The ROI Case for Video Marketing vs. “Doing Video”
August 27, 2012
I was talking with a potential client last week and when we started talking about video as a possible option to help him market his business, he slumped and said, “oh man….spend a ton of money on a video? why????”
That’s when it hit me….and I finally understood. My clients think a few things that I need to clear up:
1. video = tons of money (for no real return, they silently believe)
2. it’s HARD
3. it’s really really expensive.
You’ll notice that I put the money part down TWICE. The reason? Not enough marketers who recommend video truly understand HOW to use it EFFECTIVELY as a marketing tool (meaning: the return on investment is not explained well – or even at all).
Why is this? I am guessing at the number of ad and marketing agencies who regularly farm out video have only used it to make :30 spots and not TRUE CONTENT. OR…they are just video production houses who just want to make video content and have no true understanding on how to market the video content and show true ROI to their clients.
Eureka!!
A fabulous idea is born…. when you understand what good content and video content truly is AND how to promote it, it will become clear that as we progress in on-line marketing, video is one of the only true tactics that will effectively do a few things for your business:
1. Builds credibility and scalability. Your face and your message connect to the viewer — your clients get to know you and using video to do this is effectively like adding hours and hours of SELLING time to your week. It’s really hard to fake stuff on video — like a human lie detector, people intuitively know when you’re scamming them. In this case, don’t use video. For all of the rest of you legit folks, read on.
2. We learn better by watching than reading a bunch of dense text. It’s a proven fact that Americans now would rather watch than read. Over and over again, the numbers on video view instructions for a complicated process or product far outpace any written materials on websites of thousands of businesses. We just like it. That’s all.
3. Video can do a number of things well and why not take advantage of 1 and 2 when you’ve got no time and need to generate more sales? Video can:
- attract new clients and customers – utilized correctly in a variety of sites and campaigns, video content done for this purpose is like offering honeysuckle to bees.
- once you get the audience, you’ll need to engage them. Video is also #1 on the hit parade of all marketing tactics in doing this – create the right video for the target audience you’ve worked so hard to attract and they will begin to engage with you and even SHARE the videos with their networks — that’s the exponential effect that video sharing through social media can have on your business.
- nurturing your target clients and customers to up-sell and bring them more VALUE.
- and the Grand Prize of all the work of bringing in the new clients — CONVERTING them. Whether it’s sales or up-sells or referrals – video is unsurpassed at helping you connect on your CALL TO ACTION.
If you’ve made it this far in the post: here’s a freebie. WHERE DO I START??
#1 place? What part of my business is MOST CONFUSING and takes the most time for me to explain. Start here with your video thinking cap firmly in place. This topic should generate at least 5-10 videos, even for the most straight-forward businesses.
Tally-ho!!
[New Video] The Key to Saving Money on Marketing (hint: Always Be Ideal-Client Focused)
August 13, 2012
Strategy. It’s kind of a buzzword when we discuss effective marketing. That’s because the only TRUE way to be effective and efficient (i.e. save money) is to be laser-focused on your Ideal Client.
Don’t know who that is? Watch today’s video and think about this checklist:
1. Who needs what you have so much they will pay anything to get it?
2. AND who loves what you do?
3. AND who do you enjoy working with?
If they pass all three tests, you have yourself an IDEAL CLIENT.
[New Video] How to Create Valuable Video Content, Part 3 of Video Marketing and YouTube Series
August 8, 2012
It’s no secret that content that grabs your potential customer and attracts him or her to your business is the way to go. But – how do you get there?
The key to knowing what valuable content is….and then creating it is inside the question, “who is my ideal client and what do they most want from me?” Watch and tomorrow, we’ll have even MORE ideas for content…enjoy.
Now, we all have made mistakes in our lives and in our work and sometimes, a day doesn’t go by without reviewing past foibles and correcting our marketing paths forward toward success. Quick, a show of hands: Wouldn’t it have been GREAT to have a crystal ball BEFORE you made those mistakes? Well, when it comes to video marketing and YouTube, here’s your crystal ball.
Today’s video is all about video marketing mistakes that 99% OF ALL BUSINESSES make routinely. Check it out and let me know if you’ve made mistakes that are worthy of the Pantheon of Goofs and Blunders (that cost lots of money and time).
Here goes….
How to Drive Leads with Video Marketing & YouTube, Pt. 1: The Overworked Entrepreneur’s Guide to Social Media
August 6, 2012
By now, you know video is what all the cool kids are doing.
But MAN…it sure can seem like a steep hill to climb, particularly when you have all that other stuff to do – like work that makes you money. Well, what if video could drive leads, increase sales conversions and attract new clients?
Video marketing and YouTube: video #1 in this week’s series. Questions?
The Video Video Course – did you get the password??
August 3, 2012
A slight goof in my plans….I do not think the password to the Video Video Course has been given out to all of you guys who have followed MJTVGirl recently. So, thanks to all for following and if you didn’t get the link or password, let me know. I’ll send it out IMMEDIATELY.
thanks and happy Friday to all –
MJ
mj@mjtvgirl.com
[New Video] Twitter for Non-Believers
July 25, 2012
Day three of our Entrepreneur Playbook Video Series and we’re ready to take on Twitter.
I have a confession to make.
I was a non-believer.
Card-carrying hater, actually. But – I connected my blog and occasionally checked out some folks. Followed sports writers. You know – nothing major.
Then….I got a client. Then another. Both from Twitter. Both LOCAL.
Weird, I thought. Ah, no….that’s opportunity knocking.
So – here’s my Non-Believer’s Guide Video Post in homage to the Tweet.
Yes, I know…you have a LOT on your plate. And now, everyone says, “you HAVE to be on Facebook!” It’s enough to completely burn you out – or turn you off.
So – want to get on Facebook and use it correctly? Understand — Facebook is a marathon, not a sprint. With that in mind, check out the video. Stay tuned — at the end of the video, there are lots of HOW TO tips!! (p.s. especially if you own a restaurant!!)
Now – a challenge. Are you on Facebook? What works for you? Write me a note and share with the community – and here’s a bonus: best story wins a little Amazon.com gift card.
Want to be a TV star? Have your own TV show?
May 23, 2012
I am 100% serious. You can be on TV…anytime you want.
OK – let me back up. WAAAAAAYYYY back in the day, I produced the news. The 6pm news, the weekend news, etc…for many, many TV stations (network affiliates) around the US. I put the show together, I wrote most of the content, essentially, I produced a daily newscast.
After I had moved on to my marketing agency in Maine and worked with clients like Discovery Channel and Kraft Food, I began to realize – and share with these clients — that they could do EXACTLY WHAT I was doing. They could produce their own show.
AND…get it on the air.
So – I began to make TV shows. For Yankee Magazine. For Shipyard Brewing Co. These were great little information-laden programs that had an entertaining host and featured gardening segments, boating segments, local grocery and apple picking segments (you name it) and all the adjunct activities. Oh, and it was built around products and services that lend themselves very, very well to how-to segments and reviews of products. (Check out this segment on de-cluttering your closet made for a local moving company, Sitterly Movers).
And then – I began to realize, it wasn’t just for the big boys. Many, many companies a small TV markets (even a medium-sized TV market) have access to the airwaves and could make and air their own TV show. All they had to do is come up with a concept – and produce it. And that’s usually where I would come in.
Most of these small and medium sized clients used TV advertising a lot and were getting more into web video and wanted to bridge the two. They also saw the tremendous value actual informative content had over straight advertising in long-format – people seemed to like it better. They didn’t feel “sold,” they didn’t LIKE to feel like they were being sold – but they were interested in the information the client had to offer.
For example, I produced a real estate show and we featured a home appraiser (who told us all what to look for when buying a new house), we featured a pool company, a window and door manufacturer who shared with us how to keep your home energy efficient year-round, and we also interviewed a painter who showed us the “Top 10 MOST COMMON mistakes people make when painting their homes” (inside and outside). Get the picture?
Now, if you’re thinking, “wow that’s cool but super expensive,” there are many MANY ways to get and make your own TV show that will generate leads and easily pay for itself in a short period of time. And really, it’s not nearly as expensive as you think — especially if you can sell back the time to a sponsor. OK, OK…I am getting way ahead of myself now….
For the sake of argument, check out this video I produced to sell my little show – in a fairly small market #112 Springfield, MA (each TV “market” or DMA in the US is ranked in order of population – with #1 being NYC, #2 LA, #3 Chicago…you get the idea). In terms of those larger markets, this is SIGNIFICANTLY more difficult. This idea/program really works very very well in small markets for reasons we will talk about later.
Oh..and check out the little sales video…it worked very well….and served as a great testimonial for what I was trying to accomplish with my video and marketing business moving forward.
The COOLEST part of this? You can do it too…no kidding. Let me know if you’re interested in how by sending me an email here at the website — maryjo.cranmore@gmail.com or when you sign up for the blog – just let me know and I will tell you how you can be a TV star. No joke.
Exactly what IS Really Great Content?
May 10, 2012
The word (or the concept) of “great content” is becoming kind of a buzzword. And when something becomes a “buzzword,” it kind of looses it’s meaning. Or it’s meaning takes on lots of new definitions and connotations that may or may not be helpful.
In terms of your blog/website, and for our purposes here, all we care about is the “great” part. Truly GREAT content has a level of expertise to it, and a mix of experience and know-how that combines together in a magical new way: it’s infused with your very own special sauce. This is great content.
The question you have to ask yourself is this.
“Is my content good enough to get shared? And if so, are high quality experts sharing my content right now?”
- How often is your content (blog posts, articles, videos, etc..) shared?
- Who shared your content? Do they also have expertise in my area?
- How many comments did your content generate?
- Were the comments on your content of high-quality?
- How often is your content endorsed? (i.e. – +1, Like, Pinned)
- Do the same people always endorse your content?
BUT…there is an even MORE important consideration. The REASON they share it is YOU.
When you go to create your content, it’s not enough just to put up the same old tired tips that you see EVERYWHERE (and I mean everywhere these days), you have to add your own special brand. Brand YOU.
If the keys are authenticity and value, then what turns the key in the lock is YOU. Your personal brand. There are thousands – maybe millions – of dentists, movers, engineers, marketing pros, and Tarot visionaries out there – the only thing that will differentiate your content from that of those others is what YOU bring to the table.
YOU are what raises the bar. YOU are what’s going to differentiate what you are saying from all others.
Now, get started.
mary jo cranmore
