It’s what you do with the searcher, once they find you that counts!!

I was having a discussion with a business thought leader last week.  She remarked that a business person can choose the e-Conversation Solutions, search optimized video (SOV) solution rather than pay per click (PPC).  While SOV works very well when coordinated with SEO (multiple use of both content and questions), using it as an alternative to pay per click was intriguing.  She noted that either pay per click or using video to get on page one achieves the same result.

But, as a second derivative, I pointed out to her, that once you are found, it’s what you present that counts.  With SOV, you have an opportunity to immediately present your company as an expert.  A targeted video both provides information and conveys trust.  It differentiates you from the competition, and suggests additional content.

SOV says “how can I help you?” “Here is a way to solve your problem”.  Pay per click says “buy from me”.   If you are selling commodities, “buy from me” will work.  But, if you are working to establish a long term relationship, it’s about answering a question and solving a problem.

Advertisement

YouTube Accounts for most video views

• 99% of Google Views are YouTube
• 170 million viewers watched an average of 182 videos per viewer
• 84.8% of US internet audience viewed one online video

How Online Video can Replace Cold Calling, Demos, Training

I don’t normally reblog someone else.  But, I thought this one was particularly good.

Home » Online Video to Replace Cold Calling, Demos, Training

Online Video to Replace Cold Calling, Demos, Training

As online video becomes a more accepted, widespread, measurable and cost-effective communications tool it is poised to enhance – and even replace – some of the more labor-intensive marketing and training functions at many businesses, according to a recent blog post by Wistia.

Wistia contends that video will likely supplement and replace the following five things in the not-too-distant future:

• Product Demos: The initial demonstration of a product or service no longer need take place in person.  Instead, prospects can watch demos on-demand and become knowledgeable more quickly – and in advance of an in-person sales meeting. This, in turn, can free up salespeople to focus on ripe opportunities, provide more in-depth demonstrations to customers at the next stage in the purchase process, and increase meaningful interactions.

• Customer Testimonials: Providing prospects information about satisfied customers is often one of the most meaningful and effective ways to build trust and close deals, though such first-hand recommendations are often one of the hardest things to arrange.  Interviewing customers for testimonials and packaging them on video will ensure they are at-the-ready when needed in a marketing or sales pitch.

• Cold Calling: Though cold calling is celebrated by the few salespeople who thrive on it, it is an often-maligned function that is unpalatable to many callers and call recipients alike.  Taking a “cold-call” message and making it into a video will enables prospects to receive a polished message in a way that is convenient for them. In terms of measurement, tracking what a potential lead watches also can give salespeople more time to follow up with meaningful conversations and less time chasing prospects down.

• In Person Training: Advances in technology, increasingly busy schedules and tight budgets have made in-person training harder to justify. Using online video to educate eliminates the need to travel, book venues or print out and ship documents. More importantly, it enables people to learn on their own and on their own schedule. It’s also possible to track the viewers of training videos to gauge the impact.

• Help & Support: Keeping customers and prospects happy and engaged 24/7 is a given in today’s competitive environment. While some customers prefer to tweet questions, others want an FAQ or forum, and still others want more in-depth explanations. As expectations have shifted, responsive marketers are coming to realize that they must make many different types of resources – including video that is especially effective in showing complex nuances and procedures – available on demand.

12 Steps to Creating Impact Video on the Internet

It is increasingly easy to put video on the internet. The casual user picks up a camera, shoots, and then puts up the equivalent of a home movie. Afterwards, wonders why no one is viewing.

Internet video can be effective in positioning your business as a trusted source, increasing traffic, and enhancing revenue.   To get the biggest impact, you should go through the process below.   Note that 8 of these 12 steps take place before you pick up a camera.

Steps to creating Internet Video

1. Define your objective

a. Who are you trying to reach

b. What outcome are you expecting

c. How is video part of your overall marketing/customer touch strategy

d. What is your call to action

e. How will that objective/call to action to linked to your website

2. Understand how you are serving your viewers/community

a. What viewer questions are you answering

b. Who are the subject matter experts

c. How are those subject matter experts going to be queried

d. How will the questions and answered be displayed

3. Decide how you want to use your video content in the internet

a. Video Service (youtube, vimeo, blip.tv etc)

b. Your website

c. Conventions

d. Deconstruct content on blog

e. Deconstruct content as FAQ

f. Tag on to email

g. Share with Partners

h. Other

4. Determine what metrics do you want to use to track your viewership

a. YouTube or similar internet service

b. Website analytics

c. E-mail marketing

d. Blog Views

e. Comments and inquiries

5. Create a budget & distribution strategy

a. How does video fit into your marketing budget

b. What partners might be available in your network to help in the funding

c. How might internet advertising fit into your strategy

6. Understand the logistics of content creation

a. What is the availability of your subject matter experts

b. What kind of facility is available for creating the content

c. How comfortable are your subject matter experts in doing TV

d. Who is going to serve as your host

7. Finalize a list of questions for Subject Matter experts

a. List of questions you think need to be answered

b. Cross check those questions with key search terms (both from your website and Google Keyword)

c. Confirm the questions with subject matter experts

d. Determine any cut away material you will need

e. Review questions with subject matter experts

f. Finalize interview style (two shot, two camera, monologue, vignette)

8. Finalize Requirements document that address the above questions

a. Actual production process

b. Schedule

c. Budget

d. Deliverables

9. Shoot the raw content

a. Interview

b. Cutaways

10. Edit Content

a. Rough Pass for Preliminary Client Approval

b. Final content based upon Requirements

c. Upload to Video Service

d. Annotate as appropriate

11. Create Other Internet Deliverables

a. Blog posting

b. FAQ

c. Embedded Website

d. Others

12 Measure Impact

a. Web Analytics

b. Customer Response

c. Advertising and Derivative Revenue

d. Revise annotations and key words based upon analytics

e. Implement “repeat” strategy

How Help, How and What can Help Get Your Videos Watched

Getting found on line is always a challenge. It is more so for video, because in most cases your content is not being catalogued.  So you need to improve your odds.

For those of us who are doing information videos including the words How, Help or What can improve your chances to be found.  If you are looking to be found by a search engine or decision engine, one of the key variables is word match.  The more words in your title that match the query being made, the better chance you have of being selected.

Since more users are asking questions when they search, adding How,  Help or What can will make it more likely the video will be found..  When I recently posted a video on behaviors that make a good sales person, which is the most frequently asked question on the blog, I integrated What into the Title: “What Behaviors make a good sales person?  I could have just called it “Behaviors that make a good sales person”.  But adding “what” will help improve the odds.

To see this video,  check out this blog posting .  http://learnedatscore.wordpress.com/2009/08/21/what-behaviors-make-a-good-sales-person/