retail videos - Crystal Media

Happy December! One month to go and then we’re on to the next decade! Phew. Are you ready?!

Before we ring in the New Year, let’s make sure your cash register is ringing this holiday season. Here are 3 of my favorite tips to help!

Post a Story on Instagram each day. Ok, ok… Before you think I’m crazy for asking you to post to Instagram every single day during hectic December, listen up. Posting an IG Story can take you just one minute or less. Truly. Your Story doesn’t need to be super professional or polished. Just be you and share something your audience would enjoy seeing. I recommend setting a reminder alarm each day to jump on your store’s Instagram account to talk about one item you’re loving, that’s hot/trending this holiday season or, if running low on something, to create FOMO about. When posting, add your store location sticker (from Story’s Stickers section) and a hashtag sticker of your local area (for ex: #carlsbadca). Boom that’s it! Watch the daily exposure of the awesome gift items you have this holiday season.
Create one video a week on Facebook. If you personally use Facebook, you know that Facebook loves video because they’re always showing video posts. Get into your customers’ feed this December by making a quick video each week. Just one! Similar to your IG Stories, you can share trending items, one-of-a-kinds, top product picks for the week, staff picks or maybe even your own weekly themed event like Wine Wednesday. These videos should be direct, connect with your perfect customer, and feature YOU! If you’re afraid to hit record or even stand in front of the camera, I want you to know you’re not alone! Many retailers feel this way. I encourage you to do it anyway. 😊 And once you do, will you share it with me?! My team and I would love to see your video (and be your biggest cheerleader)!
Promote an Event or Sale with Ads. There’s a good chance you have an event and/or promotion happening this month. If so, I want you to create a Facebook Event Page with the details. Then, create 1-3 simple Instagram Stories with the event details, saving them to your phone. Next, advertise the Event Page and Instagram Stories using Ads Manager to these audiences:
- Your Likes
- Your Email List*
- A Lookalike of your Likes*
- A Lookalike of your Email List*

This tip might be confusing if you’ve never run ads before. Don’t let it overwhelm you. You can create a quick, engaging video to share the event or sale details and Boost the event on Facebook, and/or Promote on Instagram (depending on what platform you use; advertise on both if you use both). I’d use at least $25 to promote. Then put “Contact the Crystal Media team” on your calendar to either teach you Ads or completely take it off your plate in 2020! It should be a part of your daily strategy.

* You need to set this audience up first if you haven’t done so already.

Ok, now it’s your turn. Pick one item from the above and take action! My team and I are wishing you a very happy and successful December!

You’ve heard me say it a million times but video is one of the best tools you can use to market your business online. Now, with the holidays just around the corner (yes, we said it), we want to ensure you’re set up for total scroll-stopping video success on your social media right from your smartphone. Here’s our list of camera basics for flawless filming. Think of this as your video cheat sheet!

Watch the full episode:

#1: Wipe the camera lens -You won’t believe how often we hear, “My videos are always so blurry!”. And all because the lens was a little dirty.

#2: Use natural light – Good lighting is key to getting a good quality video, but if your store doesn’t have tons of natural light you can always use a lighting kit.

#3: Test for background noise – Always be sure your audience can hear what you’re saying. The juicy details of your new products or upcoming events are important! If the audio is hard to hear, try using a mic.

#4: Make sure your camera settings are set to HD – Filming your videos in high definition makes for a better viewing experience for anyone watching. We recommend always having it set to 1080p HD at 60fps (both on iPhone and Android devices).

#5: Always lock your face – Locking the camera’s focus on your face allows the camera to always keep you in focus even if you’re moving around the store.

#6: Be prepared – No need to script out word-for-word what you’re going to say but make note of your important points to keep you on track and ensure your audience doesn’t miss a thing.

And last but not least….

#7: SMILE! – It’s natural to feel nervous or uncomfortable on camera. The best nerve-calming remedy is to throw a smile on before hitting the record button. Plus, a smile helps create a friendly environment that’ll catch your viewers’ attention.

So let’s start increasing our camera confidence! With more practice creating videos now, you’ll be a pro by the time November and December roll around!

You can catch new episodes of The Modern Marketing Show every Monday at 10 a.m PST on our Facebook Page. Replays will be available on the blog each week.