Tag Archives: You Tube

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.

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.

 

You Never Know Who’s Watching. (The Top 5 Things That Matter)

Uncategorized, Who Uses Video, , , , , , , , ,

Over the past two weeks, I won two different clients specifically because of two different videos on my website.

Someone asked me recently if quality matters for web videos. I replied that quality is the top 5 things that matter for web video.

Quality, quality, quality, quality, quality.

I just invested on a new professional HD camera with which to shoot.
I know, most websites play videos in small screen players. But there’s something that folks forget: sales of Internet ready TVs are increasing steadily.

Think about that amateur video being played on a 46 inch screen. If you thought shaky, hand-held camera shots were distracting on a small screen, wait till you see it magnified. Now, add in that low, or not-quite right light. Is anyone still watching after 30 seconds?

Major newspapers, television stations and networks are all putting video content on the web. Any poorly-produced DIY video will have to compete with that.

Quality.

Anyone can upload and share anything. It’s what is driving the explosion of social networking. It’s really, really cool. However more people want to connect with businesses and brands than ever before. Done right: with basic, well thought-out shots and a little showmanship, you can not only connect with customers and prospects, but they will stay on your website longer. That gives you more chances to convert them.

Coming soon – more about how your competition uses video.

That’s a wrap.

21 Signs Your Company Is Ready To Put Videos On Your Website

Who Uses Video, , , , , , , , , , , ,

It took me about five minutes to come up with this list. I like the number 21. But there are a few dozen more I’ll save for another post. Ready?

21 SIGNS YOUR COMPANY IS READY TO PUT VIDEOS ON YOUR WEBSITE

1. Your “time spent on site” analytic is less than 60 seconds

2. Visitors do research on your site, then buy from a competitor

3. Visitors read the “About Us” page then leave

4. You sell a service which is performed in your customer’s home

5. You sell a service to customers which is performed in your home

6. You compete in an industry that has a less than stellar reputation

7. You keep trying to get on the first page of search engine results, but never make it.

8. Your company president asks, “What is You Tube?”

9. Your company president asks, “What is the internet?”

10. Your Unique Selling Proposition is better customer service

11. You have to show your customers how your product works

12.You have to show your customers the safety features of your product

13. You need to show why your product is built better than the other guy’s

14. There are questions you WISH your customers would ask

15. Your company is celebrating a milestone anniversary

16. You want your customers to meet your staff

17. You want to build brand loyalty

18. You want to show off your expertise

19. You want to be the “go to” person in your industry

20. You’re getting ready for a price increase

21. You’ve just started a new business

Do any of these sound like you or someone you know? Let’s talk about it. I’ll buy the coffee. Maybe I’ll even buy lunch.

That’s a wrap.

30 Days To Success With Website Videos

Behind The Scenes, Who Uses Video, , , , , , , , ,

I am very pleased when one of my clients tells me about something that’s happened as a direct result of putting videos on their website. Consistently, something positive always happens in the first 30 days.

I produced a video for an executive recruiting firm. They had recently doubled their staff, and wanted to share their unique point of view, as well as getting more quality leads. They were thrilled with their video, and it went up immediately on their website, blog, Facebook page, and about a half dozen other social sites.

Within two weeks, they were contacted by a local TV news crew who wanted to do a story on them. They were perceived as a leader in their field, which is exactly where they wanted to be.

I did another video for a company who was already showing well in the search engines for “expert” in their specialized niche. In the first month, their website traffic had increased by 60%. To top it off, not only were they showing up on the first page of results for their keywords, but so was their video. And the views on their YouTube channel skyrocketed.

I started working with a new company just three months after it had been founded. We began producing a series of video blog posts. I have just learned that as a direct result of the videos, they landed $8000 in new business within the first 30 days.

These stories are not extraordinary. Not only does video jumpstart search engine results, but it also gives your prospects a reason to remember you.

In the future having videos on your website will be as commonplace as having buttons for navigation. Right now is the perfect time to start. By jumping in with both feet and using compelling, engaging video messages, you can lead the way in your category. It will garner results now, and the equity you build as an innovator, will pay off in the future.

–That’s a wrap.

Put Cool Linkable Transcripts on Videos

Who Uses Video, , , , , , , ,

I have watched Search Engine Optimization experts try and explain what they do to a room full of non-technical folks.  Many small businesses who have websites can tell you why SEO is important, and maybe a handful can tell you a little bit about how it’s done.

Now that using videos on your website is exploding across all small business categories, I’m getting asked: “Is there such a thing as SEO for video?”  Yes, there most definitely is.

Although Video SEO is still in its infancy, here’s something that’s going to help a lot.

Take a look at this video of Cincinnati Internet Marketing Czar Rob Bunting.  Notice anything?

Pretty cool, huh? Transcribing text from video is just one of the new tools that are starting to pop up on the digital landscape.  There are tools for adding captions to YouTube videos and your OWN videos. That’s the good news.  The better news is that captions are searchable by Google.  That will give you an added dimension to your video library and one more thing to worry your competition.

–That’s A Wrap

Ad-ology Insights To Advertising

Who Uses Video, , , , , ,

What if you could put a blindfold on your competition? And what if you could then make yourself the hero in the eyes of their customers and prospects? Whatever you sell, be it product or service, what if everybody considered you the expert?

If you could put a blindfold on your competition, would that help or hurt your business?

Well, there’s a good chance that’s happening right now. In a recent advertising and media study by
Ad-ology, a Columbus Ohio company, they asked 1100 small business owners about social media marketing. By the way, small businesses in this case is defined as 100 employees or fewer. The study was done November, 2009.

31% of those small business owners say THEIR CUSTOMERS don’t use social networks! Let me know when you’ve picked yourself up off the floor…

Isn’t that amazing? When Facebook has enough users to qualify as the fifth largest country in the world, one in three small business owners think their customers ignore social media.

Here’s another of Ad-ology’s findings: 73% of those small businesses don’t use YouTube. Why not?

• They don’t have the equipment to shoot and edit video
• They don’t know what subject matter to present
• Some actually don’t know how YouTube works
• They think YouTube is only for cute cat videos

Whatever the reason, those are all things I can help with. Yeah, I even have a couple of cute cats, but that’s another blog.

YouTube is the number 2 search engine behind Google. There are product demos and how-tos galore. Do folks actually search for them? Well, yes, some of them do, however the best reason for putting an optimized video on YouTube is because it will show up on Google organic searches. And it’s 80% more likely to show up on the first page of results. Add some of the other video sharing sites to that, and it turns out putting Videos On Your Website is pretty good for business.

Know anyone not using video, and still wants to grow their business? I would love to sit down and have a cup of coffee with them.

–That’s a wrap.