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Digital Marketing
As of this writing, it has been sixty days since the Coronavirus was declared a global pandemic. Needless to say, commerce, as we know it, came to a near-screeching halt! And now, here we are two months later, just barely starting to kick-start the economy. Despite our best desires, we can’t just flip a switch and be back to full stride; this is going to take some time.
Hopefully, your business hasn’t taken too much of a beating and if you’re in a category deemed “essential,” you may be doing OK. That being said, no matter your current status, you will want to communicate an effective message to your customers and video can help!
For example, one of my clients provides carpet, upholstery, and tile cleaning services. We’ve shot several videos together and a couple of weeks ago, I created a “COVID-19 tag” for one of them that alerts his customers that the business is an essential service, delivering their services consistent with CDC and EPA guidelines. Their customers can feel confident that when the need arises, this company is on top of the situation.
Another client has two fitness equipment outlets: one a large warehouse and the second more of a retail-type location. His business has literally exploded when the pandemic hit, and folks couldn’t go to their local gym or fitness center. Suddenly his business was flourishing, in part because we had recently placed 32 equipment demonstration videos on his YouTube channel!
The pandemic has had another impact. People are dealing with a lot of anxiety these days and seeking support through traditional channels (therapy, counseling, etc.) can be prohibitively expensive – especially right now! This client took a unique approach by providing online training sessions that offer specific tools to help deal with the debilitating effects of anxiety. We produced 72 sessions together and we wrapped them and placed them online, just as the Coronavirus was grabbing hold of the US population. This was a very timely endeavor! The name of the course? “Overcoming Anxiety!”
The point is that you could produce a comprehensive series of videos, or just shoot one that talks about how you are prepared to help your customers while in the midst of the pandemic, while doing so in a safe manner. Or, you could have me create either a graphic that informs, or use a voice-over to do it, or both! However it’s accomplished, make sure your audience knows what you’re doing and how you can help them…now and going forward!
Reinforce Brand Identity
When people know what you do and why you do it, they’ll understand and trust your brand more. Video reinforces your brand identity and values by showing people your mission, not just explaining what you sell.
Training
Training is expensive and it never stops. Whether it’s new hires or keeping your team up to date on the latest advances in your field, video is a cost-effective way to better manage training costs down and keep teams happier.
Recruit Ideal Candidates
You can’t build a great team unless you have qualified candidates to choose from. Video can increase the number of applications you receive from new recruits and give you more qualified applicants to choose from.
Stand Out At Events
Ever been to a noisy event filled with competing companies vying for prospects using any means necessary? Of course you have! Video cuts through the noise and helps you stand out. Make it a key part of your next event to see the difference it can make with gathering new leads.
Educate Your Customers
When you want to educate consumers, there’s no other form of communication that conveys as much as video. Try it, and you’ll move customers through the funnel in record time.
Boost SEO Performance
More than 76% of marketers say that video has helped them increase traffic to their site. Video is great for increasing dwell time and bounce rate while improving time on site. All important SEO factors.
– So says Wyzowl! (source: wyzowl.com)
Takeaway? Call First Impressions Video for your next corporate video! 714-979-3850, or request a quote here.
I am a professional videographer. I am also a consumer. And when I contemplate making a purchase – especially a big one – I often browse reviews to get a good sense of what is thought about the company (companies) that offer that product or service I intend to buy. And rather than trudge through a lot of printed content, I find video testimonials to be more compelling. Let’s unpack the reasons why.
First, while it would be relatively easy to put your CEO or other key exec in front of a camera (which I do regularly, by the way) this kind of video – while valuable – can sometimes come across as biased. However, by augmenting the business “talking head” videos with customer testimonials, viewers will have a chance to see two perspectives. This goes a long way in helping consumers make informed decisions.
So how do you develop the testimonial video? There is little doubt that if you run a credible company, you likely already have them in writing. So, let’s make contact with a few of these folks and ask if they’d be willing to share their thoughts in front of a camera. “Whoa now…you want me to talk on camera?!?” That will be the response you’ll get quite often, but you will find some willing to do it. I know from experience that being in front of a camera is not natural, but one of my gifts is getting interview subjects comfortable to the point that they actually liked the experience – at least once it was over!
Now that you’ve found a few folks willing to do it, you will want to ascertain in advance what they will say. You will want subjects that convey an easy-going manner that will help make what they say sincere and credible. And while coaching is OK, we don’t want to put words in the subject’s mouth. The last thing you want to do is have the testimonial come off as contrived. You will lose viewers quick, and you only have 4 to 6 seconds to grab their attention in the first place, so don’t screw this up! And…NO TELEPROMPTERS!!!
Why am I watching your video? It’s a good, fair question. Remember what I said about the 4 to 6 seconds. In short order, you need to provide the answer to the “why.”
Asking your interviewee the right questions will help elicit the right responses. These questions might include:
- What prompted your investigation in the first place? What was the solution you needed?
- How did the product/service solve your problem?
- What would you like to share about the positive experience using the product/service?
Stay away from questions that allow “yes” or “no” answers in order for the responses to be useful, detailed and allow the freedom for your interviewee to talk specifics on how your product/service met or exceeded their expectations. If a potential customer watching the testimonial can feel how overwhelmed or frustrated your subject was before they discovered your product or service, seeing how your business has helped them to reach their ideal resolution can be extremely persuasive.
Be sure to use “cutaways,” where “b-roll” of your organization can be integrated into the testimonial. This does two things: It creates natural breaks in the interview where your subject can pause and easily move into another line of thought. And it also allows for a more engaging video by having more than just the subject to watch. Remember our short attention spans!
Finally, these days, it can be very tempting to just whip out a smartphone and start shooting. However, working with an experienced video production company will help you to produce a well-crafted final product that will appeal to your ideal audience and deliver a solid ROI.
First Impressions Video has the creativity, experience and tools to ensure that your testimonial grabs attention for all the right reasons. We use a variety of techniques to do this, including implementing a comfortable shooting environment, selecting an ideal soundtrack, and seamlessly integrating relevant cutaway footage to enhance the overall production quality of your video.
We know how to get the most out of your featured clients or customers, who might not have spoken in front of a camera before. The result is therefore much more likely to appear authentic and believable, which is ultimately the goal of every successful video testimonial.
Competition could never be more fierce! But having a well-designed testimonial video can help punch through the clutter and deliver excellent return for dollar invested…and set you apart from your competitors!
Let us help you with your next testimonial video! Click here and go to “Request A Quote.” Complete the form and we’ll get right back to you…promptly! And remember, great video does NOT have to break the bank!
~TRW
I’ve been pretty busy the last month or so with projects, so I haven’t had much chance to author an original post. That being said, Mary Lister wrote a killer article that speaks to the compelling reasons why if you aren’t doing video, you should be!
Enjoy reading http://bit.ly/2n1Tz24
Avoiding these common mistakes will help you create a video marketing strategy that will connect, resonate, and engage with your target audience. This will increase traffic to your website and improve sales.
1. Excessive “hard selling”
When you apply the “hard sell,” it is much like asking your first date to marry you. There is a very remote possibility, but you increase chances by building a relationship step by step. By creating teaser videos, you will intrigue potential clients and establish a continued relationship.
2. Videos are not part of a campaign
You may only get one chance to make a first impression, and as a result, many companies tend to overload their customer base with info. Pace your message and leave something to the imagination without exhausting the rather short attention span of your viewer.
Campaigns are the way to go. Rather than creating a single five-minute video, entrepreneurs should focus on a multi-faceted approach to creating a two-minute video in concert with six 30-second segments. That still adds up to a total of five minutes. The attention span of viewers is now so short, that short, informative, entertaining, and to-the-point videos are required.
3. Poor title and SEO
Interesting titles and effective tagging are essential in maximizing your SEO and harnessing your views. Having a great video no one can find renders all production efforts useless.
4. Disharmonized content
Video marketing is not just about visual images. Effective videos all harmonize the images with the best use of voice and text. Take these components into consideration when producing your video. Everything needs to be deliberate and intentionally planned.
5. Focus on products, not people
If facts tell and stories sell, then do not make your video a list of facts about your products. Focus on telling stories about people using your products and the benefits that they derive from using them. If your story is well told, people will seek out more information.
6. Not harnessing the power of video
If a picture paints a thousand words, just imagine how much a well-crafted video can communicate. Just make sure that your videos portray the right content and in the right essence. Videos are all about style, and style is actually more important than content. The style needs to be authentic to your brand, elevate your message, and make it resonate with your target audience.
7. Under-using available social media platforms
YouTube is great, but it is not the only game in town, as shown above. Maximize both your reach and your SEO by publishing your videos on all platforms. This does not mean pasting a YouTube link on the other platforms. When you load your video into platforms natively, you get twice as many views. In addition, do not forget email. As the infographic above showed, including a video in your emails will increase click-through rates by 200 to 300 percent. If you want to know how to do that, either ask Sean Sloan (our resident SEO/SEM expert) or me.
8. Videos are too long
We live in a world of immediate gratification and societal ADD. Therein lies the magic formula to capture your audience in a comprehensive, entertaining, yet limited stage. As you can see in the descriptions above, sometimes 10 seconds are all you have, and even TV commercials are being produced as 15 second spots!
So get out there and create! Just know what the critical success factors are, and you can be wildly successful. And if you need any help, just give First Impressions Video a call!
OK…that was probably an overly dramatic subject line, but if it got your attention, good! The truth is, everyone knows that video continues to gain in importance, marketing-wise, regardless whether we’re talking about a national or global brand, or a small “mom & pop” business–or anything in between. And while implementing video into your marketing mix may not be life-threatening, if your competition is doing it and you’re not, it could be!
Here is, arguably, the first infographic of the year, entitled, “2017: The year of video marketing.” It continues the theme I’ve shared throughout 2016 about the growing relevance of video. Props to UK based HighQ for its compilation.
Enjoy!
**AUTHOR’S NOTE** Originally posted on August 22, 2016. As we approach the new year, this article is particularly relevant to companies looking for excellent quality video. Hiring employees is expensive and I submit First Impressions Video for your consideration as an effective alternative.
Companies in Orange County (CA): If you are looking for an in-house video producer, give me a call! Why incur the expense of salaries and benefits associated with hiring production employees, when for less investment, you can have access to a video professional with thousands of hours of experience shooting corporate “talking heads,” conferences and seminars, training sessions and countless others.
Think about it: If you hire employees to do video production, you have to keep them constantly busy. Now for some companies, that may not be a problem, but for many that just want to shoot an occasional project, that can be more of a financial outlay than is necessary. In instances like that, a quality independent videographer can fit the bill quite nicely. By the way I can also take on assignments in LA, “Inland Empire” (including Palm Springs area) and San Diego County.
And non-profits, this applies to you, as well.
Is your project a destination shoot or out of the Southern California area? With travel expenses covered, this isn’t a problem either!
Great video doesn’t have to break the bank…call 714-979-3850 to set up your next video project!
P.S.
A blog entry I wrote earlier in the year was picked up on Twitter. In it was one of several infographics I’ve posted and commented about over the course of the year. These visual pictures tell great stories and are applicable to producers of video, as well as consumers of video. I thanked the Tweeter for providing a great idea on how I could share a few of these infographics, which I have compiled here. Thanks to L. Scott Harrell ( @lscottharrell ) for the motivation to do this!
- “21 Video Marketing Ideas for Small Business Budgets” http://wp.me/p2YaU5-gL
- “31 Must Know Video Marketing Stats” http://wp.me/p2YaU5-gm
- “5 Reasons Why Video Must Be Part Of Your 2016 Budget” http://wp.me/p2YaU5-e8
- “Anatomy of an Interview Video” http://wp.me/p2YaU5-ak
That last one was from 2015, but a few folks had asked me about it, so I figured, what the heck, and threw it in. And while the amplifying content around the infographics is likely mine, source credit for all of them goes to the respective creators.
Let me end the year with this one. Although intended to be humorous, all facets of video/film production require perseverance and resourcefulness. But for those with both, this can be a fascinating and gratifying endeavor. Just ask me!
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & Happy New Year
~TRW
I refer to Vidyard several times on this blog and in other media outlets where I post regularly. They generate tons of relevant content that tie the importance of video to any business’ marketing strategy–regardless of size. A recent article outlines their “top 10 reasons” why video should be the “lead actor” in such a strategy:
- Improved SEO
- Stronger Consumer Attention
- Higher Engagement
- More Video Flavored Technology
- Greater Optimization Opportunities
- Higher Retention Rates
- Better Email Click-throughs
- Rise in Accessibility
- Stronger Emotional Connections
- Increased Customer Conversions
Because I have a 30+ year background in marketing, advertising and sales (even before launching the video biz) I take these thoughts a step further. Video, when used properly, is essential in moving customers through the sales funnel, and it’s interesting to note how the entire process–arguably–has changed over the years. A more contemporary version of this funnel indicates a greater percentage of marketing effort is involved, with the corresponding sales element considerably shorter.
Think about that when producing your next video and if you need guidance, either from a production perspective or a marketing perspective, give me a call!
P.S. If you want to read the entire Vidyard report, click here.
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