Episode 346: Mastering Video Content to Attract and Convert Clients

Intro

0:00:18 – (Bob Woods): Welcome to the Making Sales Social podcast featuring the top voices in sales, marketing, and business. Join Brynne Tillman, and me, Bob Woods, as we each bring you the best tips and strategies our guests teach their clients so you can leverage them for your own virtual and social selling. This episode of the Making Sales Social podcast is brought to you by Social Sales Link, the company that helps you start more trust-based conversations without being salesy through the power of LinkedIn and AI. Start your journey for free by joining our resource library. Welcome to the show.

0:00:55 – (Brynne Tillman): Welcome back to Making Sales Social. I’m Brynne Tillman and I am so excited to be here with Shamara “Star” Cox, who is a TV producer and business content coach. She really focuses on marketing and media solutions for experienced coaches and consultants ready to grow. We are going to do a deep dive into video content and other content that really works. Welcome to the show.

0:01:23 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): Thank you so much for having me. I mean, it’s such a pleasure. I’m, like, really excited about this conversation.

0:01:29 – (Brynne Tillman): I am too. So we had a conversation and immediately I was like, oh, my gosh, I want to know more about this, but let’s capture it for the podcast. So I am very, very excited. So before we jump into your expertise, we ask all of our guests, what does making sales social mean to you?

0:01:50 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): Yeah, that’s actually a great question. And that’s something that I honestly would say when I started my business is when I actually started to understand it. It really is being able to connect with people online and to serve them at the highest capacity in order to help them get a transformation. And of course, because you are serving, you’re going to be able to make money off of that, but really serving at the highest quality capacity so that you can really serve your audience and then able to make sales from that.

0:02:19 – (Brynne Tillman): That’s great. Yeah. That’s how you earn the right to get those sales. Right to really serve. I think that’s a fabulous answer. I love that. So let’s jump into your expertise, which is really kind of in there with the consultants and the business owners and coaches. Right. How can they effectively use video content to attract and convert their ideal clients?

0:02:42 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): That’s such an amazing question. Video content has really started to blow up around 2021, 2022, and I should say 2020, 2021. And without it, a lot of business owners are like, they just still get their sales, but they’re starting to notice that having this online presence is super important. So the way that you can use video content is to create content in a way that creates relationships with your audience.

0:03:09 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): When you’re creating those deep relationships with your audience, it does a couple of things. One, it gets them talking back to you. So now they know that you are a real person and now they’re connecting with you. And the next thing you get them to do is to ask them how can you serve them? How can they work with you or move forward with you or go to the next step? That’s something I did when I first started on TikTok. I used to do a lot of videos, just transition videos, and I never made my audience an offer.

0:03:34 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): And one day they started reaching out to me, hey, are you selling something? Can I work with you? So when you’re serving them, when you’re creating conversations, when you’re building deep relationships with them, they’re going to start asking you, hey, how can I work with you? How can I buy from you?

0:03:49 – (Brynne Tillman): I love that One of the things that we talk a lot about is leading to your solution, not with your solution. So when you lead with your solution, it’s more of a pitch. But you’re, it’s like that attraction marketing, right? When you’re leading to. So I, I love that. What types of videos work? You know, look, you know, we had, there’s, there’s the teaching video, there’s the mistakes video, there’s the storytelling video, right?

0:04:19 – (Brynne Tillman): What really works and how do you help clients kind of figure out what makes the most sense for them?

0:04:25 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): So to be honest, they all work. It just depends on what’s your goal. So if your goal is to show up as the authority, then the educational content is going to be the best route to go. If your goal is for you to create deep connections and build relationships with them, then sure, go ahead with the storytelling and lifestyle content. If your goal is to get sales, then you want to do a sales video. So really when you’re putting out your content, you want to do an array of it. You want to do a mixture of this type of content because you don’t only want to do educational, mainly because people get tired of just seeing the tips. And you don’t only want to do lifestyle content or storytelling because then people are going to think you’re an influencer.

0:05:01 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): As a business owner and a coach, it really is important to show up well-rounded. So you want to do a mixture of both. But it’s really reliant on what is your goal. And so I typically teach all of my clients that you want to set a goal per video, right? Like, what do you want this video to do? Do you want it to get followers? Do you want it to get sales? Do you want it to get leads? Do you want it to get engagement?

0:05:22 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): And based on what you choose, that’s the type of content you create.

0:05:26 – (Brynne Tillman): Oh, I love. That’s awesome. I love that, that way of thinking. So, you know, a lot of folks have fears around creating content, specifically video, but content generally, right? Like they’re there. There’s either a perfectionist or I’m not a great writer, or what if they don’t like me? Talk a little bit about how these, you know, business owners, coaches, consultants can overcome some of those fears.

0:05:55 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): Yeah, this I feel is the most important thing when it comes to creating content online. Like really having that confidence. And even for me, when I first started, I was scared. And the reason is that when you’re showing up on video, even if you’re showing up live, people can see you. And it’s much easier if we’re sending an email or just doing a blog. But having people see you, seeing your imperfections, seeing your flaws, it can be nerve-wracking. And a lot of us are afraid to embarrass ourselves.

0:06:23 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): We’re also afraid that someone’s going to say something rude or nasty to us. Right. And so in order for us to show up in a way that we could be confident, we have to remember our why. Like, why is it that we are doing this? Is it to serve people? Is it to be a blessing to others? Or is it because I’m just doing it to do it? If we don’t have a strong enough why, it’s going to be really difficult to show up.

0:06:45 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): But once you have your why down, then you start to put out the content and then you start to see, oh wait, these people actually like me and they like what it is that I’m sharing and they actually want to work with me, which continues to motivate you to keep showing up.

0:06:59 – (Brynne Tillman): So, you know, I love this. Two things I want to just mention we go out every day, we go to the grocery store, we go to networking meetings, and we have wonderful conversations with people, but we’re not focusing on the pimple on our face or the even the spinach in our teeth because we’re not staring at ourselves. Yep, we typically are out there having great conversations, but yet when it comes to video, we are so hyper-aware of all of those things.

0:07:27 – (Brynne Tillman): What I have learned is no one else is seeing the pimple Right. They’re not, they’re, they’re engaging with you and they’re not seeing it any more than they would if you were to networking meetings. So, that’s like something that I just wish people could kind of get over because I think that it’s so important. You know the other thing. And I had a coach tell me this, oh my gosh, I think I was in my twenties, so like lifetimes ago that said to me, if you have a solution that can have a positive impact on your consumer, it’s malpractice not to let them know about it.

0:08:11 – (Brynne Tillman): And I just. So how do we do that? The content is the way that we do that. So I just wanted to share that. It’s like one of my favorite forever sayings that sticks in my head.

0:08:22 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): That to me is like amazing. And if we just hold onto that, then it really does help. You know another thing that I noticed because you talked about the networking meetings, for a lot of people when it comes to going on video, they feel like they can’t control the audience response. Like if their video goes viral, it’s like the whole world sees it now. And if I embarrass myself, the entire world sees it.

0:08:44 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): And I think sometimes there’s a fear of a lack of control. And so when it comes to being in a grocery store, going to marketing events, network marketing events, I can control that. It’s only so many people in the room. But if we can release that control and really do what you just said, like if you have something that’s going to transform someone’s life, share it because it really is going to be a blessing to them. I feel like that helps us to really show up on camera and be confident.

0:09:08 – (Brynne Tillman): Oh, I love it.

0:09:09 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): Yeah.

0:09:11 – (Brynne Tillman): So, you know, we are in a world of binge-watching, right? Like I get into a TV series and like in two nights, you know, we’ve gone through all eight hours of it because like it’s addicting, right? And content I have, I follow a few folks where their content is completely addicting. And you know, the more I listen to them, the more they’re coming up in my feed. And it’s mostly for me right now around AI and sales because that’s what I’m spending.

0:09:47 – (Brynne Tillman): You know, I get, the more time I spend watching it, the more I get of it. But coaches and consultants and business owners out there, while they understand the value of binge-worthy content, they’re not quite sure how to create content that engages their audience and really drives growth opportunities to their business. So talk a little bit about what binge-worthy content looks like from a business perspective.

0:10:15 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): Yeah, I think that’s such an amazing question, especially because I love teaching it to my business owners. And typically when I’m teaching it, I always ask this question, like, what makes you binge?

0:10:25 – (Brynne Tillman): Right.

0:10:25 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): Whenever you’re thinking of a show or content, like, what makes you binge? And typically I get a lot of people who say, if it’s educational content, if it’s funny, if it’s a certain person that I know. And these are the things that we want to pull into our content so that we can do, number one thing, this is what the TV industry is actually doing to us when we’re binging, is create an experience. That’s what’s going to get your audience to binge. If you create an experience on your page, they’re going to want to come back for more. So there are different things that you can do in order to create this experience.

0:10:55 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): One, the colors that are in your video. People are typically attracted to bright colors in the video. So you can implement that good lighting, the hooks that you’re using at the beginning of your video that also attracts people. And then this one, you know, this one is probably where people want to take notes. But doing cliffhanger endings oftentimes as business owners, we don’t think about that. But if you’re watching a Netflix show, what gets you to watch the next episode is a cliffhanger ending. So how can you leave your audience wanting more?

0:11:24 – (Brynne Tillman): That’s really great. Now I just want to share one of the frustrating things around that is not being able to get to that next one. Right. Like, I just watched part one and I can’t get to part two. So do you have any recommendations on how people can help their prospect binge? Like, is there a link that you might add that takes them to the next one? Or what would you do in content? You know, where it’s like, the next episode is up.

0:11:55 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): So it depends on what platform. And please let me know if you can still hear me. They’re actually drilling right above me now.

0:12:00 – (Brynne Tillman): I’m fine.

0:12:01 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): Oh, perfect. Okay. So it depends on what platform you’re on. I’m going to use TikTok as one of those examples TikTok actually has where you can create a playlist. And so if you create a playlist, then they can just binge that way. YouTube does the same thing, but with LinkedIn and Instagram, they do not have playlists. So what you want to do is actually tell them where to get the next video and you can tell them to come back tomorrow for the next video. If you’re planning on posting it daily or if you want to post more than once a day, tell them I’m posting it at this time. So I’ve tried those different ways. They all work. People actually do wait for it because they want to know what’s going to happen next.

0:12:38 – (Brynne Tillman): How do you feel about using a unique hashtag for a series so that they can click on the hashtag and then get everything?

0:12:46 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): Oh yeah, absolutely. The unique hashtag will be awesome, especially if you’re the only one using it because if others are using it, it makes it hard for them to find your content. So like for me when I first started I would just use Book of Star and then that way people can find all my series there.

0:12:59 – (Brynne Tillman): Absolutely. So I love that. And that’s for all your stuff. Do you recommend if it’s a series, so Book of Stars, one of one, one of two, one of three, or something like that? So. Oh no, it would have to be the same hashtag.

0:13:14 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): Yeah, it would have to be the same hashtag. That way people can find that piece of content and you can always name your videos part one, part two, part three, so that they can easily see the order of it.

0:13:27 – (Brynne Tillman): That’s very good advice. I love that. I do. So what role does authentic storytelling? You’re a storyteller by nature, right? And what role does storytelling play in that binge-worthy video marketing? And how can we leverage stories to build that trust and authority that you talk about?

0:13:48 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): Yeah, I really love that question. And storytelling is actually huge. A lot of people are able to digest information when you put it in storytelling form. Right. And so the thing that I see with business owners is that they just don’t know the different types of storytelling forms in order for them to get the information out. Right. So I’ll give you an example. This lifestyle content that you can put out can help you to tell stories.

0:14:12 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): I have on. Specifically my Instagram account. I haven’t released this on LinkedIn yet, but specifically on Instagram I have a reality show and this is really a behind-the-scenes story where I am sharing what’s going on in my business, what’s going on in my ministry and people really love it. Why? Because they get to relate to me, they get to see me in a new light. I’m not just always showing up as the authority and giving tips.

0:14:34 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): So really being able to tell stories in your content, it helps to build that relationship with your audience. But understanding what types of story you want to tell. There are also stories that you want to tell when you’re ready to sell. You don’t just want to sell to your audience because it can come off like it’s salesy. But if you tell a story, especially like client testimonials, if you share that as a story, then people will be more inclined to want to work with you and buy from you, I guess.

0:14:58 – (Brynne Tillman): Because they relate when you hear those stories. So I love that. I think that’s awesome. You have given us some incredible advice today. My, I guess really it’s my second to last question, but what question should I have asked you today that I didn’t?

0:15:17 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): That’s such a good question. I feel like you really covered a lot. So one question would be, and this probably is kind of different from our conversation, but what role does Call to Action play when it comes to putting out your content? That one I feel like. Yeah, I love that.

0:15:34 – (Brynne Tillman): Okay, so I’m going to ask a question. What role do Calls to Action play in your content? Go.

0:15:41 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): It plays a major role in your content. Oftentimes, business owners, are putting out content and they’re wondering why people aren’t responding to them, why they aren’t buying. And it’s because you’re not putting out your call to action. So earlier I shared if you set a goal for each video, your call to action is actually what’s going to let you know if you hit the goal or not. Right? So let’s say my goal is to get followers, then the call to action I want to put out is for people to follow me. I’ve oftentimes seen business owners follow me. Like it, share it, comment.

0:16:12 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): It’s too many steps and people probably won’t do it because they feel overwhelmed. But if you have one set goal in mind, then you tell your audience to hit the follow button so that you can get more of this experience. Or if you’re ready for sales, you tell them to comment on a specific word so that they can get access to this resource. So really be intentional about what’s the goal, so that you can know what call to action to use for your video and then you can track your results from there.

0:16:36 – (Brynne Tillman): That was great. I’m so glad we asked that last question. So really my last, last question is how can folks reach out to you, get to you and how do you help them?

0:16:49 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): Yeah, absolutely. Thank you so much for asking that. So I do have a five-day video challenge. It’s called Convert Content to Cash. And in the challenge, we do teach you how to use video marketing and binge-worthy content in order to convert your followers into customers, how to build your confidence so that you’re showing up online and you don’t have to feel embarrassed, you don’t have to be afraid of being judged, but instead you’re there to serve and be a blessing. And so you can get access to it by just going to convert to go content to cash challenge.com

0:17:20 – (Shamara “Star” Cox): and then to get some access to my teachings you can go to my LinkedIn Shamara Star Cox. You can find me there and then on Instagram at Book of Star Underscore.

0:17:30 – (Brynne Tillman): Wonderful. Thank you so much. I know you’ve moved the dial for a lot of people today and I’m hoping we have some of the entrepreneurs, coaches, and business owners that kind of have been a little bit tentative to do some content and video content are like, okay, I’m a little more open. And you know what, and I know just from our conversation, if you have any questions about how to get started Shamara, I’m sure that you’d be thrilled to give them some resources or thoughts around that. So make sure you reach out to her.

0:18:04 – (Brynne Tillman): And when you’re out and about, don’t forget to make your sales social.

Outro:

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