Video as Marketing Tool

This may not seem like cutting-edge, forward-thinking, earth-shattering news, but too many companies are overlooking it or thinking it’s not for them.

Video. Are you using it as a marketing medium? If not, why not? Consider:

• Video is by far the most viral of any form of marketing. (How many times do you get a video forwarded to you each month?)
• More than 80% of Web users are viewing video online, up from roughly 60% only a year ago.
• The ease and ubiquity of YouTube and Google Video make it accessible to virtually anyone with a video camera and an Internet connection.
• It can be done inexpensively. Some of the most popular videos on the Web are nothing more than a camcorder accompanied by questionable audio. Users expect that. Don’t feel like yours has to be a Hollywood production.
• Blame it on MTV or whoever you’d like, but people would much rather watch than read.
• Media are embracing video, and craving user-generated content.

So if you have an idea, or an opinion, or are looking to expand your audience, video just might be the most appropriate and most effective means of dissemination. If you’re unsure, bounce some ideas off of us. We’d love to help. (Stay tuned for our next video, coming soon!)

Some (admittedly basic but too often ignored) tips to keep in mind:

• If you have the budget, consider professional production.
• If you don’t, don’t sweat it. But do your best to fake it.
• Tape the video with as much lighting as possible.
• Tape it somewhere quiet, and do your best to eliminate unwanted background noise.
• Keep the camera close to the person being videotaped so the mic can pick up clean audio.
• Have someone interview the subject, so his or her comments are delivered naturally and not overly rehearsed. You can always edit out the interviewer later.
• Consider investing in an external microphone for your camera.
• Consider investing in a photo lamp for lighting.
• Mount the camera on a tripod to avoid the “jitters.” If you don’t have one, set the camera on something stationary. A book or Brandon’s head might suffice.
• Keep it short. We may rather watch than read, but we’d rather watch a video short than Gone With the Wind. Two minutes good; four hours bad.

If you’re still unsure where to start or how this will work for you and your company, we’re here to help. And if you’re still not convinced, ask yourself if you’ve ever seen this or this or this, and whether you’ve ever forwarded them on, or if you’ve ever heard people talking about them.

Video is viral because it’s contagious and infectious. Catchier than baseball fever.