Appearances Matter

Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should

Low-priced, high-tech hardware and software combined with easy access to inexpensive high-speed online presentation venues has created a new class of entrepreneur who has great ambition and ideas but little understanding of how various communication methods differ, and what makes each effective.

Because video involves so many different elements, with some communicating directly and others subliminally, it is imperative that you understand how each impacts the presentation and delivery of the message. Concept, script, performance, and styling each impact an audience in different ways. If even one of these elements is off, the result will be a muddled and confused message met with skepticism and disbelief. Of all the elements mentioned, the most important is performance; a bad performance by an entrepreneur can make him or her appear to be a fake, no matter how well intentioned and genuine they are.

There are charismatic business speakers like Tony Robbins who are presentation phenoms, and there are a few entrepreneurs who can make people hang on every word, but these people are few and far between. If you’ve ever thought of being your own company spokesperson in order to save money or to inflate your ego, ask yourself, are you really as good as Tony Robbins? Unless you’re a communication savant, it is best to have your marketing communication created and presented by people who know what they are doing.

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  There are a lot of online marketers today that are putting out branding and promotional videos that are very bad. A plain looking or physically challenged person can make excellent videos. A person with "movie star" looks can make a crappy video. I define a crappy video as one with a terrible background (like a bedroom with the chest of drawers in the background), the personal appearance of the video presenter being too casual (like a man in a tea shirt) or using poor grammar and enunciation. Lack of professionalism kills a lot of branding and promotional videos. It is obvious some marketers make videos because they can not because they should. If we decide to use video marketing featuring ourselves let's be sure they are professional if that's what we want our "brand" to be. Appearances matter.