Video is everywhere. You’re probably watching one right now; scrolling through TikTok on another device where you read this article. Video is so incredibly accessible today, not just to consume, but also to create. But despite it being easier than ever before to produce high quality video, lots of businesses still struggle with producing effective video marketing strategies that actually return on their investment. So I thought I would invite a special guest to help us get pointed in the right direction.
Marvin Flavien is the owner of MK Flav Video. It’s a full service video production company based out of New Jersey, but he serves clients all over the world. And he doesn’t just make videos for people. He teaches people how to use video the most effective way to engage new customers, and get in front of a bigger audience. I’m really excited to pick his brain.
Here is the transcript of our interview:
David
I don’t think anybody doubts that video is one of the most engaging marketing assets you can use as a business. But you’ve worked with a lot of clients. What are some of the biggest hurdles you’ve seen businesses getting hung up on, keeping them from either getting started in the first place with video or keeping them from using video as well as they could?
Marvin
I think the biggest thing is they don’t know what to do; they don’t know what to say. What can they contribute to the conversation? They get stuck in that no man’s land, “I don’t know what to do, so I’m not going to do anything.” So being able to come in and give them a clear guidance and direction, how to approach it, I think that’s probably the coolest thing about my job.
David
It’s not just the technical piece – actually making the video. You really help people. And what you’re seeing people get stuck on is just knowing what to do with video in the first place. Is that what I’m hearing?
Marvin
I feel like if you don’t have that, you can’t press record. So that’s the things that with the content we produce, we try to give them strategies of what to do, how to do it, how to get started. That’s the first conversation we have with our clients, too. What is it we’re going to talk about? Who are you? What do you do? Who are your clients? And build that foundation to actually start putting stuff out into the world.
David
Once you help identify what you’re talking about, what your goals for video are in the first place, how easy or hard is it to get started after that? If they’re starting completely from scratch, what other things should they have planned out and ready to get cracking and moving in the right direction?
Marvin
I think the thing you should be looking for is someone who can actually guide you. If you don’t have the marketing background; if you don’t know what to do, what to post, if you don’t understand any of these platforms, make sure the person you hired does. Because a lot of times it’s just “Here’s the video,” and they leave. What good is the video if you make one and you can’t put it out there and no one sees it? So my thing is really just understanding who your target is. I think that’s one of the biggest questions that needs to be asked before you even invest in something.
David
I used to be in video production. Earlier on in my career, I actually was a freelance video producer. Maybe if I took a couple of turns differently further upstream, I would have been a competitor to yours or maybe a business partner. But I was in that world and it’s crazy to see how the whole space has evolved. To shoot high depth video, you had to have really expensive equipment. It would take hours to edit and render it all out. But now you can shoot 4K video with your phone and edit it just as fast and then have it up somewhere immediately. The technology is super accessible and really easy to use now. But now it sounds like a huge piece of video production isn’t just the technical know-how, but the strategy and just really coaching people through how to use their video effectively. That sounds like that’s really the core of what you do and where a lot of the video production industry has gone nowadays.
Marvin
I would agree. I think before it was more like people didn’t have access to the big cameras or high quality, high definition. Now, like I said, it’s all on cell phones. And for people like me, it might feel like it’s like, what problem are you solving now? Because if it’s just, hey, we can make these really nice looking videos for you. It’s like, but I need clients, I need leads, I need to get my message out. So it’s like, you got to really understand what problem that you’re actually solving for these clients and businesses too, as well. So I think that’s like you said, that’s a big piece. What can you do? How can you get yourself visible? Especially if you want to reach people, if you want to help people, it’s like, we got to be visible. If they can’t find us, how are they going to… If we’re the best doctor, if we’re the best chiropractor in the city, and we help people. How are they going to know unless we put ourselves out there and be visible? So I think these tools, these apps, they only just enhance our ability to connect with people.
David
I’m totally dating myself, but earlier on, some of the videos that I would make for clients, they would get sent in the mail to people on a DVD or even a VHS cassette. I need to stop for a moment and think about how old I am. But then you also had TV commercials was another way that you could get in front of people. But now there are millions. I don’t think I’m overestimated. There’s so many ways you can get in front of people, but that in its own right is a little intimidating, a little confusing. How would you coach a client to find the best channel for them to put their video out and try to find the right audience?
Marvin
Well, here’s the thing. I think the best thing to understand is what platform has the best organic reach, meaning people can know about you, see your stuff, and not essentially be following you. I think TikTok has that right now. It’s really good as far as no one’s following you, but they could come across your content if you post on this platform, especially with geo tags, location tags. I don’t know if you’ve ever been traveling. You start scrolling through TikTok, they will start actually showing you stuff that’s in that city because they know your location. So I think as businesses, understanding which platform has the best organic reach and go start from there. And then who is your ideal people? Are you more younger generation? Is it more older people? Or is it more like, where do they hang out at? Facebook for me is still big because a lot of my people hang out on Facebook. They hang out in Facebook groups, but I’m also visible on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube and things like that. So it’s just understanding where your people hang out at and also to which platform is going to give me the best return of my time and my energy.
LinkedIn too. Don’t sleep on LinkedIn.
David
Really? Huh.
So each of these platforms have a different flavor, though, right? So depending on the content that you’re putting out… Let me phrase it this way. You’re not going to put TikTok memes on LinkedIn, right? You’re going to approach that with a different style, or not. Can you use the same voice and tone and format across all these platforms? Or do you need to be really intentional to craft your marketing and your videos for each of these platforms?
Marvin
That’s one of the biggest questions. Personally, I do. I use content across the board. I would say create content in a whole. What is this content that we’re going to be about? How can we disperse this content into other platforms? So I create a long throwing video, then I create take pieces from that and post it on other social media channels. I can take from it, I can add to it, I can replicate it in different ways. But I think the thing is that people get hung up on is what platforms should they be on? I mean, if you can try to be on all of them, I know that’s a lot to ask, but if you look at creating content as a whole, start from there and then break it down and to push it on to other channels, then you might find it a little bit easier in that sense. So it just depends on what capacity you have. If you can only do one right now, just do one right now. Focus on that. Eventually, you’re down the line, get some help in other areas.
David
That raises another question. How much of this should you be trying to do yourself, and what should you be leaving to the professionals?
Marvin
The best thing you can do is just understand what’s happening on these platforms. You never want to be in a situation when you bring someone in and you don’t know exactly what they’re doing. You would hate someone to come in and be posting all these videos for you, and they’re not even keywording your content, things like that. So I would say even if you’re not actively posting on all these platforms, at least go in to understand, like, all right, this is what this means, this is how this works, and things like that. So you’re not completely in the dark. When you do have someone come in. I always try to teach my clients certain things. Obviously, sometimes it goes one in the air out the other, but I always try to show them, explain them this is why we’re doing this, and this is teach them and show them the way thing.
David
I really like that approach. I like that that’s the way you do business, empowering your clients to really understand and have as much ownership of their strategy as possible. I try to do the same thing, and I appreciate that that is value that you deliver for your clients. Video production quality. How have you seen short form videos, TikTok especially, change the way people approach creating videos and the need for high production, well lit, super scrappy editing. And now a lot of the videos, and I’ve seen a lot of people coaching people just like, Don’t be too polished, be a little bit more real. What are your thoughts on where things are going with that?
Marvin
I think what made TikTok so appealing was… Because you know how Instagram, everyone wants to put out their best. Everyone wants to look perfect, clean, nice looking. I think with TikTok, it was more raw. It was more unfiltered in that sense. There’s things you can do. As you can see here, it’s not super perfect, but you see how there’s light on my face? You can see me. There’s a light back there, so I’m trying to make sure I stay right here so it’s not getting my thing, but I’m trying to make it perfect, but make sure it’s good. So make sure you’re properly lit, make sure your sound is good. As you can see, I have a mic close to my mouth. It’s not all the way back there so you can hear me clearly. You don’t want to make stuff that people can’t really hear you, they can’t really see you, and things like that. So there’s elements of production quality you can add. It depends on where you’re at in business, what you want to portray, how visible you want to be. But honestly, it’s really just about being true to who you are and speaking in your brand voice and to your people and things like that to make sure you’re not like putting up a facade.
Marvin
A lot of the videos are super flashy. People are coaching entrepreneur, the Bro Life thing, driving flashy cars. Everybody knows you’re.
David
…Just renting something from Toro…
Marvin
Exactly! People can see through the stuff. So just be genuine to who you are and who you’re trying to talk to in that sense.
David
Speaking of being genuine to who you are, what’s your pro wrestling name? I saw you took a class recently?
Marvin
Yeah, that was fun. Still thinking on it. Don’t know yet.
David
I enjoy seeing the stuff you’re putting out on social media. You promote your business a lot, but you put a lot of yourself and your personal interests out there as well. We haven’t hung out face to face for a while, but I still feel connected to you. I know what you like, I know what you don’t like, and you just have a really good blend. Would you recommend business owners take a similar approach? Does that always work? I’ve also heard some people advise to keep your personal social media and your professional and brand footprint a little bit separate. Do you have a take on that?
Marvin
For me, business is fun. Business is about relationships. So if I can connect with you on a personal level, I’m probably not going to be a good fit. So that’s why in my Zoom backgrounds, I got a little Palm Ranger Zordarn type of thing. One, it’s ice breaker for conversation, stuff like that. But yeah, I think just being personable, showing people that you’re human, too, showing the things that you are interested in. You can literally find out that you enter the same thing, and now you have that might be the reason why you guys work together. You know what I’m saying? So I think just don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. I mean, you don’t have to share every little detail about you, but just share with you what things you’re into. We’re all human. We’re all trying to take care of our family or responsibilities and make the best of what we got. At the end of the day, it’s people working with people. So as much as you can show, you are a person. People can appreciate that.
David
It goes back to what you’re talking about earlier. It’s all about what are your goals, understanding what you want to do with this, what you want to say, and how you want people to see you in your business. I guess if your business and your personal life don’t necessarily have a lot in common, that could create some brand confusion if you’re meshing those things together in what you’re putting out there online. So there might be a case to keep those things separate, depending on what your goals are. But who knows? We see a big push for authenticity, and you’re just talking about the importance of that relational element in marketing. I guess there really isn’t a one size fits all. You just have to feel it out and experiment and see what works.
Marvin
It also depends on what industry. I work with a lot of coaches, so a lot of times it’s just me working with the owner and things like that. For them to be able to connect with me and me connect with them, it makes sense. So I think depending on where you’re at and who you’re trying to reach, I think, like you said, just comes back to the beginning of what the goals are, too.
David
I’ve been coaching several clients, trying to convince them to put more of themselves out there, step up and be the face of their business. But a lot of people are really uncomfortable with the prospect of being on camera. I think they know that this is what they should do, but it’s just really hard for them to get there and get comfortable. How would you coach somebody to feel a little bit more comfortable, a little bit more confident?
Marvin
I always say video is not about you, it’s about the person on the other side of the camera. So if we start looking at it through that lens, it’s like, maybe I’m not too concerned about how I look and how I sound and really focus on is my message coming across well for them? Is this the message they need to hear? Is this the help that they can be able to get from watching or seeing this video or content that we put out? So once we bring it back to that, and then usually it’s like we’re good, we’re able to do it. And then also to just know if maybe you need help in certain areas. Maybe you do need a director to help you interview you through your content or your videos and things like that. So it just comes down to being self aware and knowing this is where I can best be served. This is how I can best help and things like that. So it just comes down to that in that sense.
David
I love that. That’s such a powerful concept. Just what you’re saying, we’re talking about getting comfortable in front of camera, but you could really apply that concept across your whole business. It’s not what you’re doing. Don’t worry about just showing off and looking flashy. It’s about how well you can serve your customer. And if that shows up in your messaging, if that shows up in the way that you do business in the product and the service. Having that mentality, “It’s not about me,” that’s huge.
Marvin
If you think about it, if you were in front of your prospect or your client, you would have no problem talking to them, right? You wouldn’t be doubting or second guessing yourself if they were right in front of you. So I always look at it like that video is just talking to that person.
David
I love that you’re not just a video producer. You’re not just setting up lights and press and record. You’re coaching your clients through this. What’s one of your favorite things about what you do?
Marvin
Just being able to see what my clients’ clients think of the work that’s being done. Because especially for coaches, it’s hard to like, how good are we? We don’t have a certain product. It’s not like a food. You can’t taste it to see, oh, this is good. So I feel like we’re almost creating something that can be used to enhance or push forward the mission that they’re on. When I’m talking with clients and I see and I hear and understand and I feel their passion and it’s just crazy. And they don’t have a video so they can’t like, this is what it looks like. So it’s like being able to just put it into action media is just really cool, man. It’s just really… And I think for me, that’s the best part, especially when they get the first video and they tell me, I can’t believe what you did. I think that’s the best part.
David
It’s like a time machine, too. You take this conversation that happened between you and your client, and now you can share that with so many people, capture that same passion, and replay that any number of times. You don’t need to be in the room anymore to get that taste. Everybody can be there and enjoy that. That’s the power of video.
Marvin
Someone could be on your website right now just getting that message, and you’re just doing something else. Exactly right. I think that’s really, truly the power of video.
David
Well, hey, this has been a delight. One of my favorite things about the job I’m doing right now is being able to have conversations like this. So I really appreciate you taking time out of your day to share some of your expertise, share your passion. Where can people learn more about you and what you do?
Marvin
Yeah, I’m on M K Play video. I am super visible, so not hard to find. But yeah, if you want to just see what I’m doing and what I’m all about. You can check us out at mkflavvideo.com and just see what we’re about, the mission that we’re on, and come be a part of it.
David
Thank you again for your time. This has been awesome. Wish you luck in all you do. And we’ll keep in touch. Thanks, M arvin. Thank you. And thank you for watching. I hope this was helpful. I love having conversations and introducing you to other people who are self employed, starting their own business, living the dream, sharing their knowledge and hopefully encouraging you. Self employment is not by your self employment. There are other people out there who are willing to help, who are willing to share their skills or expertise to help you get ahead like Marv and like myself. So if you have any questions, you can drop a comment below. You can reach out to me. If you need help with video marketing, you can check out Marv at mkflavvideo.com. And be sure to follow along because have a lot more friends I’d like to introduce you to. I have a lot more interviews lined up, a lot more information to share. I can’t wait to see you in the next one. Until then, take care.
