Content is the first thing you notice in any advertisement or business page that you see online. Quoting Lee Odden, “Content is the reason search began in the first place.”
A content creator is someone who creates appealing and awe-inspiring content for the viewers.
The content they create can be educational, or can simply be catchy enough to entertain and grab the attention of any visitor or passerby who was not previously interested in your brand. But after looking at the content, they developed a certain interest and visited your webpage or your social media handles.
A good idea can be powerful to impact an audience positively, generating leads for your brand and attracting more customers through the content displayed. The way these content creators use their ideas to bring a change in the purchasing power of a user is commendable.
Content doesn’t just educate us about things but also keeps us entertained while we smile and laugh at the memes we encounter.
For inbound marketers, there’s one pair in particular that goes hand-in-hand: content and marketing. Ninety-one per cent of business-to-business (B2B) professionals use content marketing as part of their strategy. Still, that doesn’t mean all the content they create is top-notch, compelling, or valuable content.
If you have a Smartphone and an internet connection, you can create digital media and reach a global audience. Anyone with a knack for creating audio, video, text, or visuals can become a content creator and build their personal media empire.
But what does it actually take to become a good noteworthy content creator? How can one achieve that with just a smartphone and internet? It all starts with what you do before you put your fingers to a keyboard, and to share this with fellow marketers was Sean Teo.
Sean Teo
Leading the IQI Eliteone Team, Sean graduated with first class honours in mechanical engineering. He strayed away from his roots and got his calling in the real estate industry back in 2017.
Since then, Sean has gone on to achieve an impressive feat and in such a short time span went on to becoming the Head of Team (HOT) in IQI Eliteone Group.
Sean bagged awards for his outstanding accomplishments including being one of the RM20 million achievers in 2018, as well as the Millerz champion (Project Ambassador) that same year. He was also crowned Central Region champion in the Top Project Performer’s category, the Rolex champion for Millerz Top Sales and the overall Elite Top Sales champion. He nabbed five wins that year.
To top it off, Sean has a long-standing list of other accomplishments and awards as a cherry on the cake. He has also gone on to conduct many seminars and training sessions to share the secrets to his success.
Why You Must Be a Video Content Creator
Not holding back, Sean shared why you must be a video content creator and how to achieve it with just your phone.
Sean shared that the demand for video content is constantly increasing, with 54 per cent of consumers wanting to see more video content from a brand or business they support, be it a promotional video or educational one. What’s for sure is that video is the new trend.
It is further solidified with the fact that video marketers get 66 per cent more qualified leads per year by doing so, according to surveys in 2019. And there is no doubt that this number has further increased since then.
Speaking on video creation, Sean stressed few important elements including the tricks and formulas to create catchy and engaging videos, note-taking during a video recording, six steps to record a professional video, and phone applications used for video editing.
First, Sean introduced the equipment needed for video creation which comprises of a phone, tripod, lighting tools (ring light, studio light), gimbal or stabilizer, microphone (wired/wireless), Open Camera (free application for certain phones not compatible with microphone), audio jack, and a converter.
Moving on, he presented some pointers on what to practice during a video recording session. The content creator must first find a quiet place with a ‘clean’ background which is free from any disruptions which could take away from your audience’s concentration. Sitting against a plain wall or a neat and tidy background would do well.
The creator must also have sufficient lighting. Bad lighting would only leave the audience disinterested, despite the video having a good content or message. The creator must also have good posture which can easily be achieved and monitored through your camera’s grid lines. It is best if the creator or presenter has his eye level on the top horizontal grid line of the camera.
Six Easy Steps to Record a Professional Video
From thereof, the content creator can move along with the six easy steps to record a professional video.
Step one, the bait. Sean hinted that the creator should be able to attract his target audience to watch the video with the initial bait. The bait should convince the audience on why they should spend their time to watch the video.
Then, the creator can move along to the intro. It is best for the creators to introduce themselves clearly and precisely, providing the necessary information such as their name, position, brand, product, etc.
Thirdly, would be to introduce the problem or goal and the next step is to present the end results or benefits the audience receive if they finish watching the video. After that, there would be the solutions step whereby the creator shares his knowledge, tips, pointers, etc.
The final step would be the call to action (CTA), such as “sign up now”, “click the link below” or by providing contact information.
To go into details, let’s start with the bait. Sean said the best bait is the biggest problem in the video that the creator wishes to share. He stressed the importance of addressing who is the target audience specifically, be it age, geographical, or job demographics.
Next, the introduction stage comprises of key points such as greetings, introduction on name and profession, specialisation (in job position), assignment objectives (duty to help whom solve what kind of problems), and goals. These elements make up a concise self-introduction which should ideally last for about 10 to 15 seconds.
For the next problem/goal step, the creator should address who is in the market they are speaking about, and it is best backed up by statistics. From there present the top three problems faced which you wish to solve.
The audience should then be convinced on the end results or benefits they can achieve if they were to finish watching the video. For example, “In this video, I will share with you my tips, secrets to solve your problems or achieve your goals”. This was the go-to line used by Sean.
Finally, in the call to action stage, it is essential to redirect the audience to where you want them to get. For example, your website, your contact information display, application forms, etc. It would be even more convenient to attach links for the audience at the end of the video.
Sean also shared the available phone video editing applications which are free on the app store for all devices. The apps are namely Filmora, Kinemaster, Imovie, Adobe Premiere Pro, JianYing (剪映) and Capcut.
