Monthly Archives: July 2011

Would You Feel Better If I Called It A Commercial?

Uncategorized, Video As Content, Who Uses Video, ,

After decades in advertising, I can tell you that business people LOVE commercials. It’s their opportunity to get “face time” with their customers and prospects and talk about their wonderful products.

Guess who doesn’t love commercials?
Answer: customers and prospects.

When is the only time customers love commercials?
During that football game each February.

But this is the online world. And people don’t search for commercials.

And yet, I’m surrounded by materials from video producers trying to sell businesses a :30 second commercial, or an Infomercial, or even, heaven forbid, a Webmercial. And so it bears repeating:

People. Don’t. Search. For. Commercials.

They’re looking for content. If you’re a plumber, it might be: Five Things You Should Never Put Down Your Garbage Disposal. If you’re a dentist, it might be: Meet Our Staff. If you run a pet grooming service, maybe it’s a couple of testimonials from satisfied customers.

That way, when folks search for a plumber, and that video shows up in search, that plumber has a certain amount of expertise in the eyes of that prospect. When someone is searching for a dentist, all of a sudden this one seems nicer and more trustworthy. When my friends tell me to check out the pet grooming service, I see a couple of folks like me talking about what a pleasure it was working with them.

Content like that will keep me on a web page longer. Content like that will build trust in the eyes of a customer or prospect. It’s closer to showing and telling than it is to selling. But it is not a commercial.

It’s better.

–that’s a wrap.

My Cat Eats Small Meals

Uncategorized, Who Uses Video, , ,

I work with a few clients on a monthly basis helping them build their video blog.

When a business decides to do a video or two every month, they’re understandably very excited.  Come the day of the shoot, they are in one of two camps: They have a three page written script  –or—they have no idea what they’re going to say.

I have the same advice for both of them:  My cat eats small meals.

A few times a day, my cat will saunter over to her bowl and take a few bites.  That’s all she needs. After that, it can be playtime, naptime, or she’ll sit on one of her favorite surfaces in my office and watch me work.

Humans can be the same way with information: don’t give them too much to digest.

Instead of putting all of your messages into one video, think about what you want your viewer to come away with.  What inspires you? What motivates you every day?  Those are great video blog posts.  It doesn’t always have to be about your product.

By breaking up your information into small “bites” you can feed your customers and prospects just the right information diet that will have them coming back for more.

That’s a wrap.

The Videos On Your Website Exercise Program

Who Uses Video, , , ,

Tired? Overworked? Let’s get you and your business moving with the Videos On Your Website exercise program. Ready? 1 – 2 – aaand 3

Stretch (your budget) Unlike advertising, videos don’t vanish after they are consumed. They’re right there working for you 24/7. Not only that, but they can get passed around to others who may not be familiar with you. Sharing is why you want a compelling video with a message.

Crunch (the numbers) Internet Retailer says ecommerce sites that use product videos sell  45% more product. And 73% of email marketers say using video has increased their clickthrough rates.

Heavy lifting (made easy) When it comes to getting to the top of search engine rankings, nothing is better than video. Forrester reports that websites with video are eight times more likely to make it to the first page of search results.

Kick (your marketing plan into high gear) Use videos on your website, on your blog, on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn. Did you know you can create a QR code that will lead your prospects straight to your video page!

Jog (your prospects’ memory) Nothing is better than video for building trust, loyalty, and telling your story. 80% of American consumers head to the web when researching a product or service. If your competition has video and you don’t; the competition wins!

Don’t  Sweat. We’ll help you develop some great ideas to make your video tell the story your customers are looking for. We write, shoot, edit, do all the post production – like adding graphics, music, and voice, if needed – and we can show you how and where to upload your video for maximum response.

And relax.

-that’s a wrap.