Video on the web is exploding and becoming one of the most clicked-on features. It has proven to increase conversions by double digits, reduce returns by as much as 10%, build brand loyalty and enhance customer experience.

Don't miss this opportunity to hear from Priscilla Lawrence, Principal Product Manager of Adobe Scene7, at an exclusive free webinar on making the most with online video slated for Thursday, June 17, 2010.

Sign up now. 

(Note: If you are reading this post after June 17th, Adobe Scene7 has weekly Webinars each Thursday at https://www1.scene7.com/registration/weekly_webinar.asp).  

About Adobe Scene7

Adobe Scene7 is the leading on-demand cross-media platform that enables companies to grow revenues, enhance customer experience and cut production costs.

More Resources:

The 10 Golden Principles of Successful Web Apps by Vimeo

16 Tips for Successful Online Video Marketing by Social Media Examiner

Web Multimedia Strategies by Web Style Guidelines (Includes production tips, formats and right-sizing for the Web) 

Best,

Denice MacDonald 

Website Magazine does an excellent job of providing content from a number of diverse strategists. Of particular interest is a recent post by Christopher Petix, President of Clash-Media on The World of Digital Marketing in 2010.  

The past couple of years have been all about squeezing as much Return on Investment as possible from every marketing effort.

As a result, advertisers and marketers have a new set of parameters and broad goals for establishing a campaign. The good news for these groups is that there are a number of tools and techniques available to help them achieve these goals.¹

The following are just some of the key points from this important and relevant post:

Social Media – social media will need to be part of the marketing mix from day-one. 

Measurement is key – advertisers must evolve the metrics they use to monitor campaigns.

Partnership structures – advertisers will need to work in tandem with digital marketers that execute their campaigns.

Use niche websites – smaller websites with targeted or specialized information can give a far more intense exposure than typical large heavy traffic websites with generic content.

Read the full post ...

In conclusion:

The year ahead will be one where advertising and marketing begin to pick up some serious steam. However, free-spending days are over.

This means that advertisers need to find new ways to show how well they are performing, and publishers need to prove to advertisers that they can identify new customers, engage with them and deliver ROI.¹

Best

Denice MacDonald

¹Sources: Christopher Petix, President of Clash-Media

The following is a YouTube link to a fantastic video on the progression of information technology, researched by Karl Fisch, Scott McLeod, and Jeff Bronman.  

I wouldn’t even attempt to write a summation of the video – you will need to view it firsthand. Trust me -- it is worth five minutes of your time!

Best,

Denice MacDonald

To build e-commerce sites that drive more traffic and sales, retailers are creating interactive page treatments and adding video, customer reviews and other advanced features.

Time to motivate customers

By incorporating video, customer reviews and other advanced features, b2b and b2c retailers are positioning content, tools and applications on product pages in a way that motivates the visitor to take a specific action.

For example, if your customer base relies heavily on compliance or regulatory mandates, consider a video that provides insight on how your product or service will solve or comply with a regulatory issue. Likewise, consider adding customer reviews on new products – doing so will not only show that your organization is transparent, but that you are willing to learn from product feedback – whether it’s good or bad.

Lastly, smart retailers are providing insight and thought leadership in the forms of blogs or interactive forums to draw in prospects and customers – using them as a third-party sell. Doing so will not only elevate your brand but provide content to virally get your message out.

What’s next?

Some web retailers are taking a wait-and-see approach to launching mobile commerce or digital communities. But that doesn’t mean that these features should not be on your radar and/or part of your ‘next steps’ in the evolution of your e-commerce web site. Technology and customer expectations are moving quickly, regardless of the economic downturn. Be prepared.

Who's doing it and how are they doing it?

iPhone 3G Shows How to Use Online Video to Sell Products by Holly Buchanan of FutureNow

Ebags.com (view video lower left hand side of web product page)

Microsoft (uses customer profiles to tell the story - very cool)

Best,

Denice MacDonald

Armed with weekly web addresses, Barack Obama uses online video to inform and engage us in ways that could not be accomplished via radio broadcasts or through typical print means. 

Barack has embraced video as an opportunity to personally shape and frame his message in a way that resonates with all types of viewers and constituents. The reception of these online video updates has reinforced the influence of online video to an all time level. 

Demand validated - online video the big tech winner in 2008.

As more data about 2008 Internet usage in the US is released, online video increasingly looks like one of the year’s big winners. US Internet users viewed 12.7 billion online videos during November 2008 alone, up more than one-third over November 2007, according to data released in January 2009 by comScore¹. 

What does this mean for your organization? 

Now is the time to seriously think about integrating video into the marketing mix. Reason simply, online video has come full circle in pricing making it affordable for almost everyone.

Video can be added to web sites for internal communications, distance learning, sales support, sales training, integrated with webinars, as rich media within e-mails and as an engagement strategy for banner advertising. Moreover, video now has the capacity to be tagged for search engine optimization to elevate web rankings.   

To help you get started, I’ve provided some really good local talent (Wisconsin). I trust these vendors to help you create stellar video that can be created once, paid for once, but used many ways. 

Matt Nies and Rick Kallien, Owners - Pixelbox Visual Design 

Paul Kaplan, Owner - PKA Productions 

Patrice Nault, Media Project Manager - Plum Moving Media

.   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .    .   .   .   .   .   .

¹Sources:

comScore 

Best,

Denice MacDonald

I was recently at a client meeting during the lunch hour and noticed quite a few staffers in their cubes watching mini-video news clips on the election and YouTube promos. Someone aptly called the event 'video snacking'.  I've heard this term for the last year or so but I have to tell you that I am intrigued - not only from a user perspective but from an advertising point of view.

I guess the midday spike in web traffic is not a new phenomenon and media companies have started responding in a meaningful way -- specifically over the last year. They are creating new shows and timing video posts to coincide with the noon hour. Moreover, advertisers are remapping the way they sell advertising online, recognizing that noontime programs can command a premium. 

Big Win for Advertisers 

From an advertiser’s perspective, the web is a more flexible medium than television, because technology makes it easy to monitor people’s behavior and adjust programming accordingly. Better still, marketers have found that consumers are up to 30 percent more likely to make a purchase after viewing an advertisement at lunchtime than at other times of the day. 

Video Snack Web Sites 

If you have a spare 10 minutes then this video snack web site will keep you entertained. They search out the very best short bite size video on the net. Funny informative, must see clips. Enjoy! 

Using Video Snacking as a Lead Generator 

Video snacking isn’t limited to work computers. With the growing popularity of portable media players, people are video snacking wherever and whenever time permits offering marketers opportunities for both consumers and businesses. Consider providing a coupon or snack to anyone that watches your video over the noon hour - go one step further and offer a viral coupon so that office workers share it with others.  Win/win for everyone!

Best,

Denice MacDonald

According to a recent e-Marketer report, more than six out of 10 CMOs and senior marketing professionals surveyed in the US said that digital tactics (including mobile, video, e-mail etc.) accounted for more than one-quarter of their agency marketing, according to a July 2008 study by Zoomerang for Sapient.  

Respondents also said digital marketing was growing in importance. Nearly one-half (45%) of those polled had either switched agencies or planned to switch during the next 12 months to gain access to more digital expertise. Almost eight out of 10 said that agencies' interactive and digital aptitude was important or very important.  

What is digital marketing and what does it mean for marketers? 

According to Wikipedia, digital marketing is defined as the practice of promoting products and services using digital distribution channels to reach consumers in a timely, relevant, personal and cost-effective manner. By doing so, marketers realize the following benefits: 

Brand-advantage – typically in the past, marketing and any digital initiatives were handled separately or were non-existent. With the use of digital technology, marketing professionals have an opportunity to enhance messaging and bring cohesiveness to their brand. 

Larger reach – digital initiatives allow marketers to expand their campaigns beyond one single effort leveraging several channels to optimize budget dollars and reach. 

Personalization – with digital initiatives, messages are highly targeted and specific allowing marketers to not only track how many people saw their message but also specific information about each user. 

As marketers, digital tactics allow for many opportunities that can be tracked measured and refined. To learn more about digital marketing and tactics, consider accessing the following resources: 

• The McKinsey Quarterly – Digital Marketing
• NetImperative – Digital Marketing News and Events
• MarketingProfs Digital Marketing Mixer

Best

Denice MacDonald

Recent video metrics are showing that visitors or users of YouTube are no longer geeks, nerds or techno’s.  In fact, recent statistics are showing that YouTube video downloads are being viewed by varying demographics, including an older crowd and business professionals. 

How can you tell who's watching your videos? YouTube now offers a free tool (YouTube Insight) that enables anyone with a YouTube account to view detailed statistics about the videos that they upload.  

For example, uploaders can see how often their videos are viewed in different geographic regions, as well as how popular they are relative to all videos in that market over a given period of time.

You can also delve deeper into the lifecycle of your videos, like how long it takes for a video to become popular, and what happens to video views as popularity peaks.  For now, you can find currently available metrics by clicking under the "About this Video" button under My account > Videos, Favorites, Playlists > Manage my Videos.

YouTube Resources:

Businesses are now realizing the potential of social networking sites like YouTube in using digital formats to engage prospects and customers and elevate recruitment efforts. 

Learn more at these links below. 

• How to get yourself on YouTube, for business or pleasure
• Cisco pumps out some emerging tech products: YouTube for business 
• View YouTube Video: Cisco: The Business Solutions Provider
• YouTube Example Recruitment Video - Recruiting at Aerotek

Podcasting complements blogging:

Podcasting is not only user generated content, but user generated content in its most intimate and persuasive forms, it is the sound of your voice, the sound of your music or your captured video. In most cases, podcasting is affordable/free and podcasts are always portable.  Moreover, podcasting is a 'literal voice that complements the virtual voice of blogging" according to Steve Dembo, Teach42: "Why Podcast While You Already Have a Blog?"

If you have something to share – a message, information, or commentary, start with a good podcasting program that can help you create the podcasts you envision. Podcasting software can help you create professional sounding podcasts and facilitates publication to your blog, your web site or a podcast directory. This is more than what audio editing software alone can do; audio editing programs generally do not support tag and feed creation.

Where to start:

I recently completed a podcast software review for a client and found that Podcast Station was the best solution for voicecasting AND professional sounding interviews.  Since the Podcasts are meant to be shared, the publishing wizards help with tag and RSS feed creation. BUT, if you're looking for 'free' open source software supported by Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, and GNU/Linux, consider Audacity - recently named in PCWorld's 'The 100 Best Products of 2008'.

Ahhh...try it out here:

Lastly, Podcast Alley is the podcast lovers portal. Featuring the best Podcast Directory and the Top 10 podcasts, as voted on by the listeners.

Online video is more than MySpace and ads – it’s a lot more.

With traditional television ads, there is very little social interaction or measurable engagement. With online video, however, you can easily optimize for social networks, blogs and widgets, and also take advantage of the ability for people to share and comment on the videos or otherwise spread them virally. Social media technologies enable you to dramatically stretch your advertising budget, as you're empowering your audience to help spread your message and your brand to their friends and networks. And thanks to the cost efficiency of online video, you can also create several versions of videos that appeal to a wide range of demographics.  

Here are a few guaranteed approaches using video within your marketing mix:

Recruiting:  Get others to acknowledge the organization and its great culture.

Product Launches:  Nothings better than a customer using your product and endorsing it.

Blogs: Get an authentic ‘take’ on any subject matter with social interaction and feedback.

Trade Shows: Customers love to see employees they work with but never get to really ‘face’.  Run a customer service video with an engaging theme.

Newsletters:  Up the ante on interaction by providing a couple of :15 second spots offering a personal take on the subject matter.

Web: Repurpose any or all of the above to your online web presence, banner ad, custom pages or e-mail communications.

Ahh….great white paper on 2008 trends by MarketingProfs 

Based on the perspectives shared by executives and marketing managers across a broad range of industries, sectors, companies and marketplace situations, the report found a continuing escalation of the focus on "new media" – tactics enabled by and based on Internet technology – and a somewhat less pronounced emphasis on many traditional tactics. 

Of particular interest, e-mail marketing is still high on everyone's list – followed by trade show activity and online video! See how you, your clients and your organization fare in the war on B2B Marketing.

MProfs_B2B_2008.pdf (177.22 kb)

Time for some agility. 

This is a great ramp up of what changes are occurring in 2008 – specifically the author provides insight into how marketing and advertising agencies will need to be agile in responding to fast-paced change and the digital demands of their clients.  Although this article is directed more purely to the ‘ad agency model’ – there’s a bit of credence for marketing communications as well.

Read Article