by Todd Schuett, owner
Creative Technology Corp.
Videos are the hottest thing on the internet today. There is a reason YouTube is the second-highest trafficked site on the internet (after Google). Nothing tells a story – your story – like a video. A video doesn’t have to go “viral” to do wonders for your business. Forrester Research Group says, “Video is 53 times more likely than text pages to appear on the first page of a search engine.” People love to view video. In a recent conversation, a client told me, “If you put a video in an email, I am watching it.” In fact, if you have a limited marketing budget, a video is a good place to start.
Most in our industry are quick to assert that if they can get a prospect to pay them a visit, they will most likely close an order and start doing business. The goal with a video is to show your company in such a way that the viewer will want to know more about who you are and what you can do for them. It should leave the viewer feeling as if they’ve found the solution to their problems: “Wow! Why would we look anywhere else?”
A video tour may not replace an on-site visit, yet in today’s global marketplace, video can virtually transport your prospect to your facility, no matter where they’re located. Whether presented online or by your sales specialists, video can open new opportunities to help your business grow.
Key concepts for video success
Not all videos are created equal. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of video marketing.
Know your purpose. In the world of custom manufactured goods, you won’t get your first order over the phone or online. The idea of a virtual tour is to get your prospect to ask for more information and start a dialog. This can happen only if you can impress them with how special your company is.
Keep it short. It’s better to have a short video and get the viewer to watch the whole thing than to have a long video and have the viewer move on before getting to the close. Most marketing videos should be around two and a half minutes in length or shorter, if possible.
Resist the temptation to tell too much. You know how busy you are, and your prospects are just as busy. It’s always tempting to add details about what you do, but it’s more important to ensure the viewer watches the whole video.
Craft your message carefully. Make every word and image count. Say what you want to say as concisely as possible. Plan your message and images to show your strengths. Establish the visual flow to convey a sound workflow and show off the organized layout.
Make it pop! The old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words is no less valid today in video. The benefit of combining words and visuals, either still or motion pictures, can be truly compelling. Clear, bright visuals that jump off the screen can help capture and keep the viewer’s attention.
Make it move. Today’s action-packed adventure films set a standard to which we all must aspire, even in marketing media. Avoid dwelling on any image or video sequence too long. Quick, short snippets have the best value in keeping your viewers’ interest and leaving them wanting more.
Only claim what you can live with. While it’s critical to show your best face in a video, it is equally important to accurately portray yourself. Knowing that a prospect will develop expectations from your video, only portray capabilities on which you can deliver.
Narrative or interview? Having an owner or industry expert who is a good speaker talk on video can be compelling. It also can leave the viewer cold if the speaker looks uneasy or uncomfortable. Using a narrative style can be a great alternative. The narrator’s vocal characteristics can be selected to help portray the image you want.
Call to action. As with all marketing messages, be sure to ask your viewers to respond. If they’ve taken the time to watch your video, push them to the next step to start doing business. Ask them to get in contact with you and give them your phone number and email address.
Video uses
Many first-time clients ask where and how to use video. The simple answer is “everywhere.”
Your website is your 24/7 marketing presence. The first and most important place to show video is in a conspicuous place on the website. Make sure everyone sees it.
YouTube is the most popular venue for showing video. It costs nothing to upload a video to YouTube, and it is a key component to any social media campaign. Adding the right keywords into your description and metadata tags can help build attention beyond your website. It’s also good to provide a direct link to the website.
Other social media, including Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, have the ability to embed or link to video. The video can help attract and refer more traffic to your website.
Sales visits are actually a great place to use your video. Salespeople generally are inclined to talk with the client as the expert, yet a video provides the opportunity to show off your facility and capabilities.
Tradeshows and technical conferences offer great places for your video to be shown. Custom tradeshow loops without voiceover can be created to leverage on-screen words and graphics. In this way, your message avoids competing with the sound or noise in neighboring booths – often a losing battle.
Video – moving pictures move people
Shortly after their introduction, movies were referred to as “moving pictures.” I still like to think of videos as “moving pictures,” not so much for the motion of the imagery, but rather for their ability to move the viewer. Video can help your prospects see what you do, how you do it and your passion for what you do. Combining the right imagery, words and even the background music, video can go beyond just moving pictures to moving your audience. Put video to work for your company.
For more information, contact Creative Technology Corp. at 847.910.1258 or visit www.creat.com.
