Online Videos … The Move to Entertain, Educate, Sell
The following is by G. A . “Andy” Marken, President of Marken Communications Inc. He has kindly given us permission to republish his thought-provoking article. As with everything that we publish at AlienBabelTech, the opinions expressed are solely those of the individual writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and the opinions of the rest of the ABT staff. –Mark Poppin, ABT Senior Editor
Money is honey! Money is honey!” – Max Bailystock (Zero Mostel) – The Producers (1968), Embassy Pictures
Ever wonder why when someone wants to show you how good their device is, they never show you a PowerPoint presentation?
They’re boring…yes even yours!
But video?
It grabs your attention and keeps your attention.
It’s so good that recently Cisco reported that IP traffic (that’s Internet stuff) will increase five-fold by 2013, and 90 percent of the stuff will be video.
Internet video already accounts for one-third of all consumer Internet traffic.
According to Pew, 62% of online users watched video through a sharing site in April. They found 19% of the folks also downloaded podcasts.
Maybe that’s why Nielsen Company reports that YouTube is pushing out about 1.2 billion streams every day!
All that video may strain the iNet infrastructure, but there’s no turning back folks thirst for great content.
Video Viewing Across All Ages
Figure 2 — Anytime, Anywhere – People in all walks of life are finding that there is an untapped source of education, information and entertainment that they can enjoy when, where they want just by logging onto the Web and doing a little searching. And the numbers who have “discovered” online video continues to grow. Source – Pew Internet & American Life Project
Right Market Demos
Sure, the viewer demographics are skewed to the younger crowd; but marketing folks are interested in the audience because they tend to be higher-income.
Then, add the fact that they tend to have more of the devices the PC/CE/communications industry is trying to sell to these folks.
CE Devices Owned by Online Video Viewers and Nonviewers
Figure 3 — Your Kinda’ People – The people who tend to watch more and more video online also tend to be the people the PC/CE/communications industry wants to reach, inform. They have more of the latest devices and they’re always looking to learn more, use more. Source – GigaOm Pro
More than 23% of the content is ad supported.
Don’t believe what Max said, “This man should be in a straight-jacket.”
People really don’t mind the ads.
Attitudes Toward Online Video Ads by Age, Gender
Figure 4 — Don’t Mind – Online video viewers more readily accept online ads as a part of the price they pay for watching video content for free. Ads tend to be shorter and fewer in number, so they are more readily accepted. Source – Frank N. Magid Assoc.
Pay a subscription or transaction fee or get it “free?” We’ll take the ads every time.
Increasingly, businesses and retailers are putting online video into their marketing mix.
Features that US Multichannel Retailers Plan to Add to their Site
Figure 5 — Good Tool to Use – Progressive marketers seem to be embracing the use of video content more quickly and with sound results. Video blogs, podcasts, email video links, rich media websites are just a few of the tools they are adding, monitoring, measuring. Source – Multichannel Merchant
It doesn’t have to be expensive to get started, so you don’t have to agree with Roger, “Wait! This is a decision that could affect my entire life! I shall have to think about it.”
Business Script
Start with a little planning:
– Determine what you want to achieve – education, product recognition, sales – and plan how you’re going to do it.
– Personalize your company, your product, yourself – show your enthusiasm, commitment, passion.
– Keep your message short – 10-minutes max – and show you understand how important your audience and their time is.
– Use an inexpensive but good camera and some easy-to-use software like muvee Pixie or Reveal 8 (www.muvee.com) and don’t struggle to turn your video into a Hollywood production. A few imperfections humanize, add credibility that viewers can identify with.
– Have fun, experiment with ideas. The most viral company videos are those that show people how to do something new, interesting, different with the product in the video.
– Make your video pertinent to your product and include things consumers want to do, or are considering doing, with your product, service.
– Make certain people can view your video by adding links and titles so search engines can find your video(s).
– Don’t do just one video and think your work is done. Serialize your videos, telling as many (short) stories as possible.
– Promote your videos like everything else you do using social sites, the web, blogs, releases, newsletters
Once you get into doing videos, you’ll scream like Max, “That’s it, baby, when you’ve got it, flaunt it, flaunt it!”
Figure 6 — Limited Crew, Budget – While most major corporations are hiring online video production specialists to create and place their videos; there’s no reason you can’t undertake and test the application yourself. All it takes is a decent camera, a good editing computer, low-cost/automated production software and a link to video websites. Then, track/monitor viewer feedback/results. Source: muvee Technologies, Inc.
Interesting, informational, short videos are more believable than polished ads.
Using the automated video production software, you can quickly explain products/services, incorporate as many SEO (search engine optimization) links as possible and visually help customers use your products/services…show them how much fun, easy, profitable, rewarding it is.
Personalized Approach
Go cheap by using members of your team as the “actors.”
It’s an ego boost for them when people say, “hey I saw your video,” and it humanizes your company and the product.
New product announcements, new/different uses of existing products, how-tos, technical videos all connect the consumer to the company, the brand.
Just remember, it’s not a one-way discussion.
Monitor viewer feedback/inputs.
Get a good idea…make another video.
Better yet, encourage customers – real users – to submit their videos and include them in your web site, video blogs, podcasts.
Do your videos right, do them consistently and people will be watching your content on all of their platforms – laptops, desktops (home, office), smartphones, tablets.
Who knows, they may even bring up your video in the store when they’re considering a purchase!
Company videos don’t require bringing in a complete production crew…just a few simple/inexpensive tools and people who want to do a good job
Shoot, Edit, Show
Don’t be afraid to take the plunge. Consumers are embracing online video.
Just remember, Cisco estimates that annual global IP traffic will exceed two-thirds of a Zettabyte (667 Exabytes) in four years.
That’s a lot of video.
Some of it might as well be yours!
As Max said, “Sing it out, men! Higher, you animals, higher! We open in Leavenworth Saturday night!”
Can’t be any worse than sitting through another PowerPoint presentation.
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President Marken Communications, Inc.
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