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Leverage Free YouTube Data for Competitive Intel

May 21, 2013 by April Wilson Leave a Comment

I just wrote an article on my (other) blog about Orabrush, as an example of how to do YouTube and social media marketing right. If you’re looking for some inspiration for your marketing efforts and your budget is non-existent, I highly recommend Orabrush’s marketing strategy.

One of the things I did in that piece was to list some success metrics:

  • Within 2 days, the video was featured on the home page of YouTube
  • Within 4 weeks, they had over 10 million views
  • Using features already in YouTube, they offered free samples to people who made it through the first half of the video

But I don’t work for Orabrush, and I was never part of their marketing team. So how do I know what happened?

On YouTube every video has a “statistics” tab underneath that lets you get some good insight into that video’s performance.

It's the little picture of a graph on the bottom right - click on that.

It’s the little picture of a graph on the bottom right – click on that.

When you open that up, you can see what video milestones have happened. Things like the first ad campaign, view from a mobile device, referral from another website; all of these count as milestones. You can also see how quickly views grew over time. Most importantly from a marketing perspective, you can also see engagement and audience metrics.

Milestones look like this:

milestones

You can see, for example, that it was the ad they ran at point “G” that drove significant growth in views. However, you don’t know what that ad was or how it ran. Does it matter? Maybe. If you’re a competitor, you might want to target the same audience that Orabrush targeted in their ad campaign. Running on the same website or ad network might be handy.

If you’re a smaller player or just a marketer looking for inspiration, it’s enough. I’ve now learned that even a brand that had lots of previous success on YouTube still needs to “feed and water” new video content with ads and referrals. I now know that it takes more than great content to drive page views. It takes a larger strategy to build that audience, and I’d better consider how I’m going to drive people to that content.

Not sure what your target audience looks like? This is where the demographic data comes in handy.

audience

I’ve learned that this video is popular with teenagers and older men in the US, Canada, and Australia. That helps me generate ideas for my own content. As a brand marketer, I might make my message or content a little less serious and more fun to engage this audience. I probably don’t need to worry about translation or subtitles in non-English languages.

I can also see that despite having a lot of views (over 1.8 million), engagement is never very high. Of the total audience, only 0.11% “liked” the video and less than half of that number commented or favorited the content. (Incidentally, never use YouTube comments to measure brand satisfaction. That’s like checking the writing in your bathroom stall to see if customers are satisfied with their store experience.)

This data appears under almost every video on YouTube because most subscribers and brands don’t realize it’s there. So what’s the best way to use it? Find out what your competitors are doing and check the stats. Watch several videos to get a feel for engagement, who’s sending traffic, and what their audience looks like.

Viral Video Marketing

April 9, 2013 by Andy Havard 3 Comments

Welcome to the online video masterclass. Today we’ll be looking at viral video marketing.

Kevin Alloca’s Rule of 3

When it comes to creating viral video and giving your video the chance to become viral you need to be very aware of Kevin Alloca’s rule of three; viral video needs to be unexpected and unique, shared and discussed by thought leaders and celebrities, and finally viral video needs a socially active community to engage with it.

Use The Power of Video SEO

The biggest way to make a video successful is by getting online users to see it and the only way to do so is to allow your video to be found quickly and easily.

Since Google’s introduction of the Universal Search in 2007, YouTube videos have been able to impact page 1 search engine results on Google rather well. What this means is that, while YouTube is the number two search engine, its video content can impact Page 1 of Google, which gives you a great reason to focus your Search Engine Optimisation strategies on YouTube.

To use the full power of YouTube’s SEO you’ll need to first and foremost upload your video to YouTube. When using YouTube always give your video Tags, Descriptions and Titles that contain your keywords and phrases. Uploading Closed Captions (Transcripts) can also provide very SEO friendly text data that can help bring your videos up in the search engine results.

For those users who don’t like the idea of using any platform other than their website, you can embed YouTube videos onto your own site and still generate a great deal of SEO value by sitemapping your video on Google Webmaster Tools.

Harness The Power Of Social Media

Marketing Video doesn’t have to cost the earth and, in fact, one of the cheapest ways to do so is actually the most powerful. Social media sites are online platforms that can give any piece of video content the chance to be enjoyed by an almost limitless audience and generate real viral potential.

Make use of as many social sites as possible to stir up shares and interaction. The likes of Facebook and Google+ allow for video hosting while sites like LindkedIn, Twitter, Reddit, Digg and StumbleUpon can all assist you in generating a buzz around your video and helping give your content viral potential.

Never forget, video hosting sites like YouTube and Vimeo are also video sharing sites. This means the video content they host was born to be shared and interacted with. Both sites offer the opportunity of Commenting and Liking content and allow for users to communicate with one another in a variety of ways. Use these social abilities to your advantage to help get your content more and more interaction, and perhaps even gain those powerful social media shares.

Utilise Video Tracking

The success of a video marketing strategy can only ever be determined by the goals it has set out to achieve. Tracking the performance of a video campaign is essential to the entire process of implementing an online marketing strategy.

Wistia & YouTube Analytics are crucial for tracking the impact your video is having on your audience. Their tracking of viewer engagement goes beyond the simple figure of views, giving you insight into how effective your video really is.

Facebook Insights and Hootsuite offer some of the most extensive social media tracking. You can access a staggering amount of data from finding out the gender and typical age of your video’s audience to how many users are simply talking about your content and sharing it with other users.   

Google Analytics is always the place to go for all data surrounding your traffic generation and conversion rates. Don’t forget to pay close attention to your % of new visits and time on site, as this will provide a clear indication that your video is both generating new opportunities and gluing them to your site.

That’s it for today’s online video masterclass. Be sure to share your knowledge and your thoughts in the comments section below.

How and Why You Should Utilise Testimonial Video On The Web

March 14, 2013 by Andy Havard 1 Comment

Welcome to the online video masterclass. Today we’ll be looking at how and why you should utilise testimonial video on the web.

1. Why Make A Testimonial Video?

Testimonial videos enable you to share the positive, genuine experiences which your customers have had with your business. It is important to use the customer voice in your video as it can greatly increase public opinion of your business. Video testaments are an easier and more accessible way of presenting past customer experiences for new customers to see.

Referrals from past customers gives potential customers reassurance in the quality of your service or product. They can help you convert possible customers into sales or long-term clients. Such videos can be important because they connect on a more personal level with your audience than text testimonials; they are an intimate, powerful and engaging medium.

2. Identify Your Clients/Promoters/Customers

Your video should be personalised to your audience. The key step is to identify who your customers are and provide testimonials which relate to them, successful businesses don’t waste time targeting everyone, only their key demographic.

Think about the message you are trying to present from your testimonial video. It would be good to consider how your product/service relates to different groups. How it has been received by different sectors? Is there a certain group of people you are trying to expand your business to? Are you trying to tap into a different market to increase your sales?

You need to think about how best to go about reaching your future customers. If you are targeting young people, it makes sense to create a testimonial which that audience would be able to relate to.

3. How To Capture Your Testimonials

The next step would be to film your testimonials, the most effective way to do this is with an interview. A question and answer format helps to establish authenticity. Building trust is key to the success of your videos.

The content of your video is important, it needs to be positive and relevant, otherwise it will draw the wrong crowd. Remember to keep your testimonial short and to the point so as to keep your audience focussed, provide quality rather than quantity, to get your message to your clients.

4. Upload Them To Video Sharing Sites

The internet is an excellent and efficient way of communicating with your customer base. So once you’ve got your video you then need to get it out there. Start uploading your video to one of the many sites for video sharing: Vimeo, Viddler, DailyMotion, and of course, not forgetting the video giant YouTube. YouTube, as the world’s second largest search engine, is one of the most popular video platforms and serves as a good starting point for your video.

It is worth reaching out to as many sharing platforms as possible; the more locations for your video the more people you can reach. Don’t forget you can also embed it on to your website as well.

5. Socially Market Your Video

When using free video platforms, like Youtube, you have the facility to integrate your video with social networking sites like Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter. The vast majority of people are accessible via social networks. This allows your video to be seen by a wider audience and allows for more direct interaction with your customers; through ‘likes’ and shares. Video is already an engaging medium but integrating it with social networks amplifies the interaction around your content.

There are no limits to how much your video is shared online, which is why social media is an established means of reaching your target audience, however wide and diverse it may be. Social media can have a huge impact on your campaign and can make your brand more recognisable online. These social networks and video platforms are becoming even more important in this computerised age so it is essential to utilize these free marketing outlets.

Videos on social networking sites are becoming more popular and more accepted. Because of the ease of uploading and sharing, marketing your video has never been easier, through your business website and social media you should be able to reach your target audience effectively.

That’s it for today’s online video masterclass. Be sure to share your knowledge and your thoughts in the comments section below.

How To Make and Market The Best Videos On The Web

February 14, 2013 by Andy Havard Leave a Comment

Welcome to the online video masterclass. Today we’ll be looking at the best styles of video to make, how to create them cheaply and how best to market them.

1. Why Video?

Videos provide a comprehensive means of accessing your audience and improving brand visibility: converting a potential customer into a paying or long-term customer. The visual and audio elements of video are more effective at getting information to your audience, than text alone.

Online videos are essential for a large online presence, and create a really memorable experience of a website. They have become a well used means of communication to capture and sustain the attention of viewers.

By marketing your product with video you will be able to reach a wider customer base and will bring more traffic to your website. Having your video embedded into your existing site, means that visitors will be more likely to interact with the other content on your site and ultimately this will increase the conversion rates for your site.

2. Best Styles of Video

The three golden rules of creating engaging video content are: Entertain, Inform and Educate.

Audiences both on and off line value these elements and by having two or more of these element your video will be successful. There are several formats for promotional videos which all present effective means of communication:

People powered videos, which introduces the people behind the scenes of the company, helps build a connection between the customers and the employees of the business. By showing the company as real people, and not a faceless corporation, customers feel much more at ease and trusting of the company.

A helpful video which answers the frequently asked questions about your business, can establish a bond with your visitors, further establishing trust, as well as showing the innovative features of your business.

Instructional videos are particularly useful for potential customers, showing them that you have exactly what they need. Such videos reinforce the connection between the client and the brand.

Finally testimonial videos allow you to share the positive experiences which past customers have had in an authentic and honest manner. This again builds trust and shows the qualities of the product or service.

3. How to Create Those Videos

When creating a video, location is key. But it is not necessary to rent out lavish studio space, all you really need is space in which you can stand comfortably with a background which is suited to your brand. Generally though, a blank or white wall is good as it focuses the viewer on you, rather than your scenery.

You will need a stabilized camera in order to make your footage as good as possible. It is not important if you aren’t using the latest high tech equipment, you will be able to get good shots with a webcam or tablet camera.

For lighting, again you don’t need to use the fanciest of equipment just as long as you position a light source on either side of your backdrop You will also need a third light, held at about a thirty degree angle to your on screen subject. To maximise lighting it is best to shoot in natural light but be careful not to over expose your scene.

When you are recording the sound for your video, try to keep the audio levels reasonably consistent, as changes in volume can cause the sound to distort in the recording.

The final stage of creating your film is editing. This enables you to adjust the brightness and sharpness of your video. Downloading free editing software like iMovie and Windows Movie Maker can help you put the finishing touches to your video.

4. How to Market Them

So now that you have your finished video, it is time to upload it to Youtube and Vimeo. Youtube, being the second largest search engine is a great launch pad for your video. Once you have put your video online it is important to make sure it will be getting the optimum views, in order to do this you need to make use of tags and key search words.

As a marketing strategy it is important to make use of the ever growing phenomenon of social networking. Most of the free video sharing platforms link to websites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. By using the facilities of free hosting sites you can market your video efficiently to your target audience. This will eventually lead to a high conversion rate for your site, which will ultimately lead to increased revenue.

That’s it for today’s online video masterclass. Be sure to share your knowledge and your thoughts in the comments section below.

 

5 Ways Video Can Increase Your Landing Page Conversation Rate

February 5, 2013 by Joshua Hardwick Leave a Comment

How to Make Your Landing Page Videos More Effective

Attracting visitors to your website isn’t easy. In fact, it usually takes a pretty rigorous marketing campaign just to maintain a regular flow of visitors and even if you manage this, it’s likely that most visitors won’t convert to paying customers without a well-optimised, high converting landing page.

One of the most powerful ways to increase the conversion rate of your landing page is with the use of video. In recent years, more and more companies around the world have started to produce video content solely for the use on their landing pages as they quickly realised that if produced well, videos can send landing page conversions through the roof.

dollar-shave-club-landing-page

Screenshot: DollarShaveClub.com 

In fact, a recent study found that video content can actually increase landing page conversions by up to 80% meaning that in some cases, you can almost double the number of sales achieved by your landing page. However, videos can also reduce or have very little effect on landing page conversion rates if they aren’t properly thought-out or produced to a high standard so here are a few ways to make your landing page videos more effective.

#1 – Don’t Bore your Visitors

You need to remember that people browsing the web get bored pretty easily and that also, alternative content is only one click away. When a visitor arrives on your landing page and you present them with your video content, it’s likely that they don’t want to be there for hours watching a video they didn’t plan to watch.

Now, depending on the complexity of your product, your landing page might require a relatively long video in order to explain all the required aspects that hopefully, will lead to a conversion but in most cases, you need to keep things short and to the point.

You need to make your video entertaining and interesting whilst still presenting visitors with information about your product/service. It’s not an easy task, but by keeping it as short as possible, you’ll likely increase the likeliness that the visitor will watch the video right until the end and then, make the purchase.

#2 – Autoplay vs. Non-Autoplay

One of the tactics that is often used to increase conversion rates is to automatically play the video when the visitor lands on the page. Now, if you’ve ever visited a landing page where this technique is used, you probably found it pretty annoying, right?

Setting a landing page video to autoplay can alienate and annoy your visitors which will often lead to them clicking the ‘back’ button almost immediately and leaving your site (something you don’t want them to do as this means no purchase will be made).

Strangely however, a lot of people have experienced higher conversion rates when this technique is used so the best option is to test it. You might find that the autoplay feature squeezes an extra few conversions out of your landing page and generates you more revenue, which at the end of the day is all that matters.

#3 – Include a Call-To-Action

Surprisingly, a lot of landing page videos don’t bother doing this but really, it is almost guaranteed to increase your conversion rate. Sure, a lot of landing pages usually have a call-to-action somewhere else on the page (usually in the form of a button) but using a call-to-action in your video can often increase the effectiveness of this.

For example, if you’ve spent a few minutes informing the visitor about your product/service and its potential benefits, make sure you actually tell them to sign up/make a purchase at the end. It doesn’t have to be anything longwinded, you could simply include a call-to-action at the end of your video that says “Sign up below for a 30-day free trial” – or something to that effect.

This call-to-action could either be done using a voiceover or even a graphic included at the end of your video. Feel free to get creative and do both if you like.

#4 – Upload to YouTube

One of the less direct techniques you can use to increase landing page conversions (and the amount of visitors) is to also upload your video to YouTube (and sites like YouTube). YouTube receives more than 800 million unique visitors a month and therefore, allows you to expose your landing page video to an even larger audience.

By doing this, you can increase brand awareness and quite often, attract visitors to your landing page. When uploading to YouTube, simply include a link to your landing page in the video description. If the video gets a lot of views then you will likely receive a lot of clickthroughs to your website which may result in sales.

Doing this will also generate a few links to your landing page (although usually nofollow links) which may help your landing page to rank even better and attract more visitors/potential customers.

#5 – Make it the Centre of Attention

A lot of landing pages make use of video but often, don’t put enough focus on the video itself. Try to make your landing page less cluttered and keep the video as the main focal point of the page. You want to draw the visitor’s attention to that ‘play’ button so that he/she watches the video and purchases your product.

You should also make sure to keep the video above the fold too. Although ‘the fold’ might be slowly dying out due to the fact that more and more people are now browsing the web on devices with much larger screens, a lot of people do still have traditional sized monitors, notebooks or tablet PC’s where the fold is extremely important.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that an effective online video will significantly increase the conversion rate of a landing page if produced to a high standard. Sure, refining the video might take a bit of trial and error but if you’re selling a high value product (or receiving a large amount of visitors), the reward can be huge.

It is unlikely you’ll get things perfect right away so remember to experiment with varying video lengths, calls-to-action and the autoplay feature. But also, remember to monitor the results!

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