What does it cost to advertise on “network” television? Well, it depends on the show. According to Television Week, a 30-second ad on Grey’s Anatomy will cost you a whopping $419,000! But before you need a doctor to revive you from that sticker shock, keep in mind that the same 30 seconds to run on Cops, will cost you a mere $55,000.
Such is the state of high-stakes advertising on “traditional” network TV. If your marketing budget is slightly more modest – say ZERO – then a much more efficient and effective approach is to use the Internet.
Online Video is exploding in popularity, with 100 million videos being seen per day on YouTube alone. Consider the amazing fact that web users are downloading a staggering 8 billion videos per month! Oftentimes, the amount of viewers for Online Video far surpasses the audience estimates for network television – and all for an amazing low price of, well, just about nothing!
You can create your own video and upload it to YouTube in minutes, and that video can then be seen by a worldwide audience, 24/7! Obviously, there’s no guarantee that your video will “go viral,” and be seen by thousands of people – but it’s certainly possible!
Fortunately, for video on the Internet, creativity trumps cash, and a good idea is going to beat a big budget, every time. Online Video viewers are also much more forgiving of overall quality and production value, though that is beginning to quickly change. True, you can sit in front of a webcam and make your own home-made video, but viewers are becoming more discerning about what they will watch and share with others. Your video must meet a certain quality standard, but it’s more important that it be compelling and engaging.
Even classifieds are using video!
What do you get when you combine craigslist and YouTube? You get Realpeoplerealstuff.com, a new site that mixes classified ads with web-based video. It’s e-commerce meets funny videos…
YouTube recently launched YouTube Remixer, a service that allows user to edit their videos from within YouTube itself. So if you’ve always wanted to add goofy sunglasses, graphics or captions to that video of your cousin’s wedding, you’re in luck! Give it a try! Have a ball…
EFFECTIVE PR TIPS
By Lou Bortone
Public relations can be an effective way to generate awareness and name recognition for your business. PR is also considered to be a low-cost alternative to other marketing tactics such as traditional advertising and media buying. Your PR strategy should begin with the following key elements:
1. Build your target list: Compile an accurate database of key media contacts.
2. Develop your hook: Tell a compelling story.
3. Follow up: Cultivate relationships with the media and stay in touch.
Here are a few insider tips to maximize PR opportunities:
Turbo-charge your press releases
Your news releases should be newsworthy, targeted to the appropriate contact and, above all, engaging.
Maximize email marketing
Email marketing software has made it easier than ever to send out professional newsletters and press releases. User-friendly templates let you customize, target and track your email releases. It’s a low-cost way to stay top-of-mind with the media.
Make the media’s job easier
Tailor your pitch to the appropriate writer or reporter. Respect their time and deadlines. Have a press kit ready if the media ask for more info, but don’t flood them with sales materials. Give them what they need, when they need it, and you’ll increase your chances for positive press coverage.
Develop relationships with press contacts
Network with the media at industry events. Make an effort to get to know local reporters and leverage those relationships. Establish yourself as a resource to reporters and editors.
For more info, please visit: http://theonlinevideoguy.com/home/index-webcam.html
The JibJab boys are back with a new feature that allows you to upload your own photos and add them to JibJab mini-movies. You might remember JibJab for those wacky “cut-out” animations they did with John Kerry and W during the last election. Now, they’ve made it possible for you (or your family and friends) to star along with them – and it’s free! Just upload your favorite photo and you could be doing the hula with Hillary Clinton or Steve Jobs. Check it out at: http://www.jibjab.com/starring_you/?cmpid=20.
Word-of-Mouth marketing may be the oldest form of advertising but, as a marketing discipline, “WOM” is a relatively new phenomenon. Viral marketing, buzz marketing, blogging, community marketing, customer evangelism and other “consumer-to-consumer” techniques all inspire people to recommend your product or service. Properly executed, WOM marketing is an incredibly effective weapon in your marketing arsenal, because the message comes from a trusted source. The key ingredients of any word-of-mouth marketing campaign are:
• Giving people a reason to talk about you.
• Making it easy for people to share information about you.
• Engaging and energizing those people to spread the good word.
Here are the five most important things you need to do to generate word of mouth:
1. It starts with customer satisfaction
A happy customer is a potential advocate and an influencer. An unhappy customer is even more powerful – one survey of “customer rage” found that 85% of unhappy customers share their experiences with others. If you don’t have a good story to tell, there’s nothing pleasant to buzz about. Measure your customer satisfaction by asking your clients whether they would recommend you. This “customer loyalty” metric can be the most important number you can track. For more information read The Ultimate Question by Fred Reichheld.
2. Give your customers a voice
Make it easy for customers to recommend your product or service. Facilitate communication. Establish user groups, fan clubs, message boards – anything that encourages positive conversation about your business. Start by adding a “tell-a-friend” component to your website with companies like Tell-a-friend Wizard or free services like bpath.com.
3. Find and equip your customer evangelists
These are the “sneezers,” or influential customers who will tell their friends about you. Think of them as your superfans. Give them inside information and reward their evangelism with recognition and support. Look for ideas and inspiration at the Viral & Buzz Marketing Association. (VBMA.net)
4. Join the blogosphere
A business blog creates a two-way dialogue with your customers and facilitates active discussion among your fans. Blogs are the perfect tool to encourage open communication and information sharing.Build your own blog in minutes with Blogger or TypePad. For more info, visit blog guru Andy Wibbel’s website.
5. Listen and respond to feedback
Your blog also provides instant feedback from your customers. Participate in the online conversation and take the pulse of your supporters – and your detractors. Use sites like FeedBurner to track and analyze your blog traffic.
Lou Bortone is an award-winning television producer who specializes in helping solopreneurs create video for the Internet. E-mail lou@theonlinevideoguy.com or visit http://www.theonlinevideoguy.com.
Getting your video posted on the Internet
Upload to several free video hosting sites
Now comes the fun part – You get to upload your video and share it with the world! Most of the popular video sites have relatively easy upload instructions: First, you’ll have to create an account for each site. The video hosting sites usually have a two or three step process that allows you to browse for your video file on your computer; add a title and description; and then click “upload” to post your video file.
Most sites will also give you options for adding a thumbnail photo, selecting your genre or category or, in some cases, signing up for revenue sharing. I suggest that you go beyond the obvious sites like YouTube and Yahoo, and upload your video to some of the newer, more feature-rich sites such as Veoh, Revver, iFilm and Stickam. Visit the individual sites for easy upload instructions.
Promote and share your new “online TV channel”
After you’ve uploaded your video, the video hosting sites provide the option of “sharing” your video by giving you a link/URL that you can e-mail to your contacts. Most sites also include a great feature that allows you to copy the HTML code and “embed” the video into your own website or blog. Simply cut and paste the code provided into your own site. There are more advanced methods, but using “embed” codes is fast and free! Finally, use RSS (Really Simple Syndication) to offer “subscriptions” to your online videos.
Vlog It!
Although you can post your video on free video hosting sites, you’ll need to set up a blog account if you want to create your very own video blog. You can set up a free blog very easily at Blogger.com. Other blog platforms include Movable Type, TypePad and WordPress. Once you’ve got your blog platform, you’ll be able to create posts – including video.
If you’d like much more detailed information or instructions, please visit The Online Video Guy’s website at http://www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com, and check out my comprehensive e-book available on the website.
As always, you can contact me with questions at Lou@TheOnlineVideoGuy.com.
Lou Bortone is an award-winning television producer who specializes in helping solopreneurs create video for the Internet. E-mail lou@theonlinevideoguy.com or visit http://www.theonlinevideoguy.com.
First, you’ve got to get your footage into your computer in order to format it for uploading to the Internet. In most cases, you can just connect your camcorder directly to your computer and transfer the footage right into your editing program (usually via a “firewire” connector). Then, get your video Internet-ready with the editing/movie software that came with your computer, such as iMovie on the Mac or Windows Movie Maker for the PC. For a more professional product, you could upgrade to Final Cut Pro for the Mac or Adobe Premiere for the PC.
Once you’ve edited your video, it still needs to be encoded and compressed to make it “Internet-friendly.” Video files can be enormous, but compression software shrinks the video file size so it plays more smoothly on the Web. Remember to save or export your file to an online-compatible size, which is 320 X 240 resolution; and compress it so it’s under 20MB, if possible.
Be sure to save your video file in a format that most video sites accept, such as a Quicktime movie (.mov), a Windows movie (.wmv) or Flash (.flv) file. QuickTime Pro (for Windows or Mac) is ideal for compressing your video and transferring it to whatever file format you prefer (Windows, Flash, MPEG). If you think you’re going to be creating a lot of videos and uploading them to the Web, then the QuickTime software is the best $30 bucks you’ll ever spend!
Lou Bortone is an award-winning television producer who specializes in helping solopreneurs create video for the Internet. E-mail lou@theonlinevideoguy.com or visit http://www.theonlinevideoguy.com.
Web tools, tidbits and resources for you and your biz – October 2007
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This Month:
Marketing on a Meager Budget
TubeMogul Rules!
Facebook Freebies
Web Business Cards
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Dear Reader,
Welcome to this month’s “Online Marketing Goodies,” your fast-scan guide to what’s new on the web! Welcome new subscribers. Hope you’re having a ball this fall! Here are this month’s new web tricks and treats. Happy Halloween!
Lou B.
The Online Video Guy
http://www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com
Lou@TheOnlineVideoGuy.com
P.S. Speaking of Halloween and ghosts, I have a brand new ghostwriting website up at: http://www.GhostwriteSuccess.com.
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This Month’s Feature Article from Work.com: “Marketing on a Meager Budget”
It’s a dilemma that most small businesses and startups face: You must market and advertise, but you’re strapped for cash. Fortunately, ideas, energy and imagination can make up for meager marketing budgets. Whether you’re an established company or a nascent business, the marketing formula is the same. You’ll need to start with:
1. The right message
2. To the right audience
3. At the right time
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Upload Away!
At last! There’s finally a FREE service that will upload your video to multiple video hosting sites at the same time! TubeMogul not only sends your video to YouTube
and several other sites with one click, they even give you tracking info and analytics. Spread your video message much more quickly and easily by signing up for free at: http://www.tubemogul.com/
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In Your Facebook
Have you joined Facebook yet? This networking site keeps getting better and better, with the addition of all kinds of third party applications like a visual bookshelf, music, business cards, cities visited and tons more. Find your friends at: http://www.facebook.com
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A Web Biz Card!
First there was LinkedIn and Facebook, and now you can add Lyro to the list of business networking resources. Increase your web visibility through Lyro.com with an online business card. http://www.lyro.com/ When you join, you establish an “online identity” that supposedly improves your SEO rankings. Their starter plan is free, while a basic plan is $10 (US) per month. Check it out at: http://www.lyro.com/index.php/home
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I hope like our quick-read, quick-tips for cool stuff on the web. We grow by “word of e-mail,” so please forward this to other smart folks!
Thanks!
Lou Bortone
“The Online Video Guy”
lou@TheOnlineVideoGuy.com
Granite Planet Video Productions
603-498-9254
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Fascinating Fact: Cost of a 30-second TV ad on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy: $419,000 Source: TV Week
Online Video 101 – Uses and benefits of online video
Online video, video blogs, vlogs or vodcasts are all different names for the same basic concept: Using the Internet to broadcast a video message. As an advertising and promotion tool, online video is exploding in popularity. Putting video on your Web site or blog is a low-cost way to maximize new technologies and stay ahead of your competition. There are several ways you can use your own “TV channel” on the Web:
1. Tape a personal introduction or welcome message for your Web site visitors.
2. Publicize and highlight a special product offer or company promotion.
3. Share company news, updates or executive briefings with your customers.
4. Use your video for product demos or training.
5. Videotape customer testimonials to generate new business.
6. Provide in-house training videos for staff or new hires.
7. Share footage of company events or milestones.
8. Create virtual tours for real estate or travel sites.
9. Produce executive biographies or video “press releases”.
10. Send out video postcards via e-mail or include in your e-newsletter.
Whether you’re a business owner, entrepreneur, solopreneur, artist, author, coach, actor or service professional, the advent and popularity of Online Video means you’ve now got an incredible opportunity to market, promote, demonstrate or sell your product or service to a world-wide audience – quickly, easily and inexpensively.
The Online Video Guy – Lou Bortone is an award-winning television producer who specializes in helping solopreneurs create video for the Internet. E-mail lou@theonlinevideoguy.com or visit http://www.theonlinevideoguy.com.
