If a picture is worth 1,000 words, how many words is a video worth? An economist at the Federal Communications Commission recently declared it to be about 12,000 words (though in all honesty, I don”™t know how he arrived at that assessment). Regardless, it indicates one thing: People can be strongly affected by videos. One measure of the impact of video was that more videos than white papers were shared on Twitter in 2013.
Analytics, a key element of social media, helps answer two crucial ”” and commonly asked ””questions involving webinars and videos: What are the strongest elements that get people to sign up and, arguably more importantly, which factors influence conversion? As I have mentioned in several of my prior articles, if you can”™t ultimately convert your viewers into clients or paying customers, what is your effort actually accomplishing?
The simple answer is that it is increasing the number of people on your list. But, if that”™s only a number and they rarely respond to your offerings or even open your mailings, is it really significant? What I recommend you do is track these unopened responses. If, after six months, your recipients do not open any of your mailings, send them a video containing content that”™s addressed directly to them. It”™s not a “Hail Mary” pass but merely a way of using video to induce a response. If the recipients still don”™t respond, you may want to seriously consider relegating them to nonresponder status and place them in a different market silo or segment. However, if a sizable percentage do respond to your video ”” such as viewing it in its entirety ”” a targeted video has now helped you reclaim a prospect or inactive client.
With the growing popularity of social media and video, a common concern involves how they can work most effectively with each other. Although videos should be posted across several social platforms most common to your target market, according to numerous websites and studies, it”™s a combination of email and being social that”™s most effective. Since social media involves social interaction and the providing of referrals and recommendations, asking viewers and subscribers to forward interesting content to their friends and followers can be highly effective ”” particularly if it involves an interesting and informative video. It”™s far more effective than just posting a video on YouTube to an unfocused audience.
My company recently released a short video training course, LinkedInVideoStrategy.com. We will be working on social media campaigns and promotions that will include a word-of-mouth strategy to help promote and sell the product.
One reason video is so effective is it can be placed anywhere in the customer life cycle, from first contact to an informative video on how to use a product. In fact, for many of our clients, I frequently produce quick videos that provide them with step-by-step instructions on how to do something. It”™s a much easier and faster solution that”™s also greatly appreciated by the client than a screen share or long-winded written explanation.
Regardless of when your videos appear, always remember to consider them from your customers”™ perspective. Test them with customers, prospects and maybe some of your employees first. You might be surprised at the differences in perception. Armed with this information, you can plan for what action you want your audience to take after viewing your video. If it”™s to pass it on to some of their friends or followers, gear your video for that, possibly by encouraging peer-to-peer conversations.
One of the consistently most-popular video series on YouTube is “Will it Blend?” Who would have thought that videos of a blender would repeatedly garner at least 3 million views? It”™s very imaginative (and often funny) and has grown its audience largely by word of mouth.
Video is a tremendous ”” and affordable ”” opportunity that can help grow your brand and your business. When coupled with social media, it can build your list, generate buzz and positively influence your target audience.
Bruce Newman is vice president at The Productivity Institute L.L.C. and a regular contributor to the Business Journal. He specializes in content creation and digital marketing. He can be reached at bnewman@prodinst.com.
