five links to you channel page. These should be your company website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other links that will link to your company.
- Contact Info: This should be the best email address for leads to contact you and start a conversation.
After you’ve finished getting those details listed for your viewers, you need to establish your brand. Luckily, we might have already designed your brand for you, so you just need to upload those to your channel. Select ‘Branding’ and you can upload your profile picture, banner image, and video watermark. These should all be your company’s branding and logo. Don’t forget that these are a form of advertising and should be filed and kept in your firm’s books and records.
You are all set to start creating valuable, educational, and engaging content for your viewers!
Create your Recording Space
To host a YouTube channel for your financial practice, you don’t need a lot of high-tech equipment. You probably already have all the essentials need to begin recording but investing in better equipment doesn’t hurt either. Once you have your equipment, you’ll need to set up your recording space for production.
- Location: Find a quiet area with good lighting and no distractions. It best not to have a light source or window behind you either or your face will be silhouetted. Also, let others know that you are recording to prevent interruptions and background noises.
- Backdrop/Background: Just like your virtual meetings, you shouldn’t have a distracting background. You want the focus to be on you rather than your living room or extensive DVD collection. If possible, your background should be simple. You can even try utilizing a filter background or blur effect.
- Devices: iPhones are a quick, convenient, and easy device for recording your videos. The video quality and audio are sufficient for a well-produced video. If you want to purchase a better camera, such as a DSLR, audio equipment, or ring light, then you’ll definitely shine in your videos. If you do use your iPhone, turn on Do Not Disturb to prevent notifications while you record.
- Tripod: If you decide to use a smartphone, invest in a tabletop tripod to make recording easier and prevent your device from moving. If you have a camera, invest in a standing tripod.
- Camera Angle: Once your device is set up on a tripod, angle it at eye-level to create a personal and friendly angle with your viewers. Also, position your device horizontal to fully capture your setting.
Preparing to Record
Before you press record, you need to create a list of topics you’d like to discuss. Your financial practice is a resource for your YouTube channel. Here are a few topics to cover:
- Free Knowledge: This is financial advice you don’t mind being available to the general public. You can discuss the basics of retirement, what an annuity is, or assets needed to meet with a financial professional.
- Behind-the-Scenes: Viewers want to see the personal side of you, especially if they are considering doing business with you. Try to show your viewers a day in the life, a tour of the office, or community events you participate in as a company. You can even promote viewers to tune in to your upcoming radio show by creating a video in the radio studio.
- Prospect & Client Questions: Your prospects and clients are looking for financial guidance and they are asking the common questions. These are perfect topics of discussion for your YouTube channel. You don’t have to go in-depth or give away too much. You can provide an overview and more access to the information by scheduling an appointment.
- Zoom Discussion: If you work with another financial advisor, record a Zoom call as you both answer financial questions. If you work with a radio show host, you could record a live on-air radio segment, a brief promotion of an upcoming show, or a Q&A about financial radio.
Now that we have a list of topics to discuss, prepare an outline for the video to stay on topic. Also, practice a few takes to see what works best.
Four Important Aspects to Include While Recording:
- Introduction: The introduction needs to ask the hard-hitting questions that your viewers are asking and how you are going to answer their questions. Use the introduction to set up the story and outline for the rest of the video.
- Captions: Include captions on your videos. This not only helps hearing-impaired viewers, but some of your viewers might be in an environment that doesn’t allow for audio to be played. You don’t want them to skip your video just because they can’t listen right now. YouTube offers this feature in the Creator Studio after you upload your video. Speak loud and clear during your recording for accurate auto-generated captions.
- Length: try to keep your length between 90 seconds and six minutes. The types of videos you’ll be producing are explainer and how-to videos, since you’ll mostly be explaining the best financial practices. According to Vidyard, 60 to 90 seconds is ideal for explainers, but if it exceeds a minute to fully explain your answer, that is okay. A how-to video warrants a little more time, so they recommend between two and 10 minutes.
- CTA: always close with a call-to-action. This can be directing them to subscribe to the channel, schedule an appointment, send an email, place a phone call, answer a survey, visit your website, etc. The goal is to gain leads from these educational videos.
YouTube for your financial practice could be a game changer for your company. If you set a schedule for your videos and share them on your other social media platforms, you should start to see a difference and uptick in lead engagement. Remember, always provide valuable and engaging content!
1579329-0322
