Utilizing the Power of Video to Make Client Connections

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For many of us, showing up on video can feel so intimidating, but the power of video really showcases who you are, what you do, and how you do it as an entrepreneur. In this episode Marvin Flavien of MK Flav Video shares why videos are not about us but about connecting with others and serving your audience.

Marvin Flavien is a successful Video Marketing Strategist. He helps many service-based entrepreneurs and coaches connect with their audience in a powerful way online. He runs MK Flav Video, a full-service video marketing company in New Jersey, and is on a mission to change the world.

Website // Instagram // 10 Videos To Get Comfortable On Camera Training

The episode:

Katrina Widener: Hi everyone and welcome back to the Badass Business Squad podcast. This is Katrina, and today I'm very excited to have Marvin Flavien on here. And we are going to be talking about all things video and specifically how to navigate the world of video within this super, super visual era. So thank you so much for coming onto the podcast.

Marvin Flavien: Thanks for having me.

Katrina Widener: So really quickly before we jump into video and all of its goodness, would you mind quickly introducing yourself for all of the listeners?

Marvin Flavien: Yeah. So I'm Marvin, I'm a video strategist. I own a MK Flav Video, we're a video marketing company. And our whole thing is really just helping service-based businesses, people, coaches online really use video in a way to help them in a business. We do a lot of different things, but we really want to help our people connect with their people online and use video the right way online. So that's me.

Katrina Widener: Thank you so much. I know that a lot of people in our entrepreneur industry are maybe either one or the other, right? They're either 100% already in the super video focused marketing strategy. And are very, very comfortable. Or have never touched it. Are very intimidated by it. So I was wondering if you wouldn't mind starting us out a little bit by talking to that second group, talking to the people who are like, "Oh my gosh video is so intimidating."

Marvin Flavien: Yeah. And I think that's something we're just going to keep on seeing with more platforms that arise. So just to make it super simple. As a business if you plan on being on social, I think the best thing you can do is allow people to experience who you are. Literally show what you do and how you do it. It doesn't need to be flashy. It doesn't need to be like, "Hey, come look at me!" But just simply making it easier for people to digest. You know, there's so much information out there. We're being bombarded with stuff at higher rates, and I understand you don't want to contribute to the noise as well. But I think for your people, your customers, your clients, like they need to be able to be able to see you. Know that you're the right person for them. Your product or service can help them. And I think the best way you can do that is with video. So it doesn't have to be super crazy. Doesn't have to be elaborate. But I think if you plan on being on social, if you plan on using the internet for your business, this is something that we got to learn how to do. Or just be able to be comfortable getting to a point that we can just do it. So.

Katrina Widener: That makes so much sense. And I'll be the first to admit, I even had a client consult last week with someone where they were like, "You know you're great on video. And I like you more now that I've talked to you in person. So why don't you have a video on your website?" She was like, "You can convert so many more clients if they were able to just get that snippet of your personality. You need to update your website because your photos don't even have your nose ring in it."

If she was not able to get a good gauge of who I was and what my personality was, then it would have been harder for her to book me. And I think that speaks to the power of video that you're talking about. Really showcasing your services, what you do for your clients, who you are as a human being and getting that uniqueness factor there. So now I have to go get a video. But for everyone who's just starting out, I'm sure that they get a little bit, I don't want to say confused, but maybe have that question of where do I even begin? Right? Where do I even get started? So what would you say to those people?

Marvin Flavien: So I think you pretty much hit it with what you just said right there. When you're on the consultation. I think that is where we start all of our clients, that is where we start. And we frame this in a way. We call this securing our defense. We look at video with two different strategies. Offense is like putting things out into the world and letting more people know about us, but defense is where people are already coming to us, they get all the information that they need.

So if you're driving traffic to your website and you don't have a video there to introduce people to who you are and really showcase you, I think that's the perfect way to start, you know? Cause we could be leaving so much stuff on the table because they didn't feel like going through all our stuff. Or maybe they didn't get a chance to connect with us as we would like, because we didn't have that video there to do that. So that is where we start with all of our clients anyway. If you want to get started, I think that's the perfect way to do it. Get something on there that really showcases who you are, what you do and how you do it. Like you said, people get to experience you. They feel like they know you now. You know? They probably more likely to watch it. They're more likely to click on something if they see a video. And then they feel like, "Oh, I like this person." They probably want to work with that person. So I think for anyone starting, and I think that the best thing you can do is really just have something there that showcases you.

Katrina Widener: So like an introductory video is what you're talking about? Like, "This is an intro to my business and who I am, etc."

Marvin Flavien: Yeah. I mean we have a term we like to use. We do it a little different, we call it the video business card. And you think of it like a business card, it shows your name, what you are. But what we do is just building an asset where people are wanting to learn more. They are indoctrinated with everything about the company. So when they're excited to learn more, they get everything they need to know and make a decision. So that's kinda how we do it, but I don't know if everyone's needs to be that, but I think just get into the habit of, "Alright, I need to be able to show who I am. I want our company to be lifted off this page and allow people to experience that." So that's kinda how we re-frame.

Katrina Widener: That sounds perfect for what I feel like most entrepreneurs need right now. We are bombarded by Canva graphics, and Instagram, and Facebook ads 24/7. And to be able to get that trust factor from someone's website or someone's account, I feel like that's so important and video really does that. And so for that introductory video, outside of that one what are some of the other most common types of videos that entrepreneurs will use?

Marvin Flavien: Well, it depends. It depends what their goals are. It depends like what they want to do. But I think once you do that, once you have something like that, I think the best thing you can do is really just adapt to that. So if you pretty much look at your business, whatever's working figure out. how you can accelerate that process. You know, so if people love this service that you offer, maybe do a video talking about that service, or maybe do a video where talk about your clients or transformations that they had so they can see it. Let your customers talk to other customers, you know? So I think it's just looking at our business. What are the things that are working? How can we accelerate this process? That's what we look for. We look for things that are working, if they love your product, that's where video can play like a really huge role to it. Because now it's just taking that and putting into the online digital space. And we can reach more people, do a lot more things with that. So that's kinda how we kind of look at it.

Katrina Widener: So for people who are like "This all sounds amazing, but I'm really intimidated by getting on video, or I'm really afraid of actually showing up." How do we make that feel easier for them?

Marvin Flavien: Well I would ask why? What are we truly, truly afraid of? Do we care too much about what people think? That's what I would ask first. Because here's the thing. You have something that can help people. Right? And all they need is to be able to know that you're the person that can help them, who are we to stand in the way of that? You know, especially if we think we don't like how we look, we don't like how we sound and things like that. But there's a whole other piece to it, you know? And I always like to say, video's not all about us. It's about connecting with other people. So it's like why let that hold you back from helping people. So I kind of look at it that way. It's like, if you can help someone and they need this kind of help, why would we like let that hold us back? You know, because if we're talking to our people, we're talking to people that need us the most, that's should be the only thing that matters. You know, obviously we can get things to make videos look better and things like that. But at the base of it, just know that what you're doing is helping people and you doing this can bring it to more people. So that's what I would say first.

Katrina Widener: I love that. I feel like that's very powerful for people who are listening to be like, "Oh yeah, it's not about me. It's about serving my audience. It's about me helping my clients. About me being able to kind of bridge that gap between the service provider and the client and switching that mindset or looking at it from that different angle."

Marvin Flavien: Exactly.

Katrina Widener: So I know that oftentimes when people are starting out with video, they might be intimidated by the cost, right? It's so expensive. Or not knowing how to get it done. Or even what the first steps are. So now that you have convinced us all that video is the next step for us, how do people even get to that?

Marvin Flavien: Well to get started... I mean here's the thing I think it can help, but it's also understanding what is it that they can help with? So figure out if you're looking to "hire someone," do they know how to use video to help your business? I'm not talking about just make cool looking videos because anyone can make a video look cool these days. So understand, do they know how to use this video to help me in my business? And another thing too, like when people say they're not great on camera. Look for people who understand you, understand directing. And understand the power of interviewing people, I think that's an art in itself. Just to be able to bring things out of people as far as like interview and styles like that.

So I would just look at how this video or a person can provide value to my business. That's where I was stuck, because like I said, it's not just about making flashy things. If it doesn't do anything for us, why spend money and time into that. So look at how this can help me. Can it solve a problem for me? And then that's how I look at it, you know? Because obviously in business things need to work for us, so make sure things are doing its job. So that's how I would look at if I was jumping into it, looking to start. How can this help me? How can this help solve a problem that I have.

Katrina Widener: That makes a lot of sense. The strategy part you were just talking about, because I know in a former world, I was a magazine journalist for everyone listening. I worked for Better Homes and Gardens magazine, and I also worked for other titles of that same corporation. And we had someone come and speak whose nickname was Mr. Magazine, because he was such a big deal in the magazine world. And he said if he saw an award-winning graphic designer, he would never, ever hire them because he knew that they were paying more attention to really cool-looking graphics, than graphics that actually served the audience. And I think that can translate a ton to video, like you're saying, right? When you're actually trying to provide something to someone, their goals are the things you need to prioritize and not that design or graphics or whatever it is.

Marvin Flavien: That's spot on. That's literally why I don't consider myself a videographer. I say I'm a video strategist, because what we do is we take videos and how we can implement them into your business. The whole creative stuff? You can tell we're creative, like I don't need to say that. But the main thing is we want videos to work for you in your business. I 100% agree with that.

Katrina Widener: Yeah. Yeah. It's like one of those things where flashy has its place, but maybe not in service providing.

Marvin Flavien: Yeah, it was just knowing what to do with it, you know? Cause once they have the video, what's next, what I do with this? You know, every time clients don't know what to do with the videos that we have, we need to be there to help them strategize, help them implement it, and put it into the sales process. So yeah it's a huge piece with videos, not just about just posting here and there. We have to know what we're doing behind the scenes to get these things to work for us.

Katrina Widener: I also feel like it's one of those things that people don't always immediately think of when they think of providing content, right? They're like, "Oh, I'm just providing the same thing I'm providing now, but in a different format." Instead of being like, "No, I want to be very intentional, very specific, very strategic about why I'm creating each video. How it's being created. How it's going to be used. And how it's going to connect with my audience." And so I am so glad that you brought that up because I do think that's so important and so often overlooked, right? It's just this "I'm batching my content. I'm putting that in so many places," instead of being really, really intentional, and we need to stop overlooking that.

Okay. So my last question is what advice out of everything that we've already talked about would you give to entrepreneurs who are like, "All right, I'm ready. I'm out there. I'm looking. I'm going to do this." What's the number one last piece of advice that you're like, "They need to know."

Marvin Flavien: Okay, here we go. Truly there's so much power in being able to show something. And I think that's where I can leave it. Because when people have a problem and they are searching for an answer or someone to help them, it's so easy for them to be able to see something and watch something and digest something, and then feel connection to you. Understand there's power in being able to show something, you know? So I always tell people "Show don't tell." So if you have a great product or service, I need you to be able to show that to them and show your audience that. Show your clients that. So when they do come to you they're able to see that. I have a coaching client, she's diabetic health coach. And when I tell you, when people are able to see their struggles, see their transformation that they want and see that on camera, these people are ready to go. They hop on calls. It's literally a formality at that point, you know?

And you can have that for your business too. If you have something that you were helping people, and they can literally see that and feel like experience that, it's a crazy feeling. And it can help your business. And we're not even talking about just posting content online. We still be talking about putting something somewhere where people can feel like they get a sense of experiencing that. So that's big advice. Just know there's so much power in being able to show people something.

Katrina Widener: I wish everyone could see me right now, cause I'm just nodding along like "Yes, yes, yes!" When I talk to my clients about copywriting for instance, or their brand visuals that they're putting on their website, it's really that we want your clients to look at your content, look at your website, your social media, whatever it is, and really be able to see themselves in what you're talking about. See themselves in your photos. See themselves in who you are. And video feels like a very natural way to make that just even easier. I mean it's one thing to say "Oh, I can see myself in the photo on your website, but hear you speaking, to hear you actually talking to them, or get a glimpse of what it would be like to work with you," that can be so powerful because oftentimes we run away from the things we can't visualize, or we can't put ourselves into that situation in our mind. And it's so much harder to believe that we fit in, in that place. If we can't imagine it. And having a video bridges that gap. So you can imagine it, you can be like, "Oh, I know exactly what this would be like. I know exactly what it would feel like to work with that person or to buy this person's product or collaborate with that person." So that makes so, so much sense.

I want to thank you so much for coming on the podcast. This has all been amazing. I absolutely love talking about video. I think this is going to be very powerful for everyone listening. But before we hop off, I really quickly want to talk about you. I'm going to link this in the shownotes and the full transcription, but you're going to offer everyone a freebie for 10 videos to get comfortable on camera. So I wanted to know if you wanted to speak a little bit to that really quickly before we leave?

Marvin Flavien: Yeah. It's a free training. And it really helps to see how we think about video, how we go about video. So these are 10 videos that either we use or we created for our clients. And that just pretty much the guide that have 10 videos to help you get comfortable on camera and just really get that experience to start putting videos out there. It's fun. It's very interactive. You get to see me in action. So yeah, go get it.

Katrina Widener: Okay, perfect. It'll be linked in the show notes for everyone who is interested in downloading that or getting access to that. My very last question is just how can everyone find you after listening to this episode?

Marvin Flavien: So you heard me talk about video. I think the best thing you can do is go look at my video business card. I'm on every platform, just type in MK Flav Video. I'll show up. But head to our website and check out our video business card so you can see how we use video in action. So, www.MKFlavvideo.com or just search MK Flav anywhere, Instagram I'm all over the place.

Katrina Widener: Perfect. And both will also be linked in the shownotes. So thank you so much, Marvin, for coming. This was absolutely amazing and I really appreciate it.

Marvin Flavien: Thank you, it's been fun.