Video marketing has been evolving on the Web for some time. From viral videos of comedians (think Red State Update) to powerful short clips from giants like Apple, the WWW is definitely getting more visual.
However, to find information on how video marketing is best done, you need to do a lot of research. Moving away from the usual types of “gurus” and “get rich quick” and looking at what really works and what happens is something that commentators rarely do. Especially since these commentators are usually part of the current gurus.
However, in trade magazines and marketing conferences, professionals talk a lot about video. It is the current “big thing” to capitalize on and is generally done hand in hand with social media marketing.
=== What really works in video marketing
Whatever your size or budget, there are a few fundamental things that seem to work with online video. Aim for quality first, but don’t overemphasize it. Studio-quality production is by no means a requirement for successful video marketing. However, the full garbage video is just garbage.
Quality video has several elements: picture clarity (not perfection, just clarity), good sound (again, not perfection), strong content, and short length.
The longer a video is, the less likely it is to be viewed in its entirety. Optimally, most of the good online videos that get noticed and go viral are almost always commercial in length, between 30 seconds and 3 minutes. Of course, there are some exceptions, but 5 minutes seems to be the limit.
However, content is still king on the internet, so most of all, make sure your video is full of it. You don’t have to speak like an auctioneer, but stay on topic and provide good information.
=== What’s not working in video marketing
To prepare to write this article, I went through YouTube and watched a bunch of videos based on a search for “product” and “opportunity.” All I can say is that there are a lot of really poorly made videos out there.
Many of them.
Most have two things in common: They overemphasize the “news” appeal of what they are trying to sell, and they often put too much or too little effort into production. If your clients wanted the news, they would turn on CNN. If they want low production values, they will monitor cable access. Be realistic with your production values, but don’t be stingy enough to try to make your video presentation using a 1Mp camera made in 1990 and your PC’s internal microphone.
=== The future of video marketing
The video is going nowhere. It’s online and it’s here to stay. In fact, it’s only going to get better. So every marketing strategy, regardless of your goals, will have to incorporate video in some way. That could be direct, indirect, or both. Often times, a video campaign can take place without the involvement or effort of the benefactor, in fact.
Apple Computers is becoming a master of this strategy as part of its general mastery of Web 2.0 marketing. Watch as they manage to “filter” timely news and then sit back and watch the blogosphere, social media, and video commenters take over and do their marketing for them. Free. The recent launch (and the run-up to it) of the iPad is a great example of this in action.
Video marketing is definitely an integral part of the overall marketing strategy for future sales. In general, it is part of the Web 2.0 revolution. What do you think?
