From Jeremy: I am always looking for interesting guest content about how to utilize technology to help build your business for Refocusing Technology. Here’s a very good guest post in the guest blogger set from Andrew Ng. I hope that you will find it helpful. Enjoy!
___
photo credit: MK Media Productions
The Internet has transformed the way in which we view business, both with regard to start-ups and the growth of existing business. Suddenly anyone can setup a business without significant financial outlay. Suddenly established businesses can double, treble, or even quadruple sales and profits by launching an assault on the online market.
But what does this revolution hold for good old fashion video?
The face of advertising is changing – I should know, one of my company’s works in that industry. Increasingly businesses, drawn by the pull of accurate statistics and tangible results, are looking at online marketing as a means to drive sales and profit. Phone directory listings have turned in to listings in online directories; posters have become interactive flash-based web banners; newspaper adverts have become PPC advertisements; “traditional” PR coverage has moved on to forums, blogs, and high-traffic websites. The shift in television adverts to the online arena has, however, remained much lower key until quite recently.
The reasons behind this are simple – videos require fast connections which have only really become widespread in the past 4-5 years, videos are expensive to stream, and until recently the technology for advert-orientated videos has been minimal. This has changed. Social networks have “demanded” video integration; and where there is demand, in a capitalist economy, it will be met. It’s as simple as that.
So how has this made video advertising, traditionally too expensive for many businesses, accessible? Two words: “viral marketing”. On the Internet you don’t have to pay anyone to show your video to the world. On the Internet things that people “like”, naturally spread extremely rapidly due to the nature of online communication.
Let’s say that I’ve created a cool video to advertise my web development business – it’s got some great comedy moments and is generally “cool”. I upload it to YouTube then I post it to my Facebook profile and, for good measure, my LinkedIn profile. People see my video – people like my video – people forward the link to a friend or “post it” on a friends wall. How cool is that? Free marketing! And all I’ve done is get together a memorable little promo vid. Online, if enough people like your video, it could spread to thousands of views within a few days.
Now let’s take this idea a step further and think about mobile phones. Picture this: you’re at a business event chatting about your company and the person you’re talking to is interested in seeing some of your products. It is quite unlikely that you’ll have products with you there and then, but chances are you will have a phone. Show this potential client your video. Better than that, switch on Bluetooth and send him a copy of it. He can then show it to a friend, who can show it to a friend, who can show it to a friend, who can show it to a friend. More free marketing? I think so.
To put this in context – a few days ago I become involved with a concierge business; helping people spend more time doing what they want to, while we take care of the “chores” of life. This is a very personable service and hence needs very personable marketing. It is, in fact, the perfect case for utilising social media marketing. The first thing I did when I got involved? I sent an email straight to my media production company, Fat Mouse Productions Ltd, and told them I wanted an i-Showreel (www.i-showreel.com) created within the next 10 days (NOTE: i-showreel is not available on the market until mid September 2009).
When I get the i-Showreel through it will fly around a few select contacts to which I feel it will be of interest. It will be watched in offices (i-Showreel makes sense without the sound on), on mobiles, at residences, in Starbucks all across the city because it will naturally spread as much as people naturally have conversation. And being a video – it’s something tangible and has a bit of novelty value to it.
So what’s the overall cost of something like this? Basically – the price of a video; which in my case is a small £350 (and yes… I do have to pay for my own companies products if I want to inject them in to a different business)!
So have a go, empower your marketing by utilising video on the web.
Andrew Ng is a serial entrepreneur and leading media and innovation consultant in the UK. His businesses include media innovation company, Fat Mouse Productions Ltd; positive communications agency, re:Markable; and web development and online marketing business, Expanding Web. In September 2009 he will be launching i-Showreel, a video technology product, through Fat Mouse Productions Ltd.
Visit Andrew’s website at: www.andrew-ng.com
Follow Andrew on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/Mr_Ng
Did you enjoy this article? Please subscribe to Refocusing Technology to receive all the FREE updates!
Pingback: I WANNA BE ON OPRAH! PART TWO « Sara Dobie’s Blog