Including Video in Your Marketing

The #1 thing I am telling my clients nowadays is that video is king. In my own experience, adding a simple 2-minute video introduction to my website resulted in new business very quickly. I believe it is a must in order to stand out in today's competitive environment. A video helps potential customers get to know you far more than static images and text. And, it doesn't have to be fancy. My own first video is far from perfect, but it's effective: see jcarpenter.biz

Here's a great article on successful video marketing -- 

Video Marketing and YouTube for Small Business Success: Anyone Can Do It

by Marcus Sheridan

Igot a text at about 10:15 from a customer tonight. It read something like this:

Marcus, my wife and I are just sitting here watching your PoolSchool videos, and we’re ready to pull the trigger.

Of course, in this case, pull the triggermeant that he and his wife had decided to buy the pool I had quoted them a few days ago. And once again, despite being more expensive than the other quote given by my competitor, they chose us.

But this isn’t the only experience I had along these lines today. At a sales appointment this morning I had a most interesting conversation with an incredibly nice and successful guy in his late 30s who owns a prominent consulting firm.  Essentially, as we were discussing his potential pool project, he told me this (and no, I’m not exaggerating):

Dude, I’ve watched all your freaking videos. In fact, I probably hold the record for the customer who has watched the most Marcus Sheridan videos. That’s why I know when you speak you’re not full of bull#%#%. So just go ahead and tell me what I need…..

Literally, all I could do was laugh when he told me this, as I’ll never cease to be amazed by the simple power of video and Youtube marketing for small businesses.

Profound Impact

Yes, I’ve talked multiple times regarding video marketing for small businesses on this blog, but the extraordinary influence this simple and cheap medium can have on consumer brand awareness, as well as consumer confidence, may even supersede that of blogging. And as everyone knows, I stinking love blogging for small businesses.

So why is it that so many small businesses are still not leveraging video? Why are they spending thousands on website designs and redesigns but continually falling flat on their faces? The whole phenomenon is an utter mystery to me quite frankly.

Bigger Ain’t Better

Take for example the swimming pool company I beat out in the previous story. The company is the 2^nd largest swimming pool installer in the world. They have a huge advertising budget. In 2008 their sales were about $130,000,000. Notwithstanding, their website stinks. Yep, it’s an utter failure. Sure it has nice photos and pretty flash, but they don’t have a blog nor do they utilize video.

That’s right, a company with over $100,000,000 in annual sales of one of the most visually stimulating luxuries in the world (a swimming pool) doesn’t even leverage the power of video on their website. Honestly, I’m dumbfounded.

This, my friends, is why David beats Goliath everyday on the web. And it’s also why you absolutely need to decide right now that video will be your best friend. If you haven’t done so already, go out and buy a $200 camera and start recording everything.

Everything?

Yes, I mean EVERYTHING.

Just as the curse of knowledge affects regular blogging, it also greatly impacts video production. Don’t assume your customers know anything. Put your mind in theirs and start seeing the world out of their eyes. Just by doing this, and by asking yourself the questions that a consumer will always ask as they start to research your product, will give you a wealth of video subjects and ideas. But for those of you who are still a little confused as to what to show and talk about, here are 4 areas to focus on as you get started.

1. You and Your People

Your business isn’t just about its products, it’s also about you. It’s about your employees. It’s about the people that make your little part of the world go round. Look at Steve Jobs for example. Why do we keep seeing videos of Steve talking about and launching his ‘next great product’ on the internet?

The answer is simple. People like putting faces with products. That’s what we do. We like stories. We think and make decisions on logical, but also emotional, levels. Apple gets this. That’s why Jobs has an incredible cult following. And as Seth Godin would say it, Jobs has created his tribe, and boy does he know how to stay in touch with his tribe.

The same thing could be said for thousands of other great companies, but unfortunately these stellar examples are few and far between. Fact is, whether you’re a CEO or a small business owner like me, the best way consumers can get to know you and like you before they’ve ever even met you is through the power video—which is why you’re nuts if you’re not taking advantage of YouTube right now.

2. Break Down the Product

As you’ll see if you visit my swimming pool video library, everything that has to do with fiberglass pools, as well as every stage of their installation, is broken down into some form of video. Show the intricacies of your product. Show how it comes to life. Demonstrate clearly was it’s capable of.

3. Life as a Product Owner

Once the consumer owns your product, is that it? Or is there more? Just as swimming pools require upkeep and maintenance, so does just about every other tangible item that a store or business sells. With the case of my business, I made the commitment about 1 year ago that every customer should be able to go to our video library and find any answer they are looking for if a question or problem ever arises. And after 12 months, we’ve come very close to completing our goal. Can you imagine the effect this has on a consumer?

4. What Others are Saying

Testimonials are awesome. That’s why they’re in every infomercial on TV even though most of the stuff that’s sold is total crapola. There’s just something magical about hearing an ‘actual customer’ testify of the superiority of a company’s products, people, and services. So if your business’ website does not have a least one video of a customer testimonial, then you’re sadly missing a tremendous opportunity to gain further trust from potential clients and prospects.

So there are my thoughts on this awesome medium. Please believe me when I say the moment you decide to truly embrace consumer education through video and YouTube will likely be one of the top 2 or 3 most important business decisions of your life.

Retrieved October 22, 2014, from http://www.thesaleslion.com/video-marketing-and-youtube-for-small-business-success-anyone-can-do-it/

What is IMC?

I'm just finishing up my first class for my Master's degree in IMC, and it seems to me that many don't understand what it is.

To me, it's the NEW marketing and communications world that includes all the latest, greatest thinking, strategies and tactics.  It aligns with the NEW way consumers think and live.  To others, it is simply an "integration" of traditional offline marketing with the newer online marketing.  That is true, but, it really isn't that simple. The world has changed -- dramatically, and so too does how we reach it with messages.

Image via Marketing is Dead

An article in Harvard Business Review's blog from all the way back in 2012 :), explains just how much this field has changed in a very succinct way:

"Traditional marketing — including advertising, public relations, branding and corporate communications — is dead. Many people in traditional marketing roles and organizations may not realize they’re operating within a dead paradigm. But they are. The evidence is clear.

First, buyers are no longer paying much attention. Several studies have confirmed that in the “buyer’s decision journey,” traditional marketing communications just aren’t relevant. Buyers are checking out product and service information in their own way, often through the Internet, and often from sources outside the firm such as word-of-mouth or customer reviews." (Lee, 2012). Complete article.

I continue to witness in both my studies and in my business, just how difficult it is for many in the industry to wrap their minds around this idea.

Not having had my mind saturated and formed with structured lessons in traditional marketing, but rather having evolved along with the world of business as an entrepreneur over the last 30 years, I find it easy to grasp these new concepts.

I'm very glad to be getting this edgy, new degree in this edgy, new marketing industry that is "Integrated Marketing & Communications", and I hope I will continue to allow my thinking to evolve along with the world rather than insist on structure.

I'll be starting a new class on Monday that I'm very excited about!  IMC-634 Digital Video Production.  This will be immediately relevant to my business, and I can't wait to use my new knowledge!

Check out the Elysian IMC website when you get a chance, and I welcome your comments and feedback!