The Video Marketing Advantage

Content marketers are claiming 2016 to be the year of the video. As marketing strategies continue to embrace the hot new trends in the online community, video marketing has risen above the fray in terms of reach and impact on target markets.  Videos can be used in a multitude of ways – from comedy to educational, to reach customers at critical points along the buying life cycle and build ongoing relationships with users. In addition to this, there are many other reasons why video marketing can be beneficial to your business.

The Age of Information Overload

These days, most people who frequent the internet are bombarded with information from social media, and mixed in with it is advertisers trying to cut through the noise to get their products and

services noticed. With the rise of 140 character tweets and 10 second Snap Chats, it’s hard to get users to pay attention to anything for any length of time. Videos are way to get your information out there in short bursts so that users get relevant information without too much effort on their part. It’s easier for brains to consume and process visual content rather than taking in a wall of text, so making a video visually appealing with audio enhancements will take your message to the next level. Your videos can range from customer testimonials and product demonstrations, to funny and creative ads that showcase your business.

Social Media Reach

Most internet users have at least one social media account that they check regularly, so social media is the best place to be for advertisers online.  While YouTube is the most well-known website for video watchers, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have enhanced the way videos are watched on their apps and websites to keep up with the video trend by enabling videos to be played directly in news feeds so users can easily watch without being directed away from the platform.

Posting videos on social media pages can reach thousands, and potentially millions, of people and it costs nothing to do so. If you’re a small business with only a small social media following, paid social media campaigns can broaden your reach very inexpensively. You’ll get more people watching your videos, which can translate into more followers and, potentially, more business.

The Viral Potential

We’ve all seen the work of viral videos – they appear seemingly out of the blue on your Facebook timeline and subsequently get continuously shared across all social media platforms. There’s no magic potion in making a video go viral, most times it’s just a mix of creativity, engaging content, and luck. But the potential is there for anyone to make a video that catches on and becomes a trending topic and, even if it only lasts for a day, a viral video can do wonders for your business. Users are more likely to share a video over any other content on social media, so it’s a great tool to get your business noticed.

While you may have to invest some time and money into video production, the result are videos that highlight your business and can be shared across social media, and have a permanent place on YouTube and your website as a way for users to get quick insight into what makes your business special. 

How to Find a Job Candidate's Social Media Profile

When a potential employee applies for a job they are hoping to present themselves in the best light possible. They are in charge of their own CV and behavior during an interview. However, if they will be hired to have a public role representing your company, you're well within your rights to do a deeper investigation into their online presence.

The thing about social media is that it's out there for the public to see. When it comes to tweets, comments and other types of public postings that job candidate can't expect those to remain secret. If you want to find out more about a prospective employee you can start with their profile picture.

Search By Image

A person who posts a profile will often use the same profile picture. You can find out where all those pictures have been used by installing Google Chrome. There is a easy to use extension plug-in called "Search by Image." You'll need to ad that app to your Chrome and you'll be good to go.

Once it is installed, all you need to do is right click the photo and use the "Search Google with this image" option. You should be directed to a page of duplicate photos. Each one of those photos can link to a different social media account where that profile picture was used. You'll be able to follow that person onto Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook. If they have a blog or YouTube Channel you can also find a pathway to those accounts with the Google Image Search.

Keep in mind that this isn't an invasion of privacy. If someone posts pictures of themselves going wild at a bachelor party or hurling slurs in a comment section then they are being their own worst enemy. Just because you can post something doesn't mean you have to post everything! A person's discretion with their public profile says a lot about their character.

Expanding Your Search

Once you've found links to their social media accounts you can get a sense of how they interact in various forums. You can use this same tool to track information about your own company. If you have a product picture on your website that might have been snagged by someone to post in their own blog. Do they have permission for that? Are they saying disparaging things about your brand? If you discover something like that hopefully you can bring a quick end to the negativity.  

DreamWorks Buys YouTube Channel for $33 Million

The popular kid's YouTube channel  AwesomenessTV was recently bought by DreamWorks for a hefty $33 million.

Never heard of AwesomenessTV?

Chances are if you have a youngster in the house with access to YouTube they know all about Awesomeness.

This is a distinct YouTube channel with 500,000 subscribers. It's kind of like an online version of Nickelodeon that with great video content. Now all the DreamWorks characters from such features as Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and How To Train Your Dragon will have a steady outlet. It's the perfect cross promotion for future releases and merchandise. This is the first purchase of a single YouTube channel to a major media company.

"AwesomenessTV is one of the fastest growing content channels on the internet today and our acquisition of this groundbreaking venture will bring incredible momentum to our digital strategy," said DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg.

This deal is all the more awesome considering that this channel has only been up and running for two years. All of this points out the growing important of online video content. Consider these factoids:

• A Cisco Systems survey finds that 40% of all consumer internet traffic is for online videos. They predict that number will reach 62% by 2015.

• YouTube receives close to 3 billion views per day. That equals to about half the world's entire population watching a video at least once a day.

• Comscore.com has found that within the past year there was a 66% increase of video viewing on mobile platforms such as Smartphones and pads.

How can you put this power to work for your company? Obviously you have to consider adding video content to your company website. Those videos can simultaneously be uploaded to your own YouTube channel for cross promotion. Here are some thoughts about making a valuable video.

Give it a purpose. Before you think of putting anything on tape, think about why you're doing this. Do you need to introduce a new product? Are you providing helpful "how to?" Are you hoping to drive traffic to your company's online store? All of the above? Work out your strategy because that will inform every decision you make.

Tell a story. Your online video might not become a blockbuster like "Iron Man 3" but you still want to have a strong beginning, middle and end even if you're merely demonstrating how to plant a tomato garden. Try not to present information in a static way. Think of all that you're competing against that is already online. Make your video entertaining.

Get the right pace. Most experts will tell you that a three-minute video is the optimum time. There are some circumstances where you need more time to tell your "story" but be aware of the limited attention span of all your potential viewers. There is just too much else to do on line.

Strive for quality. You know when something looks cheap. That's what you want to avoid. Thankfully, technology has allowed us to shoot and edit high-end videos right on our phone. The key is not to rush. If something looks or sounds cheesy, how do you think that will reflect on your company?

The hope is to go viral with your company video. That way you get tons of marketing for free. Start paying attention to other company videos and what is deemed viral.

How can you utilize those ideas for your video? Who knows? You might just be creating the next YouTube sensation! 

Create Your Own Videos to Help Your Customers

Can creating an online video help your business? Consider the facts: ComScore released a study that found a whopping 82.5% of American Internet users viewed a video online. Another report found that in 2010, 30% of Internet traffic was video content.

By this year, that number can go up to 90%. Next to Google, YouTube is the biggest search engine on the net. There are over 60 hours of video uploaded every single minute for a total of around 4 billion videos being posted every day.

About 800 million users stop by YouTube every month. That's an amazing range of audience to try and tap into and that is just YouTube.

In the business arena, consumers spend more time at a website watching a video as opposed to a site without that type of content. More folks would rather watch a video than read text so how can you tap into potential customer base?

That's easy: You have to create your own videos. If you're not convinced yet, consider these other factors:

Videos can be the best way to convey a lot of information.

A video can deliver a lot of messages in a short amount of time. This is especially important when it comes to company branding. Writing blog posts will only take you so far. With a video, you can reinforce the positive attributes of your company's product in a memorable way.

Make videos with humor and you'll go even further in terms of brand retention. You'll also be able to form your company's personality through your video presentations. That's going to be extremely valuable.

Videos can have multiple uses.

A video docked on your website can be a terrific asset, but a good video has a broad range of uses. It can be purposed on YouTube and other sites to bring traffic back to your site. The video can also be embedded in an email newsletter or used in a sales presentation.  

Videos are what your customers want.

Consider the tale of two websites. One has fun videos and the other just copy. Which one will get more engagement? The one with videos. If you want to keep your customers engaged give them what they want and that would be video content. In other words, if you're not making videos your competitor will.

Videos will continually be useful.

There are some studies that declare by 2014, the vast majority of mobile data traffic will be video. Every Smartphone and pad device has the capability to watch videos. By creating this type of content you'll be positioning your company to be "on the go" wherever your customers are headed. 

3 Best Social Media Books to Read

Understanding how to get the most out of social media takes an expert. Here are three books by the leading experts in the field.

Likeable Social Media: How to Delight Your Customers, Create an Irresistible Brand, and Be Generally Amazing on Facebook (And Other Social Networks)

This is New York Times best-seller is all about achieving success through online word-of-mouth marketing around the simple premise of being likeable. The best recommendation for any product or service often comes from a friend. If you can get a network of friends to recommend a site or page than that's half the battle. This informative book provides helpful insight in how to tap into the power of this specialized form of marketing. The methods presented in this tome have been utilized with great success by such a diverse range of companies as 1-800-FLOWERS.COM and the Ford Motor Company.


Author Dave Kerpen is an expert in this field. As the cofounder the social media-marketing firm Likeable, Dave is among the brightest and most successful leaders in this industry. His tried and true methods have a proven track record of success and he is definitely someone you'll want to listen to for your own social media campaign.


The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success

Presenting helpful information about social media campaigns means you need to stay ahead of the curve. The Social Media Bible is now in its updated third edition. Presented in this 700-page tome are all the important resources for big and small business to utilize the far reach of social media. With this updated edition you'll be able to find out how to bring in iPad users and apps, Foursquare and other location-targeted networks. Find out the latest about Google's every changing search engine algorithms. That information alone is worth buying this book!

500 Social Media Marketing Tips: Essential Advice, Hints and Strategy for Business: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and More!

Yes, you read that right: This amazing text presents 500 social media marketing tips. Included in those tips are links to over 130 video tutorials which can greatly enhance your learning curve. Among the top social networks covered are Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and YouTube. The expert tips will show you how to build your brand and engage with customers. When you consider that 22% of all North American online activity is spent at sites like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest than its clear this is a realm your business needs to tap into. 500 Social Media Marketing Tips will show you the way.

How Online PR Can Affect Your Ecommerce Sales

As the saying goes, the only bad publicity is no publicity. That’s a common refrain shared among PR folks and there is a grain of truth in that saying. Unless your target audience is aware of your business it will be extremely difficult to generate sales. That applies to a corner dry cleaner or an ecommerce site. Every business is dependent upon buzz and a good reputation. And the best way to generate that buzz is through positive press mentions. But you shouldn’t stop there. Good PR can come in many forms, especially through social media.

In this age, no one can ignore the fact that being online is a must for any business.   Gone are the days when your customers turn to actual yellow pages or pay attention to a TV ad to find what they need. Now most folks head to Google or ask their friends online to find just what they are looking for. What they will find could be your business ranked at the top of the search engine listings thanks to positive PR. Here are some ideas for generating that kind of proactive response:

Get involved in your target market’s community

Not every company can become an official sponsor of the Olympic Games but they can become a sponsor of the local youth hockey team or get involved with charity drives. All of those ideas can create positive a positive reputation that your business cares about the community you are targeting. Even if your market is nationwide, you can sponsor events or even athletes to build brand reputation. Start researching the interests and passions of your target market and see if you can find a way to get your brand involved in a positive way. Your involvement can often be mentioned by news organizations reporting on these causes. That’s terrific publicity.

Get to know your local TV news station

A good way to generate brand visibility is taking advantage of your local TV station. Many stations are affiliates of a larger channel so by promoting your PR angle; you have a higher chance of getting features, especially if it’s unusual. You can also re-post the news feature through YouTube and generate a lot of views. News producers need to fill up that programming with interesting features and not just the headline stories. Could you pitch an unusual segment to a local news producer? Suppose you have an ecommerce business that offers housecleaning products. You could pitch a segment about how your product can remove any stain in any home. If you can’t, then the winner will receive free cleaning services for life. Bottom line: think of how you can promote your business by providing something unusual that makes your company stand out.  

Get involved in online discussions

If your business is already attracting customers then it’s a safe bet those customers are talking about you to their friends or online. One of the most popular and largest online review sites is Yelp. Not only are they offering reviews for restaurants, but there are reviews for just about any other kind of business.

You need to plug into the various online communities to find out what is being said about your business. Set up a Google Alert for your company – this enables you to receive notifications if your company is being mentioned online. If you stumble upon a forum that your target market uses heavily, get involved. If someone has a problem with your company, go into customer service mode and try to fix their issue.

Low cost online marketing tactics to drive awareness for your small business

Marketing can be expensive, however, you don’t need a six-figure budget to drive results. Here are some great tactics you can put into action that will help you build buzz and drive traffic back to your website. While these ideas are not expensive, they will definitely take a bit of time and effort to master.  

1)      Blog commenting:  This is a simple and effective way to drive traffic back to your website or blog. Blogging is a social activity, a two-way conversation between the writer and their readers so if you join the conversation you must add value to it. By posting insightful comments on other blogs, you not only build relationships with the bloggers but also with their readers. Remember to only comment on blogs that are related to your industry or targets your market demographics.

2)      Posting in message boards: Although they may have been around since the beginning of the internet and are relatively unchanged, they are still extremely effective for driving traffic and building awareness. There are thousands of message boards around the internet for almost every topic. By joining and participating in their discussions and consistently offering great advice, you will be considered as an expert and drive traffic to your website. 

3)      Search Engine Optimization: Search Engine Optimization has become one of the most important marketing tactics that you could use to drive traffic and awareness to your business. With millions of people using Google and other search engines every day, why shouldn’t you target your website to them? By ranking higher in the search engines, you have the opportunity to drive thousands of visitors every day to buy your services and products.  

4)      Create a blog: Regardless of what you sell online, you must have a blog. The benefits of writing a blog goes beyond building a relationship with your prospects and customers, it can also help your site’s organic SEO ranking. Because Google ranks websites higher that post frequent content that people link to, having a blog makes great sense for your company. By posting great content, stuff that people can’t find anywhere else, you are positioning yourself as a resource that people go to for information. Make sure that you share your content through social media sites such as Digg, StumbleUpon, Facebook and Twitter. For many websites, a blog accounts for a large portion of their monthly traffic. By converting that traffic into leads, you can have your sales team follow up and make them customers.

5)       Build your social media presence: You should be taking the opportunity to have a company profile or page on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+.  They will be good areas to get new clients that you normally wouldn’t get. And the best part is that it won’t cost you anything except the time it takes to maintain your profiles. Don’t forget that people are on your pages because you provide content that they can’t find on their own. You build up your profile when you share and participate in the social web.

6)      Be a guest poster:  Another great way to get some awareness and traffic is to write guest posts on other blogs within your industry. With thousands of blogs found on the web, you will be able to find a few popular blogs that you can write for. And the common thing that all these blogs want is more content. By writing guest posts, you will not only get organic traffic but, even more valuable, backlinks that can help you with your Search Engine Optimization campaign. 

7)      Video marketing or YouTube: Now that they appear in search results, videos have become a great way to market your service or company. You can optimize them to appear higher in the rankings and create great videos to show clients how good your products and services are.  Remember, people go to YouTube to either learn or be entertained.

8)      Get interviewed: Getting publicity from major news outlets is hard, however, you can still get publicity from blogs and smaller online newspapers. Contact various bloggers and give them a reason as to why they should interview you. Mention your company’s achievements or why their readers will find you awesome. If they say yes, they will most likely email you some questions and post your response.

There are many ways that you can generate awareness and branding without having to spend money, it just requires some creativity and effort. There are many examples of companies achieving greatness through using low-cost marketing tactics and competing effectively against their competitors. If they can do it, so can you.  Just be aware that you must be willing to put in time and energy to get results.