True/False Friday: You can’t judge a book by its cover.

True. But we highly recommend judging a book (or as in this case, two books) by its terrific video: A cover is just a small piece of a book. A video lets prospective buyers see a good deal more. Willamarie Moore‘s books have rich illustrations, and video allows her to showcase that aspect of her products. Parents and educators know the importance of illustrations in children’s books. Just about anything can benefit from this kind of treatment. To invoke another cliché that writers love, it’s better showing, instead of just telling. Online video lets your organization show off the best you have to offer, whether it’s the positive benefits of the product or service you sell, the warm manner of the person who represents the face of your organization, or the grateful endorsement of the people you serve. Video gives resonance and power to all of these measurements of value. A search on YouTube for “book trailer” returns more than 27,000 results. That’s a lot of writers creating book trailers. If writers, who can be a reclusive bunch, can get in front of a camera to talk about their books—your organization can definitely put itself out there, too. If MiniMatters can help you use this tip or serve your other video needs, we’d love to talk with you at 301-339-0339 or via email at [email protected]. Note: we’re going on vacation next week but we’ll look forward to seeing you back on our blog on August 21.