Video is an incredibly popular Media; the stats show phenomenal growth.
For example, You Tube has over 48 hours of content uploaded every minute and 2 billion viewers daily. And video sharing sites such as Blip and Vimeo are growing exponentially too - such is the hunger for new video content.
That’s the background, so the question to ask is, “How can I benefit from video and this high level of interest”?
These 5 top tips will make sure you get a great start.
1. How do you best present what you do? You need a strategy, one which you can develop and grow. Videos tend to be instructional, informative or entertaining - so think about how to communicate what you do in a way that catches the viewer’s interest. Blendtec Blenders provides a great example. In their “Will it Blend, that is the question?” series, they blend a whole series of seemingly ‘Unblendable’ items, to demonstrate the strength and durability of their product in a humorous and light hearted way. Their Blend an iPad video has had nearly 13.5M You Tube hits, creating a phenomenal sales success for them.
2. Establish how best to share it. Make sure that your video is syndicated across the appropriate sites and embed links in your other Social Media activities. Sites such as Vimeo, Blip.tv etc should have uploaded video in a format that allows the viewer easy access and the appropriate quality.
3. Make it snappy. Video is a fast moving medium. Viewers can quickly get bored if the video isn’t to the point and the pace is too slow. So start with something simple and to the point. If you need longer, then split it up into chapters.
4. Make it professional. We are all professional TV viewers, because most of us watch high quality productions on the TV every day! That’s the bench mark to achieve and ‘Home Movies’ rarely cut it. If the production qualities of your video are poor, then that is how your viewers will perceive your business, service or product to be, so leave ‘Home Movies’ for friends and family.
5. Include a call to action. Whether that’s to sign up as a friend, a request to follow a blog or Twitter handle, or a call to purchase, give the viewer clear instructions as to what to do next, otherwise you will lose them forever.
I have project managed several TV campaigns and used video extensively within Social Media. So when you are considering this area, I would be happy to share my knowledge with you.
Jonathan Wainwright enables organisations to create commercial success through digital marketing, traditional communications and team development.
Join me on Twitter, LinkedIn and visit my Blog.