Afraid of Video Marketing?

Are you afraid of video marketing? Don’t be! We have some tips that will get your videos seen and have customers wanting more.

Studies have shown that people are 97% more likely to purchase a product featured in a video. This reason alone should have you whipping out your smartphone and creating a video.

If you have a smart phone, you can create good quality videos for your website and social media networks. A video on Facebook is more likely to be seen in a newsfeed than a written post. Videos on your website also help move your site up higher in search rankings. These are all good reasons to incorporate videos into your marketing plan.

Do you want a more professional look to your videos or do you want to create a longer video about your business or products? Consider having a professional videographer create your videos for you.

If you are the DYI type, experiment with different locations or times of day when creating your videos. If you are filming at your office desk, the morning light might be too bright, so filming in the afternoon might be a better option for you.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when posting your video on your website:

·         Make sure your video thumbnail features a person. People are more likely to click on a video that features a person rather than a product.

·         Size your video correctly. The best video width is between 401 pixels and 600 pixels. This size won’t overwhelm your page and yet will grab the attention of your visitors.

·         Place your video above the fold. Your video will be seen and played if it is positioned above the fold.

·         Make sure your video aligns with the content on your page. If you don’t do this, you will confuse your visitors.

·         Include a clear Call-to-Action (CTA) at the end of your video. If you don’t, you’re missing out on a huge lead generation opportunity. Use actionable language such a join, learn, discover, start and stop. And keep it simple. Any CTA that is more than 10 to 15 words long is probably too long.

·         Make sure your video is share-friendly. Social media shares are endorsements for your brand. If you really want people to share your video, ask! Encourage people to share your video if they found it valuable. You can easily do this at the end of the video as you close.

Grab your smartphone and start filming! 

Marketing Video Content Ideas

You’ve decided to add videos to your marketing plan for 2015. Great idea! Now, what should your videos be about? If you’ve looked at YouTube, there millions of videos out there, some are getting looked at, while others are just sitting there. There are certain kinds of business videos that will generally fair better as opposed to others.

So what are your options?

Subject Matter Videos

Display your skills and establish yourself as a subject matter expert. Offer industry specific information for free. Show why your company possesses the knowledge other competitors do not. Publish seminars, webinars or training sessions that you have delivered.

Tutorials

Tutorials videos are extremely popular. Sharing content is always a good content marketing choice. Some people learn better by being shown “how-to.”

Reviews

A big niche on YouTube is reviews. Reviews are especially useful for retailers or direct manufactures. There are many famous reviewers on YouTube that retailers and manufacturers give out products to, knowing that their validation can help boost sales.

Testimonials

Similar to reviews, testimonials are actual satisfied customers telling the viewer how your product or service solved a problem they had. Ask your best customers to be in a video; it helps them promote their business too.

What to Consider When Making a Video

Making a promotional video is a great way to market your company. You want to make sure your video stands out in the crowded video world. You want a video that highlights the best of what your small business is about. Here are three tips to help you achieve that.

Have a Script

Write a concise, informative and entertaining script. And stick to it! You want to engage your viewers.

Figure out what message you want to convey to your viewers and create your script around your main point. You will stay on track when you have a clear message.

Include a Call to Action

What do you want viewers to do? Whether it is to call you, visit your website, or follow you on Twitter, don't forget to mention it in your video. A good call to action is your ticket to a good return on investment for your video.

Make It Look Professional

You want your video to look professional, not like you used your cell phone. You should hire a professional videographer to help you make your video.  It won’t break the budget and you’ll end up with a video that will help your company stand out. 

5 Tips for Creating Your Own Videos

Videos should be part of your marketing mix. Videos are increasing in popularity, increase your SEO, engage potential customers and are easy to create. Your videos don't have to be big Hollywood productions to be engaging and effective.

Focus your efforts on video planning and marketing rather than video production. You don't need to use expensive camera equipment. Your web cam or smartphone can do the job just fine. If you need to do some editing, YouTube offers its own free video editor.

Here are five tips for creating your own videos:

1.   Keep it short. 60 to 90 seconds is best; no longer than 5 minutes.

2.   Focus on first 10 seconds. Here is where you have to engage viewers to make them want to watch the rest of your video.

3.   Maintain a fairly fast pace to keep the content punchy and interesting to watch.

4.   Lighting is important. Avoid windows behind you.

5.   Include a call to action.

Share your video

Once you've created your video, promote it everywhere! Upload your video to your YouTube channel, post it on Facebook, tweet it on Twitter, share it on LinkedIn and definitely post it on your website. You can even embed videos in your email marketing. If you have staff, encourage them to promote your videos on their social media channels. T

Leverage YouTube - it's free!

YouTube is a powerful and cost effective communication tool. Create a YouTube channel for your business and link your videos to your website. And like all your web content, your YouTube videos must be optimised.

1.   Give your video a title that includes your strongest keyword (relevant to the content).

2.   Complete the description with a short synopsis of what the video entails, including keywords and a link.

3.   Use tags that are true to the content of your video and include your business name too.

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dding videos to your marketing mix is easy and fun. If you need help with creating and marketing your videos, Blue Dog Marketing is here to assist you. Contact us at info@BlueDogMktg.com.

The Power of Video in Marketing Your Business

YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world. Don’t you think video really should be a part of your marketing plan?

Show me.

Because video is eye-catching, it can help you stand out from the crowd and draw in potential customers. Videos can clearly define your business more succinctly and in a much more interesting way then text. Video can bring a personality to your small business, while also demonstrating your authenticity. So if a picture speaks a thousand words, a video speaks a million!

Spread the word, umm... video!

Videos can be shared easily to help spread the word about your products and services. Create a YouTube channel and link your YouTube videos to your website, blog and all your social media. Links between your YouTube channel and website can boost your rank in search engine results. Use the video to encourage viewers to visit your website for more information.

What should my videos be about?

Different types of content work for different types of businesses. Here are some ideas:

1.   Customer success stories

2.   A brief company intro

3.   Product demonstrations

4.   Interviews clients and industry experts

5.   Record conference or seminar presentations you give

6.   Product reviews and testimonials

7.   "How-to" videos or short tutorials

8.   Introduce viewers to staff that have consumer contact, such as customer service. It's nice to put a face to a voice.

 

3 Tips for Making Great Marketing Videos

Unless you’ve been living on a deserted island for the past few years, you’ve seen the increase in videos to market products. Videos are a must-have for small businesses. It will give you an edge over your competition and raise your website in searches, too.

How do you make videos that “speak” to your prospective customers? Your prospective customers are looking for information that speaks to their individual needs, wants or problems. Don’t start you video out talking about your business, your products and yourself. Remember, it’s all about your customer!

Here are three tips that will help you make great marketing videos:

Focus on your prospect’s #1 problem

You have to show prospects that you “get it.” If you have a customer that experienced the problem, have them share their story. People love personal experience stories about their problem. 

Your video needs to make prospects relive their pain. If you don’t, they will simply put off resolving it, and you want their business now.

Use the Power of “What If”…

You’ve seen it used in successful infomercials…”What if you could lose weight in a short time with little effort?” Yes, these two small words generate billions of dollars to those companies smart enough to use them. Make a list of your product or service benefits and choose the top three you feel will resonate with your prospects. Add the “what ifs” to your offerings.

Introduce Your Product or Service

Demonstrate how your product or service works. The more dramatic the demonstration, the more impact it has on your viewer.

If your product or service doesn’t lend itself to demonstration, use testimonials from your satisfied customers. Have the customers that told their painful story talk about how your product or service solved their problem.

 

The Power of Video in Marketing Your Business

YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world. Don’t you think video really should be a part of your marketing plan?

Show me.

Because video is eye-catching, it can help you stand out from the crowd and draw in potential customers. Videos can clearly define your business more succinctly and in a much more interesting way then text. Video can bring a personality to your small business, while also demonstrating your authenticity. So if a picture speaks a thousand words, a video speaks a million!

Spread the word, umm... video!

Videos can be shared easily to help spread the word about your products and services. Create a YouTube channel and link your YouTube videos to your website, blog and all your social media. Links between your YouTube channel and website can boost your rank in search engine results. Use the video to encourage viewers to visit your website for more information.

What should my videos be about?

Different types of content work for different types of businesses. Here are some ideas:

1.   Customer success stories

2.   A brief company intro

3.   Product demonstrations

4.   Interviews clients and industry experts

5.   Record conference or seminar presentations you give

6.   Product reviews and testimonials

7.   "How-to" videos or short tutorials

8.   Introduce viewers to staff that have consumer contact, such as customer service. It's nice to put a face to a voice.