Your Customers want to know Who they are Buying from

Photo by Mikael Blomkvist: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-sitting-shooting-in-the-kitchen-4152606/

Putting yourself out there is a great way to sell your product or services. Everyone wants to know the face behind the brands that they support. Eventually, this will evolve into something beautiful—customers will trust your products or services more, and you will stand out from the rest of your competitors. Remember, everyone is built differently… it is a way of life!

Let’s talk about documenting your processes:

Filming yourself working on your product or services is interesting and engaging. Your actions will justify how authentic you are as a creator and how much effort you have put in daily to create your masterpieces. If you provide a service, vlogs can also act as educational videos — behind the scenes, the equipment you use, how you plan your sessions, how your clients react to your services, etc.

Now, the question is…

Why would I want to show everyone how I make my product or the services I provide?
Why would I want to expose my secrets and allow my competitors to steal my ideas?

Let me share with you my personal experiences and stories.
When I started as a solo filmmaker and photographer, I was all about producing excellent, high-quality visual content for my clients. I was a self-taught filmmaker and photographer, so I wasn’t well equipped with the right equipment or skillset for certain projects. Most of my methods were non-conventional, but I still managed to get the job done. My clients were happy with my work, and I continued to evolve throughout the years.

Then, COVID came and killed most of my clients' businesses. They had no more budget to create content and were desperate to promote their products and services on social media. They needed help, period. Ironically, because of how simple my equipment and methods were, I was able to educate them on content creation—the easy way.

- Use your phone, and set it to this
- Use stacks of books as a tripod
- Shoot your products near the window for the light source
- Use this free app to edit your videos
- How to frame your products
- A list of equipment that cost below $100

With this in play, there were still setbacks. I needed to create more “relatable” and “applicable” content. Teaching them how to shoot their products with iPhones wasn’t enough — They had to visualise themselves doing it. I started documenting all of my behind-the-scenes. I showed everyone all my wrong techniques in the production world but I couldn’t care less. I’m all about helping my clients.

Being transparent has advantages.
You are killing 2 birds with one stone.
Let’s picture a scenario.
Today, you run a hand-made plush toy business and here is your vlog.
- You start the day waking up fresh, working out and eating a healthy breakfast
- You clear up your desk and start to work
- You gather your fabrics and sewing kit
- You make yourself a nice cup of tea
- You start to stitch pieces of cloth together
- Your dog randomly appears and chews on the toy
- You worked on colouring your toys, mixing dyes
- You narrate every step with text or voiceovers

”Every morning, I wear my sports attire and do cardio exercises to pump blood.”
- Oh, I love your sports attire. Where can I get them?
- How many sets of jumping jacks do you do? And Why?

”After working out, I will make myself a salad bowl with fresh fruits and vegetables.”
- Do you only use organic fruits and vegetables?
- I like how you toss your salads; I will try it later!
- Where did you get that bag of tomatoes?

”I only order fabrics from this country or this vendor because I love their work and texture.”
- How can you tell the fabric is old?
- Have you tried ordering fabric from this country instead?
- Where did you get your sewing kit?

As you can see. This simple vlog of yours is alive. It engages your audience’s curiosity and keeps them intrigued.

Sometimes, sponsors might even engage you to use their products as advertisements.
Sometimes, you may also get invites to collaborate with bigger creatives.
Endless possibilities!

Don’t be afraid to put yourself in front of your brand.
Don’t force yourself to use styles that you are not comfortable with, such as speaking in front of the camera or following TikTok trends.

Take it slow, and always remember to be yourself.
Be true to yourself, and your audience will follow.