Inbound Marketing 101: Using Video to Drive Traffic

  

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[By Jeff Androsko]

News Flash: You don't have to be Scorsese to write, produce, direct and promote your own company video.

Why Video?

C'mon... when was the last time you were psyched to read a five page brochure on how "great" a company thinks they are? Exactly. So why would your customers be any different?

This all stems from the inbound marketing takeover; getting your targets and prospects to develop an interest in your corporate culture, methodology, products and services. Video captures audiences because... let's face it... it's just more interesting to participate in than reading. Americans, especially, require visual stimuli to receive information. Give them something to remember by creating instructional videos, viral ad campaigns, company newsreels, or anything that would make a viewer interested in what you do.

Seems overwhelming? Just remember these three things:

1. Equipment - You don't need to spend thousands of dollars to create the product you need. We use the FlipVideo (roughly $199) and iMovie, generic video-editing software that comes with any Mac. Keeping it simple allows you to create more and more great content.
2. Practice Makes Perfect - Have you seen the garbage on YouTube? There's no reason to be embarassed about your material. Like anything new, you have to try it out to get good at it. Have a content meeting and plan out your goals. What are you trying to accomplish by creating your video? Once you get the hang of it, you'll be giggling like a toddler every time the boss wants you to do a new video.
3. Promotion is Key - Don't wipe the sweat from your brow yet... it's promotion time. The best part is... IT'S FREE. Create your own YouTube channel where people can view your video(s); this is a fully customizable, centralized station that harbors all of your productions. You can promote your channel by sharing the direct URL link with your friends, clients, targets and any social media sites in which you participate.

Video isn't for everyone... so discuss its possibilities with your marketing team. Come up with your goals, a strategy and a schedule. Video is extremely powerful can do wonders for creating brand image and expanding your social media reach.

The Age of Honest Marketing?

  

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[By Jeff Androsko]

Oxymoron? Who are you calling a moron, pal?! Ok, I know what you're thinking, "Yeah right". But the concept of honest marketing is becoming more and more tangible as the effectiveness of traditional communication shrinks (door:door sales, cold calls, face:face pitches and other outbound activities).

As businesspeople and marketeurs, you're promotional hypocratic oath binds you to the true usefulness of your products and services. Since practically every market is saturated with millions of forgettable messages, it is your duty to use marketing in a responsible and communicative manner. This means evolving and practicing social media transparency.

Just like you were taught when you were young (well... most of you, I hope), sharing is caring. Social media and social bookmarking, as I'm sure you've heard, are changing the way people communicate. Regardless of how you may feel about text messaging, Facebooking, Tweeting and online community, you can't deny its power. It is this power that can create an honest and ambitious market. Millions of people have caught onto this new community and are sharing information that interests them... how much more honest can you get?

In a country with such extensive corporate robble-robble and Main-Street/Wall-Street/Flip-Flop gobbledygook, it's easy to get sucked into irresponsible communication. But finding a groove with social media and effective marketing communication is as simple as projecting your feelings, likes, dislikes and social perceptions. People are exhausted. They just want to be able to check their email without getting a Saran-wrapped SPAM patty to the face. It's something as simplistic as using honesty and knowledge that creates relationships and builds feel-good sales activity (and trust me, the community extends way beyond those who use it for business).

You'll find it gratifying, stimulating, profitable, innovative... and most of all... fun. Don't get me wrong, no one is going to experience the rapture while Tweeting a link to their favorite new article... but it's within this new communication experience where the fate of marketing lies. Use it wisely and avoid squander.

Tell No Lies:
Social Media Transparency