Business Video Marketing Doesn’t Have To Be Complex
The time honored expression was always: a picture’s worth a thousand words. Today the impact of video as a marketing tool far outstrips the limited clout of a few static photographs – by an astronomic margin! According to Dr. James McQuivey, a researcher with the Cambridge, MA think tank Forrester Research, a 30-second video message has the same emotional and informational impact as 1.8 million words (or 3,600 typical web pages). American digital analytics firm comScore reports the average Internet user will access 32.2 video clips each month, while upwards to 100 million web surfing enthusiasts will watch online videos each day. A Forbes Magazine poll indicates that 75% of executives surveyed will watch at least one business-related video per week, with 65% of those viewers then taking the next step of visiting the marketer’s website after viewing the video. Those visits take viewers one step closer to becoming customers!
“the average Internet user will access 32.2 video clips each month, while upwards to 100 million web surfing enthusiasts will watch online videos each day”
Without question video attracts and wins clients. Dynamic online content, such as a full motion video, is an easy way to enhance a website’s visibility. By some estimates having a video clip on a website makes that site 53 times more likely to appear on the first page of a web search than one that features text only. Video adds a dimension to the online experience not found in any other way. As a viewer you can see the business person (or their representative), you can hear their voice, you in essence get to know them in ways you couldn’t otherwise. As a business owner when you appear in an online video you are winning trust and presenting yourself as an authority in your field long before the potential client ever makes contact with you.
So, why aren’t you using video to market your business? For many the thought of producing a marketing video and presenting it to the world seems like an imposing, insurmountable task. But it needn’t be. Your video doesn’t have to come across like a Hollywood blockbuster. Unless it has been created (for example) as an instructional video you intend to sell, the viewer isn’t expecting cinematic excellence. Visitors to your website, or your personal YouTube Channel, are expecting to receive good, usable information, provided by a knowledgeable individual – period! It’s all about the material, not about the art or the special effects.
Video presentations do not have to be complex or cost a fortune to produce, content is more important than production values!
If you have a sufficient budget you can always hire professionals, or at least semi-professionals to shoot, edit and post your clip. But if funding is an issue there’s nothing wrong with shooting your clip with the camcorder you bought to chronicle your summer vacation, or even to use the video capabilities of your new smart phone to get your message out. Basic (as in free) video editing software probably came bundled with your computer or is available for easy download from a variety of sources to remove glitches and to provide some rudimentary enhancement. Don’t be afraid to experiment, the results can be surprisingly good. As a rule of thumb keep your video short – to less than a minute. Remember to include a personal message from you or the employee you’ve drafted into being a spokesperson, and always close with some form of call to action: “To learn more please contact me at…”
Why not give it a try? It costs nothing to create a YouTube Channel, and only time, patience and the most basic of equipment to shoot and assemble a home grown video. If your business has a website (and what business doesn’t need a website in today’s market?) you or your technically-minded partners can quickly link that video back to your online portal. Video sells, it generates interest, it helps make websites searchable and can be a lot of fun to create.
