I been thinking about the power of video recently and when I had the opportunity to read a Forrester white paper by Laura Ramos that outlined the “Five Approaches for Creating Online Video Value” and I knew it was something I wanted to share. Here are five great reasons to add video to your marketing efforts.
1) Use video to extend the marketing message.
Making cold-calls is a difficult way to begin any business relationship. However, innovative marketers are finding value in leveraging videos to create a positive first impression. By strategically placing a video on your web site or embedding it in an email, Ramos explains that you have the opportunity to “put a face on the new sales person”.
2) Incorporate customer feedback into videos on your web site.
There has been a great deal of discussion about how adding customer reviews can help you sell more online. The same can be said for customer testimonials when you are trying to sell complex products. “Stories”, states Ramos, “unlike data or fact sheets, appeal to business buyers’ emotions and motivations, particularly when the tales mention the stumbles and detours that can occur en route to a successful implementation.” Every customer wants reassurance that they are making the right purchase and Oracle is a great example of a company that has used video to help “capture interviews with customer engineers and software developers to validate [their] technical claims and product capability.”
3) Turn corporate spokespeople into video stars.
Andy Warhol told us that “In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes” and with video, the future may be today. “Product designers and technical experts” says Ramos, “are the best people to shed light on the journey that brought a new product to market or on the subtle differences between offerings. Top marketers turn the video spotlight on these internal experts and, as a result, broaden their marketing team.”
4) Extend live events to larger audiences.
Let’s face it, with the economy struggling right now, we all have to cut costs and Travel is the first thing to go. So if you’re seeing a decrease in the number of people attending your seminars, you should seriously consider using video to take your message to your customers.
5) Build brand and generate new interest with a viral component.
“As the cost of video production drops, B2B marketers eye viral video as a way to build awareness or generate interest without incurring the high price of broadcast advertising,” states Ramos. However, “few B2B videos make the viral cut, but those that do combine entertainment with education.” An example of video content that does make the cut is Greg The Architect. Here you will find a light hearted view of the software industry as Greg tries to understand Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) . . . yep, I have no idea what SOA is either – but if your not an I.T. Geek, you’ll find this video fun and interesting.
The point of any branding exercise is to build an appropriate image with your customer base. Your marketing efforts should build upon that image and generate a relationship with each customer. Whether you are building a brand or building a relationship, don’t underestimate the power of video in today’s marketplace.
Until next time,
Dan
