Wednesday, August 10, 2011
7 Ways Small Businesses Are Utilizing Online Video To Grow Business
Here are 7 Ways Online Video Can Be An Affordable, Effective Marketing Tool For Small Businesses:
1. Product Demonstration
No amount of text will ever compare to seeing a product in action. No matter how eloquently you articulate your customers’ pain–and your product’s ability to ease that pain–a picture is worth a thousand words. A moving picture is worth even more than that.
Because of online video’s infinite shelf life, demonstration videos can impress potential consumers forever and ever–unlike the limited run of most TV commercials.
2. Allows Fans to Become Cheerleaders
In a case like GoPro.com the main use of the videos is still demonstration–showing off the capabilities of the tiny HD camera to capture thrilling extreme sports moments in first-person view. But in a fantastic twist, it’s actually demonstration video content that’s being created by happy customers–the brand doesn’t have to even do the work anymore–brilliant.
When people are passionate about a product or service, they’ll tell others. And as video becomes the dominant content form online, more and more of those passionate consumers are making use of it. The holy grail of online marketing for brands used to be if they could get a blogger to write something positive about them… or put it on their Facebook wall… or tweet about it. Now, however, there’s video.
Consumers are going to make video regardless of what your company does. More people than ever have video capabilities at their finger tips They’re making videos of abnormal weather… crazy pets… or hilarious kids. Brands that excel in the areas of customer satisfaction are going to reap the benefits of online video for years to come, whether or not they create any on their own.
3. Low-Cost or No-Cost
Time is really the only cost remaining with online video. YouTube is free… many online promotional methods are cost-free, such as social media… you can get a high-quality HD camera for a few hundred dollars now… so the balance of power in the advertising world is shifting. It’s now possible for a Mom & Pop outfit to create video that looks and sounds as great as what major brands were spending millions on only a few short years ago.
In the same way we urged small businesses to use email marketing as a way to cut printing and postage costs… we’re now urging them to use video to save… well, any cost whatsoever. It’s hard to beat online video ROI when the total investment is somewhere between $0- $500.
4. Placing Ads On Others’ Videos
A lot of small businesses are still a bit intimidated by the idea of writing and filming their own online video. And that’s understandable. Technology isn’t always easy to embrace when people are set in their routines.
For those who aren’t quite ready to become filmmakers, but still see the incredible popularity and power of online video, there’s video advertising–specifically, placing ads on the successful videos of others. Just like Adwords places highly-targeted keyword-based ads on search result pages… YouTube has their own version of an Adwords-like system. Companies small and large can run ads based on keywords, viewer demographics, and more.
Of course, the ideal solution would be for a company to create their own great videos, and then use YouTube ads to drive traffic from other similar videos to theirs.
5. Be More Human
A blog, by nature, has a more casual tone. Stripping the message of the formality that often accompanies professional website copy has a way of humanizing the company, the executive, and the employee.
And if a more casual writing tone can endear consumers to a brand, how much more powerfully will video convey the company’s identity and message?
6. Instruction & Advice
A lot of video viewers don’t begin their viewing journey as ready-to-buy customers. Many start out with a very specific problem or informational need. Like how to properly grill a medium-rare steak… or how to get quality video footage of a bike race… or how to replace a bathroom faucet.
As video becomes a more standard part of Google’s universal results, there is an increasing audience for video tutorials–clips that show do-it-yourself fans exactly how to… well, do it themselves. This makes the video creator a trusted authority for the viewer–even if that only happens on a subconscious level. They are more likely to share your videos with friends, and more likely to return to your establishment when they finally are ready to make a purchase.
7. Demographic Profiling
YouTube gives users a pretty powerful suite of analytics, containing all kinds of great data related to who watches videos, how they find the videos, and more. This kind of demographic information is invaluable to businesses–Radio Shack can attest, as they’ve been asking for your zip code at checkout for more than a decade now.
Smart small businesses can leverage the demographic information gleaned from their video stats to better understand and serve their customers in the real world.
Wrap-Up
Even though many small businesses grasp the great benefits of online video, the most-buzzed-about video successes tend to be from large corporations and Fortune 500 companies. Most smaller entities still struggle to see how their little company can actually utilize video in a way that will affect the bottom line. But there are great object lessons around every corner of the online universe. Smart small business owners are embracing the fact that video is the next great content format on the web, and will learn quickly how many ways there are to leverage video to their advantage, even if they never get millions of views.
Read Entire ArticleMonday, August 8, 2011
How to Prepare for an Online TV Interview - Video Interviewee Tips
I get asked this question by people who I interview on the show "What do I Wear?" I found this very helpful article. But if you really want expert advice, I suggest you contact image consultant Cathrine Hatcher at Personas Image Dynamics.
Tips for the Video Interviewee:
Here are some tips and guidelines to help you look your best when you are being interviewed on camera.
1. The eye goes to lighter colors or areas
If you are wearing a white shirt, that’s where the eye will go. Do you want to connect with your shirt, or your eyes? Video even makes it more pronounced. The best colors are mid range (blue is good) to darker – even black is O.K.
And speaking of shirts, no stripes. Horizontal stripes can make you look fatter than you really are on camera. Vertical stripes that close together can Moiré, or dance on video, as seen in this example video.
2. The eye goes to the eyes
No shades. They might be cool, but they hide the real you that people want to know. If your eyes are real sensitive, you might convince your interviewer to not put you in direct sunlight outside. No hats - the shade will shadow your face and eyes. Depending on your image, a backwards baseball cap worn gangsta style won’t hide your eyes, so it’s up to in terms of what you want to project about your image.
3. The eye goes to the face
Make up is not just for women. Skin blotches, marks and/or shinny noses and foreheads can be subdued with a base powder or pancake in a flesh color matching your skin shade. Don’t count on the overworked one man interviewer/cameraman/sound-man to have it. You can purchase a small plastic case of makeup with a mirror and a pad at any drugstore for under $10.
4. The eye goes to your image
Do you want to appear formal and competent (never rigid) in a suit and tie or at the other end, friendly and casual. Remember the guidelines above – no stripes on the tie, mid to darker colors.
5. The eye goes to logos and words
If you’re being interviewed about your company and the interviewer is O.K. with it, a shirt with a name on it might be good. But have a backup if the interviewer feels it’s too commercial. Again – no hats with logos.
The camera’s almost ready to roll – now what? At this point, forget everything mentioned above. That’s right – the last thing you need to think about at this point is how you look. If you’re prepared, you’ll look great. Once the interview starts, pay attention to the content - focus on getting your message across and expressing your views!
Article taken from http://www.reelseo.com/video-interviewee/
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