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4 Ways to Optimize Your Business YouTube Page

YouTube logo

Google is the largest and most used search engine online. It seems everyone knows that, but did you know that YouTube is the second largest search engine online? Owned by Google, it has quickly become the next most used search engine. This is why you must use YouTube as a part of your marketing plan. What better way to use YouTube than to provide Google/YouTube with high quality video that educate the consumer about your business? Here are a couple of other tips:

  1. Make Your Channel Your Own. When someone lands on your page, do they know it is yours? Do they recognize your brand? Too many people start a YouTube Channel, but do not brand it. It should look and feel similar to your overall branding strategy. This should also include your video. Make sure the video you place on your channel matches your brand. This should include when you comment on othersÔÇÖ videos.
  2. Provide Content. We like to say, if a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth a million. Content is king with Google, and the same applies to YouTube. Your videos must be original and interesting. When others comment on your video, YouTube and Google give it more importance. The video must also represent your brand. It is also important that you have a lot of content. It is perfectly fine to upload multiple videos about an interesting and related topic to help you build SEO about that topic. If you can provide information that is hard to find anywhere else, youÔÇÖll also attract multiple viewers and give them a reason to comment.
  3. Get Them Clicking. Within YouTube is a fantastic function called Annotation. Use that function to get people to click through to a page that you decide. Think of this as a sales funnel. If they found you via Google, clicked on your YouTube page, and watched the video, you must give them a reason to move to your webpage or other sales action. Whether youÔÇÖre raising money for a fundraiser or educating people and want them to buy your book, a video with an annotation built in will lead them to the link to buy. Use this. Get them clicking by also getting them to comment on your video. Best way to make this happen is to get them to see an annotation telling them to do so or getting the person in the video to request for feedback or comments. Build it into the video.
  4. Use Links. No. We donÔÇÖt mean pay for links; we mean link all of your content. If you write a blog about a topic that is highlighted by your video, embed or link (or both) to that video. This builds an SEO web that helps Google and YouTube better understand how the topic is related.

Finally, if you need any help getting that video going, let us know. We can help!

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Website Video Idea – Employee Spotlight

Employee Spotlight Video

Do your customers know who they are talking to when they call your business line? How about your potential customers. Ideally, they don’t know you or haven’t met you directly. This would mean that they found you online through a search engine and have made the decision to call you. Wouldn’t it be nice if they had some idea of who they were talking to when they call? Now they can!

We believe that potential customers would like to feel comfortable calling a business. We also believe that a business can move the level of comfort for potential customers to the positive by supplying the customers with an Employee Spotlight video. This allows the customer to know who they are talking to. We’ve all seen the About Us pages on websites that usually contain a photo with a brief description of their role. Why not change this? Why not make this a video introduction supported by the brief job description of the employee? This can significantly improve search engine performance for each person’s name as well as the name of the business.

Who Needs an Employee Spotlight Video?

This works particularly well with organizations like law firms, partnerships, ad agencies, and chambers of commerce. These tend to have lower turnover allowing the video to have a longer shelf life. Even if turnover is a little higher, shooting a video highlighting high-level employees can improve morale and make the employees feel a bit more connected to the company/firm.

If you’re considering a video that spotlights the employees and partners in the business, contact us today to learn more about how we can help.

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Simple Video Blog Ideas

projector graphics

You’re probably reading this because you want to improve your website’s SEO. You’ve heard that video on your website can help SEO, but you’re looking at your computer and decided, you need a topic. You could write about your topic, or you could do a video. While we’ve given tips about How To Set Up Your Video Correctly, coming up with the topic can be a little difficult. This blog post is about picking a topic and running with it!

The How-To-Video

Videos that describe how to do something can be very helpful for your potential customer. After all, they need help. Why not be the solution? For example, about 4 weeks ago I needed to learn how to hang a flat screen television to a wall. The directions that came with the hardware wasn’t helpful, so I Googled it. I found hundreds of videos, but I selected the one that was titled correctly and after a few seconds began to teach me how to successfully hang the TV. (Side note, the TV is still hanging on the wall — Success!)

ScreenCasting

A different version of a video How-To-Video, but an important one. If you have something to show or describe on your computer screen, use ScreenCast or CamStudio. They capture what you are doing on your computer screen. I have used this program when I need to show someone how to set up an account on a website or how to make changes to a computer setting for better video viewing.

Video Interview

This is where we can come in to compliment your activities. Conducting interviews of clients or important people in your field of business can add value to your website. We’ll help you make the interview look professional and insightful. We’ll make sure you stay on topic and relevant to your audience.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Do you have a list of questions that potential clients ask frequently? Or do you have a list of questions that existing customers ask? Put together a list of frequently asked questions for them to refer to before sitting down with you. For example, a dentist might answer questions such as, “How do I prepare for my root canal operation?” or an Estate Planner might do an FAQ video about, “What documents do I need before I meet with my Estate Planner?” These can assist in SEO as well as help your customers/clients.

These are just a few options when deciding on what type of videos you can use for a blog and how you can use them. If you would like us to help you plan some of these out, simply give us a call.

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How Long Should My Video Be On My Website?

stopwatch

Length of Video

Did you know that 50% more people will complete a 1 minute video than a 2 minute video? That’s significant considering most businesses want to post longer videos. We tend to recommend that if you want to post a video, that it be under 1 minuteÔǪand if you have more to say, let’s find a way to break it into smaller, bite-sized pieces. This allows the viewer to continue to click through the important portions of your videos (education) while also identifying what is important to potential customersÔǪor what is not said efficiently somewhere else on the website.

So, I Shouldn’t Post A Long Video?

Not necessarily. It really depends on the type of video.

  1. Commercials. Many companies need to education potential customers about what they do or the benefits of the product. This can usually be done within 30 seconds.
  2. How To. Some companies need to educate current customers about how to use a product, such as how to assemble it or how to use it safely. In these cases, the length of the video is less important; however, it is important that the video get to the point quickly or the viewer will think the video will be a waste of their time.
  3. Testimonials. Testimonial videos can be up to 2 minutes. People like to watch other people give testimonials before they buy to help them determine if they are making a good choice. By providing sufficient time for multiple testimonials, the potential customer can watch as many or as few testimonials as needed to help them make a decision.

We hope this helps you make an educated decision on how long your video should be. Whether we produce it for you or someone else, make sure the length of the video is correct for it’s use. Contact us if you have any questions.

 

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Video Testimonials ÔÇô Do You Know the Secret? Video Improves Website Presence

While word of mouth is an excellent way to build your business, did you know that capturing a testimonial on video of your clients so that potential clients who research your company is highly effective? Ponder this: a client is searching via Google for your services. They want to know some more information about what your company offers. They donÔÇÖt necessarily want to hire you, but they find you because you have a video on your website. Your website has the keywords required to capture GoogleÔÇÖs attention and your video convinces them to buy.

Your video is only 2 minutes and it is filled with your clients bragging about how they have benefited from your product or service. They learn about how you took the time to learn what they needed and provided exactly the right service and as expected.

This type of video is known as the testimonial video and it accomplishes two things: (1) bonus points for the video (Google owns YouTube, therefore the algorithm pays special attention to your site with the embedded video); and (2) it shows the potential customer/client that you know what you are doing. It illustrates, from a satisfied customer, how you do business and that they are so satisfied they feel comfortable explaining to the world how youÔÇÖve helped them. Powerful! Here’s an example:

The best way to approach a client about doing a testimonial video is by letting them know that you are shooting a video for your website. Many people would love to brag about someone they know can and will do the job. Select those clients that have referred you business from others as the priority individuals. Also, consider the mix of messages that they each can provide. For example, if one can provide insight into two facets of your business and another client can offer two different facets, that might just be the right mix.

As always, you can use us to help you create the plan, organize the shoot day, and complete the project on time. Let us know how we can help!

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When Is It Time To Add Video to Your Marketing Plan?

image of video camera with words

Websites used to be just a way for people to find you. And it still is. But it has become even more than that. For example, when done correctly, your website should be interactive, solution driven, and easy to navigate. The website world is changing quickly. Websites used to be pretty static, unchanging, and a place for people to get basic contact information. Not anymore!

Today, people are researching companies, people, and groups via Google, Bing, or other search resources. ItÔÇÖs time to manage your online identity. One way to manage your identity is provide good information about what you do and how you do it. This can be accomplished through video. But, when is it time to add video? Here are some perfect times to add video to your repertoire:

When You Are Rebuilding or Re-Launching Your Website

Video is a critical part of new websites. If you make the video the showpiece of your site, youÔÇÖll find people spend more time on your site, improving your stats and, possibly, your SEO metrics. In less than 2 minutes, you can describe what you do, how you do it, and why a potential customer should contact you.

New Product or Service Offering

If youÔÇÖre providing a new product or service, this is usually a good time to add video to your site. A video will allow you to describe the new product or service quickly and even provide a demonstration. Highly powerful. Always effective. Additionally, if you have a product that must be assembled and are having some difficulty getting your customers to assemble the product correctly, a video might be just the solution.

Re-Branding

If youÔÇÖre in a position of re-branding your business, think about how you might add video to your site to describe why the re-branding has happened, what is the benefit of the new brand, or, if applicable, why the re-brand wonÔÇÖt affect your current level of service. Just make sure the video launch coincides with the entire branding strategy so that you can lengthen the shelf-life of the video.

An Event

If you have a tradeshow, a fundraising event, or youÔÇÖre unveiling a new product, people love a video presentation. A video always does better than a PowerPoint presentation or speech. No matter the size of your business, a video supporting an event is highly productive.

The best way to stand out and apart from your competition is a video. When you invest in a high-quality video, your business stands out. Let us know if we can help!

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Predictions About Video in 2014

crystal ball for fortune telling

We at Plum Productions may not have a crystal ball, but we can see the trends that are both affecting our business and driving our business. Here are a couple of trends that we think you’d like to know about in 2014.

  1. Mobile. Video on mobile devices has grown extremely fast in the last couple of years, but we think it will grow exponentially in 2014. We believe the larger number of smart phones in the marketplace and the addition of a much faster 4G infrastructure has increased the ability for video to be an option. Cisco predicts that mobile video will increase 25-fold between 2011 and 2016, making video the largest consumer of data traffic.
  2. Short Videos. Although we’re not a proponent of short videos, the trend is on the rise. We believe this to be a great tool to tease a product or service, but not as a promotional piece by itself.
  3. Elections. We believe nothing tells a story better than a video. During the 2014 midterm elections for the U.S. Senate, House, and the state and local government roles, we believe we’ll see video endorsements from groups and families promoting one candidate or another. While not different from other years, this year we believe there will be more of them. Layer on the comment system built into YouTube and we should see a full fledged political war online.
  4. Testimonials. We see testimonial videos as continuing to rise and continuing to be successful for business. Nothing tells a story better about how good a business is than hearing directly from their customer. The trend is to shift from paid actors/actresses to customer testimonials.

We think 2014 should be a great year for video. Whether it’s┬ácorporate video, web video, or both, we can help you make the right choices about what do and how to do it correctly. Give us a call to help!

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Is Video Good For Business?

How Video Helps

Studies have shown that consumers will search Google, Bing, or another search engine for information about your business before buying. Some businesses use this to their advantage while some do not. The goal is to have great quality content posted on a consistent basis along with engaging information. That’s where video comes in.

Video In Action

Here’s a great example of how an organization needed video to show the benefits of their services. Roominate showed how girls and boys not only learn differently but can add a significant value to the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math. ┬áThey highlight the skills women bring to the table that might not otherwise be noticed or acknowledged. Additionally, they show how their products engage young girls in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math.

Organizations that want to express a challenge in the marketplace and how their product or service can solve that problem should use video to express all the benefits in one place. ┬á ┬áAs a client told us the other day, if a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth millions. We couldn’t agree more! A video fully expresses the most critical components in a concise method. Without video, an organization like Roominate might not get their point across about how important it is for girls to experience science, technology, engineering, and math. Their video is able to express all the important components of sharing key buying decisions for those who visit their website. This is why we say that a website without video is like reading a newspaper. One can get the information they need, but it’s a lot more fun learning via a video.

Creating a web video is simple. Contact us for information about scripts, web video components, and video campaigns that can help you drive your placement in SEO.

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New Ideas for Generating Revenue with Video

At Plum Productions, we always pride ourselves on being able to show our clients how videos can help them gain visibility and enhance their marketing strategy. ┬áHowever, once in a while, one of our clients will surprise us with a new concept. ┬áRecently, a particularly inventive entreprenuer had an idea to help generate revenue, but he needed our help. This man’s business is a consulting firm, and he his clientele is spread across the country. He “meets” with them over the phone, but wanted to also offer an added service. ┬áThat’s where Plum Productions came in. We’re shooting ten minute educational and motivational videos that he distributes to his clients every week. ┬áSo, while he still gives them personalized weekly consultations, they’re also getting the added value of the educational videos and corresponding exercises. ┬á It’s as if he’s spending┬ámore time with every client every week, but without actually having to work longer hours. We love this idea! ┬áHow can you use video to give your existing clients added value without stretching your own schedule? ┬áFood for thought. The Plum Productions Team