10 Ways To Make Video Marketing Work For You
Posted by Karen Neal
Oh the horror! 
You just figured out email marketing. You’ve got a web presence. You do web based advertising, print media, and maybe even some radio and TV ads. You have your CRM system up and running and turning prospects into customers. Just when you thought all the bases were covered, here comes video marketing.
Video marketing is the next big thing. And it will be around to stay for quite some time. So you buy yourself a webcam, set up a YouTube channel, and do a webcast like Charlie Sheen, right? Not so fast there, Lady Gaga. Some pros have already tackled this for you and have some really good advice. You can leverage this new media as yet another marketing tool in your arsenal for business success.
1. Know your purpose. Having millions of viewers on YouTube seems like a great goal, but it is not a rational business goal. You want to direct traffic to your website and get people to buy. Obviously having lots of views will help, but if no one clicks to get to your site, it really doesn’t matter how many views you have.
2. Know your audience. How about some demographics? According to the Search Engine Journal, YouTube has
a. about 60 million unique viewers a month
b. predominately gen y viewers (born mid-1970’s to early 2000’s)
c. viewer household incomes that vary greatly (from zero to 100k+)
d. language optimization to handle 18 different languages
3. Know your tools. There are some good software products available to help you put together a very nice YouTube video without breaking the bank. Some of these products include Camstudio, Camtasia, or Screenflow (for Mac). These tools help you capture screen shots from your computer, incorporate pictures and videos, and insert links and text notes into your video. While you could spend a lot of money with an ad agency, many businesses can start with one of these products then decide where to go from there.
4. Know your focus. This is part of Marketing 101, but it cannot be ignored. Stay focused on the products or services you wish to sell. While you need to keep your video entertaining, do not ignore the need to direct viewers to your products.
5. Know that the big boys are there. Recently Ford Motor Company announced that they will place more emphasis on social media and video marketing instead of Super Bowl commercials. What do they know that you don’t? They simply know that they need to be where the viewers are – and that is online.
6. Know there are associations for this. Joining groups like the Web Video Marketing Council can help you keep up with the latest trends and techniques. Also this gives you a chance to share ideas with your peers – and get a few tips as well.
7. Know how to leverage what you already have. Use that SEO experience for something besides Google and Bing. Incorporate relevant keywords into your video and postings to insure they come up when searched. Make sure you have your website URL imbedded in the video and prominently displayed for users to click (remember you WANT them to go to your site and buy). Promote your video in your email marketing, on Twitter, on Facebook and Tumblr. Leave no stone unturned.
8. Know to keep it fresh. There is about a 15 day window for each marketing video you post. This can vary depending on the relevance and trends, but in most cases 15 days is a good plan. Plan to roll out new content on a routine schedule. Keep those viewers coming back.
9. Know how to share. Encourage viewers to share your video. Offer incentives to share. Also post the videos and participate in bulletin boards and forums to encourage even more traffic.
10.Know how to make friends. Add friends from social media sites whenever possible. Gather a repository of viewers and communicate with them. Make it as personal as you can without overwhelming yourself. Then encourage those friends to spread the word about your company.
Video marketing is expected to grow exponentially in the coming months and years. With the incorporation of mobile devices that can handle streaming videos, the opportunities are endless. And with the right approach, you can have yet another arrow in your marketing quiver.