Video and Audio Content The majority of business sites don’t have video and audio content, unless of course you’re talking about corporate sites. As recently as 10 years ago, small to midrange businesses usually never thought in terms of visual presentation or virtual face-to-face sales. This is precisely why many businesses are now creating video content online— because of the idea that no one else is doing it. Well, that was the attitude when the big viral boom first began. Nowadays, a lot of small business are getting into the act and are producing their own instructional videos, their own video presentations, and even their little comedy skits and short films. It all makes for great publicity. Even if you don’t “go viral” and get millions of hits in a week, you may still make a lasting impression on your leads and that may very well convert these leads into paying customers. A lot of paying customers will make for a traffic increase, even if you’re not the next Dramatic Chipmunk phenomenon. Audio presentations are also very big right now, especially if you plan on reaching targeted customers on Smartphones, PDAs, eBook players, multimedia players and the like. Some businesses have found great success in hosting a radio show or podcast, and speaking on issues that are directly related to their business. Not only can an audio show (or audio clips) help to improve listening traffic on your site (though you will likely have to store content offsite…more on this in the next section), but you can also direct the show’s listeners back to your website to push merchandise. The most important things to remember when preparing video or audio content is:
• Keep it professional (rehearse dialog and prepare the scene with a director’s eye, paying attention to detail);
• Use only quality cameras to shoot video; • Keep all videos and audio content relevant to your business; • Do not hard advertise; simply reflect your own professional values in the content you distribute;
