The way we market properties has changed dramatically over the years. If you wanted to generate interest in the past, you enlisted the services of a local real estate agent who put the property on the MLS. In doing so, they probably took the most attractive pictures of the property they could find and hoped it was enough to get their phone to ring. While the MLS is still a popular marketing tool, technology has changed the way things are done for the better. Potential buyers are starting searches online and looking for properties on their phones. Still photos do not have the impact that they once did, however. If you are looking to attract a wider audience, you need to start video marketing your properties. Here are five tips to help you start using video marketing today:
1. Understand the target audience: Before you record a single frame of your property, you need to know your target audience. Are you marketing to reach an end buyer or are you looking to attract fellow investors? Who you are trying to reach will change the makeup of your video. A video aimed at attracting end buyers will focus more on the surrounding neighborhood and cosmetic items with the property. Fellow investors may be more interested in cost effective items like appliances. It may sound cliché, but you really need to know who you are trying to attract. Start with the end goal in mind, and go from there.
2. Who will be filming?: The popularity of video tours has taken off in the past couple of years. There are currently numerous companies that can provide a professional look and feel to your videos. Of course, these come at a much higher price tag, but they are something that should be considered. Deciding on the quality of the video is the next step. Are you going to film your video on your phone or on a high quality camera? If not, are you willing to outsource this to someone that knows what they are doing? A video tour really only works if the quality of the video is strong enough to put the focus on the property. If the camera is wobbling up and down and the picture is poor, it will have an adverse impact on your marketing efforts. There is nothing saying that you can’t tackle the video yourself, but it is much harder than it looks.
3. What type of video will you use?: There are a few different ways you can go when making your video tour. You can opt for a traditional video, where you just provide visuals of the property. You can also opt for a slide show or provide a video of the street and surrounding neighborhood. This may seem like a trivial matter, but it is much more important than you think. You want to give the end user a true feel for what it would be like to live in or buy the property. That being said, most people aren’t willing to sit through a ten minute video. You need to provide enough useful information in a limited period of time, which starts with choosing the type of video you want to showcase. Even if you aren’t after digital perfection, a four minute video starting in your car is a lot more difficult than you may imagine. If you are not careful, you can spend a few hours accumulating material for a three minute video. Before you take a single frame, have an idea of what type of video you want to use.
4. What type of audio will you use?: One of the most annoying parts of most video tours is with the background audio. While it is agreed that you shouldn’t leave your video mute, too much noise is a problem. Any background audio walking into the property will cause viewers to move on to something else. You also need to figure out if you are going to do the audio yourself or do a voice over after you are done. Another option is to provide the video and plug music into the background.
5. What will you do with your video?: You probably spent at least a few hours or paid someone to finish your video tour for you. After completion, you need to do something with it. The first spot you need to put it is on your own personal website. Every investor should have a tab for video tours on their website. Additionally, all videos should be uploaded on YouTube. In time, you can get your own channel up. You should also take advantage of social media and post all videos on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and any other sites you are active on. The more eyeballs on your property, the greater chance it will get sold.
