Rising Popularity

It's almost a no-brainer. You've probably worked hard to put copy and graphic content on your web site, so why not use video too?

A study conducted by DoubleClick found that visitors are five times more likely to click on an online video ad than an ad without video. And there are many other ways to use online video to promote your company.

This is why big companies such as Cisco and GM are already into it. In fact, the amount of money spent for online video is expected to triple in the next three years. Are you ready to be a part of this new technology?

Use What You Have Now

You don't need a gigantic budget to create online video content

The best thing about online video is that there's a very low barrier to entry. Most digital devices already have the equipment you need built in, and it costs virtually nothing to post video on your web site.

You can choose to spend a lot of money on the production of a video, but this isn't critical. For example, a San Francisco real estate agent used the video camera in her cell phone to record a walk-through of a home she was selling, and then posted the video on YouTube. You can see it here.

A lot of other successful videos are little more than a person talking about their product or giving a demonstration. The key is creating the right kind of video for your goals and distributing it the right way. Getting your video to viewers is an important consideration that we will cover later.

Secrets to attention-grabbing videos that people remember and act upon

Telecare Recovery Story First off, if you want a successful video you need to use the same principles you would use in writing copy. This starts with a good title or headline to make sure people actually watch your video.

There's no absolute formula for writing this headline, but the three most important factors, in order of importance, are:


Self-interest
Specifics
Curiosity

For example, "Improve Your Retirement" has self interest. (More info on quality writing: http://www.enthusiastinc.com/articles1-56/?source=ezineArticle634138)

But if you call your video "How to double your retirement income," you've added specifics to make it stronger. A title such as "How a little-known tax loophole can let you double your retirement income" inspires curiosity as well, and this will certainly bring in a lot of visitors.

Likewise, your video should capture your viewers' interest, even if it's just a talking head discussing the product. Be sure to make it clear what they can gain by using your service, making an appointment, or carrying out whatever action you're trying to have them do.

As a rule of thumb, your video will be more popular if you can make it funny, weird, inspiring, or instructional. Brainstorm creative ways to do this. As an example, see the "Will It Blend?" series.

Here are some suggestions on ways to use online video:


Demonstrate the actual product or service in action
Graphically illustrate what the client's life will be like once they start using your product
Offer tips and advice, or teach the viewer something they'd probably like to know
Tell a story about your company
Use clips from a speech or presentation you've made, or a media appearance
Make a "video testimonial" of satisfied clients talking about your company
Post at least one of your videos on YouTube (be sure to have a watermark with your URL) where it may go viral
If you're just going to talk, keep the same enthusiasm and sincerity you would share in a real face-to-face meeting with a client. This alone has more impact than text on a page.

Some Additional Tips For Using Online Video

Know your audience, and the image you want to promote. Do you want to be gritty or professional? Irreverent or serious?

Consider the effects that online video will have on your Search Engine Marketing. Make sure you have an expert helping you manage your content so your video won't create a glitch.

Have an intentional next action identified for the video such as applying for a free offer, reading a more detailed article, or even making a phone call. Then measure video views, viewers, and its success in moving people to the intended next action.

Finally, keep your eyes and ears and mind alert for new ideas. Look for moments at work where something happens that everyone asks about afterwards. If you do something that people want to watch, that's a good sign that you've hit upon video material.

Make The "Bread" Rise In Your Business

Most likely video is not the most important ingredient in your marketing recipe. However, it could offer exceptional returns for the investment. Since Enthusiast is in the business of Web Solutions that are simple and effective, we want to enable companies to take advantage of this great opportunity.

To enable this, we recently designed, developed, and released a web video player that extends the Site Director Media Library where video files are stored. Previously videos could be saved in Windows Media, QuickTime, and other formats but required additional player applications to be installed on the viewing computer and correctly integrated with their current web browser. This poses significant challenges to marketers who want to minimize barriers to viewing their message.

As a solution, we have created a Adobe Flash based video player that allows the seamless use of video that can be played right in the browser with no external players involved. All that is required is the small Flash plug-in that comes standard with all web browsers and converting the videos to the Flash format.

Some examples using the Site Director player:


SpeedFreaks Radio - See archives of their ESPN show with ease! (Including sponsorship) (http://www.speedfreaks.tv/downloads/list.sd?catid=152&source=ezineArticle634138)
Telecare Corporation - See true recovery stories! (http://www.telecarecorp.com/articles/258,1.html?source=ezineArticle634138)
MAP - See left column for first hand accounts a of results. (http://www.mapconsulting.com/?source=ezineArticle634138)

We have taken this advice and are preparing to release compelling videos of real world success stories using Enthusiast Web Solutions with Site Director. For more information on how you can maximize your message using video, drop us a line today.

View all Melissa Henderson's articles

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