I probably could go up to ten, but Letterman has made that so cliche. I am settling on the nine best, brightest and most important reasons why video should be included in your future marketing/promotion plans.
1. You will either be below the coming wave or surfing on top of it. When they start incorporating technology into presidential debates you know it is here to stay. The use of web video is going to be made easier, faster and more accessible in the future. One of the major obstacles- connection speed- is soon going to be a non-issue. As soon as next year, Comcast is making a step past Verizon in the broadband/DSL/FIOS wars and boosting speed up to 150 Mbps.
2. Who likes all that pesky reading? I think it is safe to say that the Internet has not helped the world wide literacy campaign. Sure there are words, but web content is short, punchy and held to a minimum. If given an option customers would rather see, hear or experience your message.
3. See you later newspapers, hello advertising dollars. By 2010 it is expected that advertising dollars spent on-line will reach $3 billion. Smart, small business owners will see this trend now and will start organizing themselves for the shift. Paper advertising, although not dead, is slowly being moved on line. As the saying goes, failing to plan is really planning to fail.
4. Who am I giving my credit card to? One of the largest obstacles to on-line commerce has been the facelessness of it. People do business with people and if the only Internet presence you have is a JPEG and some text people aren't really getting to know you. A small video clip, introducing yourself or your business, is a first step in creating a personal connection to potential customers. Customers like to see a face, hear a voice feel a presence. No one would want to do business with the Wizard of Oz. That is scary.
5. So you are telling me, I will get more business if I do this. Yes. . . if you put streaming video on your website, especially well crafted clips, you will get more business. Don't take my word on it, look at the statistics. Maybe it is the extra information that is passed through video or that personal connection we just talked about or the feeling of legitimacy that comes from cutting edge technology. . . whatever the reason, video converts into more sales.
6. I can put it there too. With some forethought you can create an Internet marketing machine using video. Post it on youtube, myspace, your blog, your website and countless other places. Tie them all together with some local submissions and you have a powerhouse.
7. Wow, my business is really cool. Traditional marketing, unless you are McDonalds or Coke, can be limiting. Without a fortune to spend, most businesses can not be very creative so most end up with a bland, boring ad in a local paper. It is now time to unleash your imagination and let it roam free. Don't be afraid. . . you can do it.
8. Passion really is all it's cracked up to be. Passion for what you do is contagious. Whether you are an artist or a seller of Velcro, if you love what you do then you will be successful. (There are probably some other important things you might learn in business school, but passion is up there.) Video can showcase your passion to potential clients. You don't have to be a marketing genius to translate your enthusiasm through video. All you need to do is be honest. If you speak from your heart, your passion will naturally come through.
9. Video is cheap. The days of high cost TV production are gone. You can learn to do this yourself and be very successful at it. You need a camera (most consumer models are fine), basic lighting, basic sound and the will to go on. Actually, with some pre-planning, all you really need is the will, because you can always borrow a good camera from someone else.
This is a brief overview of the importance of video. The wave is beginning to crest and now is the time to position yourself out in front of the pack.
1. You will either be below the coming wave or surfing on top of it. When they start incorporating technology into presidential debates you know it is here to stay. The use of web video is going to be made easier, faster and more accessible in the future. One of the major obstacles- connection speed- is soon going to be a non-issue. As soon as next year, Comcast is making a step past Verizon in the broadband/DSL/FIOS wars and boosting speed up to 150 Mbps.
2. Who likes all that pesky reading? I think it is safe to say that the Internet has not helped the world wide literacy campaign. Sure there are words, but web content is short, punchy and held to a minimum. If given an option customers would rather see, hear or experience your message.
3. See you later newspapers, hello advertising dollars. By 2010 it is expected that advertising dollars spent on-line will reach $3 billion. Smart, small business owners will see this trend now and will start organizing themselves for the shift. Paper advertising, although not dead, is slowly being moved on line. As the saying goes, failing to plan is really planning to fail.
4. Who am I giving my credit card to? One of the largest obstacles to on-line commerce has been the facelessness of it. People do business with people and if the only Internet presence you have is a JPEG and some text people aren't really getting to know you. A small video clip, introducing yourself or your business, is a first step in creating a personal connection to potential customers. Customers like to see a face, hear a voice feel a presence. No one would want to do business with the Wizard of Oz. That is scary.
5. So you are telling me, I will get more business if I do this. Yes. . . if you put streaming video on your website, especially well crafted clips, you will get more business. Don't take my word on it, look at the statistics. Maybe it is the extra information that is passed through video or that personal connection we just talked about or the feeling of legitimacy that comes from cutting edge technology. . . whatever the reason, video converts into more sales.
6. I can put it there too. With some forethought you can create an Internet marketing machine using video. Post it on youtube, myspace, your blog, your website and countless other places. Tie them all together with some local submissions and you have a powerhouse.
7. Wow, my business is really cool. Traditional marketing, unless you are McDonalds or Coke, can be limiting. Without a fortune to spend, most businesses can not be very creative so most end up with a bland, boring ad in a local paper. It is now time to unleash your imagination and let it roam free. Don't be afraid. . . you can do it.
8. Passion really is all it's cracked up to be. Passion for what you do is contagious. Whether you are an artist or a seller of Velcro, if you love what you do then you will be successful. (There are probably some other important things you might learn in business school, but passion is up there.) Video can showcase your passion to potential clients. You don't have to be a marketing genius to translate your enthusiasm through video. All you need to do is be honest. If you speak from your heart, your passion will naturally come through.
9. Video is cheap. The days of high cost TV production are gone. You can learn to do this yourself and be very successful at it. You need a camera (most consumer models are fine), basic lighting, basic sound and the will to go on. Actually, with some pre-planning, all you really need is the will, because you can always borrow a good camera from someone else.
This is a brief overview of the importance of video. The wave is beginning to crest and now is the time to position yourself out in front of the pack.
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