Have you ever performed a random internet search for "video production services"? Go ahead and do it, I'll wait.

Okay, so what did you find? Let me guess. About seventy-five million results! Well, you don't have to go through them all to know that there's a ton of competition out there. So how are you supposed to break through all of that clutter to start building your client list and secure those jobs you really want? While there may not be seventy-five million ways to do it, there are a few tried and true methods for putting yourself out there and building your business.

Internet Advertising

The Internet has turned traditional creative promotion upside down. For service providers such as yourself, the need to cross promote your services using a mass mail campaign, print ads, yellow pages and the like has all but vanished. In fact, several hundred million searches are performed through internet search engines each and every day, proving the web is the first and often the only place people go to when searching for a service provider. Be it a plumber, a mechanic, a doctor, or a video producer, people look to the web to get what they need.

Does this mean you have to pay a fortune for search engine optimization or change your business name to "AAA Video" in the hopes of sitting at the top of some alphabetical classification? Not in the least. Let's be honest, you're probably not trying to attract work from the far reaches of the globe (at least not at first). Instead, you're best to focus on attracting clients that are within your region. A good rule of thumb is to focus your marketing to prospective clients that are no more than a three-hour drive from your base of operation. Knowing this, the Internet holds a great deal more value than as just a resource for random searches. It's a place for you to send as much or as little detail about your business as you want to prospective clients. It's also the preferred place to display your best work. Whether you're shooting big weddings or major commercials and corporate long-form, hanging your best work out there on an easy-to-navigate website is one of the best calling cards you can have in your arsenal.

The key here is keeping the information that you display on the web eye-catching and easy to navigate. While you may be tempted to list every life accomplishment, resist the urge! Keep the information professional and to the point. Prospective clients are more than likely not interested in the number of kids you have, so stay professional. List your contact information, client testimonials if you have any, a few major professional accomplishments or awards, and an easy way to find your reel. If you don't have a reel yet, throw some of your best experimental work out there or visit some of the video websites listing contests and enter those. After a few freebies you'll have enough to tout your abilities to the m…