Tag Archives: online demographics

7 Mind Blowing Things You Can Do With Video

Uncategorized, Video As Content, Who Uses Video, You Tube for Business, , , ,

First off, you and I both know there are way more than just 7 in this list. For example, it’s mind blowing to me that videos can touch someone so personally that they get choked up. There is one piece particularly that no matter how many times I see it, I need a tissue at the end. It blows my mind that almost 30 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube every MINUTE!

So let’s get to the list. And be sure to tell me what you think.

1. VIDEO CAN OFFER COUPONS.
It costs a few hundred dollars a month to get coupons included in that blue envelope that gets delivered in the mail. You can do it for free with video AND change them anytime you like. With YouTube annotations, you can control where the coupon code is placed in the video. Remove or change the annotations whenever you want.

2. VIDEO CAN MAKE AUDIENCE SPECIFIC MESSAGES.
I did this in radio all the time, and now it is possible in video. Create a custom open and close – also called a wraparound – and address a specific audience, need, or event. This works great when you have multiple targets, or multiple locations. The body of the message stays the same, but each one has a unique feel to it.

3. VIDEO CAN PUT YOURSELF IN ANY LOCATION.
Want to be in a beautiful, modern studio or in front of the Eiffel Tower or even miniaturize yourself to show someone the inside details of your thingamabob? Do it with a green screen. The same technique that the TV weatherman uses to stand in front of the map can put you almost anywhere.

4. VIDEO CAN DEVELOP YOUR OWN REALITY / DIY / COMEDY SERIES
Ten years ago if you wanted to get your message in front of a mass of people, you had to have a major publisher or network behind you. All that has changed. The gates are wide open for anyone to produce whatever content they wish. YouTube has spawned its share of stars: folks who are actually making a living writing and producing these little videos. You can too. What would you do with your own network?

5. VIDEO CAN KNOW HOW MANY FOLKS ARE WATCHING.
What can newspapers, radio, television and even direct mail never do that online does very well everyday? Tell you who’s watching. Print and electronic media know how many people they reach, but not the engagement. And when someone clicks to start a video, they are choosing to consume that content. Many analytics can tell you the communities those folks are from.

6. VIDEO CAN MAKE SMALL BUSINESSES LOOK LIKE THE BIG GUYS.
It’s not a budget statement anymore. With the right video, your only limit is your imagination. Remember the Coke and Pepsi challenge?
You can pit yourself against your competition all day and show how you’re better, safer, cleaner, greener. Tell your story to the folks you want to reach. Make them care and they will share.

Any one of these techniques has the power to blow your mind when applied properly. And if you’re not using video at all, your competitors will.

–that’s a wrap.

Which Videos Keep Viewers Longer?

DIY ?, Uncategorized, Video As Content, , ,

Lady Gaga’s newest music video, or your demonstration and customer testimonial – which do you think would win? Basically, we’re talking entertainment vs. information.

You Tube’s Insights analytics tool is now showing graphs of where viewer interest drops off. The results are pretty surprising.

Most entertainment videos start off with high interest and drops off quickly as the video plays.

On the other hand, informative videos start with a lower level of interest, and that level increases the longer the video plays. What does that mean for YOUR videos? Well, what it says is people who watch the first 30 to 45 seconds of your video are more likely to watch it all the way through.

My suggestion would be to have a great opening, and if you have a hook, or a terrific point to your story, tease it within that first 45 seconds. There are things you can do within that time to ensure that folks will stick around until the end.

You can still be a star without having the latest I-tunes hit. Just be yourself and let your customers shine.

–That’s a Wrap.

Look Who’s Watching Now

Who Uses Video, , ,

I recently had the pleasure of producing a video for a company that specializes in fitness for seniors. We had a blast, and the video is going to be used to bring the program to more people, which is always exciting.

“Are you kidding?!” one of my friends said, “Seniors don’t go online.  I don’t know of any who even own computers.”

Wrong, says Beulah Buzzer. (And you almost have to be over 50 to remember that phrase)

As a matter of fact, You Tube is the fourth most visited destination for folks 65 and older. That’s according to a new study by Neilsen. In 2009, there were almost 18 million senior surfers spending upwards of two hours a day online.

Want more proof of the trend?  Well, Google was the number one destination, followed by Windows Media Player at Number Two, Facebook was third, and You Tube fourth.

Windows Media Player AND You Tube.  I’d say there is an audience out there.

Let’s don’t write these folks off just yet.  Remember that when they were in their 20’s, they were the ones buying Rolling Stones and Beatles records. So while they may not be scooping up the latest i-toys, the online world definitely does not intimidate them.

And, by the way, Beulah was the name of the buzzer on the radio and TV show “Truth Or Consequences”.

–That’s A Wrap.