VIDEO MARKETING STRATEGIES

Strategies for Follow up on Your Marketing Videos

Marketing videos are ‘hot.’ They are a great way to increase your viewers and your customer base, which means an increase in your revenues. Follow up is also an important step in successful marketing videos. Let’s look at some very effective strategies.

You are going to have to experiment with follow up techniques. Remember nothing is a waste of time. You can learn from every experience. So just because you have made your marketing video doesn’t mean you are done. It is time to promote it – all of the action you take after you post your online marketing video works towards growing your exposure and that’s important.

Try these video campaign follow ups:

* Monitor comments that are left on your videos and then reply to those comments. You can develop conversation about your industry, your brand, your products, etc. and of course answer any comments tied directly to the video.

* Always measure your statistics. If you have a call to action, monitor the sales that come off that call to action. If you have links to your site then monitor those links.

* Answer any questions that come up. If your viewers are debating topics, you discussed in the video, answer any questions that arise, and allow them to continue the conversation.

Podcasts for your videos are a good follow up. Don’t make the mistake that it’s done once you post your video to YouTube. Create podcasts, which will help to follow up on your YouTube videos. It will allow you to expand your visibility to millions of possible viewers. You will need to have web host for your video files if you are going to create a podcast feed.

You can also make use of YouTube annotations. These will direct traffic to additional videos you have or to a call to action. This is a great follow up that can be of great value. It is also beneficial if your information in the video has become out of date and you can add an annotation directing viewers to the new video that has been updated.

The follow up is very important in your online marketing video is very important to enjoying the full benefit of your video campaigns. It is a common mistake of beginners not to follow through and incorporate the follow up with their online marketing video campaign. Don’t let this be your mistake!

How to Create Your Online Marketing Video for Less Than $100

It’s a bit of a catch 22 – your business needs a video to start selling but you need to sell to afford to have a video done, which is why you’ll want to read on. There are plenty of options and you can actually get your online marketing video going for less than $100 with this step-by-step guide.

#1 Write a Script

The basis for a good video begins with the script, so take your time and get this part right. You want to capture the viewer’s attention, tell what your business is about in a way that’s easy to understand, and keep your visitors engaged.

You might do a video that shows your viewers how to do something or explains how to fix something. Don’t forget to close with your company name and invite your viewers to call you, sign up, buy something or whatever the next step is.

#2 Record Your Voiceover

Once your script is complete, you need to do the voiceover. You’ll need a decent microphone, a space that’s echo-free, and a good voice. If you don’t have a good voice recruit family or friends to help you out here. You can also hire a pro to do the voiceover.

#3 Create the Necessary Visuals

Before you start to create your visual assets, you’ll need to complete your video. It’s helpful to brainstorm and create a written storyboard with your script to see how it best plays out.

If your video is not going to be live, there are a number of ways of getting still video footage. Sites like Getty or iStockPhoto have thousand of images that are royalty free. If you have your own camera, you can take your own images. If you are giving directions or doing ‘how to’ videos you can also use screen capture.

#4 Editing your Video

Now you need to put all of it together. Here’s where you bring your project to life. Most professionals use Adobe After Effects but there are some other cheaper options like Camtasia or PowerPoint. The software is fairly easy to learn.

#5 Add SFX and/or Music

Next, you’ll want to add any special sound effects or music. However, remember, it is not legal to just pick a song and use it. There are many stock music websites online so you can purchase royalty free tracks for under $50. Make sure your music track doesn’t drown out your voice track. Fading In and Out is a nice technique that adds a professional touch.

Step #6 Publish your Online Marketing Video

That’s it, you’re ready to publish. YouTube is the most popular site for publishing. The MPEG-4 format is ideal for high definition. Make sure your video has a good title and description. Also, make sure that you do a good job with your tags so that the right people find you.

There you have it. Six steps to get your first online marketing video up and running, and all for under $100.

Make a Professional Online Marketing Video on a Budget

If you’ve decided to get involved with online video marketing, you may be considering using a professional video production company. This can be a great idea, as you’ll get a top quality video. However, if you are like many small businesses your budget is small and your need great. This may inhibit your ability to hire a professional video company. This shouldn’t stop you – you may not be aware that making your own online marketing video is not nearly as difficult as you might think.

Start by taking advantage of the many free video editing software programs. You might already have the equipment you need – a microphone and a webcam, and you need a plan. Let’s have a look at what you need start producing your own video on a budget.

A Quality Microphone

If there is one thing you need to buy that’s of the highest quality, it is your microphone. Viewers will put up with grainy or choppy video, and they’ll live with pictures and without animation, but if the sound is poor they’ll hit the back button so fast you won’t even be able to say ‘bye.’ There are a number of good quality mikes available for a reasonable price. The Samson G Track USB microphone is one of them. Another is the Yeti, which is made by Blue Microphones. Take a little time to review the pros and cons of the many microphones on the market that fits your budget.

A Quality Camera or Webcam

Depending on the type of video you will be doing, you’ll need either a quality video camera or a webcam. While a lot of online marketing videos can be shot using a webcam, if you are planning to do live action you’ll need the right camera. Look for something that does live streaming video like the Sony Bloggie HD for around $129. While you shouldn’t expect professional quality from this gem, it is reasonable for doing blogs, video tutorials and video marketing.

You might also want to capture screen shots right from your computer. This is especially useful when doing tutorials. There are plenty of free programs that can do this for Snipping Tool and Screencasts are two such programs. They are easy to use and give you the opportunity to create professional looking videos.

If money is no object and you have the budget to hire a professional, then do so, but if you are like most entrepreneurs with small businesses, money is an object. In which case you can take the project on yourself with only a small investment in equipment.