Conveying your Message with Video
By Solid Cactus on Sun (5/11/08) in Marketing | 0 Comments
Video has long done what static content cannot. While conveying a meaning via words requires precise communication and a strong command of a written language, video can quickly convey messages using imagery.
Adobe Flash technology expanded online video deployment by making it quick, easy and mainstream. Embedded video technology was quickly abused due to its “wow factor” and just as quickly became an annoyance to those who sacrificed precious bandwidth for meaningless video that should have been simply text. What changed? The addition of interactivity and social networking with online video has turned it into a true marketing and conversion generating medium.
The most widely known viral marketing video website is YouTube.com. They have built a business around serving videos that are generated by the public. The purpose of this website is to showcase new content that is meaningful to viewers. Other websites have been quick to jump on this idea and the result is an emerging industry where you can watch your favorite TV shows and share videos of your new baby.
Nearly any merchant in a vertical market can benefit from online videos with a strategic goal to increase conversions. Amazon.com and Gap.com understand this and have quickly added online video to support their products. Marketing Sherpa cited online video as a contributing factor to raising one DVD Merchant’s subscriptions by 40 percent! If you have a physical product, then online video can be used to help drive conversions. It’s all just a matter of planning and execution.
In order to use online video to its fullest potential, you will need a few key components. Be sure to read the entire article first as you will be making decisions in the first steps that require an understanding of the steps which follow. Specifically, you should decide how you will deploy your video during the planning stage because the call-to-action you choose may be limited based on the type of deployment you choose. Below are the steps to consider when going online with video. While this article is titled “Low Cost Video Solutions…” the high end will be mentioned so that you are presented with a choice of well-rounded options:
Step 1 - Have a plan
This is the most important step as it outlines the reason for having a video. Many video implementations show a clear lack of purpose (beyond “that’s what people are doing now”). Map out the purpose and quantifiable goal for the video. Is it to be used for training to lower support calls, for demonstrations that increase subscriptions, for boosting sales of a particular product or is it merely a viral tool meant to acquire traffic/new customers? Decide first. You don’t need to write a Hollywood novel, but you do need to plan the message and imagery that will drive the video and ultimately achieve your goal.
Step 2 - Make your video
The quality of your video will depend on your budget. The greatest videos are typically created by production studios with live models and professional scripts. This works the best, but also costs the most. The low end alternative—the digital camera–is available to nearly everyone. Digital cameras (with video capabilities) or digital video cameras are common now and finding one you can afford is easy. If you are strapped for time, you may consider using online stock video resources like istockphoto.com. However, the likelihood of finding stock video that meets your needs and drives consumers is slim. Also, be aware that these videos (even the royalty-free ones) have license restrictions that must be carefully observed. Your best bet is to stick with having unique videos. You’ll own the rights and you’ll be assured that your competition will not be able to use the same video on their website.
Step 3 - Edit your video
After you have captured the video, you should edit it to strengthen the story’s pace and continuity (you followed a rough script when recording the video right? See Step 1 if you haven’t!). A production studio can handle the bulk of this work and supply you with the clean final output. The low cost alternative is to download your video from the camera to your PC and edit the video there. Mac’s and PC’s both come with default video editing software. This software is usually very limited and the compressed output is typically less than favorable, but the price is right. Adobe Flash has simple video editing abilities. For quality editing in-house, consider using Final Cut Pro. Be mindful when adding audio. All videos should have an on/off switch because background music quickly becomes tiresome and not all of your visitors want to be greeted with a voice or music clip while surfing in a quiet cafe. Furthermore, not everyone can hear your videos (due to and impairment, mute, lack of speakers, etc) so your messages should be obvious when limited to visual queues and text.
Step 4 - Deploy your video
Adobe Flash is the number one choice for quality and customizing your call to action. Find a developer who is familiar with Flash and can build an interactive interface flexible enough for you to manage.
In addition, you will need to find a web host to server the video files online. Your web hosting choice should be reflective of the amount of traffic your video will receive. High traffic websites demand high-end web hosting servers. If you choose a low-end package (usually because of cost) the result may be slow video playback, a slow website and annoyed visitors. Be sure to make your intentions known to the prospective web hosting company so that they may recommend a package that meets your needs. Consider an online service which offers pre-made interfaces and provides the hosting for you. These services usually require subscription and hosting fees, but you’ll have professional help when you need it.
If you aren’t going high-end immediately, the Web 2.0 option is YouTube.com. YouTube.com is not the only web-based video hosting and deployment service, but they are currently the most well known. YouTube.com allows you to upload your video for free. However, the video will carry their branding, they handle the compressions (which can be good or bad) and your ability to insert a call to action is limited to the text you place in the video during the editing phase.
Online Video Hosting Services:
YouTube: www.youtube.com
Formats Supported: .wmv, .avi, .mov, and .mpg
Google Video: video.google.com
Formats Supported: .avi, .asf, .mov, .wmv, .mpg, .mpeg, .mp4, .ra, .ram, and .mod
Google recommends MPEG4 format with MP3 audio or MPEG2 with MP3 for the fastest uploads.
Step 5 - That’s a wrap!
Once you have your video in a hosted environment, the final steps are to place the appropriate HTML code onto your web site landing page of choice. The video code will vary depending on how you choose to deploy it. If you are using Adobe Flash, then your developer should be able to embed the video for you. If you are using YouTube, the online website will present you with the necessary embedding code when you upload your video. Be sure to have a developer who is proficient with HTML and who understands your website’s coding structure. The code should be strategically placed where the video will be displayed in an easy to see location.
Have the shopper click to play your video rather than having it play automatically when the page loads. Consider “user initiated” playback akin to politely ask them if you may speak before further interrupting whatever they are doing.
Once the script is in place, review your video with pride, share it with peers and monitor your analytics to see if your shoppers agree. The barrier for entry into the online video market has never been lower, so act now! Online videos have proven benefits to multiple vertical markets. They present your messages in a more intimate manner. Video allows you to convey expression, attitude, excitement and most importantly, allows you to guide your consumers. The question now is, is your first call to Best Buy or your trusted developer?
Here are a few online video samples:
Sample of Demonstrative Videos with a Call-To-Action
http://www.airgundepot.com/
Helpful / Viral Videos
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Apadq9iPNxA
By: Miguel Younger
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