Video Content: The Prospecting Channel I Leave on the Table
Written by Jamie May
I cold call and I write. That’s how I get customers and build trust.
But I’ll be honest about something. Video is probably the single biggest content channel I’m not using, I clam up on video, feel awkward, and have no burning desire to be famous or an influencer.
But video Content can be amazing at finding customers.
Why Video Finds Customers
People buy from people they feel they know. Writing builds credibility and trust over time but video accelerates it. Watching someone talk, explain, and share their thinking creates familiarity in a way that text rarely does. By the time a viewer reaches out they often feel like they’ve already met you.
Video also gets preferential treatment from almost every platform algorithm right now. LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube. If you post a video and a written post on the same day the video will reach more people. That’s just the reality of where attention is currently being traded.
What Kind of Video Actually Works
You don’t need a production crew. The most effective content marketing videos are simple, direct and useful. Explain something your customer wants to understand. Share an opinion on something relevant to your industry. Walk through a common problem and how you’d solve it. The same raw material that goes into a blog post translates directly into a short video.
Short form content on LinkedIn, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts is where most of the reach is right now for small business. Under sixty seconds, one clear point, filmed on a phone. Longer form works well on YouTube if you’re willing to be consistent over time.
In Prospecting
There’s also a clever version of a cold call, where you record a quick video call introduction and send it to the prospect that works really well.
The Honest Reality
I write because it suits how I think and communicate. Not everyone who is good on paper is comfortable on camera and that’s fine. The best content channel is the one you’ll actually use consistently, not the one that theoretically reaches the most people.
But if you’re already comfortable talking about your business, which most small business owners are after thirty seconds of conversation, video is worth trying. The bar is lower than it looks and most of your competitors aren’t doing it either.
The Takeaway
If you already write, speak, or present well, pick up your phone this week and record a sixty second video on one thing you know that your customers would find useful. Post it on LinkedIn. See what happens.
You might find it’s not as hard as it looks. And if it is, at least you’ll have ruled it out properly.
