Author Archives: admin

Website Optimization’s Effect on Offline Marketing Strategies

Posted on by

Website optimization or SEO drives slae sleads to your WebsiteThe importance of website optimization can’t be stressed enough. After all, the website is the heart of eCommerce and it’s where online conversion takes place. In recent years, website optimization has become more sophisticated. Not only is website optimization important online, it can extend offline as well.

According to Marketing Sherpa’s 2012 Website Optimization Benchmark Report, the most important website optimization goals include the following:

  • To increase overall conversion (83%)
  • To learn about consumer behaviors and motivations (64%)
  • To discover the most important wordings and phrases (62%)
  • To determine the most effective page elements (62%)
  • To find leaks in the sales funnel (58%)
  • To build brand awareness (53%)

Over 80 percent of the survey’s respondents agreed that increasing overall conversion was “very important” while 64 percent felt the same about learning about consumer behaviors and motivations. A good website optimization campaign can drive traffic, improve conversions, and provide you with detailed insights about your customers and their behaviors.

All of this learning from website optimization is largely being shared. The report revealed that 70 percent of the surveyed marketers use the lessons they’ve learned from their website optimization efforts to adjust their offline marketing campaigns and other forms of messaging.

With website optimization, marketers have a unique platform that they can use to test messages and responses. As marketers learn more about what works and what doesn’t work through the optimization process, they have the opportunity to use that knowledge in offline marketing.

Based on the Marketing Sherpa’s report, the majority of marketers do so. But what about the other 30 percent? What’s holding them back? It turns out that where a marketer is in the optimization process has an influence on whether or not those online findings will be extended to the offline world. The report revealed that those in the more advanced stages are 57 percent more likely to do so.

No matter where you are in the website optimization process, you may be able to apply what you’ve learned to other areas. For example, if you’ve split tested a landing page and found that your target audience responded favorably to a specific call to action, wouldn’t it make sense to use a similar approach in a print newsletter or some other offline campaign?

Likewise, your analytical tools may reveal interesting trends and insights into your audience. In fact, you may come to learn that your products and services appeal to a completely different demographic than you initially envisioned. What will you do with that information? While tweaking your website and online marketing campaigns to leverage those findings is the obvious choice, have you considered how you might use this information offline?

What if the team that handles inbound marketing isn’t involved in offline marketing? This could be a mistake. This doesn’t mean having your Web marketing team take over offline marketing, but it does suggest that sharing information could be beneficial to your broader marketing strategy.

Website optimization is a complex, constantly evolving process. As you fine-tune your website, test pages, analyze results, and learn more about how your customers and prospects interact with it, it’s smart to get the most mileage out of your efforts as possible. The next time you learn something new about your customers through the website optimization process, consider walking across the hall and sharing your insights with your offline colleagues.

Virtual Spokespersons: How to Choose a Look

Posted on by

When it comes to virtual spokespersons, props, makeup, and wardrobe can make a difference. Most actors are able to play many roles and are comfortable altering their appearance to match. Because of this, try not to rule out actors based on their initial appearance in a demo tape. For example, if you have your heart set on having a virtual spokesperson dressed in medical scrubs, don’t rule out an actor who appears on camera in a business suit. Look for qualities like a friendly smile, approachable look, and pleasant tone of voice and then imagine your favorite actors in suitable attire.

While this is helpful for website owners who know what they want, what if you don’t know? How can you choose the right look for your site? Start by examining the following considerations:

  1. Consider your target audience. Who are you trying to reach? Women? Teens? Senior citizens? Business people? Write down the largest audience segment.
  2. Consider your brand. Describe your brand using three different adjectives. For example, a financial advisor’s adjectives might be traditional, conservative, and authoritative while a personal trainer’s might be athletic, fun, and disciplined.
  3. Consider props. The above two considerations may give you a better idea of the type of virtual spokesperson your site needs such as a traditional, conservative, authoritative woman or an athletic, fun, and disciplined man. Now think about props that could help your virtual spokesperson reinforce what your site is all about. For example, a stethoscope, stopwatch, clipboard, and briefcase each represent different professions.
  4. Consider hairstyle. For women, buns and ponytails create dramatically different impressions. A woman with her hair pulled back into a bun may be a perfect fit for the financial services site. Meanwhile that same woman wearing a ponytail could resonate with the personal trainer’s website.
  5. Consider wardrobe. Finally, consider the wardrobe. From professional attire like business suits, medical scrubs, lab coats, and uniforms to casual wear, athletic clothing, and work clothes, the possibilities are unlimited.

Be careful not to overdo it though. For example, a virtual spokesperson in business attire would likely be more effective on a legal website than one dressed in judicial robes. A young adult in a polo shirt and khakis may look more collegiate than one dressed in a cap and gown. Remember your audience; you want your audience to relate to the virtual spokesperson, not be intimidated by her.

Fortunately, if you’re working with a video production company, you’ll likely work with talented professionals who can help you select the right look for the virtual spokesperson as well as for your website, brand, and audience.

Using Your Video Spokesperson on Landing Pages

Posted on by

The decision to incorporate a video spokesperson on your website is a smart one. After all, a video spokesperson can greet your site’s visitors, take them on a tour of your site, connect with them on a personal level, provide additional information, and prompt visitors to take your desired action. To get the most out of your virtual spokesperson, you’ll want to carefully script the role. Not only will your spokesperson greet visitors on the home page, she’ll also greet them when they arrive on a landing page. Because visitors arriving via a landing page arrive through a back door so to speak, you’ll want to craft your script with care in order for it to be the most effective.

Your website can target any number of visitor segments ranging from students, young adults, professionals, and athletes to parents and senior citizens (and beyond). While your virtual spokes model on the home page can greet the community as a whole, when placed on landing pages, the spokesperson can greet individual segments of the audience.

This requires careful scripting and broad conceptualization. When hosted on common pages such as the Home page and About Us pages, the script should be inclusive so that all site visitors feel as if the video spokesperson is speaking directly to them. The landing pages can feature language specific to the targeted demographic. After all, those arriving from an advertisement on a fantasy football site are going to fit a different demographic than those arriving from a link in a genealogy forum. And, each visitor from these different demographics is unlikely to ever see any of the other landing pages. The visitors will have first seen an external call to action such as an advertisement that prompted them to click the link and go to your site.

When the visitor arrives at the landing page, he has already heard a message promising something for clicking the link. What was that message? Let’s say that your website sells housewares. Perhaps you’ve run an ad campaign targeting college freshmen and their parents offering advice and products designed for making the move into campus living as smooth as possible. Because these visitors have heard the message about easing into dorm life and how wonderful your products are, your video spokesperson needs to follow up on that! If she’s talking about products designed for senior citizens, she will be speaking to the wrong audience.

On the other hand, if the virtual spokesperson begins with something like, “Not sure how you’re going to store leftovers in your dorm room or worried about accidentally eating your roommate’s turkey sandwich. . .,” your ad campaign’s message will continue, your visitors will sense the continuity, and original call to action will be reinforced. These elements work together to put your visitors at ease and motivate them to follow through on the original call to action.

As your visitors move from the landing pages into the main pages of your site, they’ll encounter your virtual spokesperson who continues to be friendly, knowledgeable, and informative. When scripted properly, the transition will be seamless and all visitors will feel as if the virtual spokesperson is speaking directly to them.

Marketing Videos: The Importance of a Call to Action

Posted on by

The script is just right, the set looks great, and the actors are ready to go. But something’s missing and you can’t quite put your finger on it. As you shoot your marketing video, you begin to relax as the actors and the video crew do their jobs spectacularly. Looking over the director’s shoulder, you see that the close up shots of your product are fabulous. The video’s going to be a smashing success!

However, when the marketing video goes live, nothing happens. Your phones don’t start ringing off the hook as expected and orders come in at a trickle at best. That nagging feeling you had on the set was real, and it was right. Something’s missing – something important and all too easy to overlook: the call to action.

A call to action can be as simple as putting a toll free phone number or website address on the screen. It can be as easy as having the talent say, “Take a short survey and tell us what you think” or “Order by midnight tonight and receive free shipping.”

While your audience may be sophisticated and understand without prompting that your product is great, without a call to action, your viewers may simply do nothing. Using a simple call to action, not only can you prompt viewers to act, you can prompt them to do exactly what you want them to do! With just a few simple words, you can direct the entire viewing audience of your marketing videos to: sign up for a newsletter, order a product, try a free demo, download a whitepaper or information sheet, or tell a friend about your service.

Here’s a simple video marketing formula:

  • Present a problem or need
  • Position your product or service as the solution
  • Discuss the benefits of your product or service (in other words, how will viewers benefit personally?)
  • Tell viewers what you want them to do (call to action)

No matter what form your marketing video script takes, these four factors progressively lead your viewers to take a specific action. If the problem doesn’t resonate, if the product or service doesn’t solve the problem, if the benefits aren’t great enough, and if there’s no clear call to action, your marketing video will fall flat no matter how nice the set looks and how well the actors performed.

Before you tackle your next marketing video, pay attention to the marketing campaigns you encounter. Can you identify the problem? Solution? Benefits? Call to action? Which campaigns compelled you to do something? Which ones didn’t? Can you spot any that lack a call to action? Get in the habit of critiquing other marketing videos based on these factors and you’ll be less likely to overlook the ever important call to action on your own videos, blogs, and websites.

Have you ever seen an ad that left out a call to action? Share your experiences and thoughts below:

B2B Video Marketing on the iPad

Posted on by

iPad video

Whether you’re considering managing your B2B video marketing campaigns on your iPad or catering to an audience that watches B2B marketing videos on one, you’ll need a solid plan and a few good apps. With its awesome display and extreme portability, the iPad makes managing and viewing any corporate video a real pleasure.

Apps for Managing Business Video

As a B2B video marketer, you’ll appreciate having your videos within easy reach. Not only that, the new iPad features a much better camera than earlier versions making it possible to shoot impromptu videos in HD. What’s more, with a video editing app, you can even edit your videos. Here’s a look at the best apps for managing your B2B marketing and business video efforts:

  • iMovie – This app is available for about $5 from iTunes and allows you to edit soundtracks, add titles and graphics, and more.
  • Avid Studio – If you’ve been involved in corporate video for any length of time, you’ve likely heard of Avid video editing software. The Avid Studio, again about $5, scales down Avid for the tablet, giving you quick and easy access to professional transitions, effects, and more.
  • Vimeo App – Vimeo is a popular video sharing site. Whether you want to upload a recently edited (on your iPad, of course) corporate video to Vimeo or quickly launch one of your B2B marketing videos in order to quickly show a prospect your business video, having an app with easy access to your video sharing account makes doing so a matter of just a few taps.
  • Constant Contact App – If you use Constant Contact to manage your email-based B2B marketing campaigns, you’ll want to download the Constant Contact app. This little app allows you to manage contacts and lists, view reports, post links to Facebook and Twitter, and write, edit and send email campaigns. If you use a different email B2B marketing service provider, check to see if that provider has a similar app.

Using the iPad for B2B Video Marketing

In addition to apps, the iPad makes it easy to share your corporate video with prospects. Imagine stopping by a prospect’s office and having everything you need at your fingertips. The days of dragging along laptop, DVD, video projector, and a screen are long gone. When the conversation lends itself to sharing your business video, simply whip out your iPad, tap on the video, and hand it over for your prospect’s viewing pleasure.

If you plan on using the iPad to shoot your B2B video marketing footage, keep in mind that while it is capable of recording high definition video, it’s not the best choice for professional business videos. Use the iPad to capture those moments and places that happen on the fly but understand its limitations.

How Users May View your B2B Marketing Videos

Business users use their iPads to watch videos on YouTube, Vimeo, and individual websites. Some may access your video after clicking a link in one of your B2B marketing emails while others may watch it directly on your website. The new iPad continues Apple’s tradition of not supporting Flash, making it smart to present your videos in formats the iPad can handle.

With the iPad’s impressive new “retina” display, you’ll want to make sure that each corporate video you produce is shot and packaged in full HD. Take advantage of the iPad’s visual capabilities by using professional-grade video and lighting equipment. As with online B2B video marketing, your videos should be edited down so that they quickly get to the point and have relatively short run times.

B2B video marketing continues to evolve, especially with so many business users embracing the iPad. While most of your B2B marketing strategies will remain the same, it’s smart to consider how you can manage and share your corporate video marketing on the iPad and how your prospects may be using their iPads to view a business video.

How have you used your iPad for B2B video marketing? Share your thoughts in the comments section below:

Great Product Demo Videos Solve a Problem

Posted on by

Product Demonstration

Lights, camera, action! It’s time to make a product demo video. However, before you turn on the lights and place your product in front of the cameras, you’d be wise to consider how your product solves a problem. A truly great product demonstration video illustrates the problem and positions the product as a solution. When prospects view the product video, can relate to the problem, and see the product solving that problem, their natural impulse will be, “I want that product.”

The infomercial is a classic example of an extended product demo video that first shows the problem and then delivers the solution in the form of the product. Love the format or not, infomercials often identify problems prospects didn’t realize they had. Yet, if the problem rings true and the product adequately solves that problem, then desire is created. Before creating a product demonstration video, it’s not a bad idea to watch some late-night television and analyze how those marketing messages solve problems. This doesn’t mean that you should create a product video that feels like an infomercial. It simply means to get comfortable thinking about what your product offers and how it benefits its users.

Steps for Producing a Problem-Solving Product Demo Video

  1. Identify your product demonstration video’s audience – Before you can identify a problem that resonates with your product’s potential users, you must first identify who those potential users are. A product video produced for elderly, house-bound patients will feature different problems than one produced for busy business executives. Identify your primary audience and focus only on that particular audience. If your product appeals to a wide audience, consider making separate product demonstration videos for each market segment.
  2. Find out what problems your audience has – Once you understand who you want your product demo video to appeal to, identify the problems this audience has. For instance, elder patients may be fearful of falling, may struggle with grocery shopping, or may have trouble reading the fine print on labels. Busy business executives may not have time for exercise or may worry about funding their retirement accounts. Brainstorm as much as you can about your audience, even if these problems don’t relate directly to your product. As you learn more about your audience, you’ll be more likely to find ways your product can help them.
  3. Position your product as the answer – After identifying a problem that your product solves, it’s time to focus the product demo video on just that.
  4. Show how your product is unique – Is your product the only product on the market that solves a given problem? Not likely, but it might be better at it, easier to use, or longer-lasting. Consider what makes your product the best choice for your market and make sure that your product demo video clearly positions it as the ultimate solution.
  5. Show your product delivering results to people just like your audience – Your prospects want to know that your product works as promised. By including people in the product demonstration video that your audience can relate to, and by showing their delight with the results, you can build trust and show that your product does deliver. For example, if your product is lightweight, easy-to-assemble shade canopy that appeals to the retired RV crowd, your product video would be more effective if it shows an older couple setting it up without difficulty than if a young, fit man set it up. Your audience needs to be able to see themselves using the product and benefitting from it. The product demo video format lends itself to doing just that.

The golden rule for producing a product demonstration video that solves a problem is to answer the age-old question, “What’s in it for me?” Solve your prospects’ problems and show them how they will benefit by using your product and your product video will have answered that question perfectly.

What do you think about producing a product demo video that solves a problem? Share your thoughts in the comments section below:

Video eMail Marketing Planning Tips

Posted on by

Planning your email video marketingVideo email marketing campaigns can be much more complex than meets the eye. In fact, they should be. Like traditional email marketing, your video marketing campaign should build on itself, ultimately leading to a desired action. This involves much more planning than simply pointing to an existing website video in your newsletter. Below are a few tips to ensure that your campaign informs, guides, and delivers.

What Do You Want to Accomplish with Video Email Marketing?

Start by considering what you want to accomplish with your email marketing campaign along with how your subscribers initially found you. Let’s say that you sell kitchen remodeling services. You ultimately want subscribers to pick up the telephone and call you for an in-home consultation so that you have the opportunity to bid on their remodeling projects, right? Before you start sending videos of your work and asking for a consultation, you need to also consider why your subscribers opted into your list and then tailor your video email marketing campaign to satisfy those users. You need to earn their trust and deliver on your promises.

For example, if your subscribers joined your list in order to download a free report about environmentally friendly building materials, it would make sense for your email campaign to feature a website video that showcases some of the most innovative eco-friendly building products available. Since you know that these subscribers are sensitive about the environment, your email marketing campaign could continue to build your credibility as a “green” remodeler. After sending a website video on building materials, your next message might discuss Energy Star appliances or the benefits of using trash compactors and composters.

Create an Entire Video Email Marketing Series Leading to Your Goal

Now that you have a goal in mind and understand what your subscribers are interested in, brainstorm at least five ideas for your video email marketing campaign. In this example, you might want to discuss green building materials, Energy Star appliances, composting tips, innovative kitchen faucets that conserve water or heat it instantly, and energy-efficient kitchen skylights.

Now that you know the topics, it’s time to produce a website video for each message in your campaign highlighting those topics. By including a website video in your email marketing messages, not only are you providing your subscribers with valuable information that they are interested in, you are redirecting them back to your website where you’ll have additional opportunities to make your case. Do this each week and your subscribers will become more comfortable with you and recognize your expertise in the topic. Who do you think they will call when it comes time to remodel their kitchens? The expert that has continually demonstrated expertise green kitchen remodeling topics – you!

Create a Call to Action

While it may seem like you’re the obvious choice thanks to your video and email marketing strategy, many prospects need to be reminded to call you. Make sure that your video email marketing campaign and website video series ends with a compelling call to action. This goes back to step one where you defined what you want to accomplish. In this example, you want the prospect to call and schedule a consultation. Make it easy for your prospects to do this by including your specific call to action such as, “Call 1-800-xxx-xxxx to schedule a free, in-home kitchen remodeling consultation.”

No matter what product or service your business offers, a well-planned video email marketing campaign can build trust, reinforce your area of expertise, and send prospects back to your website to watch a website video on the topic. Create an email marketing series with a specific goal and ask your prospects to take action.

What do you think about planning a video email marketing campaign in advance? Share your thoughts in the comments section below:

Testimonial Video Production: To Script or Not to Script

Posted on by

Testimonial ScriptwritingTestimonial video production starts long before the cameras start rolling. First, you need a willing client to appear in the customer testimonial video. Next, you need to plan the entire shoot from location to what the client will actually say during filming. At this point, you have two choices: letting the customer speak freely or scripting the words. Let’s take a look at these two options for client testimonials.

In either situation, you need happy customers willing to share their positive experiences on video. The problem with allowing customers to speak freely during testimonial video production is that customers aren’t always clear about what satisfied them. Where one customer might say, “They were great” and then draw a blank, another customer could ramble on for ten minutes detailing every aspect of the transaction. These two extremes illustrate why scripting client testimonials makes more sense.

While it’s tempting to simply let your happy customers speak their minds, the best client testimonials are scripted. Some business professionals balk at the thought of scripting a customer testimonial video. They may feel as though the scripted customer testimonial video is somehow dishonest. Scripting client testimonials doesn’t mean putting words into clients’ mouths. It’s a process that involves interviewing the customer, extracting the most satisfying parts of the user experience, and crafting a customer testimonial video script to match. When done properly, the words are authentic because they accurately reflect what the customer has previously said.

Testimonial Video Production – The Scripting Process

Scripting client testimonials is necessary because you have a short amount of time for customers on camera to make their point, and many customers aren’t exactly sure what their points are. In order to help customers communicate what they liked about a product or service, a skilled scriptwriter joins the testimonial video production team and carries out the following steps:

  • Interview the customer – When it comes to scripting a customer testimonial video, scriptwriters must first interview the customer to uncover vital information about the customer’s experience. By asking the right questions, listening to the responses, and digging deeper, a skilled scriptwriter can quickly uncover hidden gems that the customer might not have freely discussed without prompting.
  • Extract the most satisfying parts of the customer’s experience – After interviewing the customer, the scriptwriter reviews the interview transcript and extracts those magical moments.
  • Write a concise customer testimonial video script – From there, the scriptwriter crafts a concise script that is as close to the customer’s own words as possible, highlighting those magical moments and making a point quickly.

Once the customer testimonial video script is written, it is given to the customer to review to ensure that it accurately reflects the customer’s experience and speaking style. Changes can be incorporated as needed. Finally, as testimonial video production continues, the client rehearses the lines for a natural delivery. Teleprompters or cue cards may be used to prompt the client.

In addition to writing and practicing the script, further testimonial video production work can be done to polish the customer testimonial video to perfection. For example, it’s not unusual for clients to stumble over words when giving client testimonials on video. Encourage your customers to keep speaking and not get flustered. After all, you can reshoot the testimonial as well as edit it afterward.

Scripting client testimonials requires a strong scriptwriter with excellent interviewing skills. With a concise, to-the-point script in place, your customers can express themselves better than ever without compromising their experience or integrity.

What do you think about scripting client testimonials? Share your thoughts in the comments section below:

Website Video Spokesperson: Things to Avoid

Posted on by

Web video spokespersonTechnology has made it possible to place a website video spokesperson on your website. When done correctly, your virtual spokesperson can serve as a tour guide and sales agent. When done incorrectly, your Web video spokesperson can drive visitors away. Avoid these common mistakes and enhance the user experience.

  • Avoid allowing the website video spokesperson to speak before being clicked. It’s fine for your virtual spokesperson to walk onto the screen and wait, but the Web video spokesperson should never begin speaking until the user clicks.
  • Avoid low quality video. Your website video spokesperson should appear in full HD video. Today’s users are accessing websites on screens of all sizes ranging from tiny cell phone screens to massive flat screen TVs.
  • Avoid lengthy speeches. As with most online videos, your virtual spokesperson should respect your viewers’ time. Few Web visitors have the time, attention span, or desire to watch a lengthy video and many will resent been forced to listen to a long pitch.
  • Avoid having the video spokesperson read the website text. This can turn off site visitors, possibly even insult their intelligence. Allow your virtual spokesperson to contribute to the conversation, when clicked, not rehash what already appears on the page.
  • Avoid repeating the same video multiple times. Each Web page featuring your virtual spokesperson should have its own unique script tailored to the page’s content and desired call to action. Having the Web video spokesperson repeat the same information is redundant, boring, and annoying. Just as a real estate agent would point out the benefits of the family room while showing clients the family room and the merits of the master bathroom when showing the master bathroom, the same is true of the website video spokesperson. The script should be relevant to the page.
  • Avoid generic scripts. Your company is unique so make sure that your virtual spokesperson accurately reflects that. While a generic “welcome to our site” might have longevity on its side, it doesn’t communicate what’s unique about your product, service, or brand.
  • Avoid branded video players. Some entry-level Web video spokesperson service providers place their logos and links inside the video player as a means of keeping costs low. However, this is distracting and takes away from your core message.
  • Avoid borders. Today’s video technology allows for borderless video overlays. Your website video spokesperson can literally walk across the screen.
  • Avoid pushing and pull your visitors in. A virtual spokesperson can be used in many ways. You may be tempted to use your Web video spokesperson as a broadcaster who pushes a message to viewers. Put away the bullhorn and put your website video spokesperson to good use as a warm, inviting host. Write the script with user benefits in mind and create engaging copy. Use a soft sales approach and allow your virtual spokesperson to gently guide viewers to a compelling, relevant call to action.
  • Avoid choosing the wrong Web video spokesperson for your site. The website video spokesperson will become the face of your company, so choose wisely. Make sure to select a virtual spokesperson that reflects your company’s values and resonates with your customers.

Clearly, you have a lot of considerations when opting for a Web video spokesperson. Though it may seem like a lot to remember, it all comes down to this: attracting and guiding visitors. Avoid anything that could drive visitors away and embrace techniques that can draw them in. If you can accomplish these two key points with your virtual spokesperson, your campaign is sure to be a success.

What website video spokesperson techniques annoy you? Which ones work well? Share your thoughts in the comments section below:

Online Video Marketing: Success Factors

Posted on by

Online Video Marketing SuccessWhen it comes to Internet video marketing, there’s more involved than opening a YouTube account and posting the occasional promotional video. In order for your online video marketing efforts to pay off, you need a strategy that incorporates the following success factors:

Online Video Marketing Success Factor #1: Know Your Audience

It’s tempting to create a promotional video that appeals to you. However, will it appeal to your target audience? Before you begin any Internet video marketing campaign, you absolutely need to know who your audience is. It helps to imagine a single individual and then craft the promotional video to engage this individual. For example, an auto insurance company targeting older drivers might imagine an audience member named “Harold.” Once you know who will be watching your promotional video, you can write an engaging script.

Online Video Marketing Success Factor #2: Creativity

Many business professionals want their online video marketing campaigns to “go viral” and produce creative videos they hope others will share. Going viral may or may not be your ultimate goal. However, creativity is a definite success factor. This doesn’t mean producing a wacky video or going overboard with special effects. It means developing an interesting Internet video marketing campaign that your audience members will want to watch. People online don’t have long attention spans, nor do they have time to spare to watch irrelevant or boring videos. Use your creativity to create an online video marketing campaign that presents your information in a fresh, but appropriate for your company, manner.

Online Video Marketing Success Factor#3: Benefits

Remember Harold, the older driver mentioned earlier? As you write your script, think about what’s in it for Harold. How will your offer make Harold’s life easier or better? Will your offer save him money on his car insurance? Will his driving skills improve? Will he experience peace of mind knowing that roadside assistance is available? These are all benefits. Focus on benefits and you’ll make a positive impression on viewers like Harold.

Online Video Marketing Success Factor #4: Length

Because your audience has little time to spare, it’s crucial that your online video marketing efforts respect that. It’s tough enough to prompt viewers to watch a promotional video and few will watch a lengthy one. Keep your videos short and make every second count. In general, each promotional video should be between 30 and 90 seconds in length. If you have more to say, consider creating an Internet video marketing series with each video focusing on one key topic.

Online Video Marketing Success Factor #5: Video Distribution

How will you use your promotional video once it’s produced? Will you post it on your website and optimize it for the search engines or will you upload the video to various video-sharing sites like YouTube – or both? Make sure you understand how you will use the video before you produce it.

Online Video Marketing Success Factor #6: Call to Action

No matter how creative, benefits-focused, concise, or properly distributed your Internet video marketing campaign may be, if you forget the call to action, it won’t reach its full potential. Ideally, you’ll know exactly what action you want your viewers to take before you write the script. Identify this action in advance and use your script to guide your promotional video viewers into taking that action at the end. A call to action doesn’t need to be overly complicated, but it does need to be in place.

As you plan your next online video marketing campaign, incorporate these success factors into each promotional video you produce. By doing so, your video will be more likely to: resonate with your target audience, communicate the benefits of your offer, and compel viewers to take the next step.

What do you think about these online video marketing success factors? Did we miss any? Share your experiences in the comments section below: