Building Business with Video

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The article, "How to Use Video to Build a Business: Amy Schmittauer of Savvy Sexy Social", Jeff Haden writes about the power and relevancy of video in modern society. He interviews Amy Schmittauer, a successful video blogger, who tells the readers that the reason behind the sudden interest in video is because of the popularity in visual learning and the consumer's interest in human connection for the product they may invest in. She states that "we're just trying to give people a reason to care about a product or service, but to do that you have to give them what they care about... and video is a home run for that kind of branding." Schmittauer further educates the audience on how to effectively draw customers into their brand, how to become a memorable face that attracts a wide variety of people. Amy answers Haden by telling him that by having a strong personality, someone who discusses controversial topics and what not, viewers increase as they want to hear something they haven't heard before. The interview is concluded with Amy telling Jeff about the struggles in starting with video, and how to approach feedback. She finishes by telling the readers to ensure that they are properly equipped before starting their on screen journey and to just go for it.


It's no secret that video is hot in media, it's been so practically my entire life. My generation has been impacted by television commercials more than radio commercials, most radio stations even offer commercial free music (the good ones do anyways). Videos make brands appear more than just a product, they give the company a face and personality that customers can cling to and sympathize with. What I found interesting with this article is how YouTube video blogging is referred as its own brand, something I didn't really consider. This concept makes complete sense, YouTubers offer their opinions and open discussions, they sell this as a business. 'YouTubing' has become such a popular career that it's hard to believe there is actual skill required in this profession, this article reminded me of the difficulties that come with starting one's own business, especially in video blogging. Amy mentions the way some feel being in front of a camera and how this is a fear that you must overcome in order to succeed in film. This particular piece of advice struck me as it's something I have struggled with, during the trials and errors of creating a blog I had always made sure to stay as anonymous as I can, the idea of strangers knowing me to such an intimate level scared me. This article pointed out that even if you are capable of nailing each marketing strategy, if you don't have the social and open personality that viewers love, becoming successful is going to be very hard and it's unlikely your product will sell.

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