Video Marketing the Right Way

In 2010 Gartner listed video as one of the top ten strategic online technology trends for 2011. With the year nearly three quarters over, their forecast seems justified. Consumers' appetite for streaming videos over their desktop, tablet and mobile devices is not abating. Seeing its potential, marketers in general are increasingly joining the online video trend as a way to get their message across more effectively – and to greater numbers.

Subsequently, more than two thirds of UK marketers are expected to have increased their online video ad spend in 2011 (IAB figures). With easier ways to consume video content and faster download speeds the trend shows no sign of slowing. So how can you get video marketing working for your business?

1. Think Personalisation Not Perfection
The stumbling block for most small businesses when considering video marketing is the unaffordable production costs. Ironically, the fact is that some of the most successful online video marketing campaigns have been done on a shoe string budget.

Today's video consumers are more concerned about watching entertaining, customer focussed content rather than expecting the highest of production values. That said, the production costs in most instances are in easy reach of a small business' marketing budget.

2. Make it Easy to View and Share
Once you have your video ready to go, your next step is to make it available for viewing using a dedicated video player. YouTube provides this service at no cost – but what you may save on the video hosting, you may lose on not having total control of how your video is viewed.

A dedicated video hosting and streaming service can provide you with your own branded video player which plays just as well across a number of desktop and mobile devices. A key component of your video player is giving viewers the ability to share the content with ease via the social networks or by email. Another nice feature is for the player to include a call to action button once your video concludes.

3. Optimise it For YouTube
While you may not want to use YouTube as your main online video player, you also don't want to ignore the marketing opportunity it offers. Owned by Google, YouTube is the world's second largest search engine, and regularly features within the first page of search results.

Optimising your video for YouTube can have a significant effect in securing your fair share of the huge number of viewers using YouTube to consume content on a daily basis.

4. Spread the Word
Use all your marketing collateral to help get the word out regarding your new video. While you may not be able to embed the video into an email (as email clients will simply strip the code), you can include an image of your video which when clicked, takes your subscriber directly to view your auto play video.

Your social media channels are a great place to promote your videos – and unlike email, will enable you to embed the video right into their platform, making it easy to view and share.

5. Monitor What Works Best
Video is a very measurable medium, not only giving figures for the number of viewers, but also providing data for aborted views. This data will enable you to identify unpopular content or if your videos are simply too long for example.

The key here, as with all your marketing activities, is to measure, rinse and repeat, improving as you go. If you would like help to get video marketing working for your business, call 01454 261111.

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5 Leading List Building Techniques

The advent of social media marketing continues to provide many opportunities for businesses to make real connections with customers. However, your social networking plans should enhance, rather than replace your email marketing activities. While Facebook's usage figures are impressive for example, they are still blitzed by the number of people that own and use an email address.

An effective email marketing strategy still has a key role to play in the modern marketer's online arsenal, working cohesively with other activities in order to create touch points with customers at a level they are comfortable with. The question then is not 'should I use email as a means to stay in touch with customers?' but instead, 'how do I build a targeted, responsive email list?'

There are a number of techniques to help build your email list – most of which can be implemented across your social media presence as well as your website.

1. Freebies
Everyone likes something for nothing – and will gladly part with their email address if that something is of value to them. Your freebie could consist of a number of things, such as:

• a course of email tutorials
• a complimentary white paper or special report
• inclusion into a webinar
• downloading a snippet of a lengthy industry report
• giving access to membership area
• a free prize draw or competition
• or simply to receive a free newsletter full of helpful tips, news and resources

2. Spread Your Net Wide
A useful way to get your content read and promote your newsletter is through the publishing of articles, or becoming a guest blogger. Use your article bio to include an invitation (and maybe offer a freebie) to encourage readers to subscribe to your newsletter.

3. Set Up a Squeeze Page
A squeeze page is a pre-sales letter which invites visitors to sign up to get the full sales message. The idea being to capture their email address before they move on to view the full sales letter. Using this method can also enable you to personalise the sales letter with the subscriber's name or other details you have requested.

4. Encourage Viral Activity
This point follows on from giving something away in order to get something back. This time though the intention is to actively encourage subscribers to share your freebie. It could be a video, an exclusive white paper or report, or even a game. This is especially effective if executed well across your social media properties.

5. Brucie Bonusses
Offer your visitors a bonus if they sign up for your newsletter, "a 20% off coupon" for example, or present a collection of targeted white papers or reports at a 'rock bottom' price. This works off a similar principle of course as our first point (something for nothing), but goes one step further in qualifying your subscribers as potential customers.

In all the above make sure to be transparent with how your subscribers' data will be used by publishing your company's privacy policy. This will go a long way to breaking down any trust barriers right from the outset. If you would like help to build your email list, please call 01454 261111.

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Does Your Website Speak To Your Customers?

The decision to invest in an online presence for your business is no longer in question. The challenge now is more to do with how to differentiate yourself online, how to stand out from the 'cyber crowd'. Ideally, what makes you unique and engaging to your customers offline should be reflected just as effectively online.

The rise of social media has opened new and exciting opportunities for bringing businesses closer to consumers – but ultimately your website should also 'speak your customers language'. The following guidelines are designed to help you to develop a website which communicates effectively with your target audience.

1. Start with the End in Mind
Your first consideration starts before a line of code is written. What's the purpose of your website? What do you want to achieve by investing in an online presence? If you do not know what you are looking to achieve then it will be very difficult to be successful.

Starting with the end in mind will positively impact all areas of your website, from colours and layout to the creation, and even the positioning of your content.

2. Know Your Audience
Your website content, imagery and even colours can help make you more engaging to your customers. Get it right and you're sure to create that all important good first impression. Get it wrong on the other hand and prepare to be ignored.

A little research and consideration given to what appeals to your intended audience will help guide the 'look and feel' which will enhance your online presence, making a significant difference in your ability to speak your customers' language.

3. Making Your Content King
Now you're ready to get creative. With web technologies advancing at an impressive rate the number of imaginative ways to connect with your audience continues to grow. Each of the following platforms can be adapted to appeal to – and engage – any audience:

• The obvious first, well written, easily digestible copy
• PDF downloads for perfect printing (and reading later)
• Video content – which opens a myriad of content ideas by itself
• Social media platforms
• Animations
• Podcasts – and the video equivalent, Vodcasts
• Webinar and other forms of online presentation
• Slideshows with or without audio accompaniment

4. Remember it's a Conversation
An important part of connecting with your audience is to think dialogue rather than monologue. A website that never changes provides little reason for your audience to return after the first couple of visits. A blog is an ideal medium for publishing customer focussed content on a regular basis. Used well, a blog will also enable you to incorporate social media platforms to engage your audience above and beyond your initial content.

Critical to publishing customer focussed content on a regular basis is a well thought out content strategy. Simply put, this consists of a plan to regularly source, prepare and publish content designed to attract and engage your customers.

If you would like help in adopting an attractive online presence that successfully engages your target audience, please call 01454 261111.

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