Are you ready to join the world of Web 2.0 marketing and create online video content promoting your e-commerce site? Congratulations! This is a great form of marketing that has the potential to go viral, but only if you do it right.
Making videos is easy, but Making Viral Videos can be a little more challenging, look over these tips to ensure your video is a powerful promotional tool and does not become a waste of time and money.
Decide On Your Video Content
Take some time to figure out what you want to convey to potential customers with your video footage. Are you trying to sell your products? Do you want to show how our company is different than others?
Perhaps you want to showcase particular advantages of doing business with your company. Maybe you just started your e-commerce site and want to introduce your company and tell visitors more about what you offer.
All of these are good ideas for promotion of your website. The specifics of your particular business and the goals you wish to achieve will determine what type of content you film.
What To Include
There are two main types of e-commerce websites: those that sell products, and those that sell services. Let’s take a look at how each of these types of online business can create a video effective for promotion.
Video Marketing – Products
• Film someone using the product and showing the various applications. The more unique you can make this, the more compelling it will be. Consider adding a bit of humour, if appropriate.
• Piece together clips of customer testimonials. It means more to potential customers to hear about the benefits of a product when it comes from real people. Ask your current clients for permission to film them at their place of business to clearly show they are not a paid spokesperson.
• Tell a story. Show a person who represents your typical customer facing a problem of some sort then show how your product solves that problem.
• Artists or authors can give viewers an idea of how they go through the creative process; what particular instance or idea sparked your latest work?
• Is your business eco-friendly? Show viewers how you accomplish this.
Video Marketing – Services
• Film your team at work. Show the viewer a typical day in the life of your business associates and how they work with clients to provide a valuable service.
• Create a video that shows how and why you built your business. Include the actual physical location and portray the changes that have occurred as the company grew. Talk about your visions, goals, and mission statement.
• Make an informative video that answers frequently asked questions about the service you provide.
• Is your service design-based? Show the process by which you match your clients’ goals with an appropriate design.
The secret to Making Viral Videos is your content. Give viewers something to talk about. The use of humour can go a long way. Beautiful scenery, interesting conversation, and hard to find information, are all ways to make sure your video is not considered spam and will be shared across the internet.
About Sean Rasmussen
Sean,
I love the simplicity of your “How to” tips.
Although no one can give the perfect formula for a viral video, this makes an excellent starting point.
Bernie
Glad to hear you got something out of the article Bernie. Time to get the video camera out
Regards – Sean
Video marketing is a whole new ball game in itself. This can be a lot of fun. Dean and I are getting into this now. It’s so cool and the programs out there are mind-boggling. There’s a YouTube video that went viral yesterday, called “Your mom’s on facebook”. Made it to front page of Digg and, no doubt, is going around the FB circles now.
Hi Sean,
This is excellent advice. I’m thinking about starting to make some videos for my site. Do you have any suggestions on what programs to use? To edit the footage?
Also, how do I go about adding background music? It would all be copyrighted so what is the best way to handle this?
Hi Sean,
Making a video to promote the training course and products we have is a productive idea, I must admit. It’s also an appropriate way to advertise our service. Making a video is also important that potential customers know the person behind the name and a video is a good way to do that.
We are unique in what we do. Once someone attends our UCLC’s they come back to a repeat course. There is so much information to digest in one weekend that people gladly come back to attend a repeat course. There is always something new as well that they don’t want to miss out on.
An introduction to our UCLC’s by video would work well for us and it is something I need to work on. Having videos does increase our sales in general. It’s also a more personal way to introduce yourself to new customers, rather than just contacting mail, phone or sending them to the website to register.
Thank-you for the great thought, Sean.
Hi Sean
Many great ideas here and I am already inspired. I have mentioned before that I am right into making videos and I have loads of ideas just waiting to be created so any information that helps is great.
I would love for my videos to go viral and I am planning that they will.