VideoVoo: Online Video Marketing

So you have a great product and decided to advertise it in an online video, too? Here’s what I advise as some basics.

1, Put yourself in an online mindset

Forget the TV lore and treat your video as an experiment (yes, as a constant beta): you can have multiple versions with slight or major differences, you can put up your video on loads of video sharing sites, you can make instant changes - so, yes this is a test and will always be a test version that can get better and better. Don’t forget that your video can be downloaded (even if you didn’t plan with it), can be commented (expect a mixture of nice and nasty comments - there is no single video on the web that has no nasty comments!) and can be remade - giving it totally different interpretation and emphasis. Can you accept it? Great, let’s go on. Make your videos interactive by themselves - have hypervideo links.

2, Think short

You only have a few seconds to convince users - users who have the murderous mouse, keyboard in their hands and can simply - click. Short means a zippy 3-10 seconds. But you can have lots of short follow-ups, or even a two hour video if it is interesting enough for your customers for some reason. But let’s suppose you don’t have the Hollywood budget to make a two hour entertainment, and be more realistic about your means. 3 to 30 seconds is the most you can count with. If it frustrates you, because you have a five-minute video: ask your son/ daughter or a teenager acquaintance to make a 30 second cut from it and watch it for yourself, and then remake it from that 30 second version to 20 or less, if you are afraid the message is lost.

3, People, kids, animals

Have something that has a soul, is animated and sparks life into the clip (cartoon and/or live). Don’t just have a screencast and voiceover, show faces, eyes, mouth, so that people can relate more to your message, and feel it more personal and real life. But again: expect that any faces will get good or bad comments (from head to toe, from caps to crocs). Make sure that you can base a series on these faces if they are a success.

4, Show the strengths, and don’t lie about the weaknesses

Any comments on your video will highlight the weak points, so you’d better expect it and be ready to reply to error-pointing in a friendly way. 1, Admit 2, Promise 3, Thank e.g. “Thank you for taking the time, XY. Yes, we know that at this point it is not working yet, and we hope to make further improvements on your feedback guys.” or something like that. If you go ahead of the criticism you can gain a more solid grip. By the way, number 4 is to keep that promise - after all your promise is on the web in black and white. You are accountable.

5, Respond & respect

One thing that is totally pointless is if you place a video somewhere, or you notice that your product video is on a site, and you don’t respond. Do answer questions, complaints, etc. - and make your answer as fast as possible, ideally within minutes. Use Google alert, feed reader, friends to keep an eye on the reception of your video ad. Flame wars? Ask people to stop flaming, address concerns and encourage constructive contribution to make products better. If you can, drop in a good (and relevant) question that will divert flamers’ attention from flaming. One thing I don’t suggest though: to disable comments. Even the worst flames are more credible and work better than a cowardly and irrational refusal of comments. Trust users: they will know how to react to nasty flames, can differentiate.

6, Multiple platforms

There are more and more video social networking sites, some of them are in niches (sports video sites are especially recommended!). Use your video in several channels and analyze the results, tweak the video ad and relaunch it, and continue doing so until you get the best results in the widest possible funnel. YouTube is obviously in your portfolio: not just because it is still the strongest, and is very well presented in Google Universal searches but e.g. because currently iphone users and other mobile users can easily get them. But then what about specialized sites like the travel-focused Travelistic and GeoBeats?
7, Optimize your video for search

Once out on the web, including video social networking sites, tag your video and give a good description. This will increase your ranking in search and video search too. Your video is not enough. Give at least 5-10 line description on the content, and add all the important keywords of your video (company and product name, product category and product features, geo info if relevant, etc.). For instance, a video is like a blogpost on Budapest’s shopping street: it should have your company name (e.g. BudapestHost), the product (Váci utca shopping street), the product category (shopping, travel, guide, tour etc.) and miscellaneous words (tips, gifts, souvenir, antique, etc.). Tagging is basically the words you most frequently associate with your product.

8, Place your video visibly

Once you make your video, and you put it on your own website or landing page too, do not hide it: place the video infomercial in the upper folder. What’s more, right next to it, state why I should even start playing your video (unless you have it as auto-play, which people are not always happy about). Just give 3 reasons why it’s good for anybody to see your video. Promise and promise well, have something as a teaser.

9, Hyped Videos

Your aim is neither the hype nor merely the purchase. But to build a stable and loyal group of followers, fans, clients -in the highest number. So stop looking at the number of views and comments only, and compare conversion, purchase rates against them. Do use good analytics software or compare and contrast the relevant data you have. There are fantastic videos out there that have not affected sales at all, neither have they contributed to strengthening your customer base. Know your target group - online behavior, not simply stats: read what they write in blogs, how they react to other videos, etc. Everything is in front of your nose to avoid the expensive hype-trap.

10, Tweak your video - series

Test and tweak the colors, voices, font sizes, the order of the clips, make them seasonal (orange for Halloween, green for St Patrick’s Day - if applicable), etc.  Keep your videos alive and let them respond to each other. No, you don’t need pricy flash videos, sexy hostesses (but you can). What you need is an awesome narrative (see lonelygirl16, Lost, 24, Apple ads, etc.) in a good series.

And if you think that it’s the final version of the top ten tips, you are mistaken. I will also keep twaeking these tips - build in suggestions, criticism and changes.

You can read further top tips on online video marketing on Brian Solis, on iMediaConnection, on About.com, etc.