If you’ve been following me for any amount of time you know there is one thing I love above anything else to grow my online handmade business. It is no secret – I love VIDEO!
Why do I love video? Because the algorithms on Facebook and Instagram love video, especially live video.
At first in my business, I didn’t post much video because I’ll be honest, I am a huge introvert. The thought of doing a live video was scary to me, and I see my students struggle with the same thing.
But, I put on my big girl pants and did my first live video anyways… man where the benefits great!
I saw my engagement reach WAY more people than my normal posts were and people were even sharing the video.
This gave me the confidence to keep doing videos… because the benefit for my business outweighed my fear.
I was recently teaching this to my students and Tasha took major action. See her comment on her results 👇
Now, if you’re really uncomfortable doing live videos, you can start by posting pre-recorded videos. Note that live videos will gain more reach but this is still a great starting point.
The second part I see my students get stuck on is the tech side of things. I won’t let this stop you!
Don’t get overwhelmed by the technical side of it.
Doing live videos can be a learning curve, but I have three aspects of the tech side that you need to consider before doing your first video: video quality, audio quality, and lighting.
Video Quality
This should go without saying but you must have good video quality. Trust me, no one wants to watch a video that is pixelated or unclear.
Make sure you are filming in 1080p quality.
You can use your smartphone (if you use an iPhone, I recommend an iPhone 7 or newer) or a webcam.
I have created a free tech guide where I have all my suggestions for what you can use to record. You can grab it for free HERE.
Audio
Before starting your video, you need to check your surroundings!
Is your dryer going on in the background? Can you constantly hear cars going by?
Find a room that is quiet and most background noise can’t be heard.
Now, it is okay if “life” is still going on around you. Sometimes a dog will bark or a baby will cry out. That’s fine. I usually crack a little joke about it and then move on.
Another big thing to think about when it comes to audio is that you NEED a microphone!
You can simply use the headphones that came with your smartphone or you can purchase a desktop microphone.
Again, in my tech guide, I have all my recommendations.
Lighting
The last big point you want to make sure you think about before doing your first video is lighting.
Natural lighting is actually really great and it’s free!
In my office, I have a window on the right side of me and I will allow for the light to come in.
However, it is only on one side of my face so I also use an LED light that lights up the other side of my face (I have it linked in my tech guide).
I strongly recommend using an LED light because light coming from a window and an overhead light sometimes isn’t enough.
You don’t want shadows on your face or your craft and having an LED light will guarantee that you don’t.
My last big tip here is if you are using your phone to record your video, make sure you lock the exposure and focus on you. You don’t want your video picture going in and out of focus.
So now that the tech side of things are all set up, it’s time to create your first video!
What can you post?
Ideas of what to do on your video
Behind the scenes
People love to see the person behind the craft so don’t feel like you only need to showcase your products.
Tell your audience why you created a certain product and what it means to you.
You can also share what you’re currently working on and what inspired you to create it.
Stock update
This is a great topic to do in a live video! You can video yourself unpacking your new craft supplies and talk about what you plan to create.
This can directly lead to pre-sales because people will want what you’re going to make. Don’t forget to have a call to action in your video. Tell people to send you a DM or link to your online shop so they can purchase.
Share more about you
All your videos don’t have to be craft related! In my videos, I will share about my sheep farm, my family, and my values.
Once when I was at a craft show, I posted a video of the Trailing of the Sheep Parade and the engagement exploded!
Now, this video had nothing to do with my craft but it was something that my ideal customer was interested in. When they liked the original video, I then was able to invite them to like my Facebook business page.
If you’re interested in viewing the video, you can view it HERE.
Evergreen topics
Evergreen means that the topic isn’t time specific. It is something that will stay relevant to your audience for many years.
A great example of this is how to and tutorial videos.
I’ve had great success posting how to videos and the great thing is you can repost them again and again!
Where to post the videos
On Instagram and Facebook, there are so many places you can share your videos.
On IG, you can post videos in your stories (live or pre-recorded), on IGTV, and right on your feed.
On Facebook, you can go live on your biz page then share to relevant groups/your page.
You can even post your videos to YouTube and Pinterest!
Homework
Video is so IMPORTANT and you need to incorporate it into your content strategy. Your homework for the next month is to do a live video once per week. See how much your engagement increases!
If you’re a real overachiever, do it every other day.
One thing to remember is that you don’t have to show your face. You can just show you working on your craft and talking.
I’d love for you to connect with me and let me know how video has changed your business!
👉 Facebook page
👉 Instagram
Thanks for reading Handmade Hero! Don’t forget to grab my FREE Tech Guide for your video-making!
