Monday, August 30, 2010

Off the Charts!

Youtube has recently announced their addition of the Youtube Chart feature to rank and organize top videos. This feature was designed to keep viewers updated on the trending videos of the day as well as surface "interesting and timely content" from the site. The video are listed several different ways; you can choose from the top 100 viewed videos, most liked videos, or most subscribed videos of that day. This list of around 900 videos will keep you up to date on which videos you should be watching and how they stack up with the competition. Youtube is also looking for suggestions from viewers on what other categories they would like to see on their charts. The most subscribed comedy channel this week or the most liked music video today? You decide. Take a look at The Video Editor's Youtube Channel and subscribe and help us climb those rankings!



Resources:
19 August 2010. O'Dell, Jolie. http://mashable.com/2010/08/19/youtube-charts/

Friday, August 20, 2010

Video Planning

Planning for a video is the best investment of your time you can make. If you are appointed to produce a video, ask questions! Ask management, what do they want from a video? Some may want the video to accomplish a specific goal and others may want to accomplish something on a totally different side of the spectrum. Form a consensus of opinion and stick with one objective. Trying to achieve several goals from one video will end up not achieving any clear goal or message.

Next consider what is the best way visually to achieve your objective. What do you want to show, or more importantly what does your customer, client, or viewer want to see? What's in it for them? Answer that question as you design the video and you'll have an effective structure to build on.

I am a big fan of comparing other videos and competitor brochures to see how they approached presenting their video. I might find myself integrating an idea or two from several others. Remember it's all about the client and what they want, so tailor the video towards them.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Actors or Real People?

Bottom line when you are looking to create a corporate video, you are investing in a video that you want to work. The best location, camera work, lighting, and scripting can all be lost if an amateur is not believable or has some funny mannerisms that distract the audience from the message you are trying to convey. The audience will either be quietly chuckling to themselves or already thinking about something else causing you to lose the sales opportunity. Real people will work successfully in a video if they are company management or workers explaining their job or talking to other employees but a video to be watched by customers has the goal of effectively communicating and often real people cannot deliver. Remember, your customers are used to watching television and they will rate their video by that standard.

Using real people can be useful as background actors or as people that might only have one line to say but professionals can deliver a smooth and believable presentation. They deliver the message without "getting in the way". They work quicker, having already memorized their lines, or they use a teleprompter or ear prompter. If the scripts changes on location a professional will be able to adapt quickly. In short, the investment in actors pays high dividends in a believable video with a faster production time.

Friday, August 13, 2010

The Three Types of Online Videos and Their Uses:Educational Video

The last type of online video is educational video. Unlike the previous types this video doesn't have to be focused as tightly on a specific goal to be successful. These videos don't usually appear on your homepage but instead are placed beyond the landing page for those viewers looking for more information. Educational video exists to educate but can also establish trust in your company brand and a sense of leadership. When users begin to go deeper into everything your site has to offer, educational video can give the information they are searching for while differentiating you from competing businesses.

Educational video can also act as a helper to your customer service team. The visitors can use to these videos to learn everything they need to know about your product or company and will mostly likely come back to you when they are ready to purchase. Using videos as part of your online support can help answer the frequently asked questions your customers might have in a format they are comfortable with. These videos can make a difficult process easy for your viewers by showing a step by step process and at the same time can build a relationship between your site and you visitors.

Unlike the other types of videos, educational videos guidelines for duration and content are pretty lax. It is harder to measure the success of these videos because it will not be based on the number of views like a viral or conversion video. The more important metrics to pay attention to are how many chapters of the video were viewed and how many time does the average viewer watch the video.

Here is an example of an educational video posted on the help section of the Twitter's website. It shows customers how to use the new Tweet button on their websites. Check it out.




References: Sevitt, Daniel "Online Video for Business" ReelSEO. http://www.reelseo.com/types-online-video-business.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

The Three Types of Online Videos and Their Uses:Conversion Video

A safer and more easily managed type of video for business owners is conversion video. Usually placed on the homepage, these videos are created to reach a specific goal business owners have. They are used to engage users so they will spend more time on the business homepage and eventually make more money for the company. A good conversion video clearly works towards driving viewers towards a specific goal such as downloading a certain file or buying a product. These videos contains a call of action that is inline with the goal so there is a clear path the user can follow.

Once an effective conversion video has been produced you must make sure there is a big enough audience to promote your video. Conversion video on your homepage should be easily visible and accessible especially if it is a integral part of the conversion strategy on your website. Often times business owners put the video on auto-play and start it automatically when users reach their website to grab their attention the first moment they can. Strategies depend on the individual but when the percentage of conversions rises after placing a video on your homepage, it can have a very positive impact on your revenue and success.

References: Sevitt, Daniel "Online Video for Business" ReelSEO. http://www.reelseo.com/types-online-video-business.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Three Types of Online Videos and Their Uses:Viral Video

The three types of online videos can be distinguished in many ones, one of them being where they are placed in relation to a company's website. Mostly videos are located on the site's homepage, within a specific page on the site, or embedded from a third party site such a YouTube, FunnyorDie and CollegeHumor.com. Strategically placing the different types of videos help a business achieve different goals.

If online video was launched with the creation of Youtube, viral video was the first "breakout star" of the medium. The definition of a viral video is "a video that become popular through the process of internet sharing, typical through websites and email". In order for a video to have a chance to become viral but must either original. unusual, unexpected, funny or mysterious. Viral videos are almost impossible to create because they must have that "buzz" that will inspire people to not only watch it but share it with their friends regardless of the content. Viral videos are usually placed on third party sites in order to generate traffic back to a company's home page. The aim for this type of video is to be embedded on many different sites to reach as many viewers as possible. The only downside to the distribution and promotion of this video is lack of control companies have over these videos. If they are put on websites that have surrounding text or ads that aren't inline with the company's image, the unsavory content could give your company logo a bad reputation even if it does increase the popularity of your video.

T-Mobile pulled off an extremely successful example of viral video with this pre-planned flash-mob at the Liverpool train station in London, England. It has received almost 15 million views on their official Youtube channel alone, have you seen it yet?





References: Sevitt, Daniel "Online Video for Business" ReelSEO. http://www.reelseo.com/types-online-video-business.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Email Marketing 2010

Video has transformed email marketing by opening up a new and creative way to convey a message. According to Media Post's survey, 64% of marketers in the US are planning to include video in their email marketing in 2010. Many responders believe that video will have a huge effect on the conversion of their emails. Interest in video has been significantly growing with the continued explosion of YouTube, Hulu, the addition of video to Facebook and other video hosting websites. Create a professional and effective web video with help from The Video Editor.


Resources:
“Conversion is Key!". 17 March 2010. VisibleGains.com. http://www.blog.visiblegain.com/index.php/video-expected-to-transform
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Friday, August 6, 2010

Marketing Advice from the Creators the Snuggie

Marketing with testimonials, short film, and promotional videos is no longer an option for the future but has already become a popular promotional tool. Video feedback is "marketing gold" especially when it is readily available to the online audience. Posting customer feedback via video on your website is a great way to get people’s attention while giving your company a good name. Another great way to use video feedback is in training or new employee welcoming videos. Interviewing current employees and asking them to tell how they’ve grown with the company inspires the new employees and gives training videos a personal touch.

The infamous Snuggie, the most popular late night TV product ever, has created their own video marketing strategy using video feedback submitted by others to promote their product. Allstar media has created the Snuggie Film Choice Awards and are requesting users to submit "commercial, short film, documentary or parody" videos to the Snuggie Fan Club website. The one who submits the best video will win a $5,000 cash prize as well as a trip to New York City with a possibility of being included in the newest Snuggie commercial. The company has already posted some of the less-insulting Snuggie video parodies found on Youtube on their website and they have generated quite a buzz. They also allow users to send pictures or videos of themselves or their friends in a Snuggie and post it on Allstar's Facebook and Twitter pages. Together with video and social media, Allstar Products Group are effectively selling Snuggies to all types of people around the world, no matter how ridiculous the product is.

Here is one of the Snuggie parodies from Youtube.




References: Jeffries, Adrianna. "Snuggie Hopes to Recruit Youtube Parodymakers to Make its Next Viral Ad" ReadWriteWeb. http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/snuggie_hopes_to_recruit_youtube_parodymakers_to_m.php

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Questions to Ask a Video Production Company

Choosing a video production company can be a difficult process. Remember you are trusting them to represent your company brand, owners, and employees when making a corporate video. Here are some questions to help you choose the best company for you.

1. Clarify what you want to accomplish with the video with your team. Are you trying to impress, educate, motivate, train, sell or market? How will this video be used? Ask them what their suggestions are and the most cost effective way they could accomplish this.

2. Establish background credentials, is the video company new? How much experience do they have? How many projects have they produced, shot, and edited? Do they have any references or samples of their previous work?

3. You should have final approval of the script before the project begins. The script is the map the entire video that follows so make sure to ask for a wording agreement that this happens.

4. You as the client should have ultimate creative control, you should approve the music, narrator and the look and feel of the video. It is after all your brand that you want to promote and protect. Ask for wording that states that.

5. Re-write and re-edit. A professional company will have allowances for client script re-writes, reviews, and re-edits of the video with your feedback.

6. Does this video production company offer their services in house or do they use outside vendors? This can affect the quality and timeliness of work. Many so called companies are nothing more than a clearing house and never do the actual work themselves. Instead they subcontract the work out to multiple sources. The disadvantage to that can be poor communication of exact needs which leads to false timetables resulting in delays for the client.

7. Does the production company offer a guarantee? One that guarantees that you get the video requested on-time, on-budget, and at the quality you expected?

8. A professional company should give you a no-cost quote with a line by line budget.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Night of Lux

The Video Editor worked with Elizabeth Wahler of Kiere Media to create this video showing highlights from "A Night of Lux". Walher hosted "A Night of Lux:A Fashionable Fight Against Cancer", a charity event benefiting The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, on May 13, 2010 in Corona Del Mar.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Center for New Medicine

Steve Kosch, owner of The Video Editor, spent several days videotaping 10-15 medical staff members from the Center for New Medicine to introduce the unique medical center to the public.

The Center for New Medicine specializes in combing modern scientific medicine with natural healing traditions. The company will use this video on the web and interviews with the doctors and medical support staff will also be available.


Monday, August 2, 2010

Social Media is not a Date but a Marriage

Often times when new technology is introduced we all want to touch it, demo it, date it, fall in love, then use it. However social media is not just some new fad or gadget, it's the new way to conduct business and connect with vendors, customers and clients. Today you can't casually "date" social media you must "commit" to its daily use so that it becomes second nature to you. Social media can help you find your voice in your industry, it can become a friend who watches out for their customer and works to establish and deepen relationships.

When you date someone you can hide certain areas from them, but not when you're married. When you connect to the social media your company must be ready to become transparent, warts and all. Whether you're thinking of a blog, a page on Linkedin, or jumping head-on into the mysterious world of Twitter, people will read about your company, they'll comment, refer, or deter others from using your product or service. At this point in your marriage you can't mess around.

Make sure you know what you're getting into with social media. A seminar or public relations consultant will help get you up to speed without the usual learning curve and perhaps save the company some embarrassment that could damage the company brand. Remember once it's on the internet it's hard to pull it back in. Like the minister says "for better or worse, in good times or bad" make sure you have a great marriage because with social media there is no option for divorce.