Video tips that offer professional marketing touches

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So you’ve created your video, posted it online and successfully marketed it via social networks. But did you know about these extra touches that can give your video a little boost or simply make it appear more professional? Here are some we’ve found.

Removing third-party logos: YouTube is now allowing publishers to remove the company’s logo from videos. Here’s how you do it.

Facebook it: How do you make your video work for Facebook? The blog Reel SEO has an interview with Jennifer Kattula, head of agency marketing at Facebook, about how anyone can best use the site for posting videos.

Transfer it: You’ll need to know how to transfer your videos from Google Video if you want to keep them alive. The service ended and required users to download their videos before they disappeared. Here’s how to transfer them to YouTube.

Plan it: You might be eager to go ahead and film your video advertisement and post it on the Web, but heed this simple rule: plan it out! Here’s a great blog post with some tips on this.

Other tips, especially for small businesses: This Business Insider article has a great overview of how companies can best market their videos. Check the great links to other blogs and resources on video marketing tips.

Good online reputations start with proactive steps

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It’s been said that it takes years to build a reputation but only minutes to destroy it.

So what do you do to protect the reputation you’ve built for yourself online? You want to project your best image when your name appears in a simple Google search, so here are a few tips by IDR’s Diana D’Itri.

1. Be Proactive: Stay ahead of the game and regularly search your online identity. Sometimes it’s as easy as just Google searching your name. Or you might want to dig a little deeper and search blogs and social networking sites. Tip: Google Alerts is a great tool for tracking your online profile. Simply set an alert for your name and you’ll receive a daily email with new links to anything mentioning your name online.

2. Create your own reputation: That’s right. Using smart searching engine optimization (search terms, keywords, etc. that bring results to the top of search engines) allows you to create a positive reputation for yourself or your company. You can use your own blogs, online videos and social networking sites to build your own reputation.  Creating your own personal and company profiles allow you to post the kind of information you want to be available to those searching for it.

3.  Make use of what’s already out there: Find the positive reviews and articles about your company (or yourself) and spread those around. Post links to them from your website and share with others. Cross-linking between profiles and content with links to the pages that represent your accomplishments will help you get a higher ranking in search engines.

4. Use video: Of course, online video is an emerging and increasingly popular tool for creating and marketing your brand. So use it to your advantage and create a clear, positive reputation for yourself! Video allows you to appear in a more personable format, and it can be used to capture your expertise and sincerity. As you produce more videos, blogs and articles, your business will get top spot rankings in search engines. This means people searching for key terms – or for your name – will see this wealth of positive information you’ve made available. In essence, that creates your reputation in the searcher’s mind.

And, as always, contact us for help with branding your online reputation or creating dynamic videos for your company to be used on websites, social networking sites and online distribution lists.

Is YouTube right for YOU?

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Everyone knows YouTube. You get emails, Facebook messages and Twitter posts from friends encouraging you to check out the latest viral video, perhaps it is the Rebecca Black song everyone’s talking about. Or, maybe your friends pass along the YouTube channel featuring a company’s commercials – because, after all, YouTube does provide an outlet for online video marketing.

But, is it the right outlet for you?

I came across this post from the blog ReelSEO.com that discusses some of the pros and cons of using the most popular video service for your online marketing campaigns.

These two points, according to ReelSEO, are great sellers for YouTube:

  • Largest viewership of any video site, and one of the largest viewerships on the Web. (That’s not about having a professional presentation per se, but it’s about reaching an audience!)
  • Search YouTube is 2nd largest search engine next to Google, YouTube is owned by Google, and all YouTube videos can be indexed by Google’s own search engine

But the blog addresses something you might not always think about: video hosting.

Hosting your video on YouTube is free and offers a range of sharing and embedding options.

But here are the drawbacks, as stated in this blog post:

  • Limited customization
  • Unwanted ads. Think: “potential competition” that your target audience is paying more attention to than your video advertisement!
  • Limited lengths of 15 minutes per video
  • YouTube essentially owns your video and can take it down or shut down your account at any time.

The blog post concludes that while YouTube is a wonderful free option for people wanting to market their products or businesses. But, as we agree, it shouldn’t be your only solution for professional online video marketing.

While YouTube also offers a video editor to trim lengths or improve the quality of your videos, professional services like IDR can offer a full package from experienced video production professionals to custom interactive players that let viewers choose more easily which videos to watch. Contact us today to see what other choices are available for showcasing your company videos.

Online advertising and marketing: What’s the difference?

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This blog post from MediaPost caught my eye with the simple headline: Online Video Advertising vs. Online Video Marketing.

Businesses certainly use online video for both marketing and advertising, but how are those two functions different? The trusty dictionary, as pointed out in this blog post, says the following:

Advertising is the action of calling something to the attention of the public especially by paid announcements.

Marketing is an aggregate of functions involved in moving goods from producer to consumer.

While there are differences and similarities between the two functions, it’s undeniable that your marketing is done through advertising, and advertising often reaches audiences through marketing.

I like how this blog post puts it:

“Online video advertising approaches the goal of increasing sales in a more direct fashion, announcing a product, service or special offer and encouraging the consumer to act on the announcement in the form of a direct inquiry or immediate purchase. Just as advertising involves paying for access to a large, targeted audience, online video advertising allows brands and products to drill down even further and reach an even more targeted audience, sorted by interests. Often, the same verticals established for an online video ad campaign can be carried through to online video marketing.”

And here’s what the blog post says about marketing:

“By contrast, online video marketing tends to be concerned with elements like brand lift, product awareness and engagement. In addition to ultimately leading consumers toward purchasing decisions, the call to action associated with video marketing is typically presented in a less aggressive and longer-lasting way.”

Are you using online advertising more than online marketing, or vice-versa? Why? Want to know how to link the two functions together to create a dynamic online video marketing and advertising campaign? Leave your ideas in the comments section below, and contact us here at IDR to see how we can jumpstart your online video marketing campaign.

Video marketing not a novelty; measuring results is next

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Is online video marketing still considered a fad, or have businesses caught on and adapted the marketing strategy? Many businesses are still figuring out how online video marketing can work for their products, while others are using creative and advanced techniques to reach potential clients.

Whatever level you might be on, it’s comforting to know that many people in the marketing field think online videos are the “next breaking wave for marketing.”

That’s the title of this blog post, which lists evidence that video marketing soon will be a common strategy for all types and sizes of businesses. The post says a research firm reports video increases a website’s likelihood for better Google search results and that product videos increase the likelihood of a purchase by 64 percent.

But beyond stating the reasons to support online video marketing, this blog post says “no marketing strategy is complete if you can’t measure the results.”

Such is true. And it’s interesting to see how video marketing sites score on this “online video grader” created by a company called Pixability. You’ll notice companies that regularly post videos and actively engage viewers have higher scores. See the graph at the end of the blog post for examples.

How would you score on the online video grader? Are you ready to take the next step in your video marketing? Contact IDR to see how we can help.

More reasons than ever to use online video

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You’ve likely heard that online videos can help your business leverage its reputation as well as expose potential clients to a more personable side of your company.

But what better reason do you need to implement online videos than the fact that more people are now watching online videos than ever before? A new study of viewers across the YuMe video ad network found that more than49 percent of respondents said they watch online video daily, and 66 percent of respondents surveyed on YuMe’s network said they watch more online video now than they did 12 months ago. YuMe is a video advertising company.

Think of all the potential clients you can reach by creating viral videos that are shared by your friends!

So, why not give it a try? Contact IDR Broadcasting if you’d like some help, or check out our video promo page for resources and examples.

Facebook second only to Google in creating online video traffic

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This is the popular scenario: You’re sitting at your desk at work, taking a break and browsing what your friends are posting. One friend posts a video and says something about it that makes you want to see it for yourself, so you click play.

Sounds simple enough, but it’s a genius way for businesses to market online videos. If you aren’t passing around your videos on Facebook, maybe you’ll start after learning that a new research report says Facebook is second only to Google in driving online video traffic.

The Online Video and Media Industry Quarterly Research Report also said most video is consumed during the week, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays - hence the “work” scenario. It also revealed that most people watch longer videos on the weekends, with the lengthiest web-video sessions happening on video game consoles instead of computers.

Here at IDR, we create videos we hope our clients will share with their audiences, and we encourage the use of Facebook as a method for doing so. We also are revamping our own Facebook page - and then simply share them by clicking the “share” link. We invite you to visit our Facebook page and follow us on our journey of providing you with tips for online video production and marketing. Do you have a favorite method for posting and sharing videos on Facebook? Let us know by posting in the comments below, and we’ll share your tips with others.

Connecting with women: the major force behind online video consumption

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The driving force behind the explosive growth of online video consumption is the category of women ages 25 to 44, according to a new report by Nielsen and TODAYshow.com.

The joint study revealed how and why women use online video in their daily lives. One of the key themes researches found was that emotional triggers impact viewing, specifically the types of content consumed. Also, the value of online video as “social currency” is on the rise and leads women to favor links suggested by their friends, according to this Nielsen report.

The study points out that more than 25 million women streamed videos from social media platforms, up about 50 percent from last year. And where do they find these videos? Their friends.

“For some women, links sent by friends were considered to be of ‘higher value’ since they are trusted sources, compared to blanket emails from unknown sources which are often associated with online scams and phishing,” the study says.

Here’s another interesting point about the study and the the demographic of women using online video:

“Using women who have streamed TODAYshow.com as a proxy, Nielsen compared women’s overall online engagement to the average Internet population. It was plausible to think that stay-at-home women would have the highest Internet engagement. However, the study revealed that Internet use among working women with kids – a group that might otherwise have the least available time to spend online – was extremely strong. Moreover, women aged 35 to 44 had stronger digital activity – outpacing their younger counterparts in this category. This spike in activity revealed that workplace video consumption was much more common than originally expected.”

Want to know more about how to tap into this demographic of online video viewers? Nielsen is hosting a free online Webinar about the study. Click here to register.

What do you think? Now that you’ve seen parts of this study, are there things you would recommend or do differently to reach this audience?

Building business through referral partners

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Sometimes you need a little help from your friends. That’s why IDR Broadcasting partners with businesses that sell synergistic products and services such as search engine optimization, website tools and marketing services. Business alliances are valuable bridges that can be used to reach new customer audiences.

These alliances are typically like-minded businesses serving the similar audiences, but they offer separate, complementary services or products that aren’t in direct competition with each other.

How does this benefit each partner? Your clients sometimes need more than one service. For example, if your company offers Web design, your client also might be looking for someone who can help the website get better results with search engine optimization. Therefore, it could be ideal for a Web design company and a search engine optimization specialist to partner and refer their clients to one another. Not only does your business benefit from the added exposure through a business referral network, but your clients also benefit because you are providing an important service to them. In essence, you’re saving your client time and stress by recommending a complementary service they might be seeking.

Sound familiar? Many professions use these business referral networks. Doctors and dentists, for example, often refer their patients to specialists and oral surgeons. A hotel wedding coordinator might recommend a DJ or a florist.
Here at IDR we partner with marketing companies, search engine optimization specialists, magazine and newspaper publishers, hotels and other types of businesses. Almost any company who would like to offer video solutions to their clients can refer us to those they serve. We have the capability to produce video for clients anywhere in the country, and we have a Video Help Store for do-it-yourself clients, among other products we can offer.

Business referrals have helped businesses grow, and that’s why we want to partner with you. Just click here to fill out a free consultation form, and we’ll be in touch. We all have great services to offer, and there’s no doubt we work better together.

Leverage your reputation with client testimonials

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What a person says about your law firm often matters more than your own words. That’s why it’s important to include testimonials from your clients when using video on your website. Of course, you’ll want to have a plan and implement some best practices before producing testimonials from valued clients.

First comes the planning stage. You’ll want to decide whether to handle the process of recording your testimonials yourself, delegate to someone in the office, or hire an outside production company to handle it for you. If you decide to go the DIY route, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Who do you want to coordinate the interviews?

2. Who do you want to conduct the interviews with your valued customers?

3. Which clients will give the best and most varied testimonial?

4. Where and how do you want to conduct the interviews?

5. What questions will you ask your clients to stimulate the best response?

Then after you record and edit your testimonials, you must consider where and how you will publish them for maximum exposure.

While video testimonials are encouraged, clients aren’t always comfortable in front of the camera or it might be that coming to your office for an interview is too inconvenient for you or them. Your valued client might be more inclined to give his or her testimonial over the telephone, which you can record and then upload to your website.

Streaming audio reviews on your website can be a powerful marketing tool and recording them over the phone is a very convenient way to capture a compelling testimonial from a valued client. Just think about the success of radio advertisements and announcers who offer their recommendations for services. When it comes to testimonials, most would agree that a voice is much better than just plain text.

Once you have your testimonials, use your creativity (or ask a professional) to implement them onto your website. You can also use them to support your credibility on emails and “on hold” messages so that your callers can hear what others have to say about your company while waiting to speak to your representative.

Regardless of how you decide to record and use your audio or video testimonials, you can be confident in knowing that your client’s positive stories about your company will compel others to do business with you too.

For ideas on using streaming customer reviews, check out attorney Paul Levin’s audio testimonial and some video testimonials here: video testimonials

Check out Attorney Paul Levin's client testimonial at http://www.webtalk1on1.com/reviews/paul_levin_review.mp3