Online video marketing

KeelaCom

Hi all,

I was wondering what are your thoughts on video marketing. It's a service that's widely used in the States but hasn't caught on this side of the water yet. The huge advantages it offers for product / service promotion along with excellent SEO (search engine optimisation) for a website cannot be denied. My business Keela Communications specialises in this area and I would welcome any feedback with regard to "Online Video Marketing"

Thanks

briano.de.rhino

Hey,

its excellent isnt it, really.
its estimated that one bajillion hours of video are uploaded to the net every minute. But seriously, its the way the net is going.
I do my bit for my company, a disability service in Wicklow, www.sunbeam.ie.

The management there had the foresight that the future is in video and the internet and asked me to keep me making videos for them. Everything from short personal interest or infomercials for the company to documentaries on disability.
One of our vids on disability and voting was featured on TV3, that most illustrious of stations, just before the election.

As regards, bringing things from the states to Ireland.Sometimes they work. Things like the word 'cool'. That caught on big time over here in the '80's and has stuck around. Othere things havent. Videomarketing might just work.

Personally, I hate ads. I admire the artistry that goes into them but feel offended by constant bombardment. With the internet and new technologies we no longer are slave to tv ads, mostly. Yet they dream up ways of thinking we are watching some real content only to realise after a minute or so it was a viral ad for so and so etc. This makes me angry, very angry.
Also, channel 4 putting 4 compulsory ads in front of a 4oD programme makes me angry.

End of rant.
B

KeelaCom

The real problem I see is how lazy and impatient human kind is getting.. Every thing has to easy and quick. No longer will a person take a 10 or 15 minutes to read an article on a web page - usually they give up after the first paragraph. This is where video is winning the battle ( if it's done correctly) - the person just clicks "play" sits back and watches.

Video can be a great medium to transfer knowledge especially about a complicated topic - take for example the assembly of a flat pack dining table, which is the best option a) 6 pages of diagrams and text or b) a 3 min video of the table being assembled.

The use of online video marketing is at its infancy here in Ireland but it will catch up with the rest of the developed world in the near future.

KeelaCom

This is an excerpt from an interesting article I came across;

About Online Video Marketing

Article by Littlecg123







Online video marketing has turned to be an ideal marketing tool in present times. Think for yourself…if you are given two options- watch a video clip or read a web content, which one would you prefer? Well, if you are like me, it is quite obvious that you’ll go for the former option. If that’s so, then don’t you think that creating one for people with the same mindset will help you make good profits in the industry? If carried out perfectly, video marketing may turn out to be an extremely effective tool which helps in the growth and establishment of your business. Don’t get me wrong, by effective I don’t mean expensive.

When it comes to stepping into the world of video marketing, you need to create a video that helps in alluring visitors to the website. In other words, an effective video campaign is the right way to get hold of a good source of traffic to your website.

Online video marketing, if used effectively and properly emerges out to be a remarkable tool that helps in enhancing your sales as well as lead generation. There are a couple of online websites that report that with streaming videos their conversation rate has increased by thirty three percent.

One of the prime benefits of opting for video marketing is that a video works more quickly as compared to the conventional text format. None of your customers will be interested in sitting for half an hour and taking a look at your company’s profile. Instead you need to provide something short and interesting that appeals to them the moment they see it.

briano.de.rhino

I would have to agree.
I just started making a series of short videos about our company entitled 'Sunbeam in 60 seconds'. each minutelong video focuses on a certain unit or aspect of our services. The first one is on our supported employment unit(available on our homepage).the next one will be on the sports dept, next after that will be focused on one of the area managers and so on.
Short and snappy synopses in bite sized chunks.

I also agree, it doesnt have to cost the earth. or have mad skills. If you give a member of your IT dept. a crappy camera that shoots video too and windows moviemaker is free on most pc's....thats all u need......
or you could call Keela.com!

KeelaCom

briano.de.rhino wrote: »

I would have to agree.
I just started making a series of short videos about our company entitled 'Sunbeam in 60 seconds'. each minutelong video focuses on a certain unit or aspect of our services. The first one is on our supported employment unit(available on our homepage).the next one will be on the sports dept, next after that will be focused on one of the area managers and so on.
Short and snappy synopses in bite sized chunks.

I also agree, it doesnt have to cost the earth. or have mad skills. If you give a member of your IT dept. a crappy camera that shoots video too and windows moviemaker is free on most pc's....thats all u need......
or you could call Keela.com!

Well keelacommunications.com - thanks for the plug. Of course a video suitable for online marketing on your site can be made inhouse with a bit of ingenuity.. The main things I would advise anyone on a DIY video production are:

1 - Sound
Make sure you use a proper mic - do not use the camcorder's built in mic as the final recording will sound terrible and often put off viewers

2 - Lighting
This can be done cheap enough with work lights got from the local hardware shop (granted the colour of the lights will not be the best but by adjusting the white balance you can get it looking very good)

3 - Camera Movement
Always, Always, Always use a tripod!! Nothing cries out cheap production then a shakey finished video. Also stay away from panning and zooming in and out while recording..

If anyone doing a DIY video needs advice just drop us a PM and we'd be happy to help you out..

stuartjp

Quite right everyone - this is really picking up and has been for some time.

Check out this from the International Advertising Bureau..

"The IAB PWC 2010 ad spend figures revealed that spend in video marketing has grown 91% in just one year with advertisers now investing £54 million in the medium"

Amazing huh.

Video, social media and SEO - the holy trinity. Digital marketing is all about getting those three right together nowadays.

Where do you guys think Ireland is compared to its European chums and the US in this respect?


Stuart.
www.mediaconnect.ie

KeelaCom

To be honest from chatting with numerous businesses in the last few months there is still a huge lack of knowledge with regard to the added value online video marketing gives for both product / service promotion and SEO (search engine optimization)...

In time I think the good word will spread but it's up to all of us to educate people in this area - after all when you consider the cost of print media advertising which is often included in a publication once and then lost forever compared with an online marketing video which is working 27/7, 365 days a year reaching your target audience - it's a no-brainer

Padraic.
keelacommunications.com

Angel L.

There’s no doubt that online video marketing is on the rise. Numerous studies and statistics prove that video works. In fact, Forrester Research found that videos were 50 times more likely to receive an organic first page ranking than traditional text pages

EIREHotspur

Interesting discussion.

Video is probably one of the most intensive things you can do with a PC.
Technology-wise the better the PC Spec you have the easier it will be.

I have a Sony EX3 and even though it uses Memory SD cards there are a good few steps involved in getting to a Final video.

So that involves Time and Effort and of course time is money and that is why you don't get as many companies using video on their websites and promotional output.

The big problem in Ireland is that too many Web Designers out there are still designing websites for Dial Up.

Video will slowly but surely be dragged into 21st century marketing here.

KeelaCom

Neworld Blog published the following interesting excerpt from an article (I appreciate it's US based but as we all know trends in the States usually spread around the world)

Why Is Video Important?

A recent study by Nielson in the USA points out that viewers there spent 45% more time watching online video content in January 2011 when compared with January 2010. That’s a hefty jump and its not caused by an increase in viewers, with only a modest 3.1% increase in the amount of people watching video in the same period. What this tells us is the same amount of people are consuming a lot more video. The quality of services on offer plays a role too with sites like Netflix and Hulu offering films and TV shows to watch. For brands, most will be looking towards sites like Youtube, Facebook and Vimeo to host content. Youtube streamed 8.5 billion videos to US viewers in January alone, the site also streams 150 years worth of embedded video content per day on Facebook. According to Comscore in the UK online video providers, ranging from Youtube to the BBC, were serving up 8.5 billion streams per month towards the end of last year, up a whopping 40% in just 6 months.

KeelaCom

EIREHotspur wrote: »

Interesting discussion.

Video is probably one of the most intensive things you can do with a PC.
Technology-wise the better the PC Spec you have the easier it will be.

I have a Sony EX3 and even though it uses Memory SD cards there are a good few steps involved in getting to a Final video.

So that involves Time and Effort and of course time is money and that is why you don't get as many companies using video on their websites and promotional output.

The big problem in Ireland is that too many Web Designers out there are still designing websites for Dial Up.

Video will slowly but surely be dragged into 21st century marketing here.

I truely believe that through proper planning and each individual knowing what's expected from the outset then the whole online video production process would be much faster thus saving the Client money. I suppose I have the advantage of a project management qualification and 15 years of practice but to see individuals arrive on site with the wrong or missing equipment, not having extension cables for lighting etc, and worse than that - they take a flier on the shots they require not only wasting their time but more importantly the Clients time and it doesn't end there. When it comes to putting the finished product together because the Client's brief wasn't followed several attempts are made to produce a video the Client is happy with.

So in a nutshell -
1) Understand fully the Clients brief and let him/her understand exactly what the finished video will contain (get this down on paper and signed off)
2) plan plan plan... Know the equipment you need and that it's all working correctly. Visit the site and make a note of power points, electronic equipment that may cause interference with sound equip etc., walk the Client through the time line for the days shoot so they know where staff need to be and when.
3) Ensure that anyone who will be talking to camera have their parts off and not just trying to "wing it" on the day.
4) When back in the studio editing because you have an agreed brief then the editing process is much quicker, that said if you come across a scene or track you feel would add to the work - don't include it without running it by the Client, after all a 5 min conversation on the phone could save several hours re-doing a piece because the Client didn't want it included.


These are just some ways to ensure that the least amount of time is wasted in the online marketing video production process - saving the Client money and ensuring you are on to your next assignment ASAP.

Hope this was helpful.

ScumLord

I think video can be miss used and is not a catch all improvement.

If someone is looking for a specific piece of information a video can get in the way. You have to wait for the title to play through, introductions and any bad jokes the makers use to brake the ice.

One in particular I came across was was for some dieting thing, it was a good ten minutes into the video and no mention of what the title of the video was. There was no fast forward or any controls for the video it was just came off as people trying to soft talk you into buying something that was clearly rubbish as they did everything but talk about their product.

Maybe it a throwback to the old days of the internet when it took ages to download something, every second of that video had to be worth something and I hated downloading something that turned out to be half intro and outro.

I think video only works if your demonstrating something that's not obvious, it shouldn't be the introduction a customer has to a company or product as I'm convinced it will only drive them away as they sitting through what the company wants to say rather than letting the person get the information they want.

Vidoes are great as long as their used properly.

KeelaCom

You've raised a very good point. When it comes to the length of a marketing video - short, interesting and to the point is what makes the video work.

A video should be used to promote a specific, not as a "catch all". For example if you sell office equipment and you want to promote this with video then you do a series of short videos 45 - 60 seconds long on specific items ie photocopiers, so the video starts with a brief intro then introduce the photocopier and explain it's strengths and ease of use in detail and you finish off with contact details and a reminder to the viewer to visit your gallery to see videos on other products you stock such as office furniture, storage solutions etc.

This way your videos will behave exactly like the viewer expects from the title and because it's short - it forces you to fine tune the message you wish to give your potential customer which in turn means a sale is a more likely outcome.

ScumLord

KeelaCom wrote: »

A video should be used to promote a specific, not as a "catch all". For example if you sell office equipment and you want to promote this with video then you do a series of short videos 45 - 60 seconds long on specific items ie photocopiers, so the video starts with a brief intro then introduce the photocopier and explain it's strengths and ease of use in detail and you finish off with contact details and a reminder to the viewer to visit your gallery to see videos on other products you stock such as office furniture, storage solutions etc.

Using this example specifically I wouldn't like to see a video. Someone looking for a photocopier is going to want to see features which are best done in text. Most know what a photocopier is and what they need.

In my opinion videos only work as a "how to" or to demonstrate something that isn't obvious. When you need a person to explain something to you video works. Otherwise a quick glance over a specs and features list is all you need.

This is just my opinion on this so others might be different and I'm speaking more from a business buying side of things. People buying for a business tend to know what they want (although that could be said for your average Joe too).

My feeling is that video is so involved in that it's a complete media with text, image and sound that people won't want to "get involved" unless they have too.