“Simply put, if you are trying to figure out how to leverage video to help your business acquire and retain more customers, this book is for you. From strategy to planning to execution, Jules literally leaves no shell unturned and gives away all the secrets to great video marketing.” Joe Pulizzi, Founder, Content Marketing Institute and Author, Epic Content Marketing
“If you’ve picked this book up because you have a strong desire to attract more customers, and to create more loyal customers, you’ve made a smart move. Start at the beginning, work through every chapter, take notes, think about your own messages and develop your strategy. Then start taking videos. Congratulations on a fantastic book Jules Blundell.” Andrew Griffiths, Australia’s #1 Small Business Author
“Video is just about the most powerful marketing tool there is. And it’s suddenly within the reach of small business operators. That’s where Jules Blundell comes in. In this book, she demonstrates how to use video in ways that deliver real measurable returns, without the complex tech talk or jargon. The technologies might change, but the principles in this book are timeless.” James Tuckerman, Founder, Anthill Magazine, Not-so-Freaky University and Australia’s Leading Digital Publisher
“Video is the newest and boldest language of the Web and every business needs to master it quickly. Jules’ book expertly describes the entire process of creating a strategy to actually executing video that will move the marketing needle.” Robert Rose, Chief Strategy Officer, Content Marketing Institute
Acknowledgements To Joe; with your unconditional love and support I can chase my dreams. To Jasper and Charlotte, who give me a reason to continue to be a better person. For my mother, who left the world far too young to appreciate her everlasting impact.
Copyright © Jules Blundell 2015 Jules Blundell has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this book. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry: Creator: Blundell, Jules, author. Title: Capture more customers with video: the why, what and how ISBN: 9780992595739 (paperback) 9780992418298 (ebook) 9780992595760 (ebook) Subjects: Video tape advertising. Video recordings – Production and direction. Business – Information technology. Success in business. Customer relations – Management – Information technology. Dewey Number: 658.4038 Cover design by Katrina Tan Designs Illustrations by Fefe Yuwono Back cover photo by Julie Renouf Interior design and book production by Michael Hanrahan Publishing Printed in Australia by McPherson’s Printing
Contents Acknowledgements
iii
Foreword
xi
1. Why video?
1
Videos create more ‘buying ready’ customers Videos create more engaged consumers We remember a video better than we remember what we’ve read Videos can accomplish more in less time Videos cut through the clutter Videos are great for SEO Videos are easy to share Video is extremely mobile friendly So how can you take advantage of video?
3 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 7
2. Video strategy
Introduction What is the purpose of your video? What is your message? Who is your video talking to? What video style will work best? Real footage Motion graphics/digital graphics/animation Researching video styles
Video length and video budget
11
13 14 20 25 28 29 30 31
33
Estimate timelines Estimate budget – Do-It-Yourself
35 37
Assessing the return on your investment Over to you
39 42
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Capture more customers with video
3. The nuts and bolts of video production
45
Introduction 47 Script writing essentials 48 The ability to connect with your viewers The ability to clearly express your message The ability to match your message to compelling visuals
Four different approaches to script writing Approach #1: Promotional video Approach #2: Product or service pitch Approach #3: Instructional videos Approach #4: Testimonials videos
Finding the right length for your video Voiceover, music and sound effects Voiceovers Where to source music and sound effects
Engaging a production company
48 50 50
53 53 58 62 68
71 75 75 78
83
Choosing the right production company 84 What the production company needs from you 87
Outsourcing to freelancing sites Do-it-yourself production Over to you
89 91 92
4. Editing and publishing your videos
93
Introduction 95 Guidelines for critiquing scripts and videos 96 Four questions to ask yourself Providing your feedback to your video agency
Tips for reviewing and amending your video Publishing your video Hosting and sharing platforms
96 97
98 101 101
Setting up your YouTube channel
106
Plan ahead Getting set up – step by step
107 108
Over to you
115
viii
Contents
5. Marketing your video
117
Introduction 119 Marketing your video on YouTube 120 Marketing your video on social media 123 Facebook 124 LinkedIn 126 Pinterest 129 Twitter 131
Email Marketing Broadcasting with Google AdWords Measure your marketing Over to you
132 133 136 139
Conclusion 141 About the author
143
ix
FOREWORD Over the past 30 years I’ve had the fortune to own a number of small businesses. During that time there have been a lot of changes in the business world, none more powerful than the advent of the Internet. Whilst the internet is now a given, and a tool we use on a daily basis, taking it for granted unless there are speed issues, the real change is only just starting to become clear. Our very behaviour is changing; how we live our lives is intrinsically tied to the online world and, by association, how we run our businesses. Just as our behaviour is changing, so is the behaviour of our customers. A lot of business owners are struggling to make this leap; they think that getting a website is all they need to bring them into the 2020’s – but those in the know realise that there is much more to it than that. The key to capturing a market is to know your market, and every day, more and more potential customers are watching videos online. They are watching these to learn, to make buying decisions, for entertainment and for inspiration. xi
Capture more customers with video
In fact the one thing that most Internet authorities agree on, is that in the coming years, the amount of video online will increase incredibly and it will become the primary format for online material. As business owners we need to know this – and we need to take it seriously. Jules Blundell approached me to write the foreword for Capture more customers with video and I agreed in a heartbeat. The information she shares is not only interesting, it is totally relevant and essential for anyone doing business today. Of course it’s easy to ask why do you need a book on video? Surely you just fire up your phone, record a clever message and post it to YouTube, right? Wrong. That’s what everyone else is doing, most unsuccessfully. Jules Blundell is approaching the concept of using videos to capture customers, not just ‘likes’ online. This means that Capture more customers with video is a hugely practical book that is going to help you to stay competitive. If you’ve picked this book up because you have a strong desire to attract more customers, and to create more loyal customers, you’ve made a smart move. Start at the beginning, work through every chapter, take notes, think about your own messages and develop your strategy. Then start taking videos. Congratulations on a fantastic book Jules Blundell. Andrew Griffiths Australia’s #1 Small Business Author
xii
CHAPTER 1
WHY VIDEO?
1
We are watching more video than ever before, with over a billion users watching 6 billion hours of video each month on YouTube alone.1 What’s more, online video viewing is still growing, with video users expected to reach 1.5 billion in 2016 and with predictions that 74% of internet traffic will be video by 2017, non-video content will become increasingly obsolete. So with video getting more and more consumers’ attention and hours of watching, it’s no surprise that it’s become a very attractive tool for companies, big and small, to market their products and services. Beyond the amount of traffic alone, there are some fundamental reasons why video is becoming so attractive. The main ones are as follows:
Videos create more ‘buying ready’ customers Watching a video about a product or service makes people more likely to buy. 52% of consumers say that watching product videos makes them more confident in online purchasing decisions. Consumers viewing a video online are more likely to phone in an order, or make a purchase right then and there. And, according to Video Statistics: The Marketer’s Summary by Invodo (2014), shoppers who view videos are 1.81 times more likely to purchase than non-viewers.2
1 YouTube Statistics, https://www.youtube.com/yt/press/statistics.html 2 Video Statistics: The Marketer’s Summary by Invodo (2014)
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Capture more customers with video
Videos create more engaged consumers Only 20% of people will read the entire text on a website, whereas 80% will watch a video containing the same information. Why? This is because watching is far less taxing on the brain than reading. It reduces the time it takes to consume information, meaning you can communicate your message faster, and it also engages both a consumer’s visual and auditory senses, giving them a more stimulating experience for brands.
We remember a video better than we remember what we’ve read An interesting feature of the human brain is that we can remember a great deal more pictorial information than we can remember words and letters. For this reason, after 72 hours people only remember 10% of what they’ve read, as opposed to remembering a much more impressive 68% of what they’ve watched.
4
Why video?
Videos can accomplish more in less time As business products and services around the world become more complicated with the rise of technology, so do the messages that describe them. Video is an ideal platform to convey more complex, intricate or nuanced messages. In just two minutes you can entertain, get your message across and have a call-to-action.
Videos cut through the clutter Today, your customers are inundated with information. They’re seeking ways to cut through all the noise and clutter to get to the one thing that will solve their problems. Video is superb at doing this because it packages up company messages in an accessible and memorable way – two vital features in a world congested with content.
Videos are great for SEO SE-what? SEO, or search engine optimisation, is the art of getting your website to rank higher in Google’s search results (or any other search engine’s results), which means your business will be found by more potential customers. Videos are a staggering 53 times more likely than traditional web pages to appear on the first page of search results and, once a visitor clicks through to your site, the amount of time they spend on your site also increases as you incorporate more video. And once they leave, they are far more likely to come back. 5
Capture more customers with video
Videos are easy to share Sharing online content is an integral part of modern life, and videos result in more shares, tweets and likes than plain text. This means your videos are far more likely to spread the word about your business than any other marketing content.
Video is extremely mobile friendly The widespread shift from traditional media towards the consumption of content on people’s mobile devices is hard to ignore. One of the obvious features of this shift is that people are now reading and seeing things on quite small screens, often the smartphones in their hands. A lot of effort has gone into repurposing online content into mobile-friendly formats but a significant driver of the move to video is that it’s one of the best formats to receive information on a small screen. It’s not surprising that consumers prefer to watch a video about a product or service on their mobile than to try and read the small text on a mobile-friendly website.
6
Why video?
Put simply – videos sell. They sell your services, your products, your brand and your commitment. And there has never been a better time to communicate your company messages, products and services through video. Why? Because, in the past, making a video for your business was expensive, which meant it was an option only available to large companies and brands that could afford to advertise on TV. Today almost any business can produce a video, even on a mobile phone.
So how can you take advantage of video? We’ve discussed some of the reasons why video can be a great vehicle to carry marketing messages or content about companies products or services. But before you jump in, it’s important to understand that video production requires strategy, planning and structured execution. I’m sure we’ve all seen poorly produced or conceived videos. They are generally uninteresting, meaning you click off as soon as you can (usually in the first 5– 8 seconds). And when a company publishes a bad video, it makes the viewer wonder if their products and services are of the same quality. A great video, on the other hand, founded upon strategic intent and professionally produced, will keep your viewers engaged from beginning to end. And it will inspire your viewers to action.
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Capture more customers with video
Think about all the videos that you have shared and watched online. Wouldn’t it be great if your video gained the same traction? This book is designed to guide you through the main processes in developing effective video so that you can achieve the same success with your videos. This book has been set out into the following chapters: Chapter 2 – Video strategy: How to craft a powerful message through video Chapter 3 – The nuts and bolts of video production and how to watch out for pitfalls Chapter 4 – Editing and publishing your videos Chapter 5 – Marketing your video
8
Why video?
Warning – this is not a manual on videography or animation, as this technical skillset is something that should be left to the professionals to ensure your video achieves the best result. Instead, Capture more customers with video will teach you how to strategically leverage this technology in your business, from mapping out the initial concept to marketing your produced video, so that you can bring more customers into your business, and focus on doing what you do best. By the end of this book you will have the confidence to: 1. Produce videos that have a clear strategic focus 2. Understand how to market your videos 3. Know what and how to outsource all or parts of the production process to professionals Whichever option you choose, this book will take you through the process from planning to promotion so you can ensure your company videos are a success.
9
CHAPTER 2
VIDEO STRATEGY
Contents • • • • • •
What is the purpose of your video? What is your message? Who is your video talking to? What video style will work best? Video length and video budget Assessing the return on your investment
Introduction The essence to creating an awesome video is to define from the outset what your goal is, to be crystal clear on what you are trying to say and who you are talking to and how you can bring it all together in a fun and engaging way. The best way to get great results is to go through a structured approach by addressing some basic questions upfront: Why are you making the video? ............ Your purpose What do you want to say? ..................... Your message Who are you targeting? ......................... Your audience What style of video will you create? .............Your style What is the timeline and budget? ....Your expectations Taking the time to work through these questions enables you to create the foundations upon which a great video can be created. Let’s look at each of these in turn.
13
What is the purpose of your video? Once you’ve decided to produce a business video, the next step is to decide what you’d like your video to achieve. Some choices are: • Find new customers. • Convert viewers to new customers. • Sell to new customers. • Keep your customers. Increase their loyalty. • Show thought leadership. This decision will directly impact the type of video you produce. For example, if you’re looking to find new customers, then your video should address the problems your target market is experiencing and how your product or service solves their problems. By contrast, if you’re looking at using video to retain your customers, then your video might be a special sales promotion or competition your business is running. Remember, video is a marketing tool, and it’s important, as with all your marketing efforts, to communicate the right message at the right time through the right channels to the right people. By matching your objectives to the particular buying status of your customers, you’ll gain a greater understanding of what each one needs to hear at each stage in his/her purchasing process. 14
Video strategy
So, what are your customers thinking at each stage? And how can you best use this knowledge to help you create the most effective video? Customer behaviour matched to buyers’ journey Buyer journey
Suspects ‘Clueless’
Prospects ‘Curious’
Leads ‘Serious’
Customers ‘Sold’
What are they thinking?
What needs fixing?
What solutions are there?
Which company will I transact with?
Am I happy with the results?
What are they doing?
Discovering Researching Exploring Discussing
Researching Sharing Trusting Opinion searching
Delving Questioning Rationalising Comparing
Deciding Purchasing Sharing Influencing
What do they want?
Answers to questions
More in-depth answers to their questions, plus other people’s opinions and examples
More answers. Confidence they’re making the right decisions
Remarkable service
15
Capture more customers with video
Suspects are potential customers at the beginning of the buying cycle. The business messages at this stage need to help them to answer their key questions, or answer new questions they hadn’t thought about. Prospects are potential customers who know what they are looking for and are trying to ascertain what the available options are. Business messages at this stage need to provide more in-depth answers and examples of how the product/ service has helped others. Leads are potential customers in the final stages of research, they are confident they know what they want and are trying to work out which company to transact with. At this stage, these customers need to hear more about what the outcomes and experience will be once they have purchased the product/service and be given the confidence that they are making the right choice by choosing your company. Customers are those who have transacted with you organisation at least once. At this point they are wondering if they should refer your product/service to their friends, family and colleagues but before they do this, they will wait and test you out to ensure you deliver on what you have promised. Continual communication with customers is crucial and your videos at this stage of the buying cycle should focus on retention and engagement so they continue to transact and remain loyal to your organisation. And more importantly, be willing to share their experience across their networks.
16
Video strategy
As you can see, knowing what your customers need to hear at each stage of the buying cycle is crucial because it will ensure you to get your message right. There are so many different types of videos available at each stage of the buying cycle so you should never be short of ideas. There are some examples on the following pages.
17
rview
Capture more customers with video
Attention Seeking Promotional Videos - Business Overview Problem Solving Video Blogs (Vlogs) Case Studies FAQ’s Address Common Problems
How Product / Service Works Instructional Videos - e.g. How-To Interviews Educational - Questions Answered Testimonials Product / Service Overview Outcomes Feeling Features // Benefits Webinars Product / Service Demonstrations Thought Leadership Tip Sheets Bonus Offers Why Productif /Sign-Up Service /isPurchase Unique?
18
Edu Prod Feat Prod Tip S Why
Ne Tra Cel Inc Jus Un Co Joi
verview
e
Problem Solving Video Blogs (Vlogs) Case Studies Video strategy FAQ’s Address Common Problems
How Product / Service Works Instructional Videos - e.g. How-To Interviews Educational - Questions Answered Testimonials Product / Service Overview Outcomes Feeling Features //Benefits Webinars Product / Service Demonstrations Thought Leadership Tip Sheets Bonus Offers if /Sign-Up Why Product Service /isPurchase Unique?
New Product / Service Launch Training Videos Celebrations / Key Dates / Events Incentives / Referrals Just for Fun Unique / Special Offers Competitions Join Social Media/Forums
19
F P T W
What is your message? Once you’re clear on the purpose of your video, you need to decide what you want to say. As you can see from the diagrams on pages 18–19, there are opportunities for many different messages at each of the various stages of the buying cycle. Here is a more in-depth look at some of them. Video types explained Video message
Description
Introduction/ promotional
Describe your business to prospective customers. This is essentially your company pitch.
Educational
Inform viewers about your products/services.
Factual/featuresbenefits
Provide an overview of your products/services and their benefits.
How-to/ instructional
Explain how to use your product/services.
Testimonials
Include comments from customers who endorse your products/services. (Make sure you use real people.)
Advertising
Highlight special promotions or campaigns.
Case studies
Use actual situations to demonstrate your strengths and expertise as well as help your customers overcome obstacles and problems.
Your why
Tell your customers and prospects why you do what you do. This is your company’s mission, your philosophy. Note: this may not generate any income, but will help support your other efforts.
20
Video strategy
Video message
Description
Interviews
Enhance your customers’ knowledge and understanding by sharing other people’s experiences and perspectives, to demonstrate expertise.
Video blogging
Vlogging is simply taking your blog and turning it into a video. This can work nicely across all stages of the buying cycle.
Product/service launches
Introduce new products and services to demonstrate your continuing capability and innovation.
Special promotions/incentives /giveaways
Retain your customers by amazing them with giveaways, coupons, prizes and incentives to do more business with you.
Training
Train your customers or your staff, depending on your objective.
FAQ/problem solving/tip sheets/checklists
Answer the most common questions, provide a helpful checklist or give away great tips.
Just for fun!
Demonstrate that your business is cool, cutting edge and fun!
Webinars/ eBooks/whitepapers
Share your IP in webinars and eBooks with your video.
Sales collateral
Turn your company brochures into videos.
Company events
Promote your company events so your customers will get to know you better, which will reduce the barriers between you.
Social proof
Explore ways to confirm that everyone likes your products/services.
Virtual tours
Showcase your facilities.
Scarcity
Advise viewers that time is running out or products are in short supply.
Trigger reactions
Challenge beliefs, or induce emotions like indignation, amusement or sadness.
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Capture more customers with video
Remember, regardless of your audience and message, one rule never changes – focus on one message per audience. A single message is what sticks; if you try to say too much, nothing will stick. Once you know what you want to say, think about who you are saying it to and what they want to hear.
22
Video strategy
Case study – Start-ups and some alternative uses for video I love working with business start-ups. Their energy and enthusiasm is high and I’m privy to a new product or service about to hit the market. I have worked with founding directors who have had complete clarity around their unique proposition, and others who still struggle to articulate what makes them stand out. Regardless, by producing a promotional video, they can quickly and clearly explain their company proposition to an audience, be they new customers or stakeholders. Start-ups can use video for a range of different purposes. One client we worked with used video as a way to ‘test market’ his idea prior to production. He promoted the video to his target audience using Google AdWords and took viewers to the short sign-up and questionnaire. Another start-up used a video we made for their funding campaign on Kickstarter. I was involved with a client who had a large chain of retail outlets. They wanted to test a few different concepts for the stores – different look and feel, different ways their staff talked to customers, different uniforms etc. But before going to the expense of changing anything physically, they wanted to make a video for each idea. Each video showed what a customer would experience. The videos were then used in market research amongst their target market to assess the winning concept and what shoppers did and didn’t like. It was a great use of video. Most startups however produce a promotional video which explains what they do.
23
Capture more customers with video
It often takes us longer to craft videos for new products/ services compared to existing ones. Describing a completely new idea or a new market can be challenging because there are no established reference points – Dove is a bar of soap, right? But if you are the first to invent soap, you have to establish some new context. Remember, customers want to get quickly to the heart of what you do and why you do it, and a promotional video needs to do just this. When working with start-up clients, the first things I ask them to articulate are: •
What problems their product or service solves,
•
How their product or service solves these problems, and
•
How their customers feel after they have used the product or service.
If the business is entering a crowded market, I also ask the client to clearly identify why they are different and why their customers should choose them over everyone else. Keep in mind that these points need to be really strong, but you also need to prove they are true. Saying you’re better is one thing, but proving it is essential. Take outs •
There may be a role for video in testing out your new idea or business
•
Explainer videos can be a great way to pitch new ideas to your target
•
Promotional videos for start-up businesses need to address how the product or service solves the customers’ problems up front. This will help get you noticed 24
Who is your video talking to? Knowing exactly who your video is aimed at is crucial. The better acquainted you are with your target audience, the more effective your video. Beyond knowing which stage of the buying cycle your audience is in, you need to have a good idea of who they are so you can market directly to them. Rather than imagining a generic customer, create a fictional client based on real ones that you know. If you then produce your video as if you’re speaking to this person, it will create a more powerful message that resonates with your viewers. Your pitch will be more focused, which will ultimately result in more sales. One of the best ways to develop a profile of a prospective customer is to build a ‘buyer persona’. Take time to research what your customers are talking about in blogs, forums and on social media. This will help you to build your buyer persona. Here is a simple checklist of things you can include: Name______________________________________ Job title_____________________________________ Daily tasks & responsibilities ________________________ Frustrations __________________________________ Pressures____________________________________ Concerns____________________________________ Needs______________________________________ Role in buying process____________________________ Buying stage__________________________________ What drives them in their decision-making – price, benefits, convenience, etc.?_______________________________ 25
Capture more customers with video
Example buyer persona Name Job title
Company X
Founder/Owner
Daily tasks & responsibilities Sales, accounting, recruitment, operations, admin. Frustrations Pressures Concerns Needs Role in buying process Buying stage
Time poor, lack of qualified leads Money to live on
Money to grow business
Better lead generation, more sales Decision maker Prospective
What drives them in their decision-making – price, benefits, convenience, etc.? Price, outcome
Once you have this information you can choose the type and style of video production that will work best for you and your business.
26
Video strategy
Case study – Working customers’ stories and language into video A number of years ago I was writing a script for a client who had a new consumer payment product. I was finding it heavy going – I just couldn’t empathise with the product benefit and I was unfamiliar with the sector. My client didn’t seem to have a clear take on what their customers most enjoyed about it either. A few days later, just by sheer chance a friend of mine posted on Facebook that she had just discovered this new online payment product and was raving about how it had saved her money. It just so happened that it was the very product I was trying to write a script for. So I rang my friend, got the specifics of how the experience was for her. I listened to her language and how she described the product and its benefits for her. I then went onto the company’s Facebook page and found similar customer language and stories. It was a goldmine! After that the idea for the video script was easy. The video ended up being one of the best ones I had made that year. I now routinely search for customer language and customer stories on clients’ Facebook pages AND those of their competitors to help develop script ideas and script language. Take outs •
Messages are always best received when spoken in customers’ language
•
Use whatever sources you can to find good customer stories that help dramatise the benefits of your products or services 27
What video style will work best? Videos are incredibly versatile. There are many different types and styles you can use.
Video types: • Real footage/live action • Motion graphics/digital graphics/animation • A combination of both
Video styles (the variables in your video): • Tone • Transitions • Art design • Script • Call-to-action • Colours & depth • Camera angles • Lighting While this isn’t a technical book that’ll dive deep into videography and animation techniques, there are some important things to consider when deciding between real footage and motion graphics/digital graphics/animation. Some messages can be communicated better with real footage, while others are better suited to motion graphics.
28
Video strategy
Real footage Real footage videos tend to be a more formal way of giving information to your potential customers. It’s the best way to humanise your business and create a personal connection with your viewers. Real footage is great for testimonials, case studies, interviews, location-specific portrayals, serious topics and any situations where you must demonstrate genuine intent. For example, people are naturally sceptical when it comes to testimonials, so the more authentic your testimonials are the better. Pros
Cons
You can build a really strong connection with the viewer. When they do business with you, they’ll feel as if they already know you.
The person in the video has to build a connection, trigger emotion or get a positive response. If not, it may not have the desired effect.
This type of video can be inexpensive, particularly if you use the camera in your mobile phone.
Real footage can also be incredibly expensive. Trained videographers don’t come cheap.
Real footage communicates a strong sense of who you are and what you stand for.
Without a professional team, real footage can be difficult to get right. It can look amateurish and destroy your brand.
It’s possible to shoot quality video footage with relatively little filming experience.
Post-production still costs money. And if you skimp on that part, you are guaranteed a poor result.
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Capture more customers with video
Motion graphics/digital graphics/animation Motion graphics, digital graphics or animation are essentially moving images, and they’re an amazing tool because you have total freedom to share your company messages. You aren’t limited by location, time, equipment or other extenuating circumstances like weather and lighting. Best of all, you can make the complex, simple, and the boring, exciting. Pros
Cons
You can communicate a huge amount of information through both audio and visuals.
Prices can vary, so you have to shop around to ensure you get quality and affordability.
It’s highly entertaining and engaging because something’s always happening on the screen.
It takes time to craft a great script and produce a stunning video.
Motion graphics provide your business/brand with a high level of credibility.
It can damage your brand if the script is not tight and doesn’t cover the benefit for the consumer.
30
Video strategy
There are no restrictions to what you can do with motion graphics, and they can be used to convey all company messages. That said, this type of video does work particularly well for demonstrating software, unpacking complex ideas or concepts; demonstrating how products and services work and storytelling. Motion graphics are typically used for promotional videos targeted at suspects or prospects, because you can build a character story that they can relate to while being fun and engaging at the same time. So when it comes to deciding on which type of video best suits your needs, make sure you reflect on the type of customer you’re targeting and which emotional response you hope to create. If you want to establish rapport then talk to a camera, but if you want to simplify the complex, then use motion graphics or a combination of both. To help you make these decisions, take the time to research videos you like and those you don’t like.
Researching video styles One of the best places to start your research is on YouTube, checking out what your competitors are doing. • Do they use real footage or motion graphics? • What video styles are they using? • How many views/likes/comments have the videos generated? • What is the call-to-action?
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Capture more customers with video
• Where are the videos available (YouTube, website, TV, etc.)? You can also investigate what big businesses with big budgets are producing. While you may not have the same budget, a good video production company will be able to advise you on how to achieve a similar result with a smaller price tag. Another way to is to search Google with key words such as: ‘top ten videos’, ‘top ten property videos’ or ‘top ten dental videos’ depending on your industry. This search will bring up award-winning videos and can give you some great ideas for the production of your own videos. If possible, check out the effectiveness of these videos by seeing how many people have viewed the video, what comments have been written and, if possible, how many times the video has been shared. Finally, make sure you note the URLs for the videos that you particularly like so you can refer to them if you use a production company or a freelancer.
32
Video length and video budget Two other important considerations in the pre-production stage are how long it will take to produce your video and how much it will cost. However, before you start setting deadlines and budgets, it’s important to have an understanding of the video production process. When it comes to producing a video there are certain stages in the process that every video producer follows. 1. Script writing/story board: The script and/or story board outlines the narrative of your video, and the visual and audio elements you think might tie into that narrative. 2. Voiceover: The voiceover is the spoken material of your video. Not all videos require voiceover, but many do and it is important to find the right voice to suit your target audience.
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Capture more customers with video
3. Music selection: Imagine for a moment watching a movie that has no music – it feels like something’s missing, doesn’t it? Business videos are no exception, and music helps build the mood and create an emotional response in your audience. 4. Production: Your videographer or animator will bring your video to life by combining the story, voiceover and music. 5. Review & amend: When you have been delivered the first draft of your video you will be able to ask for amendments, if necessary. 6. Completion – Your video is now complete and you are provided with a video file for the web, typically .mp4 or .mov. It is now time to upload the video to your chosen hosting company. While I’ll cover these stages in greater detail in Chapter 3, for the moment it is worth considering how each will impact your timeline and budget.
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Video strategy
Estimate timelines From beginning to end, it usually takes two to three weeks to produce a company video. But it will depend on which style and approach you have decided to take and the people that you work with. To help you plan, here is a rough estimate of the time each step of the video production process takes: Real footage: Estimated time (total time): Storyboard: 24–72 hours Record voiceover (if required): 12–48 hours Music selection (if required): 2–6 hours To produce: Typically, 1 day filming Review and amend: 24–72 hours Uploading to website, hosting, etc.: 4–8 hours
Motion graphics/digital graphics/animation: Estimated time (total time): Script writing: 24–72 hours Record voiceover: 12–48 hours Music selection: 2–6 hours To produce: 7–21 days Review and amend: 24–48 hours Uploading to website, hosting, etc.: 4–8 hours
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Capture more customers with video
Because the stages of production are usually sequential, it is important to ensure that you are happy at each stage of the production process before moving to the next. This means additional time might be required between each of these stages to get approvals. Often this is built into the process, with both script writing and voiceover recording requiring a ‘final approval status’ applied to them before moving to the next stage. The reason is simply because rewriting the script or re-recording the voiceover typically incurs an additional cost.
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Video strategy
Estimate budget - Do-It-Yourself Do you have a budget in mind? Here are some approximate guidelines to help you gauge how much you may have to spend to produce your video: Cost breakdown – real footage: External script writer $250 – $1,000 (for a good one) Professional voiceover $150+ (if required) Production (videographer)
$1,500+ per day, 1 location
Post-production (videographer)
$650+, depending on complexity
Royalty-free music/ sound effects
$15+
Your time
Priceless
Total: $2,500+
Cost breakdown – motion graphics/digital graphics/animation: External script writer
$250 – $1,000 (for a good one)
Professional voiceover $150+ (if required) Production
$995+
Royalty-free music/ sound effects
$15+
Your time
Priceless
Total: $1,500+ 37
Capture more customers with video
As mentioned previously, if certain stages need to be repeated, like script writing and voiceover recording, this will incur an additional cost. For example, once the script/storyboard is approved the voiceover is recorded for a set fee, say $50–$100 per 30 seconds. Should you decide to make a change to the wording of the script at a later date, then chances are you will have to pay the voiceover talent an additional fee to re-record. So it is in your best interest to make sure you are 100% happy with the script and the voiceover recording before going into production.
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Assessing the return on your investment Videos are a great way for businesses to: 1. Increase sales and 2. Increase brand awareness. When starting to think about producing a video for your business, it is important to ensure that the time and money you have invested will give you a return. Let’s take a look at an example of a business case that is targeted at a profitable return on investment. Example business case – profit Target audience
Target views Number of leads generated
Suspects Female/male Aged 25–50 years 25,000 250
Converted leads/sales
25
Potential profit margin
25 x $500* * Estimate of customer profit based on fictitious customer.
Cost to produce Potential profit Analysis
$3,000 $12,500 – $3,000 = $9,500 profit This video will be a sound investment and provide us with a reasonable return on our investment should we achieve the above response.
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Now draft your own calculations: Target audience Target views Number of leads generated Converted leads/sales Potential profit margin Cost to produce Potential profit Analysis
There are often softer benefits which are not easy to quantify in a business case, such as gaining exposure or increasing brand awareness. It’s still worth thinking about how you might record and measure these.
Measuring and recording the softer benefits of video marketing Target audience Targets
Actual
Views
How many times your video has been viewed
25,000
7,500
Shares
How many times your video has been shared online*
2,500
250
Mentions
How many times your video has been mentioned in blogs or feeds
250
25
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Video strategy
Comments
Analysis
How many times your video has been commented on in YouTube or other hosting place
20
0
This video was successful at increasing our brand awareness as over 7,500 people took the time to watch it. Moreover, viewers thought that it was valuable enough to share within their networks, increasing our exposure. While the sharing was high, we didn’t get many of our targeted key influencers discussing the video. Indirectly, we saw a 20% increase of traffic to our website for the month of the video release and attribute a 20% increase in sales directly to the video. In regard to comments, viewers did not feel it important enough to make comment, which we had hoped for. Need to understand how we can get our viewers to make comments and share more.
* You may want to measure according to each platform – Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.
Now draft your own calculations: Target audience Targets Views
How many times your video has been viewed
Shares
How many times your video has been shared online*
Mentions
How many times your video has been mentioned in blogs or feeds
Comments
How many times your video has been commented on in YouTube or other hosting place
Actual
Analysis
* You may want to measure according to each platform – Facebook, LinkedIn etc.
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Over to you Video strategy checklist •
What are your business objectives for your video? Do they align with your overall company strategy?
¨
•
What outcomes do you expect?
•
Who is your target audience?
•
Where on the buying cycle does your target audience sit so you know which messages to craft?
¨ ¨ ¨
•
What style of video will best suit your needs and objectives?
¨
•
What is your budget to produce a video or a series of videos?
¨
•
What is your budget for marketing the video?
¨
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Video strategy
Checklist Video style:
Real footage Motion graphics Digital graphics Animation Combination
Video type:
Introduction/promotional ¨ Educational ¨ Factual/features-benefits ¨ How-to/instructional ¨ Testimonials ¨ Advertising ¨ Case studies ¨ Interviews ¨ Touch points ¨ Video blogging ¨ Product/service launches ¨ Special promotions/incentives/giveaways ¨ Training ¨ FAQ/problem solving/tips sheets/checklists ¨ Just for fun! ¨ Webinars/eBooks/whitepapers ¨ Sales collateral ¨ Company events ¨ Social proof ¨ Virtual tours ¨ Scarcity ¨ Trigger reaction ¨
¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨
Examples of videos we like*: Competitive analysis: Deadlines:
Budget:
* List the URLs and share them with your production team. This will help them create what you envisioned.
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Capture more customers with video
Best of the best playlist (as at 2014) Here are some of my favourite videos trending at the time I wrote this book and will help you to see how incredibly powerful, emotive or funny video can be. 1. Title: Dollar Shave Club Produced by: Dollar Shave Club 2. Title: Video & The Future of Marketing – Infographic Produced By: iStock 3. Title: The Scarecrow Produced by: Chipotle 4. Title: Coca-Cola Social Media Guard Produced by: Coca-cola 5. Title: Look UP Produced by: Cary Turk 6. Title: Evian Baby & Me Produced by: Evian Baby 7. Title: Can you imagine if the Grand Canyon became a rubbish tip? Produced by: Wilderness Australia 8. Title: Dove Real Beauty Sketches Produced by: Dove United States
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CHAPTER 3
THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF VIDEO PRODUCTION
Contents • • • • • • •
Script writing essentials Four different approaches to script writing Finding the right length for your video Voiceover, music and sound effects Engaging a production company Outsourcing to freelancing sites Do-it-yourself production
Introduction You’ve made your business case for your video. You’re clear on your purpose, message and audience, and you even have some ideas about the video types and styles you’d like to use. So what happens next? It’s time to start writing the script, thinking about the storyboard, i.e. what happens visually and conceptualising your video in greater detail. In this chapter we’re going to help you to understand in greater detail how to write your script, how to engage a voiceover artist, how to select the background music and lastly, we help you to write a detailed brief for instructing a video production company.
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Script writing essentials Script writing is unquestionably the hardest and most important part of creating a video for your business. After all, a great script creates a great video. Fortunately, it’s also the most fun. So what makes a great script? It comes down to three simple things: • The ability to connect with your viewers • The ability to clearly express your message • The ability to match your message to compelling visuals Let’s look at each of these in greater detail.
The ability to connect with your viewers Today’s viewers are savvy and can spot a poor-quality production a mile away. They can determine in 8–10 seconds if your video is of sufficient quality to deserve their attention. So it’s crucial that you take the time to get the quality right and to understand what your viewers want. There are certain content characteristics that can heighten your viewers’ experience and encourage them to share your video with others.
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The nuts and bolts of video production
What viewers want
How your script can give it to them
An emotional connection
Focus on stories that delight, surprise, entertain, etc.
Engagement
Make it interesting, FAST! Grab them in the first 10 seconds.
Answers to their questions/problems
Find out their questions/problems and answer them. Don’t tell them what you think they want; find out what they actually want.
One-on-one communication
Write as if you’re talking to one person.
A clear message
One problem = One message = One video.
To find videos they can share with friends, family and colleagues
Would you share this video if you didn’t work for your business? Write a script you would want to share.
A clear and easy next step
Have a clear call-to-action.
Based on this, it’s not too difficult to figure out what your viewers don’t want: • An obvious sales pitch • Endless banter or corporate speak • Fluff and jargon
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The ability to clearly express your message The two components of a script are dialogue/narration (what your audience hears) and visuals (what your audience sees). These two elements interact and form the organisation and structure of your video. By considering them in advance, you’ll save time and resources because everything will be clearly laid out, whether you do the production yourself or put it in the hands of a video professional. When it comes to writing the dialogue/narration, one of the best places to start is to fully understand your customers. • What helped them make the decision to purchase your product/service? Was anything missing from the process? What were the most effective parts of the process? • What were their common questions and/or considerations? • How did they feel throughout the journey? This information will help you to understand what your customers want to hear and ensure that you create a strong script that resonates with them.
The ability to match your message to compelling visuals When it comes to motion graphics, the visuals usually follow the script. Once you’ve written the script, then it’s time to begin working on the visuals, or what’s happening on the screen while your audience is hearing the audio. 50
The nuts and bolts of video production
What does this look like?
Example script Audio
Visual
Ok, People want to understand your company message quickly, but don’t want to have to plough through tonnes of text and pages.
Show a cityscape & 3 business people. Write: your company message Suddenly, there is a build up of text and pages that lifts them up into the air, like they are drowning in text and pages.
That’s why you need an explanatory video, because it will explain your idea, product or service, really quickly and in an exciting and engaging way.
Pop the 3 business people on a ‘typical’ video icon floating through space. Somehow show products, services and ideas floating past them in space.
At VideoBuzz, that is what we do best. We make AWESOME explainer videos that are serious about generating you more leads and better results.
Bring in company logo and then move into showing a video production factory. Write: More Leads Write: Better Results
In fact, our explainer videos are a bit Show a really cheesy sales guy winking like having an awesome business at the camera development manager, but on steroids! At Video Buzz, we create beautiful, modern videos with a clear message that your customers understand, immediately. Not only will it educate people about what you offer, but it will inspire them to do business with you time and time again.
Transitioning into underwater scene, bring in bright colours morph back to the starting city scape scene showing customers with thought bubbles and write text: try now
So, if you want to get more clicks & more customers, then you need to get an explanatory video today.
Bring in more customers, with same thought bubbles and represent them all making purchases.
For a free consultation or to obtain a quote call us today for a chat on 1300 820 108 .
Outro: Company Logo www.videobuzz.com.au 1300820108
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Capture more customers with video
Scriptwriting is an art form, so I highly recommend that you work in partnership with a production company, scriptwriter, copywriter or freelancer to make sure your script is the best it can be. Remember – once the script is approved and the voiceover is recorded, it can be really expensive to rewrite or re-record it. Get the script perfect before you do anything else!
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Four different approaches to script writing Approach #1: Promotional video A promotional video provides an overview of what your company does in a way that is meaningful to your customers. It addresses your customers’ needs or problems and enables you the opportunity to explain how your product/ service solves these problems. Every business can benefit from a promotional video available on their website as this is a great way help people get to the heart of what you do. Here are the elements of this approach: 1. Hook – Capture their attention in the first 10 seconds (e.g. with delight, surprise or shock). 2. Address their Problems. 3. Provide the Solution. 4. Why is it the right solution? Reinforce by showing/ telling them the benefits, particularly how they will feel after using your product/service. 5. Call-to-action – Encourage them to follow up immediately, which can also include emphasising scarcity (limited quantity or limited time) or offering a special promotion. 6. Contact details.
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Example: Promotional video script Element
Audio
Hook Problems Solutions Why Call-to-action Contact details
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Visual
The nuts and bolts of video production
Example: Promotional video script Story line
Visuals
Hi, My name is Dave and guess what, I am about to strip off naked and run around my local neighbourhood.
Rows of houses Dave walks onto screen as he starts talking. Then have him starting to get undressed, taking his shirt of first. Show a ‘normal’ body and then have him breath in and show a ‘body builders body with six pack’
Now I bet your wondering why? Well, I run a local business, providing a high quality, affordable services to homes in this local area and I have tried everything to get noticed.
Show Dave working at his desk and then show behind him a waterfall of money and occasionally you see a banner that says:
I’ve advertised on TV, radio and in the local newspaper. I spend a fortune each month with online search and paid a bunch of schoolkids to deliver some flyers for me. Did it do me any good?
• TV Advert • Radio Advert • Local paper advert
Well sort of …. I got some calls, and a bit of business here and there, but I really wanted to take my business to the next level and what I’m doing now is just not working for me.
Show Dave stopping working and have a speech bubble appear above his head ‘Did it do me any good?’
So this is my last resort, I am going to run around my targeted neighbourhoods naked so that the households remember who I am. Don’t worry I will have a sandwich board so I don’t scare the kids and I am still advertising ‘cause it has my contact details written in bold. But I reckon this is really going to work!
Return to the neighbourhood scene once again and have Dave in normal body, taking off his trousers, putting on the A-Frame Board,
Have him talking directly at the screen: ‘Well sort of…..’
Written on the A-Frame: Call Me 0444 555333 Have Dave running down the street and have people coming out of their houses and either smiling, clapping and pointing.
Watch me go!
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Capture more customers with video
Different voice:
Well there is a much better way than running around your neighbourhood naked to get noticed…
Have the (trademarked) shopping basket from their logo, zoom onto the screen and fill it with the Letterbox deal logo.
We’re XXX and our clients tell us that we have one of the best success rates of any media.
Have the shopping cart reduce in size and have multiple shopping carts appearing all over Australia. Map of Australia with Letterbox deals in the middle and shopping carts with ticks in them in appearing across Australia.
Here’s how it works:
Show Letterbox Deal Head Office and lots of happy friendly people working. Have a group that are talking about a fantastic advert that is appearing in the next catalogue.
• Send in your promotional offer to us or work with one of our designers to create your large full colour ad • We will place your ad, which is always a full page, into our next catalogue.
• Have a stunning advertising page appear • Place this advert into the Letterbox Deals catalogue
• Then Australia Post delivers it into each home for the areas you want to target – be it your local area, all of metro or even across the nation
• Give it to a guy on a motor bike (Australian postman example on a motorbike image)
• We also combine our catalogue with our huge online database, so you can get access to thousands of households online too.
• Return to the neighbourhood above and have the motor bike delivering letters directly into people’s mail boxes and handing it to people directly.
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The nuts and bolts of video production
Case study – Start-ups Beyond simply selling to your market, video can be a powerful way to tell a select audience about your new business or product idea, such as an investor group. I received a call one day from a very quietly spoken man about a game he’d invented – he wanted to know if I would recommend him to an investor I knew. I usually pride myself on being able to grasp an idea pretty quickly, but on this occasion I really struggled. We must have spoken for 40 minutes and I still wasn’t clear on what the game was all about. He confessed that he’d had similar experiences before and had recently been turned down by a gaming investor who was quite curt with him. So we agreed to meet. He was a very clever man indeed and the game he’d invented turned out to be equally clever – it was just difficult to explain in words. We ended up working together to produce a video as part of an overall presentation to investors. The video really brought the game idea to life and made the unintelligible, understandable. I ended up going with my client to a couple of investor presentations as well as seeing the video bring the idea to life for a couple of his key suppliers too. Sufficed to say, he got the funding! Take outs •
Unless you are a truly great presenter, a video will usually add clarity and excitement to a product or business pitch
•
A video can be a great way to explain very complex ideas and in a way that can be shared and reused by your audience 57
Capture more customers with video
Approach #2: Product or service pitch A product or service video provides your customers with an overview of your product and services. By creating individual videos for your business, it enables customers get to the heart of what your products and services offer and provides them with answers to their questions and all the reasons why they should choose to do business with you. Again, every business should produce a product/service video to help strengthen your sales conversations and enable your customers to find out more 24/7. Here are the elements of this approach: 1. What? – What is the product/service, and what value does it provide your viewers? What makes it stand out from competitors? WOW your audience and compel them to find out more! 2. How? – How will your product/service satisfy your customers and solve their problems? Also, how was the product/service developed (its backstory)? 3. Why? – Why should they purchase the product/ service? List the tangible results they can expect. 4. Who? – Who are you, and what is your credibility? 5. When & where? – When and where can they transact with you, and through what means? 6. Contact details.
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The nuts and bolts of video production
Example: Product/service script Approach
Audio
What How Why Who When & where Contact details
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Visual
Capture more customers with video
Example: Product script AUDIO
VISUAL
No matter where you’re heading on your next adventure …
Shot of spinning globe.
[Person yodels]: ‘Yodel-Ay-Ee-Oooo.’
The globe pauses in Switzerland as a person wearing lederhosen pops up. Have the person up close and then zoom out to show the whole mountain and the person becomes a speck.
[Person inside safari vehicle]: ‘Nice kitty.’ (Lion Roars)
The globe spins and pauses in Africa as a lion puts its paws on the window of a tourist safari vehicle. Have the person up close and then zoom out to show the car surrounded by lions.
[Cowboy]: ‘Yee – haw.’
The globe spins and pauses in the US as a cowboy rides a bronco in a rodeo.
Whether you’re going for business or pleasure … or both … be sure and plan ahead.
Shot of a person working at a desk on a laptop. Transition to the same person lounging at the beach. Transition to Philippines/ Thailand or India and using the mobile phone map feature. Transition to the same person talking on the phone whilst riding camels to pyramids in Egypt.
Before you pack your toothpaste … your lucky socks… or your deodorant – pack your United Global SIM card.
Shot of same person packing before the trip. All their clothes are laid out on the bed. Have them look quizzical, then thought bubble. ‘What have I forgotten’ ‘What is it, what is it…Think!’ ‘Oh yeah, my global SIM Card’ Have them pull the SIM out of their pocket ‘Can’t for get you!’ (talking to the SIM)
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The nuts and bolts of video production
A United Global SIM lets you stay in touch with family, friends and associates worldwide. You can call, text and use all your favorite travel apps, social media, maps and websites.
Close-up shot of the SIM card, with United Global SIM logo and graphic: The ultimate low-cost international roaming provider. Transition to a shot of a smiling young boy/girl using a smart phone in front of the Eiffel Tower. Show social media, apps, map and website icons popping out of the phone. Show true connectivity.
With a United Global SIM card, you’ll be connected to more than 600 networks in over 200 countries. There’s no contract. No hefty price tag. And no hassles!
Show a map of the globe and have ‘connections’ (dotted lines) forming between the countries, showing more and more networks. Using a text message style illustration (transparent box) write the following messages in the boxes: 600 networks. 200 Countries. No contract. No hefty price tag. No hassles!
It’s the best way possible to stay connected with those you care about. You can share your memories as you experience them.
Show 3 scenes here – Smiling grandparent sitting in a rocker, looking at his/her tablet and seeing the grandchild (from above) standing in front of the Eiffel Tower. Parents sitting on their lounge at home, the mobile phone on speaker and out of the phone are letters flying out, showing the conversation. Show a bubble (with their daughter or son) on the phone on the other side of the world. Show Boss, sitting at work. ‘Hey Greg, how’s New York? Got your emails but first, how did you the meeting go?’
Whether you’re uploading your travel pics, calling back home, or staying in touch with work, a United Global SIM will keep you connected for less.
Contact us today to find United Global logo with graphic: out how to stay connected Your essential travel companion. globally. Unitedglobalsim.com
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Approach #3: Instructional videos We’ve all had those lengthy instructional manuals that come with consumer electronics gadgets, right? Thankfully, there is now a faster and better way to explain how your product/ service works. It’s no surprise that YouTube has become the go-to place for many people searching instruction on how to do something. Instructional videos can be as short as 10–15 seconds and help to enhance your customers’ experience. Script writing for these types of videos tends to be simpler because all you’re doing is outlining the steps to use your product/service. Here are the elements of this approach: 1. Overview – Provide an overview of the topic. 2. Step 1 – How the product/service works. 3. Step 2 – How the product/service works. 4. Step 3 – How the product/service works. (etc.) 5. Troubleshooting – What to do if the above steps don’t work. 6. Customer support – How to resolve issues. 7. Special promotions – You’ve got their attention; can you provide a special offer? 8. Contact details – always finish the video with your contact details.
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The nuts and bolts of video production
Example: Instructional script Approach
Script
Overview
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Troubleshooting
Customer support
Special promotions (also cross selling) Contact details
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Visuals
Capture more customers with video
Example: Instructional script Audio
Visual
Congratulations, you’ve finally bought your new Global SIM card.
Guy holding up a Global SIM card – Big cheesy grin
Because you’re clever, you have already made sure you have the right sized SIM card to fit your device and have already made sure the device is unlocked!
Where the large Global SIM card was right on screen: Right SIM + Right Device + Unlocked = Success
So now, all you have to do is activate it. It’s really easy to activate your SIM.
www.unitedglobalsim.com
Jump online to our website and in the top menu, click on the activate button
Insert Image: ugs-hp-141008.jpg
You’ll then be prompted to log in or register for an account. Your login details are the details you registered if you ordered online. Enter the 19-digit SIM number and PIN, located on the SIM card and then we’ll ask you to verify a few details. After activation, insert your SIM into your device. Once the SIM has connected to a network, we’ll automatically send you your number and the data settings.
Insert image: ugs-activate-hp-141008. jpg Show SIM card with 19 digit number and where the pin is located Verification screen insert image: ugsactivation-141008-simpinnumber.jpg
Show guy inserting SIM into his phone Show connection waves out of the phone showing that it is connected. Show Text message example of new number ( Screen shot required)
To retrieve your number at any time, simply dial *133# To retrieve the data settings for your phone, dial *172# OR, to see how much credit you have left on your account, dial *187#
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The nuts and bolts of video production
OK, you’re nearly there, just one last thing to do. Test the phone and make sure it works. Simply dial the free test call number from your Global SIM.
The test call number can change dependent on the reseller. So this number needs to change in the animation accordingly.
Answer the phone when it rings.
Show guy answering his phone
Listen to the recording.
‘You’ve successfully made a test call’ [We can provide this recording to you]
Lastly, we recommend that you familiarise yourself with the other functions on your Global SIM so your device is working from the moment you land.
Suggest creating a TV screen wall, like example below and have the other tutorial videos on each screen playing. Dial format Data settings Choosing a better network Add a local number Topping up
Happy & Safe Travels from all of us at Global SIM
Standard Company outro
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Case study – The testimonials video I was contacted by a reasonable sized IT services company. They had grown quite healthily over the course of about 10 years, but their growth had recently flattened off. To be successful, they had to sign up clients into long-term service arrangements – it was a hard sell because in order to sign someone up, they needed to trust you first – it was a 5 year contract. What transpired was that they had a core of hard won clients who had largely recommended each other over the years, but those all important recommendations had dried up. We devised a video strategy whose principle objective was to build trust with prospective clients. After some persuasion we got the business owner on camera – he was a shy man, but came alive with great passion on camera (often the way in my experience with the right direction). The owner was also very reluctant to ask his current clients to appear as testimonials – I think he felt it was an imposition. I’ve done testimonials with actors many times, but it’s seldom nearly as effective as the real thing. In the end, I grabbed their client list, made contact with the clients and asked permission to come to their homes and film a short video that would take no longer than 1 hour of their time. In the end we created a great video that was genuine and a true representation of their brand and client experience.
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The true impact came out once we had published the video on their site. The owner called me a few months later and told me that when he speaks with prospective clients now, the conversation is very different and his success rate was much improved. After we talked it through it was clear that people calling him already felt they knew him and so those awkward opening sentences were skipped over. More importantly, prospective clients had also seen his clients’ testimonials and were saying things like ‘yes, we have a very similar set of issues to that client on your video Jim, if you could solve those for us in the way you seem to have done for him, we’d be very happy’. Take outs •
Testimonials on video can be a great way to kick start the sales process
•
Testimonial videos are powerful, but only if they are believable, so quality and authenticity are essential components. No scripts, no teleprompts, just talking genuinely to the camera.
•
When you’re out and about meeting your clients, ask them if they would mind if you recorded a quick testimonial on your camera. You can collect testimonials and create a powerful video or simply use the short raw footage to promote your company on Twitter or Vine.
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Approach #4: Testimonials videos Testimonial videos can be extremely powerful where there is a significant commitment, either financial or time on the part of the customer when buying a product or service. The role of the testimonial video is often to build confidence that a purchase decision is not going to result in regret. You can be really clever when it comes to capturing testimonial videos. For example, one company ran a competition asking their customers to send in short videos to win a prize, another company encouraged customers to upload their testimonials to Facebook and another recorded their customers when they first received the product to capture the delight. These informal, on-the-spot testimonials capture a very genuine customer reaction and as a result can be extremely powerful. Another more formal approach to producing testimonial videos is to gain the assistance of a video production company to record the testimonials in a set location at an allocated time and date. Regardless of your approach, use video to harness the power of testimonials. When videoing customer testimonials or interviewing experts who endorse and support your products and services, I recommend the following approach: 1. Brainstorm in advance everything you would like to ask 2. Group the questions according to common themes 3. Select the four best and most meaningful questions to ask
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When recording, ask these four questions over and over again until you have enough content for post-production. You’ll find that each time you ask the question, your customers/experts will answer in a slightly different way, becoming increasingly more succinct and providing you with multiple answers to the same question. A similar approach is to ask them to say what they like best about your products/services in one sentence. It’s a good idea to have them rephrase the question in their answers so you don’t end up with sentence fragments. Example: Testimonial script Approach
Script
Shoot considerations
Question 1
Location:
Question 2
Lighting:
Question 3
Audio:
Question 4
Schedule:
Timetable:
Equipment:
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Example interview questions: 1. Could you please introduce yourself and your company? 2. What were your main reasons for choosing to work with Company X? (Poor previous provider, company grew, referred, best provider in the area, customer service, affordability…) 3. What makes working with Company X great? (Relationship, responsiveness, problem solving, proactive approach, nice guys, showing that they care…) 4. Could you explain how Company X has had a positive impact on your business? (Reduced downtime, stable IT costs, improved infrastructure…) More examples can be found at www.capturemorecustomers withvideo.com/scripttemplates.
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Finding the right length for your video The ideal script length is between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. Too short and they’ll miss the point; too long and they’ll get bored. You have to time your script and create compelling content to make sure your audience will watch right to the end. However, some videos can be longer depending on the purpose. For instance, in an instructional video, your customers will be happy to watch for 10 minutes or more because they’re trying to learn how to get the most from the product/ service they’ve purchased. But even if you do have a longer video, I recommend that you break it into shorter segments so your customers can watch it in parts. This will allow them to manage their time more efficiently.
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Case study – A case of too long is too much A huge multi-national company approached me to help them create a video that would explain how to navigate their internal learning management system. Having a client of this size is a huge privilege and I was super excited to start working with them. Usually my agency develops the scripts for our clients’ videos, but in this case we were given a script. The script was really comprehensive, covering company background right through to step-by-step instructions, however after timing a reading, I realised the video would be nearly eight minutes long. With diminishing consumer attention spans, an eight minute video is far too long to keep people engaged – but my client was adamant that eight minutes was fine. I couldn’t win the argument and so I decided to put it to the test – we made two videos, one for our client and one for ourselves to test. One was close to eight minutes long and one was two minutes. They both used similar graphics, but one had a much tighter script. We got a bunch of people unfamiliar with the project to watch the videos then write down the key things they had learned about accessing and using the learning system. The people who watched the two minute video could recall on average 30% more of the salient points than the group who watched the eight minute version. My client was convinced! So how did we tighten up the script? We identified four elements in the script where we could make an immediate impact on the length to get the script down to two minutes.
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1. The script was trying to say too much and was covering too many topics. This is a really common issue – companies try to say too much and end up losing their audience because the audience either becomes bored or overwhelmed. I recommend to my clients to choose only three key messages at the most. 2. The language was very ‘corporate’ and needed to be simplified. Like all online content these days, it should be targeted at the reading ability of a 15-year-old. 3. The script was more about them than the learning outcomes for the viewer. Companies love talking about how good they are but there is a time and place for this. When creating an instructional video, it is all about the viewer and how much information they retain. It is about finding a nice balance between teaching and telling. Take outs •
Less is more – stick to a maximum of three points that you want to make. If you have more content, then create more videos – simple!
•
Be careful of corporate speak and internal jargon – this runs the risk of boring or alienating the viewer.
•
Remember, it is not about you and your company – it is about the viewer and the problems you are solving for them, so keep the focus on them.
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Script writing tips
• Don’t expect to write your script in an hour. A great script takes time to craft. You’ll end up with multiple drafts because every time you revisit it, you’ll refine it and make it better and better. • Read the script out loud to different audiences, and then take their feedback to refine your message. • Time how long the script takes to read. Read it aloud for a more accurate estimate. • Start your scripts with a KAPOW! With only ten seconds to grab your audience’s attention, the opening scene is crucial. • NEVER use ‘we’, always ‘you’. Remember – it’s about the customer. • Have your logo appear and disappear throughout the video, perhaps without your viewers even noticing. This is great for subtle branding.
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Voiceover, music and sound effects Voiceovers Having a professional voiceover is extremely important because the right voice raises the quality of your video. Thankfully, it’s now easy to find voiceover talent on the internet. But it’s still a good idea to shop around on price; some voiceover artists are extraordinarily generous with their time and talent. How to choose the right voiceover artist for your video
1. Do you want a male or a female voice? Choose whether you would like a male or female based on which voice style will resonate with your customers. By knowing your target audience well, this should be a quick decision. Keep in mind that there’s no right or wrong answer here, but if you’re really unsure about whether to use a male or female, then ask your existing customers. 2. Which accent/language do you need? Videos should be made in the language/accent of the country in which they will be shown. This provides a context the audience is familiar with and can relate to. 3. Who is your audience, and what type of voice would best suit that audience? (E.g. mature, youthful, teen, etc.) 75
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Match the demographics of the voice to the demographics of your customers. For example, if you’re selling consumer goods to Gen Y, then go for a young, fresh-sounding voice. 4. What tone/feel do you want to achieve? Salesy, smooth and enticing, corporate, upbeat, playful, comic, frustrated, etc.? Getting the tone and feel of the voiceover can sometimes take time. With a strong brief, the voiceover artist will be able to understand your expectations. If you’re looking for something inspirational, motivating, depressing or uplifting, tell them. I have found that the more experienced the artist, the quicker they interpret the script and produce a recording that is ready to be used. 5. Run auditions. Asking for auditions from a select range of talent is a great way to narrow down the right voice for your video. Auditions are typically 15–30 seconds. Once you have selected your chosen voice and they submit their recording, make sure you listen to it thoroughly to ensure every word is pronounced correctly and the tone and feel of the voiceover is perfect. Many voiceover artists are happy to re-record until they get it right, but don’t expect more than two as a rule of thumb.
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Where to source voiceover talent: • www.bodalgo.com • www.voices.com • fiverr.com • www.realtimecasting.com • Freelancing sites such as Freelancer, oDesk and Elance Briefing voiceover talent
When you go to record your script, I recommend that you put in markers that help the voiceover talent know when to emphasise, speed up, slow down, be monotone, sound excited, etc. In other words, you’ll: • Indicate words to be emphasised • Add pauses • Indicate fast and slow parts • Provide pronunciation where necessary • Describe the tone and feel that you’re trying to achieve
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Example voiceover script Have you ever waited for an overcrowded bus (pause), train (pause), or tram to arrive? (pause 2 seconds) Have you ever felt the frustration of when one is cancelled on you? (pause 2 seconds) Have you ever stood in line to take an expensive taxi ride, or even worse, not been able to get one at all! (pause 2 seconds) Have you ever thought, ‘Isn’t there a better way to travel?’ (pause 2 seconds) Well, yes, now there is. It’s called Social Transport! (pause 2 seconds) Social Transport is a peer-to-peer ride-sharing smart phone app. It is free to download and free to join. Social Transport will revolutionise the way you (emphasise) travel. (pause 2 seconds) For the first time ever, you (emphasise) are truly in control of where you (emphasise) want to go and how much you (emphasise) want to pay.
Where to source music and sound effects Music selection can be one of the toughest decisions in the whole video production process. That’s because music affects the emotional response of the viewer, so it’s critical to get it right. When it comes to music selection, follow these simple steps: Step 1: Think about the most important feelings/ responses you want your viewers to experience when they’re watching the video and make a list of key words (e.g. motivated, inspired, toe-tapping, calm, happy, sad, fun, comical, serious, etc.).
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Step 2: Use your ‘feeling words’ from Step 1 to search for music. Try the sites below if you aren’t sure where to start: • www.audionetwork.com • www.incompetech.com • www.neosounds.com • www.freesound.org • www.audiojungle.com • www.pond5.com • www.premiumbeat.com Step 3: Listen for five seconds. You’ll either want to listen longer, hate the selection or feel indifferent. Step 4: Continue to search using each different key word (if you have more than one) and create a shortlist of preferred music. Step 5: Try reading the script with each piece of preferred music. Notice whether the music complements or distracts from the script – it might fade or get louder at key points, the rhythm might be off, etc. Step 6: Get a second opinion. This may be your customers, your video producer or your peers, but make sure the music you have chosen has the intended effect on them, too. Step 7: Purchase the music.
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Things to remember when choosing your music: • The music you choose needs to run for the length of your video or be repeated (looped). One exception might be if the video depends a lot on sound effects and the music may interfere with this effect. Another exception could be when using testimonials/interviews – some producers think that music playing behind testimonials/interviews sounds too polished or canned, this could undermine the sincerity of the message. • If possible, find out how many times the soundtrack has been purchased. If it’s been used frequently, you’ll need to decide if people really like it or that it has been overplayed.
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Case study – You don’t always need voiceover We had an unusual brief come through one day from a consultancy firm. They had a video very prominently on their website that talked about their company and service offering. Most companies, much to my frustration, don’t track what’s happening to their videos, but this client did. They had spent a small fortune on this video and yet after the first 10 seconds, viewers were clicking out. I was asked if I could improve the length of time people watched the video but with one caveat, I couldn’t make any BIG changes! When I analysed the video it struck me that it was probably the voiceover that was turning people off. It was quite a grating voice, but more importantly it was a voiceover that was slightly out of synch with the visuals which made it hard to watch. Then I watched the video with the sound off, and it was clear to me that almost everything in the voiceover was messaged in the visuals and words on the screen. We replaced the voiceover entirely with music and the results surprised even me! Rather than 70% quitting after an average of 10 seconds we got 70% of viewers watching an average of 3 minutes! Bingo. It is natural to think that we need to talk through concepts, explain what is happening, but in this particular video we were able create a powerful and moving video without a voiceover. Using the action on the screen and the music we were able to create a powerful video that very clearly sold a product, but in such a soft and gentle
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way, the viewer didn’t even know they were being sold to. The viewer got carried along with the music and what was happening on screen and there was no need for further explanation from a voiceover. Take outs •
In the vast majority of cases, music makes video – it is one of the crucial elements that drives how the audience react and feel when watching the video.
•
Sometimes watching what is happening on the screen is enough, regardless of whether it is real footage or animation. Voiceovers don’t always make the message any clearer and sometimes visuals alone can be more powerful.
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Engaging a production company Many businesses may not have the time or resources available to write a script, engage a professional to record the voiceover or spend time choosing the right music. These video elements can be extremely taxing and time consuming. If you come to this realisation, then you may want to outsource part or all of the production to an experienced production company. A production company will help you create your video from beginning to end. Their expert teams will work to ensure that you get a powerful script, a high-quality production and full ownership of the video.
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Choosing the right production company When it comes to choosing between production companies, the best place to start is by answering the following questions: • Do I own the file and IP rights? ¡¡
Best answer: Yes.
¡¡
Why: You are paying for the video; it is a company asset and therefore should be owned by you and your company.
¡¡
Special note: If they answer ‘no’, don’t use them.
• Are you using templates or are the illustrations original (motion graphics)? Is it RAW footage or royalty-free footage (film shoot)? ¡¡
Best answer: Illustrations or RAW Footage
¡¡
Why: Every business owner wants to stand out in a crowded marketplace and using templates or purchased footage runs the risk of drowning in a sea of sameness.
• How many revisions of the script are included? ¡¡
Best answer: 2–5.
¡¡
Why: If there is no limit to how many versions of the script are created, the script writing process can be endless, which means you won’t end up with a video. Scriptwriters typically put a cap on how many versions they are prepared to write.
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• What styles of video can your company produce? ¡¡
Best answer: There is no best answer – you are really looking to make sure the company can fulfil your brief.
¡¡
Why: Because you have done a lot of the strategic thinking you will have a clear idea of the type and style of video you wish to create. Don’t go to a videographer for a motion graphics video or an animator for real footage. Different skill sets are required for each of these video types and you will get better bang for your buck by working with a specialist.
• How many amendments in the produced video are included in the price? Is there an extra cost for further revisions? ¡¡
Best answer: Two rounds of amendments.
¡¡
Why: Like script writing, the video review process can be endless so production companies have to cap how many revisions they allow.
• What length is the price based on? Is there an extra cost if the video ends up being longer than expected? ¡¡
Best answer: Yes, this quotation is for 0–2 minutes (e.g.) and should the video end up being longer than this, then an additional cost may be applicable, priced at X per additional 30 seconds.
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¡¡
Why: Videos take time to produce and the longer the video the longer the time spent by the videographer or animator, which is why they may choose to charge more should the length of the video change during production.
• What are your payment terms? ¡¡
Best answer: Typically you can expect to pay 50% upfront and 50% upon completion. Do not expect to have the file of your video handed over until after the final payment has been received by the production company.
• What happens if my circumstances change? Can I cancel? ¡¡
Best answer: You can cancel, but will still be subject to a fee.
¡¡
Why: The vast majority of video production houses will ask for a fee up front that is non-refundable. The reason is, once approval has been given to start the job, the script writing begins and they need to pay their writer to complete this.
• What are the timelines from initial engagement to final delivery? ¡¡
Best answer: A timeline that takes reviews and approvals into consideration.
¡¡
Why: There are a number of approval stages that need to be met before the project can be moved to the next stage of production. Turnaround times during these collaborative stages will determine how long the project takes from start to finish. 86
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What the production company needs from you To ensure your video has the desired effect, your production house will request a creative brief that includes answers to the following questions: 1. What is the title of your video? 2. What does your company do? 3. What is the purpose of your video? 4. How long is the video you wish to produce? 5. Who is your target audience? 6. How will your audience get to see the video? 7. Which emotional reaction are you trying to induce? 8. What do you want the audience to think or do, having watched the video? 9. What style are you looking for? 10. Do you have any examples of videos that reflect the tone and style you like? 11. What are your deadlines? 12. Are there any other special requirements? 13. Will there be any attachments you’ll provide? Such as: • Company assets – logo, colours, fonts, etc. • Screen shots to be included in the video • Voiceover files • Audio files • Company contact details to be included in the video (e.g. URL, email and phone number) 14. What file format do you want the video delivered in? • AVI (Audio Video Interlaced) • FLV (Flash Video Format) • WMV (Windows Media Video) • MPEG-4 (.MP4) • MOV (Apple QuickTime Movie)
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Most good production houses should be able to provide a creative brief template on request, if you don’t have one in house.
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Outsourcing to freelancing sites Another option is using freelancing sites. Freelancers can be a more affordable alternative when you would like to do some of the process in house, but need some external help with some of the more complex video production processes. You can easily find freelancers on the following sites: • www.freelancer.com • www.elance.com • www.odesk.com Each country has different approaches to the creative video production process, so make sure the freelancer you work with understands your expectations.
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Remember, freelancers can range from credible professionals with years of industry experience to unscrupulous chancers with no real knowhow. To minimise mistakes, and mismanagement of your resou rces, remember the following: • Provide a strong creative brief. • Ask to see examples of their previous work, or even consider giving them a smaller assignment to test their skills. • Consider instructing two freelancers simultaneously so that if one working relationship fails, then you can rely on the other coming through. • Like when hiring a production company, ask good questions: ¡¡
Who owns the content/IP? (Best answer: You)
¡¡
Which file format will the video be provided in? (Best answer: MOV or MP4)
¡¡
Will I be able to download the original file to my computer? (Best answer: Yes)
¡¡
Will I be able to make amendments later? (Best answer: Yes, but ask about the possible costs)
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Do-it-yourself production If you’ve decided you want to do it yourself, here are some DIY online tools to help you create your own video: • Sparkol – www.sparkol.com • Camtasia Studio – www.techsmith.com/camtasia.html • Go!Animate – goanimate.com • Animoto – www.animoto.com • VideoJane – www.videojane.com If you want more originality and uniqueness in editing your own footage, you may want to consider purchasing editing software, such as: • Apple: ¡¡
iMovie (Entry level)
¡¡
Final Cut Pro
• Adobe: ¡¡
Premiere Elements (Entry Level)
¡¡
Premiere Pro
• Windows: ¡¡
Windows Live Movie Maker
These editing programs will allow you to be more inventive when producing your video, but be warned – there is a learning curve.
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Over to you Production checklist •
Think about what viewers want and how you can incorporate this into your video.
¨
•
Which is the best approach to script writing for your video’s purpose and audience? (Build a story; Product/ service story; Instructional; Testimonials/interviews)
¨
•
When choosing a voiceover artist, remember to consider whether you want a male or female voice, the accent or language you need, the type of voice that would best suit your audience, and the tone/feel you want to achieve.
¨
•
When choosing music for your video, start with the feelings/responses you want your viewers to experience, and use these to guide your search.
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•
Decide whether you want to fully outsource to a production company, partially outsource, hire freelancers or do it yourself.
¨
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CHAPTER 4
EDITING AND PUBLISHING YOUR VIDEOS
Contents • • • •
Guidelines for critiquing scripts and videos Tips for reviewing and amending your video Publishing your video Setting up your YouTube channel
Introduction The day has come – the first draft of you video is here! It’s particularly exciting watching your completed video for the first time, especially if you used a production team. You hope they managed to capture the essence of what you were trying to achieve. … what if it’s not quite right? What do you say to your production company? Do you still need to pay? Typically, if you’re using a production company, two rounds of amendments are included in your price, so it’s important that you use them wisely and avoid incurring additional costs.
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Guidelines for critiquing scripts and videos Once you get your script or your video to see for the first time, you’ll need to be able to assess whether it does the job you intended and provide guidance on what, if anything needs to be modified. Critiquing a script or a video is a skill in its own right, much like critiquing any form of marketing creative. The key is to ask yourself some basic questions when viewing it for the first time, and then to organise your thoughts in a response to your video producer.
Four questions to ask yourself 1. Is the video on strategy? Ask yourself if the video fulfils the purpose you originally defined for it. Is it talking the right language for your audience? 2. Is your product or service benefit central to the video? Remember your video is there to do a job, not just entertain! So does the video clearly express a benefit to your product or service? Is the benefit central to the story or idea of the video? 3. Is it well branded? It’s a very crowded market out there, if it’s not very clear that it’s your company or brand providing the product or service, your efforts will be wasted. This is more than just having your logo on the video, the 96
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whole video should ooze your brand. Ask yourself if the video could have come equally from your competitor – if the answer is yes, it’s probably not well branded. 4. Is it fresh? Ask yourself if the video is fresh. Does it look different from other videos in your market space? There is no point in having a video which looks like something you’ve seen a hundred times. People will switch off.
Providing your feedback to your video agency Remember, a lot of hard work has usually gone into making your video so providing feedback in a constructive and clear fashion will always get the best results. 1. Start by telling your video producer if you like the script or video 2. Talk about whether it is delivering what the strategy calls for. Once you have signed off the script, there is a good chance that the finished video will be on strategy, but it’s important to resolve issues of strategy before going into the details of how it’s been executed 3. Talk about executional issues. Try to be selective in what you discuss. Ask yourself ‘if I comment on this particular detail and my producers correct for it, will it make a better video?’ If the answer is no, don’t say it!
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Tips for reviewing and amending your video Focus on making the first round of changes very clear. Don’t worry about coming across as nit-picky or pedantic; here you want to show great attention to detail because you want to use your second round of amendments for final finishing touches, not major overhauls. After you have watched the video a couple of times to get a sense for how it flows and feels, it’s important to view it meticulously, second by second, to pick up any errors and make appropriate changes. A great format for recording your changes is the time followed by the change you want. For example: 0.10 Remove heading and replace with ... 1.25 Change font to ... 1.28 Morph this into a circle ... By noting the time in the video where you want each of the changes, the production team will know exactly what the changes are and where they occur. In 2014, Wipster was launched to help manage video reviews/comments. It’s a brilliant cloud-based tool that will continue to get better and better. (www.wipster.io)
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What to look for when reviewing your video: Spelling mistakes
Check each word carefully. While they may have been spelt correctly in the Word document, mistakes may have been made in the transfer to the video file.
Font
Be consistent. Avoid using more than two fonts in any one video, unless for a specific special effect.
Colours
Consistency of colour usage is also important. Too many colours can be as detrimental as too few colours. Are the colours strong enough? Are they complementary? Do they blend together effectively?
Illustrations/ visual effects
Do the illustrations/visual effects support your brand? Do they fit your target market?
Style
Is the style appealing, or are the illustrations bland and boring? Is there a way you could give them a ‘lift’?
Scene/clip length
Is there something happening on the screen every 3–7 seconds? Do the visuals continue to provide stimulation throughout?
Brand awareness
Is your brand/logo shown for short segments of time throughout the video?
Speed
Is there a need to speed up or slow down sections for greater impact?
Sound effects
Do you need sound effects? If you already have some, re-evaluate whether there are too many or too few.
Music
Does the music work? Is it too loud, too soft or distracting?
Flow & consistency
Does the video flow smoothly from beginning to end?
Transitions
Are the scene transitions fluid and not jarring?
Attention span
While watching your video, register your level of interest. Be uncompromising. If you’re bored, your viewer will also be bored. You’ll have to find a way to either cut or shorten the boring segments.
Call-to-action Contact details
Is a call-to-action included? Does it work? Are your company contact details correct? Double check these. Then check them again!
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Once you have finalised your video, your producer should hand over the original video file in one of the following file formats (all accepted by YouTube): • AVI (Audio Video Interlaced) • FLV (Flash Video Format) • WMV (Windows Media Video) • MPEG-4 (.MP4) • MOV (Apple QuickTime Movie) Now that your video is finished, what’s next? The first thing is to publish it by uploading it to a variety of different hosting sites.
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Publishing your video Where can you publish your video? Some options are: • Your website • Hosting sites like YouTube (see below)
Hosting and sharing platforms Today, there are many hosting and sharing platforms available. Depending on your business and its objectives, some may be more effective than others. Because these platforms are always improving and changing in popularity, I recommend investigating each platform to see what they currently offer. Also, read blogs that provide an overview of the features and benefits of each platform.
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Popular video hosting services:
• YouTube – The world’s most popular video hosting site and second largest search engine in the world. It will improve your SEO results. • Vimeo – A more artistic, cause-driven video community. Videographers and production houses like to be seen here. A Vimeo Pro Account gives you more functionality and setting versatility for your video. Business hosting services:
Some businesses choose to also host their videos on business hosting services because they provide a wider range of services than YouTube or Vimeo. Additional services include more in-depth audience statistics, marketing tools, increased customisation and more. Some popular business hosting services include: • VidYard – As with most professional business hosting sites, VidYard offers full player customisation, which is highly important for branding. They also give you the option to pick your thumbnail so you can encourage the best possible click rate. VidYard is integrated with other marketing tools and business tools and provides real-time analytics so you can easily access comprehensive data. VidYard also automatically exports to YouTube and social networks. • Wistia – Thanks to their Twitter integration, users can view your video content without ever having to leave Twitter. Their analytics give you the option to 102
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analyse each separate view of your video and track the way users interacted with it through a heatmap, allowing you to pin-point the good and bad parts of your video so you can improve your future content. Branding needs have also been covered with player customisation, as well as social network integration. • SproutVideo – These guys stand out when it comes to security and the sheer number of options they offer their users. All kinds of privacy settings with multiple login options are available, along with options to set up SEO for your videos, arrange a call to action, and track the way users interact with your videos. SproutVideo also allows you to gather user information through email forms. • Viddler – A highly professional business video host that is integrated with Google Analytics, Site Catalyst, and more. Viddler includes a video contest manager which gives you the option to set up contests for the best user-provided videos. It also provides a lot of monetising options, including ads during content and premium video shops. • Vzaar – Another video host that integrates with Google Analytics, you can upload your video content from any device, be it desktop or mobile. It also provides setup for video quality, domain access and a lot of other useful tools. • 23 Video – A video hosting platform that offers one terabyte of traffic per month with an option to upgrade. There are no restrictions on the number of videos, 103
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users or the length of your videos. You also get a fully customisable video site with your own personal domain. All other relevant features, like social network integration and branding features, are available. • Oculu – Depending on the package you choose, you might have some storage restrictions imposed on you, but this isn’t something that will hinder your progress. Oculu is easy to use and doesn’t waste your time with a big learning curve. Regardless of the video host you choose, don’t forget to upload your video to your YouTube channel anyway. It is the second largest search engine in the world, and having a YouTube presence will help you get found by more customers. When choosing a video hosting platform, it is important to weigh up how many videos you will be producing and releasing each month. You might find that YouTube or Google suffice. But if you’re looking for more metrics and greater functionality, then it might be worth investigating a business platform. Each platform has its merits so you should check out each one before you make your decision. Most of them offer a free trial period so you can get some hands-on experience with their services before committing. Furthermore, check out their promotional videos for inspiration – they are fun to watch, very professionally edited and informative about what each hosting provider has to offer.
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What’s right for you will depend on a number of variables such as company size, video numbers and your individual business requirements. These questions can get you started: • How much can I expect to pay each month? • What is the data allowance – the storage capability on that plan? • How many videos am I able to upload each month? • What is the dashboard like; is it user friendly and intuitive? • Can it be integrated with other apps (e.g. Dropbox, Hightail, etc.) so that when my videos are finished I can quickly upload them to the site?
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Setting up your YouTube channel If you decide to use YouTube to host and share your videos, not only will you be able to publish videos, but you’ll also be able to create a channel for your business. Done right, a YouTube channel is a great branding opportunity and it provides an environment in which you can build a steady fan base. This then contributes to the natural marketing potential of your channel in the form of social network sharing, liking and similar activities. Being that video content is very versatile and sharable, it can help you expand your social networks, raise your website’s click-through rate, lower your abandonment rate and much, much more. In short, setting this up right is the key to getting found by more potential customers online.
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Plan ahead Although anyone with a YouTube/Google account can create a YouTube channel, building a high-quality channel does take time. While the process is straightforward, there are many details you need to focus on that, when combined, create a great resource for your viewers, and a marketing window for your business. Start by thinking about what you want to achieve with your channel – is there a concept that is a match for your target audience and your marketing goals? Randomly spawning content will achieve far fewer results, resulting in viewers who don’t return and a lower subscription percentage. Your channel also won’t be aligned with your branding. Once you have a clear concept or purpose for your channel, then you can start researching. Do your research
Try to see if anybody in your niche owns a YouTube channel and how they manage it. Learning from other people’s experiences is not stealing, and you shouldn’t be looking to copy the entire concept, but browsing through more successful channels might get your mind running in the right direction and put new ideas in your head. You really can’t make a good YouTube channel if you’ve never seen one before, right?
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Getting set up – step by step Simply follow the steps below to create a good YouTube channel. 1. Pick a good name – First things first, you have to christen your channel. Be careful when doing this, since a bad name can make your life a whole lot harder when it comes to SEO. Try to find a catchy name that is a representation of what you do. It could be your name, product name, company name, key phrases, or something else, so long as it’s relevant and catchy. 2. Customise your background image and colour scheme – This is very important to ensure your channel aligns with your brand, and you should make sure that your background image and colour scheme complement each other. YouTube channel art allows a main channel image of 2560px × 1440px. 3. Description – Spend time crafting a description that includes keywords relating to your business so you can be found by search engines. For individual videos, make the description catchy and inviting so people are compelled to watch. 4. Video titles – Make sure your video titles include your key words. A good title can make all the difference in the world. Even if you have some genuinely good information, it won’t matter if people don’t click on the video or can’t find it when they search for common
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keywords related to your subject. For example, if your video is about foods that help people lose weight, your title might be: ‘Food to Lose Weight – These Top 10 Veggies Are the Best Foods to Lose Weight’. This cuts straight to the point by addressing a common question in the title. Lists, tutorials, reviews and funny videos are extremely popular, so you should tailor your titles accordingly. The video description should also be fairly accurate and let the viewer know what he can expect. 5. Channel and video tags – Tags are another tool YouTube uses to help its visitors find the videos they’re looking for. To use the previous example, if you create a video on ‘Foods to Lose Weight’ and use that phrase in the video title, the video description, and add that term as one of the tags (along with related terms like ‘healthy food’ and ‘weight loss’), when someone searches for ‘Foods to Lose Weight’ they are more likely to find your video. Every time you upload a video to YouTube, you have the opportunity to add these tags to help it get found by potential customers. So what should you use? The first tag you need to enter is your company name, and then start adding relevant keywords. YouTube will also suggest key words that may be relevant, or you may wish to use their Keyword Generator tool for inspiration at www.youtube.com/keyword_tool
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6. Regular content – The frequency with which you post has a lot to do with the format of the content you intend to use. No matter the interval between your posts, make sure you stick to it. Why? Because you want to become a routine to your viewers. When you put out good content, people will want to know when the next one will be and they will start visiting your channel on a more regular basis. This creates a base of steady fans and an inflow of regular views for each new piece of content. 7. Call-to-action (in video and in annotations) – When providing content, you want to provide value, but you also want to get something in return. Most commonly, you want bigger click-through rates or you want your viewers to subscribe to your channel. This is achieved by giving them a heads up through a mention in the content and through annotations (a YouTube feature that allows you to create a link on the video screen), preferably both. Don’t be pushy, but put it in as a friendly reminder. In situations when you provide good content, you shouldn’t feel guilty for asking people to subscribe, you are doing this with genuinely good intent. 8. Pay attention to users – When people decide you are worth a comment or a share, make sure you acknowledge their feedback from time to time and that you answer serious questions. This is a two-way interaction and you need to do your part. It’s about showing respect, which always gives better results.
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9. Set up your thumbnails – A good thumbnail can sometimes mean the difference between 10,000 and 100,000 views. Thumbnails are the still images people see when searching for videos or in their Facebook feed. People use the title and the thumbnail to decide whether to watch your video or not, so you need to pick a thumbnail that showcases your business and video in the best light. Remember – your thumbnail is part of your company’s brand, so make sure it’s strong and motivates the viewers to play your video. 10. Categories – When uploading your video you will be prompted to choose a category to help them to catalogue your video. Here is YouTube’s current category list: ¡¡
Autos and Vehicles
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Science and Technology
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Comedy
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Education
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Sports
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Entertainment
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Travel and Events
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Film and Animation
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Comedians
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Gaming
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Directors
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How-to and Style
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Gurus
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Music
¡¡
Musicians
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News and Politics
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Non-profit
¡¡
Non-profits and Activism
¡¡
Partners
¡¡
Reporters
¡¡
People and Blogs
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Sponsors
¡¡
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Plan to get feedback from your viewers
As you know, YouTube offers two-way communication. You can share videos and people can comment. The best way to continually improve your videos is to seek feedback from your viewers. So when you’re planning, remember to encourage feedback about your content and ask for advice on how to make it better. People are more likely to respond with quality feedback when they are actually asked to give their input because they realise it will actually be valued.
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Case study – Pitching your company 24/7 Personally, I hate business cards. They clog up your wallet, gather dust in the draw and hang around the house for far too long. Fortunately, today there is a better way – a video business card. My video business card sits in my email signature, on my Facebook page, and on my LinkedIn profile and is pitching my business while I sleep. A short 30–60 second video is all that it takes. The key is the message. With such a short time span it is important that your company’s pitch is powerful and will resonate with your audience. Interestingly, if your clients open their emails in Gmail, then your video (if the URL is in your email signature) will automatically be embedded at the bottom of the email. There are five key segments to your video business card: 1. Identity – Who are you and what do you do? 2. Struggle – What are your prospective customers struggling with that you have the awesome answer for? 3. Discovery – What have your clients discovered after you helped them out? This should be a feeling or an outcome such as relief, elation, happy, etc.
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4. Results – What benefit can clients expect when they work with you? Be specific such as Lose 10 kgs, make $10,000, etc. 5. Action – Ask the viewer to take action. What do you want them to do? Make a call, sign up, download an ebook etc. Now you have a go. Take outs •
Video business cards are powerful and can be selling for you 24/7.
•
They don’t have to be expensive to create; you can use your phone and then get a freelancer to top and tail it with an intro and outro. Kapow!
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Over to you Post-production checklist •
Make the first round of changes very clear; noting each change with the time it occurs in the video.
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Which hosting and sharing platforms are right for you? Think about the benefits of each, and what you want your business video to achieve.
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When creating a YouTube channel and publishing your video, make sure you get the detail right – this is the key to being found online by your potential customers.
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CHAPTER 5
MARKETING YOUR VIDEO
Contents • • • • •
Marketing your video on YouTube Marketing your video on social media Email marketing Broadcasting with Google AdWords Measure your marketing
Introduction Once you have your video, then what? One of the most common mistakes businesses make is focusing so hard on the video production that they forget about the video marketing. There are so many different channels through which you can market your video, including YouTube, social media, email, or paid advertising. When thinking about where to share your video, think about what the customers are looking for. For example, people on Facebook aren’t looking for a 30-minute instructional video on vacuum cleaners but they would love a 60 second video on the latest and greatest gadget. In this chapter we provide an overview of marketing your video and a couple of quick tips to get you started.
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Marketing your video on YouTube YouTube has grown significantly since its early days of cute cats and people falling down, although we all still enjoy such videos from time to time. It has evolved into a huge platform where people can kill time, get useful information or even learn new skills. Besides Google search, YouTube is one of the most common places people go for answers, and you can use this to spread the word about your business. In Chapter 4 I provided an overview of how to set up your YouTube channel and this incorporated a range of strategies that all help with marketing, such as adding tags. Here are a few more strategies to help you with your marketing: 1. Remind people to like, share and subscribe Calls to action, both verbal and written, are very important. Most people don’t really give much thought to such things, but a few short sentences about how it really helps the channel grow and allows you to keep putting up great material is enough to get people on board. Another great tactic is to offer some additional content available only on your website or Facebook page, for example, ‘Learn more about this topic on our website where we have tonnes of useful tutorials and information’.
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2. Hit the social networks hard Integrate your YouTube account with various social media accounts, including Facebook, Google+, Instagram and Pinterest. You can share your videos on these social networks, have others share them and provide some additional content for your loyal fans – behind the scenes footage, tips and tricks, Q&A, giveaways, and more. These three things are the keys to creating a good YouTube channel and consistently producing quality videos that get a lot of views. You have to be consistent, creative and focused on producing content regularly, but all the hard work will pay off in the end.
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Thought leadership – Videos can help with internal communications too A company approached us to help them to create a new video to help them launch a new product internally. Most businesses typically think of using video externally, but this company really wanted to demonstrate they were cutting edge and used the video to launch an amazing new communication system to be rolled out across the company. Together we had to come up with a script that was both powerful and inspirational so that the employees would feel empowered to be actively involved going forward. The launch was a huge success that sent ripples through the organisation and it was great value for money because the video would be used again and again. Another company asked us to work with them to create a video using their company culture and values, which we turned into a screen saver that is on every company computer. Now that is powerful messaging. Take outs •
Videos don’t have to be about communicating to your customers/clients; they can also be used to share powerful message internally.
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Marketing your video on social media A structured social media campaign can draw attention to your video. But with so many platforms available, where do you start? You want your video to be seen by existing or potential customers, so take time to research where that audience goes online. Then you can focus on speaking directly to them, rather than posting anywhere and everywhere, hoping that something gets picked up. Some options to consider include Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter. Each has its advantages, but spreading yourself too thin can be counterproductive. It may be better to launch a well-conceived Twitter campaign than to get bogged down trying to keep up with a campaign spanning many different platforms. Here is a more in-depth look at ways you can use social media to market your video.
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Facebook A lot of people are uncertain about whether or not marketing a video via Facebook has any real benefits. It is a fact that Facebook is the top dog when it comes to social media platforms. According to Statistic Brain1, it has 1.4 billion users and somewhere around 250 million people access this network from their mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.). So where do you start? You’ll probably market your videos in three main ways – on your business page, posting a variety of content alongside your video, and using Facebook ads. Business page
The first thing you will need to do is create a Facebook page for your business. This is quite an easy process, but there are a few things you need to make sure you do. Your profile picture needs to reflect your brand so people who like your business can recognise it instantly. You also need to include all the relevant information about your business, including what you do, who you are, and your website to build trust and let people know that you are who you claim to be. After this, you can steadily build up your fan base. Content
I always like to point out that the quality of your videos is crucial for their success. So, regardless of the place where you share your video and how big your fan base is on Facebook, 1.
‘Social Networking Statistics’, last modified July 14 2014, www.statisticbrain.com/social-networking-statistics/
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you will have a low success rate if your content doesn’t have the necessary viral potential. One thing to keep in mind is posting a variety of content. Each type of content has its merits and the overall goal in the environment of a social network is to keep people engaged. On top of that, not everybody has the necessary resources to share quality videos on a regular basis. This is why you should keep your fans engaged with interesting text or picture content since they are cheaper to create and less complicated as well. Video ads on Facebook
As with any other post, you can use Facebook ads to boost your video posts. My suggestion is to use the Facebook power editor, since it offers you far more options than the classic ‘boost post’ option. If you have done your research, then you should know your target audience, and Facebook ads offer you an abundance of options when it comes to targeting the right people, including location, age, gender, interests and more. Another feature for video marketers is Facebook Premium Video, where premium videos will appear in the targeted users’ news feeds and play automatically, but with no sound. If a user clicks on the video, it goes into full screen mode and plays from the top. This feature actually provoked a lot of controversy with Facebook users in testing, so it will be interesting to see how it performs when it goes live for all users. Facebook is a big marketing playground, and if you use it properly, you can get a lot of benefits. 125
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LinkedIn LinkedIn is an essential tool for networking, market research and a great place to run into new leads. Back in 2013, LinkedIn enabled profile promotion and previous experience presentation through videos. Now, if you take into account that there are approximately 270 million users on LinkedIn it’s a great place to get your business further exposure. Step 1: Add a video to your individual and company profiles
Video can quickly and easily be added to individual and company profiles. Simply log on, go to your profile and click the ‘edit’ button. In summary sections, you have the option to add a video. Simply add a URL, click ‘save’ and that’s it. Step 2: Metrics
LinkedIn offers a lot of information about who is looking at your profile, how many views your posts have, and much more. Step 3: Post videos regularly
As you know, videos get noticed, so it is important that you share videos on LinkedIn on a regular basis. Share them within groups and encourage people to comment on the video. You might even like to run a competition where the answers can only be found from watching the video.
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Step 4: Paid advertising
LinkedIn is a great way to get your video noticed. You can set your budget for as little as $10 per day or splurge and spend $1,000. Whatever you decide, you can make sure your advert is really targeted by setting your own criteria for your audience.
BUY NOW
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Here are some targeting examples provided by LinkedIn: Job Title Job Function Industry Geography Company Size Company Name Seniority
‘Patent Attorney’ or ‘Sr. Laboratory Technician’ or ‘Registered Nurse’ ‘Sales’ or ‘Engineering’ or ‘Marketing’ functions ‘Banking’ or ‘Biotechnology’ industries ‘United States’ or ‘Netherlands’ or ‘Toronto’ ‘1–10’ or ‘500–1,000’ people ‘GE’ or ‘Hewlett-Packard’ or ‘FedEx’ ‘Vice President’ or ‘Owners’
Age
‘18–24’ or ‘35–54’
Gender
‘Female’ or ‘Male’
LinkedIn Group
‘Business Intelligence Group’ or ‘Corporate Real Estate’
If you are unsure of how or where to start, then I highly recommend that you seek expert assistance from a social media expert who knows exactly how to set up and manage these campaigns. (And you can hold them accountable to the result.)
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Pinterest With a new social network like Pinterest gaining enormous popularity over the past year, you are offered yet another choice when it comes to promoting your videos. On Pinterest, currently one of the four largest traffic sources on the internet, you can play and pin videos from YouTube or Vimeo. The importance of board titles and pin descriptions
Let’s discuss the keywords first. Keywords are there to get your video discovered among all other interesting and related videos. When a person types a word or a phrase into a search box to find what he/she is looking for, your keyword will be quite helpful for both you and the user. Optimising your video title on YouTube or Vimeo will also help with optimising on Pinterest as well if you use the same or similar keywords in the descriptions later. This will lead to more views and a better search engine ranking. First of all, you will have to include ‘video’ as a part of your pin title or in its description. When a Pinterest user starts a particular search for some video content, your pins will stand out among all the others if you do this. If you want to dedicate more time to this, then create a separate board that also includes ‘video’ in its title. Gathering followers and repins from this board can be a good strategic move as it will help your followers see all of your videos, not just the one
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that they liked or pinned. And any they repin will be seen by their followers, which creates even more traffic for your videos – the more the merrier. Be active on Pinterest
While marketing your videos on Pinterest, you might as well help others by sharing other people’s pins, which will be beneficial for you, too. People who are active on Pinterest and share other people’s pins are more likely to have their own pins liked and repinned more often. Repin things related to your videos and your business on your own boards, which can bring more followers and boost the popularity of your video content. Custom thumbnails
The other important thing about video content is to have a custom thumbnail. This serves as an additional description because a video pinned onto Pinterest from any site will show a thumbnail. How can you do this? It is simple and free with a range of online tools available for this purpose e.g. www. canva.com or https://swiftly.com/. Some of these also offer automatic resizing to the size suggested for a particular site.
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Twitter Twitter is a great platform for video advertisements and finding out the newest information from around the globe. However, to post a video ad that people will want to see, it needs to use hashtags. A hashtag is a relevant keyword that has the hash (#) symbol in front of it. This is used to help identify tweets about specific topics, both in users’ feeds and when they search for tweets on that topic. So when it comes to uploading and sharing your videos on Twitter, make sure you add relevant hashtags. How many? Two hashtags per tweet is enough (remember, you only have 140 characters!). This will also enable you to track discussion topics around those keywords.
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Email Marketing As consumer adoption of video isn’t going to slow down any time soon, businesses are increasingly seeking ways to email video. Because of the enormous file size of videos, you can’t simply attach them to an email and expect people to watch them. The recipients will only watch the video if it is simply a matter of clicking in the email to make the video start playing. If you open up your emails in Gmail or Windows Live Hotmail and have a YouTube link in your email, then the video is automatically embedded. Unfortunately, not everyone uses these email clients, so businesses need to look at other tools to help them send their videos via email. Here are a couple of email marketing service providers offering video email solutions: • http://corp.eyejot.com • www.streamsend.com • www.videoemail.com These emailing platforms have been built with video in mind, and today most email platforms have the capacity for video.
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Broadcasting with Google AdWords Google AdWords allows you to create ads that appear above the organic (natural) search results in Google, as well as in a column to the right. Because you are charged each time someone clicks on your ad, these are known as ‘Pay-PerClick’ (PPC). While you can set up your own PPC campaign at http:// adwords.google.com, I highly recommend that you outsource this to an expert, as they will ensure the campaign is set up to drive a return on your investment. If you’re already familiar with Google AdWords, then here is a brief summary of how to set up a video campaign: 1. Log into your AdWords account at http://adwords. google.com/video. 2. Choose the red + Campaign button. 3. On the ‘Create new video campaign’ screen, name your campaign, choose a budget, select the networks you want to use (YouTube Search, YouTube Videos and the Google Display Network) and choose the location and language you want to target. Because you can create multiple ads within a single campaign, the ‘Video ad’ field is optional at this stage. Click ‘Save and continue’. 4. A budget note: make sure you plan your budget well since, if you are new to AdWords, you might need to do a bit of testing in order to maximise the potential of your campaign.
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5. On the ‘Select bidding and audience’ screen, add your maximum cost per view, and use the demographic, interests and ‘Narrow your targeting’ fields to select your audience. 6. You will return to the ‘Ads’ tab. Click the ‘+ Video Ad’ button, which will allow you to choose which video you want to promote. 7. On the ‘Create new ad’ screen, add the URL for your video and the headline and two-line description you would like to appear on your ad. 8. Choose one or more of the following options for promoting your video: ¡¡
In-Search
¡¡
In-Display – This ad includes an image and some text. You pay only when someone clicks to watch your video.
¡¡
In-Stream – This video plays before another video on either YouTube or the Google Display Network. You only pay if a viewer watches for 30 seconds or to the end of the ad (whichever comes first).
¡¡
In-Slate
9. Chose the target group you want to see your ad, either using the campaign target group you created earlier, or by adding a topic, a keyword, an age group and other identifiers. It is very important that you choose your target audience correctly so you reach the people who are interested in your niche and what you have to say.
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10. Once you’re up and running, measure your views and clicks. Google provides comprehensive reports on virtually all data accumulated over the duration of your campaign. You can follow various statistics and conclude if your investment into this form of marketing is paying off. Google AdWords offers you a lot of options when it comes to your target audience, location and budget control. As with any other platform, it takes time to get used to it and to find the right way to advertise. This is why it’s a good idea to have a testing period, or you can hire an experienced professional to help you find the best way to use it. However, you are the one who needs to make sure you’ve covered everything on your end and that your ads are actually something that interests your target group or groups.
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Measure your marketing Once you’ve got your video marketing campaign up and running, the next question is – how do you know it’s working? After all, you’ve created this video and campaign for your business, so you want to be sure it’s delivering tangible business results. If you’ve made a business case as outlined on pages 39–41, then we recommend that you measure against those benchmarks. If not, here are a number of ways to measure your marketing campaign’s effectiveness: • Impressions/views – How many times your video is viewed. You can find this number on YouTube, under the bottom-right corner of your video. • Viewer engagement – How much of the video the viewer watches. If your viewers are watching your entire video then great! Your video is a success! If they’re only watching part of it, pay attention to where they stop watching, and try to figure out why – are you taking too long to answer their questions? Was something in the audio or visuals at that point off-putting? • Average Cost-Per-View (CPV) – How much you spend for one person to watch your video. If you’re focusing on organic search results and free marketing like social media (where the only cost is your time), then this may not be relevant to your campaign. However, if you are investing in PPC or other
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advertising and media coverage, then this needs to be measured to ensure you’re getting a good return on your investment. • Geographical statistics – The geographic distribution of your viewers. If you have a local, bricks-and-mortar business, are you attracting local viewers, or are you getting more international interest? What’s driving that interest, and how can you tweak it to ensure the right viewers see your video? • Viewer profile – The demographic and psychographic statistics of your viewers. Do they meet your ideal customer profile? If not, how can you tweak it to get their attention? Or is there enough interest to look at marketing to a new potential customer? • Shares – The number of times your video is shared with others. The more shares, the better – the more shares your video gets, the more engaging it is, and the more people you’ll reach.
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These metrics are valid for any campaign, and any goal. Depending on your overall goal of your marketing campaign you could also consider measuring: • How much time did they spend watching the video? • How quickly did they stop viewing (bounce rate)? • How many viewers watch through to the end? • How many likes did the video get? • Did it drive more traffic to your website? • Did your sales increase when the campaign was launched?
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Over to you Video marketing checklist •
What are your goals for your marketing campaign?
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Where does your target audience hang out? Which are the best social media platforms you can use to reach them?
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How frequently do you want to promote the video? Will this be an ongoing campaign, or a short-term one?
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Which channels will you use to promote your video?
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Which metrics will you use to measure your campaign, and where will you record the results?
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Conclusion At the beginning of this book, I posed the question, ‘Why video?’ Videos are an invaluable addition to your marketing efforts. They allow you to reach potential customers in a unique way that doesn’t just convey the facts about your business, but lets you communicate with your brand or company personality in a moving, engaging and meaningful way. That’s important. More often than not, people make purchasing decisions for reasons beyond the purely rational. They make purchasing decisions based on their emotions. So you want to be able to connect with your potential customers on both a logical and an emotional level. That’s what a video can help you do. After answering ‘Why’, we looked at ‘How’, examining video strategy and how to craft the best business messages by matching your messages to the buying cycle. In Chapter 3, we provided practical advice about the ‘nuts and bolts’ of production and provided some great tips on how to amend and edit your video ready to ‘go live’. And we learnt that videos don’t sell themselves so we provided some high level strategies to help you to get started with marketing your video to achieve maximum exposure and impact. Whether you produce the video yourself or hire a production company to do it for you, I hope I’ve left you more equipped to create a successful one. And remember – if you 141
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do hire a production company, use what you’ve learnt here to stay involved in the decision-making process. I wish you all the best in your coming adventures with video. May your experience be exciting, informative and, above all, profitable! Happy producing!
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About the Author Jules Blundell is the Founder & Director of VideoBuzz – a business aimed at giving businesses access to awesome, affordable video marketing. Jules holds an MBA (Distinction) from University of London and has established and run a number of successful businesses, including VideoBuzz. Her background as a teacher as well as her business experience including creating and implementing successful online marketing strategies, make Jules a rare gem in the video marketing industry. Jules is someone who is truly qualified to call herself a ‘media expert’ and it’s a title she is proud of – utilising her extensive skills to help business owners understand how to spread their marketing message to today’s tech-savvy customer, in an increasingly online world. Translating complex tech jargon into language that is easily understood is one of her special skills.
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She and her enthusiasm is catching. Jules’ She operates operatesatataafast fastpace pace and her enthusiasm is catching. Jules’ mission is to help business owners reach the next level and she mission to help business owners reach the next level and she does video marketing in in doesitit by byputting puttingtips tipsand andtools toolsfor foreffective effective video marketing the earned the hands handsof ofother otherbusiness businessowners owners– –sharing sharingher herwell well earned insights insights with with the themotivation motivationtotohelp helpothers otherssucceed. succeed. For Jules, her work in the video video marketing marketing industry industry with with VideoBuzz is something she loves…and it shows. She’ll hapsomething she loves…and it shows. She’ll hap pily tell you how much, too – the trick is to keep her sitting too – the trick to keep her sitting still long enough. enough. Feel free free to to get getinintouch touchwith withJules Julesininthe thefollowing followingways: ways:
Jules @ Online www
www.julesblundell.com chat@julesblundell.com
Click the icons on my website to find me in all these places: me
For more resources visit: www
www.capturemorecustomerswithvideo.com
Jules @ Work www
www.videobuzz.com.au jules@videobuzz.com.au
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ISBN 978-0-9925957-3-9
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