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27-Jun-2011

Your business will die without online video

If you haven’t already heard about the phenomenon that is online video production, I suggest you leave this blog immediately and do not return until you’ve joined us in this current century.

All business owners need to wake up to the opportunities that exist with online videos.  If you’re business is online and you don’t currently use video to market your services or products, you’re missing out on a huge chunk of business.

I can see how some businesses can be put off at the idea of creating an online video; too much hassle; too much money; not enough time; no guarantee of a return on investment.  These are very typical arguments we hear all of the time.  But when we get the opportunity to explore our client’s fears, the fears are usually based on assumptions that are very loose and actually don’t have any substance.

Online video production for businesses is still relatively new territory really. There are very few companies who are really harnessing the opportunities online video production provides.  

For instance you still see that the majority of websites rely entirely on written content and still images to market their products/services.  I’m not saying that website owners should make fire-sale changes and get rid of all written content.  No, but I am suggesting that businesses should use a broader mix.  Lets face it we live in a very visual orientated society these days. Our lives are busier, and we want the information quickly.  We have a desire to be engaged with content we’re being provided.  We don’t always have time to read, so we scan and skim over the information to see if it’s relevant or interesting.

Online videos have a far better chance of making an impact, quickly, and are far more likely to be remembered (hopefully for good reasons).  Videos provide a space for being incredibly creative and can transform a seemingly boring product into something incredibly interesting.  A great example of this is the Blendtec blenders. 

If you started talking to me at a party about how well your blender blends butternut squash and pumpkins, I’d be seeking new company. Start talking to me about how well your blender blends an iPhone – now that’s a different story.  The ‘will it blend’ series of videos has completely transformed a functional product into something completely different and dare I say it – cool!  And here’s the rub – if you asked me to name any blender manufacturers, I can only tell you of one – Blendtec.

Blendtec is a great example for the use of online video production for several reasons, and I don’t mean for it’s viral quality. Its viral quality is obvious so no need to delve into that really. There are certain principles that are very clear that any business would do well to adopt, or at least learn from.

1.    You don’t need to spend a fortune on video production – its quite obvious Blendtec do not spend lots of money on their videos.  The main expenditure is on the products they blend, which considering the exposure they receive is a small price to pay in the long run.

2.    Involve your customers – Blendtec did a great job of suggesting which items could be safely blended at home. Brilliant! Additionally they also took suggestions of items to blend from their customers.

3.    Keep it short – 3 mins tops is the maximum for ads, product marketing, or music videos.  Although if you’re planning an online training video you’ll probably need longer, but you should definitely consider breaking the video into a series. The information is more manageable.

It’s pretty simple really, and you’ll be well on your way in sticking with these principles. On the other hand you could choose to totally ignore my advice, break all the rules and produce a successful online video. It’s all about being creative after all. Good luck. 

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