• An iPhone. Any smart phone you have will work. In this example I am using an iPhone in selfie mode. 

• Use either the built in iPhone camera mic (weather dependent) but what is preferred is a wired microphone or Bluetooth Airpods which only work in some applications. Note: Bluetooth Airpods will not work with the camera app on a iPhone unless you have OS 13 installed on your iPhone. Some older iPhone models only go to OS 12.

• A selfie stick. One that extends at least 2 feet out.

• A backup power supply for the phone in case you lose power (with a lighting/USB cable).

Those are the essential tools for the gear.

Now on the vanity side: hairspray, a mirror, some makeup, comb or brush and water. 

These are the essentials to put together into a travel kit that you always have with you.

This setup will enable you to shoot great videos no matter where you are.

Let's get started with Part 1 of ‘How To Create Awesome Videos For Your Insurance Clients With Your iPhone’.

Part 1
Prepare for your shoot: 6 tips to prepare before shooting

TIP 1 - Create A Headline For Your Subject Line. 

Your first step in this process of creating a great video for your clients is writing a headline or subject line that is compelling and is going to want to make somebody open your video and watch it. 

Think of it like an old classified ad that would catch your attention and make you want to read and respond to the ad.

Or perhaps how movies are described in a short phrase of well chosen words for an entire blockbuster.

That is what you want to create for your subject line.

When you think about how important every aspect of this video shoot is and what we're talking about in this 3 part series, this accounts for about 50% of what matters most in this entire project.
 
Think of a pie chart with 50% of the entire project falling on the importance of the headline or subject line. The main reason is, if they don't open your email, text, direct messenger or social media posts or whatever it might be, no one will ever see what you recorded for them.

You have to make sure it's extremely compelling and motivates the end user to open and begin watching. 

I have an entire different vlog that talks about creating fantastic headlines and subject lines. I won't cover that now but you can check out at another time.

Creating a great subject line is a huge piece of the pie so make sure you realize the importance of the headline and write a great one so your client or prospect will actually open and watch your video.

TIP 2 - Prepare What You're Going To Say

Create talking points and a message that matters.
You're also going to want to have a ‘call to action’ (CTA) in your video as well. What you say is the utmost of importance. Which is exactly what I did for this video and vlog.

I prepared for hours to write & record every little segment that you're seeing and reading to keep your interest and continue to solve problems when creating great videos with your iPhone.

Make your messages matter to ensure someone's going to watch. The most important tip I can give you is, make sure to make the first 10 seconds count. Most people will only give you about 10 seconds. So it doesn't matter if your video is 10 minutes long if they don't get through the first 10 seconds.

If you don't hook them with something in that time period nothing else that you prepared and shot is going to matter. is vitally important, Motivate your client and catch their interest so they continue watching.

Have a great opener (10 seconds), acknowledge their problem, offer a solution combined with a CTA. The desired action you are leading to take. Make sure your first 10 seconds matter as they account for about 30% of the importance of the project.

In these first two tips, your headline is about 50% and the first 10 seconds of your video’s about 30% on the importance scale of each video you produce. That's 80% of your entire project just in these first 2 tips.

The other 20% is everything else I'm going to cover in this vlog/video. So these are really important to get right.

I have another vlog/video that has to do with content writing and preparation and detail that you can check out as well.

Make sure those first 10 seconds really count and plan out everything you're going to say on your video.

TIP 3 - Make Yourself Extremely Personable

How you can become more personable? 

First, present yourself as friendly as possible. You've got to gain trust and build a relationship.

You also have to be extremely likable. People mostly do business with people they like rather than people who are more qualified. Remember, be friendly but don't over do it!

Make sure to focus your eyes on the dot on your phone where the camera lens is (in selfie mode). 

The lens is located on the left side when in landscape mode and directly at the top of the screen when in portrait mode. That is where you want to be looking at all times on every video you shoot.

You can get better at this by practicing this simple tip. Every time you pick up your phone, look at the camera lens (small dot) first. By doing this exercise you can train yourself to look at the lens dot instead of the screen.

If you have the camera reversed and you just have a lens, make sure you're always looking into the lens.

This is how you create eye contact. It will appear to your viewer as if you’re looking at them right in the eye. Do this as much as possible to help you to connect.

Your client or prospect needs to identify you as the only one that's going to be able to solve a specific problem they have. Use your eyes. They can say a lot with using any words.

Your task is to become the person you’re clients depend on. An agent that solves problems and gains trust by earning it.

At all times, make sure that you're very personable, friendly, kind, generous, caring and trustworthy no matter how bad your day is going, how desperate you are for a deal to happen or if you just don’t feel like it. That type of approach is for losers. At GO Agent GO we create winners!

It’s best practice daily to become more personable.

TIP 4 - Your Attire, What You Look Like And How You Present Yourself 

What is the typical style of clothing that you wear? How do you style your hair? What is the look that people identify with you?

Whatever that is, make sure that comes across in your video and there's some consistency of that as well.

In the vlog/video series that I'm shooting right now I'm going to have this same shirt on the whole time. I don't always wear a t-shirt but I'm doing this one because I’m outside in a beautiful place and it's summer. That is the look that I'm using on this video. Most of my videos are pretty casual so you'll see me in things that are similar to what I'm wearing now.

Whatever your image is- if you're somebody who wears a suit and tie all the time or some type of nice blouse or shirt, or an open collar shirt with a sports jacket, then use that in your videos. Make sure you're consistent with your look and that your hair is done nicely.

I suggest you look into using some makeup. The reason I'm saying this is sometimes you may have perspiration, oily skin which can reflect lighting and shine. This could cause some hot spots on your face or head.

TV newscasters are a good example. They wear a lot of makeup to create an even skin tone. They don't have any glare coming off of the lighting that can be very bright when they are shooting video.

Make sure that you look good at all times. I showed you some things to have in your little travel kit - mirror, comb or brush, hairspray, some powder makeup (to tone down any shine) and make sure you bring some water. You will get thirsty on the shoot. Wherever you are, make sure you have enough water too so you don't have dry mouth. If your mouth is dry, you may crackling sounds which can be very distracting and sometimes annoying to the end user.

BONUS TIP: Use makeup. I wore makeup on this shoot because to avoid having any glare if I get some direct sun on my head. I knock it down a little bit because it helps create an even skin look. 

It doesn't mean you have to do it every time but these tips are a few things to consider.

The more professional you come across, the more professional business client you're going to attract.

It's just part of the equation to make you appear more approachable and trustworthy in the videos to engage your customers and build relationships.

Tip 5 - Smile!

You gotta be smiling. Smile at the beginning of your videos, smile at the end of your videos, smile in between phrases, smile when you're talking as much as you can. It makes a huge difference in your body language. Your voice will have a little higher pitch because it's lifted up by your smile. 

People like to see you smile which is so much better than seeing somebody talk from a depressed or desperate position. No... that doesn't work at all. You gotta be smiling, smiling and smiling!

If you're not the type of person who doesn't smile a lot this is something you can actually practice. If you just hold a smile, even if it's a fake smile and just hold your cheekbones up. Believe it or not your body in time will learn that muscle memory and it won't feel so awkward when you're doing it.

That is something you can practice and also practice in a mirror.

BONUS TIP: Even if you're not using a video, having a mirror by your phone when you're talking to somebody makes a huge difference. If you smile when you're talking on the phone call there's a difference in your voice as well.

Because audio is such a huge piece of video, smiling makes your voice sound different as well.

Smile when you start a shot, smile when you pause for a phrase, smile when you're talking and smile when you end your shot and you'll have much better results with your videos.

Tip 6 - Energy!

You've got to have a lot of energy when you're talking on your videos. Be careful not to be over exaggerating. I'm doing that a little bit now (in the video) just to demonstrate it but you've got to use energy.

Use your energy to exude confidence. Even if it feels like it's not you, continue to practice and do it to be more effective in your videos.

They say that the camera adds 10 pounds because of the lenses. With energy you have to display about 30% more than the norm on video. Otherwise you can easily sound monotone, melancholy and uninteresting.

That's not what you're looking for.

You've got to have something that's going to captivate your audience all the time and energy is the way that you do it. And you can just ‘fake it until you make it’!

Like what I mentioned earlier about the smile. You can train your facial muscles to memorize a smile position on your face.

To create and have more energy would be the same thing. You just have to think about it before hitting the record button.

There's an old movie called "All That Jazz" starring Roy Scheider (who was the star of Jaws). There's a scene in that movie where no matter how he felt, and he was all messed up with lots of different things in his life, but no matter how he felt he would snap his fingers twice and say “it's showtime” and just find the energy and go out and do his thing. 

You've got to do the same thing.

Think of everything you shoot as a production.

I remember years ago I was friends with many folks at Paramount Studios who were working on ‘The Arsenio Hall Show’ that used to be on in the 90s.

I remember a conversation I had with actor Brian Dennehy in the green room who starred in ‘Cocoon’, ‘First Blood’, ‘Tommy Boy’ and lots of different movies.

Sadly he recently passed away. He was a great guy. He told me something that I never forgot.

He said, “you know I'm going out to do this interview and everything I do is a performance. Whether I'm talking to somebody or if I'm signing an autograph, if I'm doing an audition, if I'm doing a talk show, I'm doing a movie, everything's a performance”.

I thought that's a really good piece of advice. When you think about it every aspect of your insurance business is a performance.

If your energy's down and people don't feel like you're the person that's going to be able to solve their problem and do it with confidence then you're missing the boat.

Bringing energy to every conversation can be a huge asset to incorporate into the person that you can become.

Bring it out in all the videos that you shoot and and put it in your business as much as possible and remember to smile!

This concludes part 1 of my 3 part series and 6 tips to prepare for your shoot.

Here's a quick review: 

I discussed the importance of the headline. It's about 50% of the importance of the entire project so make sure it's a good one.

Prepare your content. What you're going to say, especially the first 10 seconds.

Be personable. You’ve got to be very friendly and engaging. 

Be aware of your attire and what you look like. It’s your brand and you look need to be consistent in all your videos.

Smile! Make sure you're always smiling as much as you can in your videos.

Energy breeds confidence! Fake it till you make it! Few things are more important than your passion with energy flowing all the time in every one of your videos.

That's it for Part 1.

I'll see you in Part 2 in this 3 Part Series where we're going to cover Tech and Tools and 4 Tips To Setting Up Your Shoot On Your iPhone And Doing It Outside.

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First of all is our website at www.goagentgo.com. It's a great resource and we're always updating with more information which includes a complete free resource library you might find very helpful. Below in the show notes there are links to things I mentioned or shared in vlog to make it easy for you to find. Also, I typically put time code in show notes so you can easily jump to a section (video) to check out for review and other links to other videos and useful websites and tech tools and software and hardware suggestions.

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This is Craig Colley signing off thanks so much for reading/watching and I'll see you in the next vlog.