Attract. Convert. Retain. 3 Videos You Need In Your Portfolio

Attract. Convert. Retain.

3 Videos You Need In Your Portfolio

1. High-Impact Attention Grabber – 30-60 seconds

2. Company Overview – 3-5 minutes

3. Customer Welcome Video – 1-3 minutes

Many of our clients come to us with a specific need in mind, but there are still plenty of customers that know they need video, but aren’t sure of exactly what their need is.  We have consulted numerous clients through the years on the best videos for their business, and while each company’s specific needs may vary, we have found three videos that are successful across the board. The individual content varies by industry & specific client needs, but this list can give you an idea of where you as a company should begin your Video Marketing journey.

The first video we recommend is a 30 to 60 second Attention Grabber. There are many terms for this “High-Impact” “Sizzle Reel” “Promo” “Demo” – whichever term you choose, this is a short, fast-paced overview video consisting primarily of high-energy music and dynamic graphics. Take your elevator pitch, add some rockin’ music and voila – your first marketing video. Of course, there are many keys to making a successful attention grabbing video that will depend on the intended usage, expected viewer response and target audience, but those can all be determined in your pre-production meeting. For now, just deciding to do one of these videos is your first step. Jot down some bullet points that you feel are necessary to get across in this quick introductory video.

The second video we recommend is a 3-5 minute CompanyOverview. This video is one of our favorites – it’s where we get to meet you & your team & watch you in action! Typically, we love to interview the owner or key personnel on your staff and shoot b-roll around your facility. If you don’t have an exciting facility or office, that’s OK! We can always use stock footage or graphics to fill the screen. There is also an awesome opportunity here for customer testimonials. The first thing you need to ask yourself when selecting this type of video is “what sets us apart from the competition?”

The final video that is important in an emerging video marketing portfolio is a Customer Welcome Video. Now that you’ve attracted attention, converted that lead into a sale, how do you ensure they have the best experience with your company possible? A Welcome Video can let them know what to expect in the early stages of working with you and can introduce them to the key people or processes that they need to know. While this video is not aimed at attracting new business, RETAINING customers is key to marketing success! When approaching a Customer Welcome Video, consider the main questions a new customer may have and aim at answering them quickly and concisely.

You don’t have to stick to these three videos when you begin building your portfolio. What other ideas do you think are important to have to Attract, Convert & Retain customers?

Darcie King

Executive Producer

E Video Productions, LLC

Why You Should Use Video

There’s no doubt -- we live in a digital age. We live in a world dominated by the social spheres of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and more. Businesses all over the world now use these social media programs to advertise themselves and reach a wider audience.

For instance, YouTube reports that it receives over 1 billion unique visitors every month, and 4 billion views every day. Furthermore, Google, the most popular search engine globally, owns YouTube, which is the most popular video streaming site in the world and the second most popular search engine.

Check out the video below, which was put together by the EVP team. Pay attention to the way images are used throughout the video to better portray what the narrator is speaking about. It'll help illustrate the points I make further along.

Why the popularity of video media? It’s simple, really. Video can work for you in ways that other media cannot. Video can grab attention quickly, and it’s engaging if done right. It's not difficult to see how even simple animations that pop can connect to your audience much easier than a wall of text. It's not intimidating, it's not as time-consuming, and it's exciting.

A well done video also increases your perceived credibility to your consumers. It can make you appear to have more authority in your particular market: video on your site says “I mean business.” More than that though, it creates a particular bond with your audience. By seeing your facial expressions or hearing the nuances in your speech, viewers are able to recognize emotion easier, which gets your message across faster and cultivates a very human connection. This builds trust. By integrating your video into social media (Facebook, YouTube, et cetera), you also allow for feedback on how you can improve. 

A web page is a lot more likely to show up on the first page of a Google search if it has a video on it. Emails that contain the word “video” are more likely to be opened. It's also very cost-effective since, it is compartmentalized -- it stays online indeterminately and can be embedded across websites easily.

Still not convinced? It’s no accident that social media giant Twitter created their own video app, Vine. The same can be said for photo-sharing app Instagram deciding to incorporate video as well. Video makes your website or profile “sticky,” meaning that it grabs people and retains their attention longer than a picture or text. Studies have shown that people really only register about 20% of text on a webpage, while merely skimming the rest.

Data shows that readers fail to stay focused -- they have limited attention spans. Many of them don’t even scroll through content. In fact, if you've made it this far, you should be proud. The goal is to prevent that “back” button from being used within the first few seconds. On the flip side, most viewers find it easier to concentrate on visual content such as video or pictures. People who are purchasing a product are much more likely to buy in after they view a video.

According to Forbes, just over 90% of marketing respondents use video content. If you’re not already, then you’re behind the competition. When coupled well with social media, you can direct massive amounts of traffic to your website, which bodes well for you and your business.

To summarize, this is why you should use video: it’s accessible and eye-catching; search engines give it priority; it’s human, professional, and cost-effective. 

Evan J. Backer
Social Media Intern
http://www.evideoproductions.net
You can find EVP on Twitter here or here!
Also check out our Facebook and YouTube.

Articles from Sandpapers past...

I wrote this article for the Sandpaper (a local newspaper), and it appeared a while back. Unfortunately, I somehow completely missed that issue! But I've found it and now can share it with you here.

Darcie King
evideoproductions.net
darcie@evideoproductions.net
(609) 242-3760

5 Strategies for Video Socialization

When you create a flyer, do you post it on your door and wait for people to find it? Or do you get out there, pass them around, give them out at networking events, ask other businesses to display them for you? If you wouldn't wait for people to find your flyer on your office door, why would you post a video on your website & wait for people to find it? You need to get it out there, pass it around, show it to your networking groups, ask other businesses to display it....all VIRTUALLY and ONLINE! These five tips will help you socialize your videos without having to leave your desk!

1. Upload, upload, upload. Do not upload once and hope that source will carry you through to virtual fame. If you use a private video host, you can still upload to YouTube! Don't just post a link to your YouTube video on Facebook, upload your video there too. There are many advantages to uploading your video to multiple platforms. First of all, you're reaching a different audience in each place. Someone might subscribe to your YouTube channel that doesn't get your newsletter or "like" your Facebook page. There are other pages also that allow you to post video to specific audiences.

2. Take advantage of each services unique features. In YouTube, for example, you can add neat features such as an overlay, mobile capabilities, and more. In Facebook, you can tag anyone that might have something to do with your video, alerting them AND their friends to the presence of your video. Check into unique services offered by each site that hosts your video.

3.  Tell everyone you know about this amazing video! Tweet about it on every account you manage. Start a discussion about it in your Linked-In groups. Ask for reviews on Facebook. Show it on your blog. Feature it in your e-newsletter. Get it out there!

4.  Choose your (key) words wisely. If you are a financial planner, words like "finance, money, planning" are over used. Try searching for them and see how many results come up! Get as specific as you can. Think about what people might be searching for that would need your services. Could someone searching for colleges possible need the expertise of a financial planner? Don't cheat & use competitor's names (this will get you taken OUT of search results), but think outside of the box when coming up with Key Words. And most definitely - USE THEM! Most video upload sites allow key words. Don't skip this step! It is how your videos are found.

5. Make your video sharable. Make it easy for people to share your video. Don't lock any features or restrict the video in any way that makes it difficult for people to spread the word. Remember, this is FREE ADVERTISING! The more people that like, favorite, share, comment, etc. on your video, the better chance that others will find IT and thus YOU.

Darcie King
E Video Productions
http://www.evideoproductions.net
http://www.youtube.com/evideopr
http://www.facebook.com/evideoproductions
http://www.twitter.com/evpDarcie