Every business owner desires their monetary expense for
advertising to accomplish several things for them. We want it to
provide enough information to draw traffic to our site, increase
interest in our business, give us credibility and ultimately
create a momentous “buzz” about what we’re marketing. In the
past year there has been a strong response by potential
consumers to video marketing which in-effect accomplishes all of
those objectives and more.
By doing a brief or “quick hit” well planned video, you are
able to establish instant credibility because the prospect can
easily relate to you. It puts a face and even better, a
personality they can trust. This is something that text and
article advertising labors to do but can be easily accomplished
within seconds through a video. Videos are easy to load on the
internet, easy to distribute and search engines love them. It’s
also been found that you can more easily rise to the front page
of a keyword search through video advertising. Unlike text or
written advertising, you are able to gain the reputation as an
expert or trusted adviser on a video that can be seen at any
time over and over again. It’s the marketing gift that keeps on
giving and here’s the biggest payoff - its absolutely free! The
question that naturally begs to be answered is how does one
create a video that will effectively accomplish those objectives
when I’ve never done it before. Well having been asked that
question by home-business entrepreneurs on a multitude of
occasions, let me tell you what I tell them; it’s easier than
you think.
The first task is deciding what material to use. If you’re not
comfortable with long productions don’t worry about it. This can
be just as effective if created as a quick commercial or
“teaser” to get them to go to your site and boost your
credibility. One of the easiest things to do is to write down
the top 10 questions that people ask you about your business and
make a video answering each one. Another great idea is to do a
quick commercial that introduces a product or even better, that
references an article that you wrote on your website or blog. At
that point you merely have to state the question or problem that
you are proposing to solve and hit the top two or three points
in your written piece. Close by letting them know that if they
want to read about the topic in greater detail, they should go
to your website. It’s a great credibility booster not to mention
a traffic booster to your site.
The second task is planning where the video will be shot. I
can’t tell you how many videos I’ve seen done by someone who
wants you to believe that they can show you how to make money,
with a bedspread as a backdrop. If the background is not
congruent with the image you are trying to project then find one
that does. Don’t promote financial freedom in a video when
anyone can clearly see that you live in a shanty. The great
thing about video is that its all about perception and you truly
only need one wall if you’re inside so just make it the best
looking one. Another great idea is being outside in a beautiful
setting. This is ideal only if you can obtain acceptable
conditions. Make sure it’s not windy, that there’s no dog
barking in the background as a distraction or a mother scolding
her child behind you while you’re trying to communicate
something you feel strongly about (yes I’ve seen them all done
on a video). You want nothing to distract the listener from
focusing on you and soaking up the message you’re
enthusiastically attempting to convey.
Always bear in mind that your first video will be your worst
and no one has to see it which is the great thing about video.
When you’re on the phone trying to connect with a prospect or
customer and you give a bad performance you cant take it back.
You cant go back and make another first impression and there are
no re-do’s in real life…but there are re-takes in video. If you
make a claim that you can shoot an NBA 3-pointer with ease. You
only have to make a video where you hit the shot once and say
“see I told ya” as you walk away, even if it took you 20 takes
which were later deleted. No one knows nor do they care because
seeing is believing and perception is everything and nothing
allows you to control both of those variables better. You can
immediately load your finished product onto You-Tube and post it
everywhere. There are also companies that will actually create a
distribution list, take your video and plaster it on 40 or 50
video sites for maximum exposure. I found the cost range to be
between $100-$150 and you can use their services for the entire
month. Some even have free trials to prove their effectiveness,
which is always ideal in my book.
But what about dominating a keyword search? Well that’s easier
than you think because Google loves promoting videos, especially
if they match a search word or phrase. If you think of a topic
or phrase that you would like your video to appear in, have the
video material pertain to it, title your video as such and as it
begins to be seen and played you will move up the rankings.
Also, make sure you mention the phrase a few times in your video
because you’ll get extra credit. How you ask? Well Google has a
new program in its algorithm that actually translates your video
and plugs the key works into its formula so that it factors into
your score. That’s pretty cool because not many people know
about it because it’s only been recently that they implemented
it. So use that for your advantage to keep your video, title and
even the article in line with a nice congruent marketing flow to
maximize your ranking.
The bottom line is that if you get over a fear of doing
something you’ve never done before and make a short video then
you’ve already set yourself apart from most other entrepreneurs
out there. If you control the background, the topic and the
keyword marketing flow you seriously cant go wrong. I’m not
kidding when I tell you that millionaires have been created by
effectively using this method of advertising alone. It’s very
effective and most business owners are costing themselves money
if they don’t take advantage of this inexpensive and powerful
marketing tool.
Good luck and happy video marketing!
About the Author: Patrick Daugherty has a passion for coaching
business executives and entrepreneurs to reach their personal
and professional goals. To learn more about Patrick visit his
blog: http://www.squidoo.com/patrickdaugherty And full profile
at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickdaugherty
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